Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Product Design

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

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.

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

This course will further develop the knowledge and skills acquired during your undergraduate studies by enhancing your ability to understand the financial risk frameworks within a business and management context.

Along with the knowledge of financial markets, financial regulation and risk management required comprehending the operations and assessing the risks facing businesses, you will also further develop the necessary quantitative, research, and presentation skills required for a successful career.

Besides focusing on specific areas of financial markets, financial regulation and risk management, this course offers you a contextual understanding of the environment in which businesses operate and the place of financial risk management within a business.

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

In its structure this course recognises the importance of regulation in underpinning the world of financial reporting and its varied impact on published results and capital markets.

At the same time we realise that although knowledge of economic and finance is a necessary condition when trying to understand the world we live in, it needs to be applied in a concrete way in order to avoid consuming itself in analysing theoretical models.

Therefore, this course is structured in a way that uses risk management and financial theory as the driving force and at the same time it links its concepts with other pillars of knowledge through the holistic approach the global economic and financial environment require.

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'."

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

This course is designed for non-computing graduates who need to apply information technology to their current career, or want to change career direction. It covers a wide range of topics including programming, databases, security, project management and computer networking, giving you both the underpinning theory and the ability to apply it to complex real-world problems, as well as an awareness of emerging technologies and developments.

Why choose this course?

• Study key areas of information technology including applications of web technologies, information systems strategy and emerging technologies
• Explore creative and innovative applications of technology  to real-world problems
• Develop your analytical, evaluative and problem-solving skills in relation to IT-based solutions
• Gain a thorough understanding of the social and legal aspects of the Information Technology field (e.g. British Computer Society Code of Conduct and Data Protection)
• Benefit from valuable experience of working on projects for real business, opening up new career opportunities in management, supervision or as a practitioner (eg database/IT developer or system designer/analyst) in industries which make substantial use of computers and information technology.

The Full Time MBA is a flagship generalist management qualification designed to meet the needs of early career individuals and is structured to support your aspirations for fast track career progression through the development of leadership and strategic management skills and a contemporary understanding of business.

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 highlights your potential to have a real impact on the transformation of the organisation you join.

The course combines core MBA disciplines with innovative subject areas supported by the latest research in strategic management and leadership to develop business competence and strengthen confidence and credibility, providing you with the practical and theoretical capabilities to master the complexities of a competitive and changing business environment.

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 practice-led 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.
• Through practice events 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, as recognised by professional and industry bodies such as 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.
• 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 highlights your potential to have a real impact on the transformation of the organisation you join

In this course you will acquire the skills and knowledge you will need to give your career in international social welfare and social development a global perspective.

Your studies will provide a broad level of understanding by exposing you to a variety of ways in which social welfare and development issues are approached in diverse contexts, including in the Global South.

Overall, the course focuses on social issues with an international dimension and includes topics such as human rights, social justice, human trafficking and humanitarian aid as well as on the intercultural competence and skills needed to work effectively in international contexts.

Why choose this course?

• Study, compare and evaluate different welfare regimes and indigenous responses to human need within a framework of equality and social justice
• Explore the ethical aspects of your subject including attention to power and anti-discriminatory practice
• Develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of the knowledge, theoretical and ethical underpinnings and approaches to international social work and social development in diverse global contexts
• Gain an in-depth knowledge and critical appreciation of research models and methods, and acquire a high level of skill in evaluating and undertaking research while working within a robust ethical framework
• Benefit from a programme that will give you the core skills, initiative and professionalism necessary to carry out direct work with clients in a range of settings, for example working for NGOs, governments, the UN or voluntary organisations.

This course offers global perspectives, theoretical foundations, ethics and practice skills equipping social welfare and social development professionals to respond effectively in diverse country contexts and make global-local connections. It aims to enable students to develop cultural competence and the ability to work effectively in different global contexts.

You will develop critical thinking, enquiry and analysis skills in response to human need encouraging reflectiveness, increasing self-awareness and questioning of models of practice. You will also develop team working skills as you will be exposed to multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse working, both through collaboration with other students and observing practice in community-based projects.

The course aims to equip students with the skills to carry out research and to understand the implications of research for practice. It also provides the opportunity to acquire in-depth knowledge of a specialist subject of your own choosing.

The practice skills element of the course enables students to apply theory to practice and to develop the core skills, initiative and professionalism necessary to carry out social welfare work in a range of settings including through NGOs, government or voluntary organisations.

Computer Science is a complex and wide-ranging subject, and includes the study of computation theory, the design of systems and artificial intelligence.

This course shares its first stage with our other related BSc degrees to give you a foundation in the subject while providing a platform for specialist study in the second and third stages.

You will concentrate on essential areas such as systems architecture and security, acquire practical programming, modelling and software development skills before focusing on a chosen specialist area for your final stage project.

Why choose this course?
MSc in Computer Science is an ideal course for computing graduates who want to continue studying computing technology but are looking to explore a wide area in computer science without the need to focus (solely) on one particular subject at this stage. The course is therefore ideal for those students who want to keep their career options open. A range of topics from Networking and Data Modelling to Smart Technologies will be studied which will equip you to fully understand the application of computing technology in real-world situations. You will also do a MSc final project to demonstrate a deep and systematic understanding of a selected area within computer science, including theoretical and methodological approaches issues at the forefront of research or professional practice in that area.

This course is ideal for computing graduates who want to prepare for a general career in IT without the need to specialise at this stage.
Subjects range from data modelling, embedded systems and systems architecture to intelligent agents, equipping you to fully understand the application of computing technology in real-world situations whilst gaining the practical business skills that employers seek.

Why choose this course?

• Study a broad range of IT disciplines including online database applications, intelligent agents, programming embedded systems, professional project management systems architecture, network systems, distributed and parallel architectures and cryptography and cryptanalysis
• Explore and analyse current trends in the continually expanding area of internet technologies including wireless internet and network configurations and enjoy opportunities to work with innovative distributed environments and architectures
• Develop practical and business skills necessary for a wide range of careers in IT from management to high-level web application development or system administration
• Gain in-depth skills in network management and administration (allowing you to work as a Network Manager) including essential security aspects, grid-computing and fault tolerance
• Benefit from developing expertise equipping you for a career as an IT Consultant, Programmer, Systems/Business Analyst, in web development/web services or in further study on an MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD.