Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Accounting and Finance

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

If you’re interested in a career in forensic science, we have a crime scene for you! A unique mix of biosciences and criminal psychology, our degree course offers you the opportunity for practical forensic processing in our crime scene facility.

Technological advances have made the role of the forensic scientist – the expert who collects, preserves and analyses evidence - increasingly important in crime investigation, and also in other fields such as archaeology.

The course starts with an introduction to psychology and the sciences relevant to forensics, followed by more detailed applied forensics including the preparation of evidence for court, pathology, medical physiology and haematology. You’ll also study the most recent advances in DNA analysis, toxicology, criminal psychology, and fire and explosive analysis.

Why choose this course?

• The Forensic Science team includes international experts in the psychology of criminal behaviour and forensics experts from a variety of operational backgrounds
• Our teaching is rated as ‘Excellent’ by the QAA and the team is part of a highly experienced department that has run biological science courses for over 30 years
• You’ll study in a specialist forensic laboratory, with key laboratory skills incorporated into most of the taught units, especially your final-year research project
• You’ll learn the skills and techniques needed to evaluate a real-life crime scene in our scene-of-crime lab, designed to resemble an 'normal' flat
• There’s the option to take the course over four years and include a year’s work placement (see below) to gain experience and industry contacts
• If you’d like to step-up into higher education, you can take an introductory Foundation Year (see below), which guarantees entry to the Undergraduate course

    "Studying forensic science with Bedfordshire has been an awesome, inspiring experience, with lecturers who are specialists with industry experience in the areas they teach. I highly recommend anyone wishing to study this subject with Beds to 'Go 4 it'."

The international tourism industry continues to grow and flourish increasing the need for senior planners and managers with the skills to tackle a broad range of global management issues.

From heritage, cultural, social, environmental and political matters, to questions concerning strategic management and sustainable development, this course will provide you with a critical overview of the subject.

You will gain the knowledge and skills to understand the role of critical evaluation techniques and decision-making strategies necessary to establish yourself and thrive in a senior management role.

There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Why choose this course?

• Study major aspects and developments in international tourism and how these may be positively reflected in management practice
• Explore the interconnectedness of international tourism within its economic, technological, socio-cultural, psychological and political contexts, and deepen your knowledge of the effects of tourism on the environment
• Develop your knowledge of academic frameworks, theories and understandings within the policy and professional practice environment of tourist enterprises and business
• Gain access to high-quality research through our Institute for Tourism Research (INTOUR) and draw on numerous practical projects and case studies from a range of national and international organisations in the commercial, public and third sectors
• Benefit from our extensive links with industry, many of which provide opportunities for internships and possible employment.
• The University of Bedfordshire is a member of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE). ATHE is the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. It represents universities that are leading providers of tourism programs.

The advent of digital media has created an explosion of possibilities when it comes to illustration. This innovative course gives you the drawing skills, techniques and industry know-how to produce, distribute and publish your graphic work.

This course takes in the full scope of contemporary illustration practice from craft-based techniques and drawing to digital and sequential moving image-based work. It ensures you develop the drawing, photography and digital-media skills you need for a career in areas such as film, animation, music video, advertising, publishing, video games and app design.

Working in small, lively, creative groups, you study a cluster of design courses including Animation and Graphic Design, with units covering materials and methods; studio practice; context and ideas; thinking through making; collaborative partnerships; and the critical and creative background to modern design.

Why choose this course?

• Work in spacious, well-equipped studios and benefit from high-spec facilities in digital media, motion graphics, bookmaking, stop motion, risograph printing and screen printing
• Gain skills and confidence with regular one-to-one contact with industry-experienced teaching staff and excellent technical support
• Explore the changing role of the designer and design in society so you can challenge current social, political and environmental thinking in your work
• Develop skills in creative problem solving, collaboration and entrepreneurship
• Take the course over four years and benefit from a year’s placement in industry, building your experience and making contacts for the future
• If you need to step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which gives you guaranteed entry to the undergraduate course

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.

To succeed in the modern world businesses need managers with the skills and knowledge of how to trade on the international stage. You will study the core business disciplines such as strategic management, accounting annd finance, global brand communications and reputations and international business competencies.

As you develop your knowledge of business in an international context, you will gain the attributes to contribute to the global business strategy of organisations and resolve international business problems.

There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Why choose this course?

• Study aspects of strategic and operations management such as global supply chain management and international marketing through collaborative activities within a wide international business perspective.
• Gain advanced knowledge of organisations together with the theory of international business and apply it to solve real business problems through our employability practice approach to teaching and learning.
• Develop your knowledge of key strategic and operations such as accounting and finance, investment treaty arbitration, international business competencies and strategic management within an international context.
• Benefit from a course that inspires teamwork and engagement to contribute to ethical and innovative practice.
• Gain the knowledge and skills required for a career as a Trading Executive, Product Manager, Business Development Manager or Buyer or further your existing management career by achieving a leadership position in your current organisation.

Companies are reporting that business is becoming ever more competitive and that industries are becoming more volatile. In order to remain competitive businesses are looking for project management graduates who are able to work in a flexible, collaborative way in order to help provide innovative solutions to often complex and open-ended problems.

The ability of organisations to develop projects and deliver them successfully is becoming increasingly important and the management of these projects is a much sought after skill.

This course is specifically designed to enable you to develop Project Management and Business skills through an exciting programme that links academic theory and real world business projects in realistic business settings.

You will be challenged to develop awareness of your own skills and learning needs and will be encouraged to offer innovative and creative approaches to Project Management and business problem solving.

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.

Develop the essential, digitally relevant skills for the world of advertising, copywriting and marketing communications, opening up opportunities in specialist agencies, integrated brand communications and client side brand management.

Gain vital work experience and awareness on placement and working with external agencies, and build your network of industry contacts. Relate marketing to finance, HRM and operations and take specialist units in PR and e-Business.

Examine international business and marketing management - branding, buyer behaviour, distribution and competition - with specialist units in marketing communications, media analysis and planning.

Choose Advertising and Marketing Communications at Bedfordshire and

• Learn essential skills in advertising and copy writing - using a mixture of traditional marketing and media communications and more modern tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
• Study areas including PR, creating marketing communications, marketing communications practice, and marketing in contemporary contexts
• Develop your knowledge and experience in your final year by working with real companies on real issues
• Gain additional employability skills in communication, problem-solving and teamwork
• Challenge yourself with an optional sandwich placement year
• Benefit from a course that reflects the Business School’s commitment to practice based and research informed education and is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

Why choose this course?
BSc Advertising and Marketing Communications is an academic course grounded firmly in business practice. In your first year you study alongside other business students working on practical business problems and are introduced to the foundation level of Marketing Communications. At higher levels your study becomes more focused, especially on employment related transferable skills.

At the conclusion of this course you will be a career-ready pre-professional, ready to start work in the marketing communications industry

You will have acquired not just knowledge and understanding of marketing communications methods, such as digital strategy and account and media planning, but also the ability to apply your studies to practical examples and the critical skills necessary to keep learning in the changing professional environment

Bringing together the emerging fields of forensic science and criminology, this course gives you the lab skills and practical crime-scene experience of the scientist combined with a criminological exploration of why people commit crime, and the role of the police and criminal justice system in its prevention.

Our degree provides you with a foundation in the biological and chemical sciences that apply to forensic science as well as exploring criminological theory, crime-scene investigation and the role of scene-of-crime officers. In the Criminology units, you gain understanding of how data can be analysed to identify and predict factors that may cause people to commit crime. You also explore the role of forensic science, the police and the criminal justice system in the prevention, deterrence and punishment of criminal behaviour.

The course has been designed to develop your skills in laboratory analysis; the interpretation and evaluation of evidence; and the communication of scientific findings. You also learn how to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different criminological explanations; make reasoned arguments; and bring together information from different sources.

Why choose this course?

• Explore topics at the forefront of current developments in forensic science
• Study in a specialist forensic laboratory, with key laboratory skills incorporated into most of the units
• Learn the skills and techniques needed to evaluate a real-life crime scene in our scene-of-crime lab, designed to resemble an 'normal' flat
• Work with a Forensic Science team that includes international experts in the psychology of criminal behaviour and forensics experts from a variety of operational backgrounds
• Acquire key transferable skills including in oral and written communication; IT; group and team work; analysis; critical thinking; and problem solving
• Take the course over four years and include a fee-free year in industry, gaining work experience, building your CV and making contacts for the future
• If you need a step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees you a place on the degree course

Economies are increasingly global. With this degree - designed to give you the knowledge and skills to manage a business effectively in the global context - show potential employers that you understand how business operates on an international scale.

Alongside traditional business skills and disciplines such as strategy, human resource management, finance, operations and marketing, you will acquire global skills via units such as international economics, global marketing, and Intercultural awareness in business.

In your final year you are supported in finding a placement which delivers invaluable international experience, as well as credit towards your degree, as you apply your learning to project work in a live setting.

Why choose this course?
This innovative and interdisciplinary course will help you to gain the skills and knowledge required in key business disciplines coupled with a broader global business perspective. The course provides you with a deeper appreciation of the roles and relationships of businesses in an international context, together with the specific operational and strategic issues, challenges and opportunities that businesses face when they start operating at an international level.

You will also gain a working understanding of foundational concepts in the key functional and operational areas, including business management, business research, marketing, finance, accounting, operations management, human resource management, interpersonal and collaborative communication skills, covering important aspects of working in an international and multi-cultural environment.

The course offers a rich learning experience

• Is highly vocational with a focus on knowledge and understanding of business organisations from a global perspective;
• Focuses on both large and small organisational contexts;
• Instils a high level of professionalism from the outset;
• Has a strong theoretical base in each unit;
• Develops interpersonal and collaborative communication skills
• Includes a supervised final year dissertation involving an individually conducted research element;
• Provides further opportunity for professional development in a work placement relevant to international business
• Has small class interactive teaching environments;
• Focuses on hard and soft management skills for the 21st century

Choose International Business at Bedfordshire and

• Learn through lectures, seminars and workshops, plus projects, research exercises, presentations, and case study analyses with a focus on using your knowledge and understanding in practice
• Study business management, business research, marketing, finance, accounting, operations management and human resource management
• Develop your communication and collaborative skills as well as a recognisable high level of professionalism, enabling you to fit in and be effective from day one
• Gain an understanding of the roles and relationships of businesses in the international arena, and the specific operational and strategic issues, challenges and opportunities that they face at an international level
• Explore opportunities for further postgraduate and professional study
• Benefit from a degree which gives you understanding of global business operations, analytical and problem-solving skills, and personal effectiveness and credibility when working across cultures in international teams – attributes which are highly attractive to potential employers