Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Photography

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

With its strong emphasis on real-world and real-work experience, this entrepreneurial-focused course gives you the skills you need to achieve success producing first-class television studio and film work.

The degree offers a business-based approach to TV and film production, providing you with the knowledge and expertise you need to establish a successful career in this dynamic industry.

In your first year, you explore creating content; film and TV studio production; and reading the screen. Later units include freelancing; fiction film-making; and writing for the screen. You also work independently on a special film or TV project of your own choosing.

Why choose this course?

• Produce your own work in our industry-standard production and post-production studio facilities, giving you a head-start if you wish to set up your own production company
• Learn from studying with an academic team with key roles in the British film industry, many of whom have made documentaries and dramas for TV, cinema and gallery exhibitions
• Develop your skills and take on live creative briefs through our links with the local film and TV community, including Luton Culture and Clearhead Productions
• Broadcast your own work and assist with the running of a TV studio through BedsTV, the University’s student-run online television channel  
• Build your professional knowledge by exploring the business issues that affect television broadcasting in the UK
• Benefit from learning key transferable skills in communication, team working, critical evaluation and analysis
• If you need a step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees entry to the undergraduate degree

This innovative course gives you hands-on experience across a wide range of journalistic and creative fields. You learn from an inspirational academic team of professional writers, using the latest technology to produce your work.

This degree leaves nothing to chance, covering reporting, news and features, fiction, creative non-fiction and new-media writing. You study cross-industry writing, editorial and production skills, with options in radio journalism, innovative writing and specialist fiction. You work with the latest technology in our TV and radio studios, fully equipped edit suites and Press Association news feeds.

Tutors are all professional creative writers with publishing and broadcast expertise who support you as you develop your own unique voice and channel it through your writing. They can also give you practical guidance when it comes to getting recognised and published.

Why choose this course?

• Learn the essential tools you need for writing across genres and media from experienced writers, journalists, academics, research students and alumni
• Develop practical skills in production for television, print and online journalism
• Gain links with the publishing industry and other writing-related industries through the professional practice element of the course (see below)
• Explore outlets for your own work including the Creative Writing Guild which runs workshops and open mic nights as well as publishing anthologies of student work
• If you need a step-up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees entry to the degree course

The MSc in Cybersecurity seeks to address the increasing demand in cybersecurity related domains in both academic vocational qualifications and projection for an increased shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the industry.

The programme is delivered by a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts and active researchers in the area and gives also the opportunity to acquire certain units from the programme as dedicated credit-based short courses outside the normal MSc route.

Using cutting edge and leading teaching and training techniques the course helps the candidates to realise the unique complexity and challenges associated with cybersecurity in a highly dynamic and constantly evolving threat landscape in a blended programme that amalgamates both management and hands-on skills required by cybersecurity professionals.

The curriculum gives you skills that are valuable for a career within Information Security but it is also relevant for a much wider range of applications. The diverse skillset around management of security as delivered in the course will equip you with a meaningful GRC knowledge and relevant experience to excel your career prospects. This is quite prominent due to the problem recruiters have to get hold off security managers with these skills.

The systematic application of teaching and learning methods with the GIS goals and clear references made to the University’s employability framework should further help students to develop their career prospects throughout the programme.

Interactive sessions in the form of demos will also be delivered by the teaching staff and guest speakers to further leverage understanding and stimulate attention towards relevant and pragmatic issues in the area

Why choose this course?
Areas of study include

• Cyber threat intelligence
• Ethical Hacking
• Network Security
• Information Governance and Compliance
• Research methodologies and project management
• Tactical and strategic cybersecurity management
• MSc thesis in cybersecurity

Offering the in-depth technical and professional training you need for a career as an information technologist, this course is run in collaboration with local companies so you gain real-world experience while studying.

In your first year, you develop the skills to study the specialist topics later in the course including an introduction to software; hardware and how computers are built; how computers work with databases; and Structured Query Language (NoSQL). You will also learn about software applications (such as Microsoft, Oracle and Java) and hardware installation, configuration and maintenance.

In year two, you focus on software design and development; how software and hardware work together; designing secure systems; and approaches for testing software.

Learning in your final year focuses on research methods and emerging technologies as you undertake an independent IT project.

Why choose this course?

• It offers in-depth technical and professional training, including CompTia, Security+ and CCNA, which are required to practise as an information technologist
• Throughout the course, you benefit from work-based learning projects and hands-on experience which prepare you to graduate as a professional
• You learn how a wide range of technology can be deployed to provide systems that support organisations to achieve their business objectives
• You develop the knowledge and skills to draw out user requirements from non-IT experts and transform these into implemented system-level designs
• You will be able to lead an IT project, using transferable skills such as effective collaboration and critical thinking
• Take the course over four years and include a professional placement year (see below) where you can gain experience, build your CV and make contacts for the future

Law plays a key role in all aspects of our lives. Whether at work or play law governs our behaviour and gives shape to government, business and personal relationships.

Our LLB Law with Criminology course will provide you with key communication and research skills. Alongside the core topics which satisfy the Foundation of Legal Knowledge requirements of the Law Society and the Bar Council, you will study key aspects of criminology including why people offend and how crime is controlled, and contemporary issues such as violence in in today's society and corporate and organised crime.

Our law graduates leave us as articulate, knowledgeable and work ready individuals with a range of transferable skills to pursue a career in law, management, HR, the public sector, education and many other areas

Why choose this course?

• Learn the Foundation legal skills alongside key aspects of Criminology, then use and explore them in further units to develop your proficiency and competence even further.
• Study law within the broader economic, social, political, historical, ethical and cultural environment of specific areas of legal knowledge
• Develop your advocacy skills in our newly refurbished courtroom giving you confidence in a realistic setting
• Gain skills in critical analysis, research, teamwork, use of language and argument and the ability to work and learn independently
• Explore your ability to present arguments in a way that others can understand
• Challenge yourself with a demanding but valuable qualification highly regarded by employers which is accredited by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

The LLB is the undergraduate degree for all students wishing to pursue a career in law. Graduating with an LLB from the University of Bedfordshire is the first step on your journey towards becoming a solicitor or a barrister. The LLB is recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Council as a Qualifying Law Degree which exempts you from the academic stage of legal training.

The LLB Law with Criminology offers the added opportunity to study the issues of crime and punishment from an alternative perspective. You will study not only what constitutes a crime from in the eyes of the law but also explore the problem of crime and the reasons people commit crimes from a social science perspective.

Teaching on the LLB Law with Criminology is taught by a dedicated team of staff who combine world leading research with professional experience in the legal industry and the criminal justice system.

In class teaching is supported by a range of fantastic extra-curricular opportunities including our Law clinic, our award winning Refugee Legal Aid Clinic and our mooting debate programme.

Following a career in the field of psychology, you can make a real difference to people’s lives. The skills and knowledge you’ll gain on this course – accredited to the British Psychological Society – will put you on the path to making that difference as a chartered psychologist.

Psychology can explain so much about our lives, from why we fall in love and need sleep to how others influence us. This course - taught by an academic team actively involved in leading-edge research - covers all the major areas of psychology, including cognitive, biological, social and developmental psychology, as well as individual differences and how psychology applies to everyday life. It also offers you the opportunity to specialise in your areas of interest such as counselling, criminal behaviour, mental health and occupational psychology.

Your studies also develop your own abilities and understanding as you learn to consider and evaluate different perspectives; increase your self-awareness through enquiry, analysis, evaluation and reflection; build your independence and confidence through team activities and your own final-year research project.

Why choose this course?

• It is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and is your first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist
• Our academic team are members of the Research Centre for Applied Psychology, applying psychology to a range of ‘real world’ situations and problems
• You benefit from a wide variety of teaching methods including workshops, problem solving, simulations, computer-based activities and guided learning
• You take part in research studies and run your own studies as part of your learning and assessment
• The findings of your final-year research project are made available to your peers as part of the Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference
• You can take the course over four years (see below) and include a fee-free year’s placement in industry where you gain practical experience, build your CV and make contacts for the future
• If you would like a step-up into higher education, you can take a Foundation Year which guarantees you entry to the Undergraduate course (see below)

Environmental change affects everyone on the planet and sustainably managing a changing natural environment is one of the 21st century’s most pressing challenges. This course develops your theoretical knowledge and practical skills, enabling you to begin to meet these challenges in your chosen career.

Through study of environmental sustainability and management, as well as global environmental change, you develop a comprehensive understanding of what is happening in the environment at a range of scales. You then go on to examine how the integration of environmental science, biotechnology and management methods can help environmental, biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The course has a focus on how biotechnology can provide practical solutions to environmental problems, and your studies support you to develop valuable practical skills in identifying and evaluating useful technologies.

Why choose this course?

• Access the latest scientific thinking and teaching from a leading, research-active academic team with expertise in ecology, biotechnology, management and environmental microbiology
• Gain the knowledge and skills to move into a career in the environmental sector or – if you are a more experienced professional - develop your range of competencies and widen your opportunities in the field
• Develop a systematic understanding and critical awareness of the biological, ecological and socio-economic drivers of global environmental change
• Be able to evaluate methods of managing environmental change at local and global levels, including legislative, voluntary and economic management
• Hone your practical skills in our modern, well-equipped laboratories
• There is the option of a part-time pathway to better fit study around your work and family commitments
• Choose from a wide range of career paths including environmental consultancies; biotechnological research organisations; national and international government agencies and non-governmental bodies; and related business and industry. You also have the option of further study leading to PhD

The contemporary professional and economic environment of globalised markets commands persistence on quality, the immediate adjustment to the rapidly changing conditions and opportunities, as well as the need for a long-term vision. The world is recovering from a very severe economic crisis which originated in the financial sector and very quickly affected the economies of most countries in the western world.

In the aftermath of this and in a globalised world, the study of finance proves to be essential in understanding the way businesses operate, governments exercise policies and countries cooperate and compete with each other.

Economics on the other hand is the foundation of modern finance. It offers students the opportunity to acquire the cognitive knowledge and skills required to understand the structure of the world we live in.

This course will provide students with an intimate knowledge of the structural issues economies are facing and the way they are being realised in today’s economic affairs through the dominance of financial institutions. Student will be able to apply economic analysis to real-life issues while the technical and analytical skills that are necessary to understand key developments in the global markets will be developed.

The Department of Law and Finance has a critical number of academic staff who will support the delivery of this course. They are highly qualified academics and experienced professionals whose research achievements in the areas of economics and finance and real-life experience promise a unique student experience.

Why choose this course?

The world is recovering from a very severe economic crisis, which originated in the financial sector and very quickly affected the economies of most countries in the western world. In the aftermath of this and in a globalised world, the study of Finance is essential in understanding the way business operate, governments exercise policies and countries cooperate and compete with each other. Economics on the other hand is the foundation of modern finance.

If you are willing to pursue a degree in Economics, driven by the need to understand how the western world is structured and how the environment, in which businesses and financial institutions operate, is working, this course will be of interest to you. You will be able to apply economic and financial analysis to real life issues. All necessary technical and analytical skills that are desired by employers in economics and finance relevant institutions will be developed.

The course will improve your knowledge and skills (including creative leadership and problem solving skills) to manage projects effectively in the commercial, public and -third' sectors (including the voluntary sector); including managing projects for todays global companies over international boundaries.

This course provides you with those all-important real-life experiences. The course will enable you to learn from your experience of managing real projects by critically assessing a range of project management methodologies/bodies of knowledge, theories, issues, and tools and techniques.

Criminal offending and the state’s response to it are constantly evolving, and this course explores the latest ideas, thinking and research into the subject. Benefiting from the practice and practical knowledge of highly experienced tutors and lecturers, you will reflect critically on the latest theories and the many explanations used to explain why crime occurs.

The department’s expertise is deep and wide ranging, and covers youth crime and justice, substance abuse, gang related crime, corporate crime and forensic mental health.

You will be taught by leading researchers from the Institute of Applied Social Research, whose studies on sexual exploitation, trafficking, and disability is internationally renowned and at the interface between research, knowledge, policy and practice.

Why choose this course?

• Study the social, political and cultural contexts that inform criminology, and develop a critical in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subject
•  Explore and research a particular topic of interest, and as you do this sharpen your independent study skills and become highly specialised in a particular area
•  Develop the ability to apply originality in the application of knowledge that addresses problems relating to criminal justice, crime and offending
•  Gain a wide range of new skills and qualities that are relevant to the workplace and will give you the opportunity to seek employment at a senior level
•  Benefit from the ability to take part in critical discussions, systematic reviews and the analysis of complex, unfamiliar or unpredictable criminological problems, and work to produce an understanding that is informed by current scholarship.

Criminology at the University of Bedfordshire is taught by subject experts who are all members of the Vauxhall Centre for the Study of Crime under the direction of Professor John Pitts - a key member of the Home Office gang strategy’s expert advisory group. This dynamic programme considers developments in the academic study and research evidence of criminology in the context of an increasingly globalised world.

You will have the opportunity to critically reflect on theory while drawing on a depth of practical knowledge, theory and professional expertise from the teaching team. In addition, the team have an interest in the personal development of Masters students through a system of seminars and personal tutorials. This allows both staff and students to get to know each other well and fosters a shared commitment to the subject.