Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Economics and Politics with Placement Year

at University of Bath United Kingdom

Develop a deep understanding of the fundamental principles of physics, expand your knowledge with flexible options and get involved in our high-level research.

This is our broadest physics degree and gives you the opportunity to explore a wide range of areas in physics, from the nanoscale to the most energetic processes in the Universe.

As well as gaining a deep knowledge and understanding of physics, you’ll graduate with strong experimental, mathematical and computational expertise. You’ll gain powerful problem-solving, analytical and critical thinking skills, preparing you for careers in physics and many other fields as well.

Placement Year

Going on placement gives you the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge to a year working professionally. You’ll be employed full-time in a role to match your future career ambitions, broadening your experience and transferable skills. This could give you a competitive edge when applying for graduate jobs.

You can choose from a wide range of roles to match your interests, from working in marketing to a lab-based role at a research institute. We have links with some of the industry’s leading companies. Recent placement employers include BAE Systems, CERN, Dyson, Morgan Stanley, Rolls-Royce and Samsung.

The modern world needs thoughtful, politically-conscious, questioning economists. Become a professional who understands how economics and politics intertwine.

In this course, you’ll examine the challenges facing individuals, countries and the international community. You will develop an understanding of government and society through core concepts such as power, justice, conflict, accountability, obligation, sovereignty and decision making. You will develop strong analytical skills which will aid your understanding of the institutional, UK and global context within which economic decisions and policy formation takes place.

In your first year you'll study key concepts in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. You'll explore political theory and analysis, introducing central subjects such as power and the state, democracy and the climate crisis.

In your second year you'll continue with more advanced study of political and economic theory. You'll study the exercise of power in societies and economies through an engagement with themes such as democratic theory, populist and nationalist politics, and the politics of race and gender.

In your final year you'll explore your interests through a range of optional units in both economics and politics.

By the end of the course, you will have an appreciation of the interface between economics and political science.

Placement Year

Taking a placement in your third year enables you to use the theory you have learned in a practical context. You will learn about an organisation and its area of work in the UK or overseas. This is an excellent opportunity to test potential career paths. Sometimes permanent jobs are offered to our students. You’ll develop skills such as teamwork, planning, problem-solving, decision making and project management.

Employers value a year of professional work and you’ll gain an advantage in the job market. Sometimes it is possible for you to acquire additional professional qualifications, particularly in accountancy, whilst on placement.

Placement opportunities can’t be guaranteed but you will receive tailored support from our specialist team to help you secure a placement.

Become an innovative computing professional with the skills needed for a career in the fast-growing field of AI.

This course is for you if you’re keen to learn about current Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, specialising in this field from the start of your degree whilst still gaining a broad grounding in computer science. AI is becoming an ever more important part of a wide range of sectors from medicine to marketing, so this course will help prepare you for continued demand in the job market.

You'll gain the skills and knowledge to apply the latest AI technologies and methods to a wide range of problems, studying topics such as machine learning, algorithms and complexity, and visual computing.

Tailor to your interests

In the first year, you’ll learn the basics of computer science, including mathematics and programming skills, along with an introduction to the theory and practice of AI. In the second year, you’ll continue to develop your AI skills, with a focus on machine learning. In the final year, you’ll choose optional units alongside an individual project in a specific area of AI. You can specialise in areas such as robotics, natural language processing, intelligent agents or computer vision. You’ll regularly meet with an academic who’s an expert in your chosen field.

Year abroad

Broaden your horizons with a year studying at a university abroad. You’ll experience another culture while studying a course that complements your studies at Bath.

We have links with universities in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, currently including Binghamton University, University of Nebraska, University of Canterbury, TU Vienna and National University Singapore.

Apply the full breadth of physics to a wide range of astrophysical phenomena from star formation to black hole growth and the expansion of the Universe.

Physics with Astrophysics at Bath will give you a strong grounding in physics, along with in-depth specialist knowledge of astrophysics. You’ll learn how to combine evidence from stellar and extragalactic astronomy to build consistent theoretical models of the evolution of galaxies.

Topics covered include exoplanets, galaxies, cosmology, stars and stellar evolution, general relativity and high energy astrophysics. There'll also be opportunities for you to carry out both observational and computational astrophysics projects alongside our astrophysics research group.

Placement Year

Going on placement gives you the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge to a year working professionally. You’ll be employed full-time in a role to match your future career ambitions, broadening your experience and transferable skills. This could give you a competitive edge when applying for graduate jobs.

You can choose from a wide range of roles to match your interests, from working in marketing to a lab-based role at a research institute. We have links with some of the industry’s leading companies. Recent placement employers include BAE Systems, CERN, Dyson, Morgan Stanley, Rolls-Royce and Samsung.

Research Placement

As an MPhys student, you can choose to undertake a research placement in the final year of the course. You’ll spend six months (July to December) working in a research organization of international standing, before returning to the University for the final semester. We have links with leading research organizations, including CERN, NTT Basic Research Laboratories (Japan), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (France) and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

How we can get people more active and making healthy choices? Prepare yourself for a range of careers, promoting health at an individual or population level.

This course combines science, social science and public health. Through learning about how the human body works, you will understand the impact that physical activity, diet and other lifestyle choices have on health and wellbeing.

This degree has three core themes running throughout the course:

• Exercise Science provides a fundamental, interdisciplinary understanding of human function
• Behavioural Medicine explores how we can use the principles of exercise science to promote health, or treat and prevent disease
• Public Health investigates the determinants of population health, focusing particularly on the role of physical activity and lifestyle in the health of a population

Through these core themes you will apply your knowledge to health and exercise settings and understand their relevance in current practice.

Use specialist facilities

As a student on one of our sport, exercise and health courses you'll have access to facilities that support your learning, including laboratories with specialist equipment and the latest technology, including:

• Applied Biomechanics Laboratory
• Applied Physiology Laboratory
• Biochemistry Laboratory
• Metabolic Research Laboratory
• A dedicated movement analysis suite

Specialise in environmental and sustainable processes while developing the technical, professional and digital skills needed in industry.

Our course is for engineers and scientists who want to make a positive impact on the environment, society and the future of our planet. Climate change, GHG emissions and loss of biodiversity are important global issues and the world needs leaders and innovators to design and manage sustainable processes and systems to address these.

If you have that desire to learn how to solve the important environmental challenges we face, then our course can help you towards that goal. We’ll develop your skills, knowledge and understanding to take on these issues against a backdrop of economic factors, environmental compliance and national and international legislation.

Your studies will cover areas such as improving resource efficiency, and how to monitor, manage and mitigate negative environmental consequences. You’ll learn how to apply whole-systems and life-cycle approaches to evaluate the impact of industrial activities while considering current and possible future legislation. This ‘big-picture thinking’ will allow you to move beyond traditional approaches to process engineering.

As part of your learning experience, we make sure you have the opportunity to develop useful skills in areas such as interdisciplinary teamwork, effective communication, networking and time resource management. This will help prepare you to adapt and be successful in a variety of roles in this evolving discipline.

The modern world needs thoughtful, politically-conscious, questioning economists. Become a professional who understands how economics and politics intertwine.

In this course, you’ll examine the challenges facing individuals, countries and the international community. You will develop an understanding of government and society through core concepts such as power, justice, conflict, accountability, obligation, sovereignty and decision making. You will develop strong analytical skills which will aid your understanding of the institutional, UK and global context within which economic decisions and policy formation takes place.

In your first year you'll study key concepts in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. You'll explore political theory and analysis, introducing central subjects such as power and the state, democracy and the climate crisis.

In your second year you'll continue with more advanced study of political and economic theory. You'll study the exercise of power in societies and economies through an engagement with themes such as democratic theory, populist and nationalist politics, and the politics of race and gender.

In your final year you'll explore your interests through a range of optional units in both economics and politics.

By the end of the course, you will have an appreciation of the interface between economics and political science.

Year abroad

You can broaden your horizons with a year studying at a university abroad. You’ll experience another culture whilst studying a course that complements your studies at Bath. You could combine study abroad with an international work placement.

The study abroad option is available at the National University of Singapore, The University of Hong Kong and Stellenbosch University (South Africa), as well as others. We seek to further expand on these. Study abroad opportunities are limited and are subject to availability at our partner institutions.

Be part of the robotics revolution. Study a progressive area of engineering to pursue a career in robotics and automation.

Do you aspire to contribute to the future of an expanding industry in engineering? Our course will help you do this by advancing your knowledge of robotics, artificial intelligence and electronics systems at the forefront of engineering and design.

In your first two years, you'll learn core elements of electronic, electrical and mechanical engineering. A you'll combine this with aspects of computer science, giving you a comprehensive overview of robotics engineering. You'll be supported by, and benefit from, academic staff who are advancing research in our Centre for Autonomous Robotics (CENTAUR).

To become a skilled engineer, you need good technical design knowledge. That’s why our course places project work at the centre of your learning experience. Group projects challenge you to work in teams to solve practical engineering problems using communication, teamwork and management skills. You can also join one of our student teams who compete annually. These include Team Bath Racing Electric, Team Bath Drones and the autonomous underwater systems team.

You’ll graduate with a strong understanding of the operation, components and design techniques of robotics engineering. Your studies will prepare you for a career in robotics and automation in areas such as robotic systems design, autonomous systems and medical robotics.

Placement Year

Going on placement can give you the chance to apply your theoretical knowledge to the workplace and learn about the technologies and processes used in industry. You’ll develop your skills in a professional environment and learn about sophisticated engineering systems. Having professional experience can benefit the rest of your degree as well as improve your career prospects. It can also be an opportunity to earn a salary during your degree.

Our students have worked at companies including Intel, Jaguar Land Rover, Thales, Renishaw, Nordic Semiconductor, Siemens, Ultra Electronics, Surrey Satellite Technology and McLaren.

Develop your knowledge of biomechanics, physiology and psychology. You will understand how humans function in sport, physical activity and health environments.

This degree has three core strands running throughout the course:

• Biomechanics will explore how humans create and control movement including athletes’ technique
• Physiology will cover the structure, function, regulation and performance of bodily systems
• Psychology will examine the role of thoughts, feelings and behaviours in sport and exercise settings

Through these core disciplines you'll apply your knowledge to sports performance and exercise participation and understand the relevance of sport and exercise science to current practice.

Use specialist facilities

As a student on one of our sport, exercise and health courses you'll have access to facilities that support your learning, including laboratories with specialist equipment and the latest technology, including:

• Applied Biomechanics Laboratory
• Applied Physiology Laboratory
• Biochemistry Laboratory
• Metabolic Research Laboratory
• A dedicated movement analysis suite

Placement Year

The placement will give you valuable practical experience and is an excellent opportunity to try different careers. It enables you to leave university with a strong CV and may set you apart from other graduates entering the job market. You can take placements in elite sports, healthcare and industries around the globe. We advertise around 200 placement opportunities.

Year Abroad

On this course you'll combine a work placement with studying at a university overseas. Your international experience will enhance your skills and prepare you for employment in the competitive global graduate market.

The study abroad option is currently available in Technical University of Munich (Germany) and Southern Cross University (Australia), and we continuously seek new partners to widen our study abroad offer.

Develop an in-depth understanding of contemporary development issues, and gain the specialist skills to work in peacebuilding, conflict analysis and humanitarian response.

Whether you are a graduate aiming to pursue a development or humanitarian career in conflict-affected regions, or a professional wishing to deepen your knowledge and critical thinking, this course is for you.

The course addresses the core global challenges of conflict and humanitarian crisis and explores a variety of tools and approaches for responding in these contexts. Rooted in real-world practical and policy challenges, the course is founded on Bath’s expertise in international development. It uses innovative learning approaches to promote in-depth investigation of cases and issues, while drawing links across global, regional, national and local scales.