Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Economics and Finance

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

While teaching you all the essential skills you need to work creatively as an animator - including visual thinking, model-making, 3D design, digital illustration and time-based media – this wide-ranging course also gives you the confidence to respond to briefs, create independent projects and work collaboratively within the creative industries.

Our Animation BA (Hons) is based in narrative and storytelling for short-form film, the moving image industry and communication design. Students work on live briefs, submit for national competitions and work on projects with our expert academic team.

You learn your craft through practical workshop sessions, sustained practice in the studio, some work-related learning opportunities with ‘live briefs’, one-to-one tutorials, seminars, demonstrations and independent research. All your instruction takes into consideration professional and work-related practices.

In the first year, we introduce the key skills in animation, building a close relationship between practice and theory. In your second year, you work more independently, taking ownership of your creativity and its outcomes.

At the end of the course, you take on a creative project of your own, demonstrating your insight into the critical, cultural and professional contexts in which your work is placed.

Why choose this course?

• It enables you to study, develop and apply critical enquiry skills to a wide range of key ideas and contemporary professional practice
• Practical learning activities give you the opportunity to tackle visual problems and explore ideas relevant to animation
• It builds your understanding of animation’s different contexts, and its wider global impact on social, environmental and political issues
• It equips you with the knowledge, experience and understanding of design environments you need to communicate and present ideas and work to audiences in a range of situations
• It gives you the skills to work effectively with others, through collaboration, collective support and negotiation
• It offers insights into professional practice that will prepare you for a future career in the creative industries as well as the world of work generally
• You have the option to take your degree over four years and include a fee-free placement year in industry when you can gain practical experience, build your CV and make valuable contacts

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 course follows a hands-on practical approach, where you will work on a number of games and related creative technology projects over the duration.

The creation and production of computer games has grown to become a huge industry. According to the Entertainment Researchers Association UK consumers spent over £4.2 million on games in 2020, far more than was spent on video (including streaming services) and more than double that spent on music. As a result, there is a growing need for talented individuals to fill technical and creative positions in the sector.

The course is part of the Creative Technologies cluster in the School of Computer Science and Technology and is closely related to the degree course BSc (Hons) Computer Animation and Visual Effects which shares some of the teaching and technology.

In addition to the £40 million STEM building, you will also have the chance to work in our specialist creative technologies and game development labs, and use a range of cutting edge technologies such as motion capture, green screen, VR and XR to develop your practice and build a professional portfolio.

In the first year, you will learn a variety of relevant techniques including, programming or 2d graphics for games and learn to research the market and generate ideas for original games – you will also be involved in making games from the start and will develop your game ideas into playable demos.

From the second year onwards, you’ll select an area of specialism from Games Programming, Games Design or Games Graphics

Why choose this course?

• Learn how computer game assets such as environments, character models and animation are created and integrated into code
• Study in passionate, dynamic groups as you get to grips with commercially relevant software tools such as 3ds Max and Visual Studio
• Develop your team working and project coordinating skills as you produce code and software
• Gain experience with motion capture rigs, facial scanners and 3D sculpting
• Explore the latest developments in mobile, tablet, web and social media gaming
• Challenge yourself by solving complex problems and presenting new game concepts and ideas
• Benefit from personal development planning which will help you research companies, discuss your future plans and apply for jobs

With its strong emphasis on real-world and real-work experience, this industry-facing, entrepreneurial-focused course gives you the skills you need to achieve success in the business of film-making.

The degree offers a business-based approach to film production, providing you with the knowledge and expertise you need to establish a successful career in this fast-paced, exciting field. It is particularly relevant if you’re thinking of starting up your own film production company.

In your first year, you explore creating content; film production; and making images and sound. You go on to study essential skills such as freelancing; both fiction and non-fiction film-making; and writing for the screen. You also work independently on a special film project of your own choosing.

Why choose this course?

• It offers a unique 70/30 practice/theory balance
• Study 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
• It gives you the skills you need in digital technology to be an independent film-maker producing low-budget projects, corporate promotions, event profiles and much more
• Learn from 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
• Take on real-work creative briefs from the local film community - including Luton Culture and Clearhead Productions - as well as our in-house agency Media Junction
• Develop key transferable skills such as critical and analytical thinking

In 2019, WHO listed high-threat pathogens, influenza pandemic, antimicrobial resistance and vaccine hesitancy among the ten top threats to global health. In 2020, the world suffered the profound effects of the novel SARS-CoV2 virus. There has never been a more compelling time to become a skilled professional in microbiology.

These global threats highlight the need for highly trained professionals who fully understand the role of micro-organisms in public health. This Master’s course focuses on the science of micro-organisms and the range of strategies employed for public health protection including epidemiology; public health intelligence; vaccination; antimicrobial chemotherapy; diagnostic microbiology; and outbreak investigation.

Why choose this course?

• Study microorganisms that impact on health and disease focusing on applications, including diagnosis, epidemiology and control of infectious disease
• Explore how the developments in molecular biology and genome sequencing have altered diagnosis of infectious disease and impacted on outbreak investigation and management.
• Learn about current practice and new developments in vaccines and antimicrobial chemotherapy and consider the challenges faced by efforts to eradicate specific infectious disease.
• Gain practical experience in laboratory techniques and data analysis and be encouraged to think about their wider significance.
• Challenge yourself by undertaking a microbiology research project or public health dissertation (depending on your specific interests), enabling you to consider a particular topic in detail and develop key transferable skills in research and scientific writing.
• Benefit from a course that prepares your for a career in pharmaceutical or biotechnological industries, or health-related industries, including the NHS and Public Health, as well as academic research.

We have taught Television Production for over a decade and in this time we have developed close links with the factual and entertainment TV industries. We are proud to say our graduates are now working on some of the top programmes and films in the UK and US.

This is a highly practical course which covers a broad area of television production and is suitable for those who have no prior experience of studying television at university.

You will be hands-on in our multi-camera TV studio and on location using a variety of camera, sound and lighting equipment. You will also be taught the post production process and will be encouraged to develop, produce and screen your own programming as part of your learning at Bedfordshire.

At the end of your time with us, you will be a multi-skilled, industry-ready practitioner. Employability is a core feature of this course. It is our job to help you break into TV and we will help you to develop industry links and find paid work or internships during your time with us.

Why choose this course?

• Our course will give you a solid grounding in all aspects of TV production; from producing to production management, from camerawork to editing. You will be taught by lecturers who have been working at the highest level in the television industry and with their help you will make your own industry contacts and start to make your first steps into the television industry while studying on the course.
• You will have access to thousands of pounds worth of high-end production kit including cameras, lights, sound recorders, rigs, edit suites, O.B. kit and, of course, our multi-camera TV studio. Aside from assignment production work, you will also get the opportunity to produce and broadcast your own programming online and on social-media via our in-house TV station BedsTV.

This course focuses on the technical aspects of network design, network installation and configuration, systems administration, maintenance and management, as well as how they can be applied in modern technologies.

Computer networks have become part of our everyday lives - they form the backbone of modern information systems.

As networks expand, there is a growing need for individuals who understand their practical benefits, as well as how to implement and manage them.

By studying this course, you'll develop the required skills to implement computer network infrastructures in all sectors of the community.

Emphasis is placed on the development of strong technical skills in combination with the management of networks, implemented through design, and managing the needs of clients and businesses.

Why choose this course?

• Learn the highly sought-after skills needed to design, implement, install, configure, maintain and manage the latest state-of-the-art networks
• Study core computing and information systems
• Develop your ability to manage the needs of a wide range of clients and businesses, both large and small
• Gain advanced knowledge on a course that is focused on employment and establishing a rewarding career
• Explore the subject using a carefully structured mix of theory and practice
• Challenge yourself in our dedicated test network laboratory using the latest industry-standard programmes
• Benefit from a course that prepares you for a number of professional certification programmes

Models of work are constantly evolving, but one thing does not change: people still need to be recruited, trained, motivated and paid to meet an organisation's requirements. If your interests lie in effective people management, this course puts you on the right path.

You begin your journey with a thorough grounding in business before exploring the many aspects of human resource management (HRM): professional practice; leadership and motivation; creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; business systems including international business; selection and recruitment; employee relations; and employment law.

Learn from expert tutors as you carry out practical projects that emulate working as a professional manager, and develop your practical experience with an optional year’s paid work placement in a HRM role.

In your final year, study strategic HRM, examining real firms with a view to solving people problems, and carry out an independent research project.

Why choose this course?

• Develop your understanding of how HRM works with other business disciplines, knowledge that will enable you to fit into numerous types of organisation in the future - private, public or not-for-profit
• Learn from experts in their field, active within the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and in both consultancy and research
• Challenge yourself with an optional sandwich year placement after your second year.
• If you want to step up into higher education, we also offer a degree path with an initial Foundation Year (see below)
• Equip yourself with a range of subject-specific and transferable skills suited to a career in specialist human management roles or professional business and management environments, both national and international

“The University has offered me numerous opportunities to develop my skills and expand my network, and has constantly pushed me outside of my comfort zone, helping me become a real HR professional. My lecturers have always been supportive and understanding, and put great effort into communicating with us. All in all, these have been the most important three years of my life!”

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

Business touches almost every aspect of our world and this degree is designed specifically to meet the needs of modern business, opening up a wide range of rewarding careers. It also adapts to suit your goals, with options to specialise in specific business fields in your third year.

This course combines academic theory with practical real-world business projects, giving you experience of a spectrum of organisational roles. Making extensive use of the most up-to-date technology, you produce business plans and market analyses while developing the skills to tackle a range of business problems.

Over three years, you gain skills in problem-solving, work analysis, presentation, team-working, communication and critical thinking, all of which give you the potential to be a rounded, capable manager.