Master of Science in International Business with Law

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

Purchasing, logistics and supply chain management are critical to the success of both manufacturing and service industries, be it global or domestic in scale. It encompasses the functions of procurement, production, distribution, transport, and customer services, with a diverse range of management styles and structures.

You will develop the attributes and skills expected of post-graduates, as recognised by professional and industry bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).

You will start with a week-long welcome induction where, apart from being introduced to the University and your Faculty, the first interaction with the area of purchasing, logistics, supply chain management will prepare you for the rest of your studies.

The course is delivered in a blocks format; this means you will undertake one course unit at a time for 6 weeks. This constitutes one block of delivery.

When you progress to the Master’s capstone stage you can choose one of three options - Business Dissertation, Business Live Project, and Professional Practice.

The course is designed to provide you with a unique learning experience. It is intense but also very rewarding.

Why choose this course?

• You will develop a sound understanding of theories, methodologies and techniques of global logistics and supply chain management applicable to diverse organisations.
• You will learn to make feasible plans for procurement, logistics/supply chain operations, and projects management, apply suitable methods, tools or techniques for process and quality management, and critically evaluate their results and effectiveness.
• You will become familiar with the relevant professional codes of conduct and corporate social responsibility issues, demonstrate professional communication skills appropriate to working with both internal and external personnel and stakeholders, and be able to justify, respond and present the outcomes in a manner appropriate to the audience.
• You will acquire strong technical expertise and critical awareness of the security implications , methodologies and frameworks applied to modern information security management systems to safeguard organisations and their assets.

Sustainability management is fast becoming a key driving force in shaping organisational strategy as companies are under pressure to compete in the Green Economy.

This course focuses on the relationship between the economic ambitions of businesses and the necessity to meet the growing global concern to meet sustainability agendas.

Through a combination of academic study and working with industry on real sustainability-related problems, you will develop the personal and professional skills you need to be a key player in this global, knowledge-based economy.

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

• Study the core areas of sustainability within the corporate sector, and logistics management and its relationship with sustainability
• Gain intimate knowledge of the structural issues companies and counties face when implementing a sustainability agenda.
• Develop advanced knowledge of organisational approaches to sustainability 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

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 course offers you the opportunity to develop a particular strength in the management of international business issues. You will focus on strategic areas of management, international business, intercultural competencies, brand management, and financial management, all framed by the lens of developing patterns of world trade and the global marketplace.

You will develop the skills required to adopt appropriate strategic responses to different market environments through the study of and working with an organisation. You will also understand and experience at first hand the impact of contextual forces on international organisations, including the management functions of business such as corporate and brand reputation, corporate governance and ethical, economic and environmental change issues.

You will develop your knowledge of the financing of organisations including the sources, uses and management of finance and the use of accounting for managerial and financial reporting. You will also study and experience the management and development of people in organisations within a cross-cultural context, the use of relevant communications within the global economy.

You will appreciate how cultural differences affect both buying behaviour and marketing approaches. As well as specific knowledge relating to international business, you will develop enhanced personal and interpersonal skills through work experience in a professional placement. These include critical thinking, team working, problem solving, numeracy and quantitative skills, self-management and negotiation skills.

The placement will provide the basis for the delivery of the Business Placement Dissertation and comprise one block of study on Campus preparing for the project in the organisation followed by four blocks of study in the organisation and a final block back in the University to complete the write up. The project will be fully academically supervised throughout the six blocks of study.

The BSc (Hons) Human Resources Management (HRM) with Law degree aims to provide you with knowledge and understanding of law and the legal aspects of human resource management, human resource theories and their strategic applications to firms and organisations operating within a changing global environment.

Through the use of a wide range of concepts, approaches and learning techniques the course intends to equip you with a range of personal and intellectual skills in preparation for a career in human resource management with additional legal knowledge to enhance your abilities within this chosen area of employment.

You will acquire both people management and legally-focused skills which will be attractive to employers at a local, national and international level.

You will gain the ability to act independently in planning and managing tasks using resources to retrieve and evaluate information; and to apply the findings of such work to the solution of human resource management and legal problems.

Why choose this course?

• Offers opportunity to develop systematic and detailed knowledge of work, employment and HRM regulations and practice
• Develops HR professionals with skills and expertise important to engage employees and contribute to organisational success.

Develop the skills and confidence to deliver real-world, research-informed health and social care, on a degree course that opens up a wide range of career roles.

This course gives you a broad understanding of contemporary health and social care and its application in the wider social, policy, legal and organisational environment, both within the UK and internationally.

Areas of study incorporate sociology, public health, law and the human services. In your second and third years, follow your interests with optional units in mental health, disability, safeguarding, addictions, human rights and care of older people. In your final year, undertake an independent research project, with the support of our experienced academic team.

There is a strong vocational focus, ensuring you develop transferable, employability-enhancing skills. Take this course over four years and include a fee-free one-year placement in industry* where you gain practical experience, build your CV and meet potential future employers.

Why choose this course?

• Understand and confidently apply evidence-based theory to practice, delivering excellent health and social care outcomes to all those who access these services
• Study with an academic team who have wide experience in the field and are actively involved in health and social care research
• Benefit from the opportunities offering by the University of Bedfordshire’s new Health & Social Care Academy, run in partnership with local councils and NHS Trusts, to recruit and train health and social care workers
• Take the course with a placement year (see below) and benefit from our wide range of relevant placement opportunities including roles in research assistance, social media and community advocacy as well as internships
• If you need to step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees entry to the undergraduate course
• The course opens up career paths within local authorities, public health, civil service, social enterprises and the NHS as well as in the private and not-for-profit sectors
• Our Health and Social Care course received a 91% satisfaction rate in the National Student Survey 2020

Our BSc (Hons) Construction Management Top-up course will provide you with the skills and knowledge to succeed in an exciting career in construction.

This degree will give you the opportunity to expand on your current skills, knowledge and understanding of design and construction, and to advance as a construction professional.

As an industry experiencing major shortages in skilled construction professionals, on completion of this qualification you will be well-positioned as a valuable asset and to continue on the path to senior management positions.

You will be working on real-life scenarios and case studies, and will explore key areas of construction management from a number of perspectives, including contracting and procurement, management of project resources, programmes and teams, as well as managing project finances and economics.

There is a strong focus on employability. As well as bringing a wealth of industry experience to our construction courses, the teaching team also utilise close collaborative relationships within industry, including both regional and national employers, to bring the latest developments, techniques and technologies into the taught curriculum. This typically involves specialist presentations and seminars from industry experts as well as site visits, which in recent years have included visits to individual projects worth over £1bn.

Industry presenters have included project managers and directors, civil engineers, local authority planners and construction professionals, government agency representatives, professional bodies, and have also included past graduates from our courses who have progressed into senior positions in the industry.

It’s never been more important to understand the impact of human action on the environment as well as the effect environmental change may have on human health. This integrated course works at the cutting edge of environmental and health science, exploring the issues, challenges and new technologies that will decide our own and our planet’s future.

This degree gives you a sound base in biology and biochemistry where you explore the functioning of living organisms; the diversity of life on the planet; and the interactions between the environment and humans. You also develop your understanding of how the human body functions in health and disease, and how this is related to the environments in which we live. Focusing on the environment, you investigate the impact humans have on ecosystems; the consequences of environmental change, locally and globally; and the sustainable management of food production, the food chain and the importance of food security to human health.

Laboratory work is an essential part of the course and you build your skills in this area as well as your expertise in the practical and analysis techniques relevant to working in environmental and health sciences.

Why choose this course?

• Develop your understanding of environmental protection and the role of individuals, organisations and governments in preserving the environment
• Be able to discuss the ethical issues and challenges around environmental protection
• Study with an academic team with established research expertise in areas across biomedicine, biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, genomics and bioinformatics
• Benefit from our academic collaborations with the University’s Schools and Research Institutes as well as with external institutions and organisations
• Gain work experience through the Life Sciences Liaison Board, which has strong links to a network of industry and practice organisations
• When you graduate, there are a number of career paths open to you including government agencies; industry; science laboratories; higher education institutions; and environmental agencies
• 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

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

This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The course, for graduates with a background in electronics, was designed with industry experts and is ideal for those aiming to enter a range of specialist careers in digital electronics or communications.

Gain advanced theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in digital communications, signal processing, electronic circuits and microprocessors, as well as an understanding of engineering best practice and how to apply it in real-life scenarios.

The course will provide you with academic and technical skills to analyse, synthesise, interpret and make sense of modern electronic systems. It will enable you to meet the demands of tomorrow’s engineering society.

Why choose this course?

• Study in an electronic laboratory environment, gaining valuable hands-on experience as well as opportunities for industry connections including National Instruments, Rhode & Schwarz and Axis Electronics
• Explore topics including applied microwave and optical communications, systems engineering, embedded sensors, controllers and energy, advanced digital signal processing, microprocessor architecture and embedded hardware, advanced digital communications, wireless sensor networks, optical communications and other exciting emerging technologies such as energy harvesting
• Develop practical skills in laboratory sessions in which you will build and work with your own electronic devices
• Gain skills and insight into a fast-changing area on a course accredited by the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET), making you well-prepared to enter a demanding and exciting industry
• Benefit from developing expertise and understanding of professional standards to allow you to access careers like electronic systems design, as a development engineer, in software design, as an embedded systems engineer, a communications engineer, product support engineer, technical consultant or further study on an MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD