Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Portuguese

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

This interdisciplinary MSc programme is for students who are passionate about early life, mass extinctions, macroevolution, climate change and fossil preservation. It bridges the biology-geology divide. You will learn the latest techniques in phylogenetics, biomechanics and macroevolution, providing you with a strong foundation for independent research to PhD level or for a career in museum curation, science education, science policy, management or the media.

You will join Bristol's established palaeobiology research group and engage in current debates in evolution, systematics and palaeobiology. You will learn how to analyse problems quantitatively and design experimental approaches to resolving questions in macroevolution and the study of both ancient and living organisms.

A key aspect of the programme is preparing your research project for publication, and many of our previous students’ projects have been published in leading international journals. Recent research project topics include the origin of cellular life, the preservation of colours in dinosaurs and the evolution of culture in humans.

This programme gives you the opportunity to develop a wide range of professional skills, including research planning, problem-solving and communication. You will learn to present palaeontological data through talks, visual displays and formal written reports. You will also develop computing skills in data handling, phylogenetics, macroevolution, function and 3D digital modelling.

This course combines politics and international relations with the study of Portuguese, the seventh most widely spoken language in the world. This provides a valuable skill set, ideally tailored to the increasingly globalised workplace.

Politics is organised around three themes: political theory; comparative and national politics; and international relations. You will study the politics of individual countries and governments and the relationships between countries, communities and individuals.

In Portuguese you will study a combination of language and culture units. Portuguese is spoken throughout the world and Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil and Angola have complex, fascinating cultures. 

You will spend your third year abroad, enabling you to refine your language skills and cultural knowledge and gain valuable work experience. For details on year abroad opportunities, please see Global Opportunities.

Both schools enjoy a strong reputation for teaching and research and this course combination provides intellectual challenge with a cosmopolitan perspective.

This course is ideal for students interested in learning more about how to use numbers and data within criminology. It provides training in practical and analytical skills, which will enhance your career prospects and provide you with a strong platform for postgraduate study. No prior knowledge of statistical techniques is required.

About two thirds of your studies will follow the single honours Criminology course. By drawing on social harm perspectives criminology at Bristol examines conventionally defined crimes along with other problem activities or behaviours that may not be criminalised but still cause extensive harm to individuals and society. This provides you with a critical and informed understanding of crime and the criminal justice system, as well as wider social and economic questions.

The remaining third of your course will provide interdisciplinary training in quantitative methods. In year one of the quantitative pathway we discuss how numbers and data are used to tell convincing stories in the media and social research. We consider what is meant by segregation and how it can be mapped and measured.

Year two offers practical classes in social statistics and applied data analysis, which will develop your skills in numeracy and analysis and enable you to undertake your own individual research project in an area of quantitative social science in year three.

This course provides a thorough grounding in physics with astrophysics as a key component. It is led by an internationally renowned astrophysics research group and covers a broad range of contemporary astrophysics.

In years one and two the course introduces all of the key concepts in astrophysics and then focuses on cosmology. In year three you will progress to more advanced topics such as galaxies and high-energy astrophysics.

Your final-year project will be with a member of the astrophysics research group. The group currently specialises in cosmology, galaxy cluster astrophysics, galaxy evolution, black holes and active galaxies, and the formation of extrasolar planets.

The course gives you the opportunity to develop a physicist's broad range of skills, including problem-solving, numeracy, teamwork and the ability to communicate complicated concepts. You will also gain the skills needed for astronomical observations and analysis of data from international ground- and space-based observatories.

You will join a friendly department with a very active, award-winning student society. Our physics graduates have an excellent record of employment, a testament to the value that employers place on the transferable skills that you gain on this course.

Years one and two provide a broad background in biomedical science as well as information about viruses and the diseases they cause.

You will study the immune system and how it controls infection. You will also learn about autoimmune diseases that can occur if the immune system attacks the body's own tissues rather than an infectious agent.

In your final year you will review the main viral diseases of humankind in terms of their natural history, biology, molecular biology, immunology, pathogenesis and epidemiology. These include HIV, hepatitis B and C, papilloma, influenza, measles and coronaviruses, among others.

You will learn about cutting-edge issues in virology and immunology, including emerging viruses such as the SARS-CoV-2, Marburg and Ebola viruses.

You will also learn about the problems associated with the production of vaccines. You will normally work on a research project in either virology or immunology.

Researchers, research managers, policy advisers and service planners are all faced with a growing need for research that is timely and relevant. This program builds on the links between research and policy in developing the particular skills and capacities needed by policy-oriented researchers, professionals and postgraduate students who are interested in carrying out public policy, social policy and social welfare research. We believe this is vital if researchers are to maximise the impact of their work in addressing issues of real concern to policymakers.

The program provides core research training in philosophy and research design in the social sciences, along with introductions to and further approaches in quantitative and qualitative methods in the social sciences. It also offers optional units in our particular areas of research expertise, such as child and family welfare, gender and violence, health and social care, poverty and social exclusion, and policy-oriented evaluation.

We recognise that students will be joining with relevant - albeit varied - experience. Therefore, there will be opportunities for you to draw on your own experiences as researchers, managers and policy advisers and share insights with other students working towards research degrees in disability studies, social work research and health and wellbeing.

Those who have recently embarked on a career in policy research, or who hope to do so, will find the program offers a combination of academic rigour, up-to-date policy content and relevant skills development.

Core units are taught in collaboration with other postgraduate programs, providing a co-learning environment and giving you the opportunity to interact and share insights with other students working towards research degrees in disability studies, policy research, social work research and health and wellbeing. 

This joint honours course is offered by the Department of Computer Science and Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and is designed to meet the needs of the computing and electronics industries.

You will understand how to design and build hardware and software for all types of computer systems in order to implement applications ranging from medical equipment and autonomous vehicles to finance systems.

Your first two years cover the foundations of computing and electronics, equipping you to work confidently in software and hardware. You can tailor your third year to suit your interests by choosing an individual project and some optional units.

The BEng course provides partial accreditation for the qualification of Chartered Engineer. The first two years are common with the MEng Computer Science and Electronics and transfer on to the MEng is possible until the end of year two, subject to satisfactory performance.

The Bristol area is home to a range of thriving and world-leading semiconductor design companies who contribute to our curriculum design as well as hosting industry-based projects.