Master of Science in Social Work

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

In the pharmaceutical industry, there is a real need for skilled graduates with up-to-the-minute understanding of this fast-evolving field. This course gives you the knowledge you need to be a professional scientist, able to work in areas where there are significant skills gaps.

This BSc (Hons) degree integrates the development of drug, cosmetic and hygiene products with emerging areas such as systems biology, pharmacogenetics and translational medicine – areas which directly address the needs of the UK pharmaceutical industry.

Drawing on the School of Life Sciences’ established strengths in biomedical research, the course starts by giving you a common core of chemical, biomedical and pharmaceutical knowledge. The emphasis then shifts to deeper study of areas such as medicinal chemistry; drug discovery; drug development; and pharmacology. You also explore business aspects of the pharmaceutical and associated industries, looking at how science has evolved to meet current industry demands.

Why choose this course?

• Benefit from a degree that trains you in both the traditional areas of pharmaceutical research and new, emerging areas important for the future of the pharmaceutical industry
• Follow a career in a field that is one of the most research-led in the UK and includes pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agrochemicals and veterinary medicine
• Gain a sought-after qualification in an area - such as systems pharmacology and medicinal chemistry – where a projected major skills gap has been identified
• Study a curriculum aligned to the areas of need identified by the British Pharmacological Society, including public health science and healthcare policy
• Gain valuable work experience through the School of Life Sciences’ strong links to the clinical and industrial sectors
• 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 to step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees a place on the degree course

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.

This popular course offers you the opportunity to develop the skills you need to become an Art and Design professional in a supportive community environment. You will work with live briefs, public projects and industry partners including Luton Culture, Departure Lounge Gallery, The Hat Factory and MK Gallery.

Offering a balance of theory and practice, our BA (Hons) Art and Design ensures you develop a range of visual and creative skills while you gain insights into critical theory, the importance of context and contemporary professional practice. If you are unsure of your specialist field, it gives you the opportunity to experience several creative pathways including Art and Design practices; community arts; curating; arts management; arts advocacy; and further study towards a career working in art and design education.

You develop essential skills and knowledge in a variety of 2D, 3D, digital and time-based practices, and engage in critical aesthetic and conceptual debates. You explore visual, social, cultural, environmental and political diversity, expressed through your developing Art and Design practice.

You will become proficient in presenting work to professional standards, including project production, and will develop the skills needed to build relationships in the creative community including networking, exhibiting, and marketing.

Why choose this course?

• All course tutors are practising, internationally exhibiting artists
• You study both traditional disciplines such as drawing, painting and printmaking along with the latest techniques in photography, video and digital media
• You learn through practical workshop sessions, sustained practice in the studio and one-to-one tutorials as well as work-related opportunities
• You work independently, developing your ideas through to outcomes, showing you can select and use materials, processes and environments; research and analyse those ideas and outcomes; and make connections to wider contexts
• Learning is linked to ‘real world’ experience to prepare you for a career across a number of fields
• You are able to consider issues arising from the creative practitioner's relationship with audiences, clients, markets, environments, users, consumers, and/or participants
• Develop personal and practice-based skills such as management, communication and multi-agency working
• You can take the degree over four years with a placement year in industry (see below), which allows you to sample a field of practice, build your CV and make future contacts
• If you are returning to learning or need a launchpad into a degree course, you can opt for Art and Design with a Foundation Year (see below)
• You gain a qualification that will enhance your prospects of a fulfilling and exciting career in a wide range of creative industries. Our graduates have become practising artists and designers, teachers, arts administrators and art managers; they have also continued their studies, both locally and internationally

This 2 year Master’s courses will give you the opportunity to be awarded a subject specific degree in Computer Networking with Project Management.

With the arrival of Internet of Things and 24/7 connectivity to world-wide network facilities there is an increased need for continued development of new networking protocols and technologies that can feed the demand of the nation.

You will develop your knowledge and technical skills required to design, implement, manage and secure different types of networks.

Why choose this course?

• The course has been designed to give you an in-depth knowledge of wired, wireless and mobile technologies.
• 2 year subject specific degree with project management

This course gives you an advanced understanding of molecular biology, computational biology and microbiology alongside teaching you valuable skills in project management that you can apply to planning and organisational change.

Modern biotechnology is a hugely complex subject, drawing from a range of scientific fields. On this course, you learn the latest new technologies in key areas; gain insights into how they are used in the global biotechnology industry; and discover how microbes can be used on an industrial scale to benefit humankind.

You also hone your research skills with a laboratory-based project in one of five taught areas: molecular biology; computational biology; applied microbiology; analytical biology; and biomaterials.

The project management units explore the complexity of implementing plans and achieving change in organisations as well as the methods managers can use to overcome these obstacles.

Why choose this course?

• Study the latest developments in applied microbiology and computational biology in high-quality, broad-based classes taught by dedicated staff with research experience in specialist subject areas
• Explore the latest technologies in molecular biology and the industrial processes that are used to exploit microbes for specific products and applications
• Develop the ability to use information from relevant sources, and independently and critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship
• Gain the ability to use assured, accurate and fluent language to present your work, and learn to develop graphs and images that clearly illustrate complex points
• Benefit from a wide knowledge base and the key transferable skills that will give you the opportunity to take your career to new heights in the biotechnology and allied industries

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

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.

This course will help you understand the changing nature of international tourism as it faces the challenge of rapid growth, emergence of new destinations, climate change, and the ethics of managing a business in which the prime attractions include the natural environment and people’s culture.

You will become a self-directed, self-regulated reflexive learner, using an awareness of opportunities for careers or further study in the event industry.

With a good grounding in business and marketing the course offers students an industry focus in event management with good employment opportunities across a range of roles in both marketing and events e.g. Strategic Event Designer, Trade Show Manager, Events Marketing Communication Managers, Social Media Event Managers, Sporting Events Manager.

This inter-disciplinary course combines key subject areas of business, marketing and event management in a practice-oriented way that allows you to develop a deep theoretical understanding and practical knowledge of events management.

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 programmes.

Why choose this course?

The MBA (Hospital and Health Services 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 of Hospital and Health Services Management.

It is designed for individuals who want to develop their leadership and management skills along with their interest in Hospital and Health Services Management and for 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 (Hospital and Health Services 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

This 2 year Master’s courses will give you the opportunity to be awarded a subject specific degree in Project Management with Data Analytics.

The course will improve your knowledge and skills to manage projects effectively in the commercial, public and third sectors (including the voluntary sector). You will learn from your experience of managing real projects by critically assessing a range of project management methodologies, tools and techniques.

The Data Analytics units cover 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.

Why choose this course?

• 2 year subject specific degree with data analytics.
• During this course you will learn from your experience of managing real projects by critically assessing a range of project management methodologies, tools and techniques.