Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Economics and Finance

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

Combining practical design skills with creative problem-solving and reflective insight, this inspirational course offers a thorough grounding in contemporary and evolving forms of visual communication across a wide range of platforms, from digital to print, moving image to illustration.

Our degree course explores all contexts where graphic design is found such as digital content; interface design; web and social media; editorial design; print and publishing; moving image; visual identity; typography; and graphic illustration.

Working in creative teams, you learn about materials and methods in a cluster which includes Illustration, Animation, and Advertising and Branding Design. You also study studio practice; collaborative enterprise; context and meaning; and professional practice. This winning combination allows you to develop practical design skills as well as the ability to work collaboratively and show entrepreneurship.

We foster a reflective, outward-looking approach to design challenges; for example, by exploring the ways digital media has created new possibilities for producing, distributing and publishing graphic design work. We also believe a sense of responsibility is essential for a contemporary designer so ethics, sustainability and inclusion are fundamental themes running through the course’s context and debate.

Why choose this course?

• Study in small, lively and committed groups, in spacious, well-equipped studios
• Gain a solid knowledge of the cultural, critical and creative contexts of contemporary practice including how social media has transformed the role of the graphic designer
• Work on live briefs, submit for national competitions and participate in collaborative projects with leading design practitioners
• Learn the team skills required for exhibition curation and group collaborations
• Understand the standards you’ll need to reach to enter the world of professional employment
• Take the course over four years and benefit from a fee-free year in industry (see below), gaining experience and making contacts for the future
• If you need a step-up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees entry into the degree course on completion

The study of finance is key to understanding how businesses operate, governments exercise policies and countries operate and compete with each other.

This course will provide you with an intimate knowledge of the structural issues economies are facing and the way they are being realised in today’s economics affairs through the dominance of financial institutions.

Through blended learning you will study the theoretical background and work with industry on real business problems to develop the personal and professional skills you need to be a key player in this global, knowledge-based economy

Why choose this course?

• Study the related areas of economics, financial markets and portfolio management, accounting and finance and strategic management
• Gain advanced knowledge of financial organisations and institutions, as well as of government policies and the critical capabilities to apply theory to complex issues
• Explore your enterprise, creativity and independence – the skills required by employers - through your dissertation unit
• Develop your employability by undertaking a work placement with the opportunity to work on a live project
• Benefit from studying with a Business School that has partners across the world enabling you to examine the cross-culture perspectives essential to organisations in the global markets

Build on your previous Foundation Degree studies by furthering your knowledge of psychology and criminal behaviour and completing an Honours degree. In doing so, you are opening the door to a range of exciting careers.

On this top-up course, you explore a range of fascinating topics that will equip you for postgraduate study or a career in a related field. You expand your knowledge and skills around occupational and organisational psychology; atypical child and adolescent development; the psychology of mental health; and forensic psychology.

You also complete a library-based Honours research project in your area of interest.

Why choose this course?

• Examine forensic psychology in practice
• Explore the assessment and treatment of offenders, including offenders with a mental illness
• Gain a set of valuable transferable skills including IT; communication and presentation; analysis and problem-solving
• Benefit from a course relevant to many careers in the public sector, care sector, and education

The MBA (Logistics and Supply Chain Management) is a flagship qualification designed to meet the needs and aspirations of early career individuals through the combination of a general management education with the specialist area, Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

It is designed for individuals who want to develop both their management skills and new areas of business interest and those seeking fast track career progression opportunities.

This postgraduate degree aims to enhance your professional prospects by developing your capability to apply the latest thinking relating to organisational development and change in the competitive global context.

Successful completion of the MBA (Logistics and Supply Chain Management) highlights your potential to have a real impact on the transformation of the organisation you join.

Our courses are designed to be engaging, attractive and flexible in the current global marketplace. There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Your course takes place over three semesters. Depending upon when you join the course, this will determine the order of units which you will study. You will benefit by beginning your studies with others who started at one of the earlier points of entry.

Why choose this course?

• The course adopts a practical and applied business curriculum and aims to develop an advanced knowledge of organisations and their effective management in the dynamic competitive global context, and the ability to creatively apply this knowledge and understanding to complex issues to systematically and innovatively enhance strategic business and management practice.
• This offers a challenging learning opportunity to encourage the integration of theory and practice supported by experienced academics with substantial management experience.
• You will work with academics and professors of practice on live consultancy projects with leading employers in organisations across private, public and not-for-profit sectors to support your personal and professional development as a creative and innovative leader with the knowledge and skills needed in the global, knowledge-based economy.
• You will develop the attributes and skills expected of post-graduates confirmed by partner industry bodies including the Chartered Management Institute and the Confederation of British Industry, including team-working, negotiation skills, leadership, confidence and the ability to apply critical and creative thinking to complex and unclear problems to develop innovative solutions

Your first step towards a career as a registered social worker, this course equips you with the knowledge, skills and resilience needed to improve the lives of vulnerable adults, children and families.

Approved by Social Work England, this degree offers graduates eligibility to join the professional register, after which you can pursue a career in social work across a range of settings.

The course prepares you to work in a rapidly changing, complex and unpredictable sector, offering the most up-to-the-minute knowledge, skills and practice. It combines work-placement experience, practical skills development and academic study with a focus on applying theory to practice.

You first study the foundations of social work including social policy; human growth and development; relevant legislation for professional practice; and working with people. Later units explore issues, contexts and interventions in social work along with two work-placement opportunities and a final-year research project.

Why choose this course?

• Join a course with a 92% satisfaction rate (National Student Survey, 2020)
• Explore every aspect of the professional social work role; how it relates to other areas; and the ethical challenges of balancing initiative with accountability
• Progress with the support of academic staff who have all been practising social workers, some of whom continue to practise alongside their academic work
• Benefit from the University of Bedfordshire’s new Health & Social Care Academy, run in partnership with local councils and NHS Trusts to recruit and train the next generation of health and social care workers
• As a graduate, you can apply for professional registration as a qualified social worker with Social Work England
• Open up career paths across a variety of sectors, including local authorities, the NHS, education authorities, prison service, private agencies and voluntary organisations

This course responds to the growing market demand for graduates who aim to deal with the information and organisation needs of businesses.

As a student, you will gain understanding of information and organisation structures in a business, as well as skills of exploiting existing software that is required for designing and developing information systems.

You will also obtain skills and ability to interact with business analysts, computer programmers, software engineers and computer scientists.

Why choose this course?
The course will provide you with academic and technical skills to analyse, interpret and make sense of how to handle the huge amount of ubiquitous data created daily. It will enable you to meet the demands of tomorrows information society and draws from our expert staff in Information Systems, Data Science and Computing.

• Learn to exploit and integrate existing software, and design information systems
• Study web database management systems, decision support systems and data mining
• Develop the technical ability to interact with business analysts, computer programmers, software engineers and computer scientists
• Gain an understanding of the integration of industrial standard technologies and advanced information technology strategies, including grid and cloud computing
• Explore your career opportunities with our industry contacts
• Challenge your intellectual abilities as you focus on the skills needed to conceptualise, develop and manage information systems
• Benefit from the opportunity to study in a dedicated environment using the latest hi-tech industry standard equipment

Economics lies at the heart of the modern world and understanding its influence is critical to both business success and effective policy-making. This course gives you the analytical skills you need to stand out as a business economist in a demanding career field.

Our Business Economics BSc (Hons) allows you to explore the global economic system – including the factors that influence income, wealth and wellbeing - and to apply your knowledge and insight to the contemporary business world. You will engage with the theory behind key economic decisions and develop your understanding of how societies, governments, businesses, households, and individuals allocate their resources.

Your studies cover the foundations of business economics including business practice, financial markets, accounting and finance, data analytics, and applied economics before moving into specific areas such as labour economics, globalisation and econometrics.

Why choose this course?

• Apply economic theory to real-world business problems, with the analytical skills and subject knowledge to discuss your ideas and conclusions confidently
• Develop your skills and experience in critical thinking, problem solving, presentation and team-working as well as in using information technology
• Put theoretical knowledge into practice in your final-year specialist project
• Take the course over four years and include a fee-free year in industry (see below), building experience and making contacts for the future
• If you need to step up to higher education, start with a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees entry to the undergraduate degree

The course covers the entire Software Engineering lifecycle and is taught by staff with both a strong academic research background who are also actively engaged in knowledge transfer (e.g. to local SME's), and who are at the forefront of their field.

IT is broadly based yet enough depth (programming skills, testing skills etc.) so as to give you credible vocational skills in Software Engineering.

Software engineering is central to the success of many of today’s businesses, and this vocational course shares a first year with a number of other relevant BSc degrees.

It then offers the opportunity for specialist study in the second and third stages, during which you will learn the principles of the subject.

A final year project will allow you to work with greater focus, leading to the possibility of future research.

You will also gain management skills and knowledge of organisational contexts, and develop into a reflective practitioner.

Why choose this course?

• Learn a wide range of highly credible vocational software engineering skills
• Study the design, development and deployment of large-scale software within industrial and commercial settings
• Develop your understanding of the entire life cycle of systems and how their production fits into management and organisational contexts
• Gain management skills and knowledge of organisational contexts, and develop into a reflective practitioner
• Explore and support your theoretical work with practical exercises
• Challenge conventional thinking as you develop your own solutions to the many issues that face software engineering
• Benefit from the teaching experience of staff with strong academic research backgrounds who are also engaged in active knowledge transfer with local SMEs and other organisations

Biochemistry has revolutionised our understanding of biological systems, from microbes to humans, and led to ground-breaking biotechnology applications. Our degree equips you with the specialist knowledge and skills you need for a career in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries, as well as other related sectors.

Offering a strong foundation in modern biochemistry, this course allows you to explore core subjects such as genetics, cell biology and molecular biology along with specialised fields including bioinformatics and molecular modelling; drug design and development; biotechnology; and genetic engineering.

You gain specialist knowledge in areas such as structure-function relationships; signalling and regulatory systems; and metabolic pathways as well as building the practical laboratory skills to work at the forefront of this exciting and developing field.

Why choose this course?

• Learn the techniques and practical laboratory skills essential for working in the field of biochemistry
• Benefit from our new science facilities and STEM building, which offer a modern working environment including high-spec laboratories
• Study with research-active experts in their field, many having previously worked at leading institutions such as Cambridge University, Imperial College London and King’s College London
• Develop transferable skills highly sought after by employers, such as independent thinking; planning and problem solving; analysis; and communication skills
• As a graduate, seek wider career opportunities in hospitals, government departments, academic organisations and the publishing industry. Or move on to further study at postgraduate level
• Take the course over four years and include a fee-free year in industry (see below), gaining experience, adding to your CV and making contacts for the future
• If you need to step up into higher education (see below), start with a Foundation Year which guarantees your place on the full degree course

If you have a passion for photography, this course gives you the knowledge, skills and techniques you need for a successful career in the field, whether your dream lies in fashion, advertising, animation, scientific and medical, or local studio photography.

Gain the practical skills and theoretical knowledge of both traditional and digital photographic formats on a course that includes darkroom techniques; medium- and large-format photography; studio photography; stop-motion techniques; and event and location photography.

See your images come to life collaborating on projects with students from other degrees such as fashion, animation, art and graphic design. Every day is different, whether working on location or in our airy, open-plan studios at Alexon House, formerly home to a leading UK fashion house.

Why choose this course?

• Explore the ways a professional photographer works alongside other professions in the creative industries such as fashion designers, art directors, graphic designers and animators
• Learn from leading professionals in photography and design who exhibit internationally and work with clients including The Sunday Times, Mack Books and international design magazines such as Eye Magazine
• Amass a professional-standard body of work and a network of contacts through events, exhibitions and industry-based opportunities
• Learn how to use social media and other digital platforms to promote your work
• Develop your personal communication and entrepreneurial skills so you enter the world of work with confidence
• Take the course over four years and include a year’s placement in industry, building your experience and creating contacts for the future
• If you need to step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees entry to the undergraduate course