Bachelor of Science in Physics and Philosophy

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

This course immerses you in groundbreaking research and gives you the opportunity to contribute to work that could have a significant impact on future generations. It offers a breadth of topics, allowing you to choose your specialism while developing your knowledge and research skills.

In your first two years you will supplement your study of biochemistry with molecular biology and biotechnology units. Recent options have included Fundamentals of Molecular Microbiology, Disease and Defence, and Infection and Immunity.

Your third year introduces specialist, cutting-edge aspects of biochemistry, such as synthetic biology, DNA-protein interactions, and protein science in therapy and technology.

Your final-year research project will involve collaboration with internationally renowned scientists on pioneering work. Previous students have collaborated on the development of a technique for the manufacture of red blood cells from human stem cells, and on the molecular modification of an antibiotic, increasing the range of infections it can treat.

We prepare you for your future career with subject-specific employability and enterprise sessions and the chance to gain additional research experience in a summer studentship.

Econometrics is the application of statistical methods to data to estimate economic models. It is used by economists to verify or disprove theories and analyse the impacts of policies and events on the health of the economy. This course combines the study of economics and econometrics with a wide range of optional units. 

Econometrics is a vital tool for economists because, unlike natural sciences, where controlled experiments are used to determine the effect of one thing on another, it is impossible to hold the economy constant while tinkering with a single variable. Econometrics provides the scientific means to overcome the issue using empirical observations.

Alongside mandatory modules in econometrics and the applied economics dissertation, you will select from a wide range of optional modules from within the Schools of Economics, Finance and Management during all three years of your degree.

The Study Abroad course extends your degree to four years, with your third year spent studying economics in English at a top-ranking university in Europe or farther afield before returning to Bristol for your final year. This course allows you to combine the challenging, broad academic content of all our economics degrees with an overseas dimension that reflects the international nature of the economy.

Data science is an exciting, emerging discipline that has a profound impact on society. The world produces increasing volumes of data every day and making sense of this data has the capacity to be transformative.Data science combines mathematical, statistical and computational approaches to enable knowledge discovery from data. Employability prospects in this field are very strong.

Bristol’s data science expertise means that you’ll be taught the sophisticated theory and methods needed to address modern data-analytic challenges by leading academics in this field. You will study units involving a blend of theoretical background and practical skills designed especially for this new course, including Mathematical Tools for Data Science, Advanced Linear Modelling and Classification, and Algorithms and Machine Learning.Our highly interdisciplinary program features links with the Bristol Institute for Scientific Computing (BriSC) as well as exposure to real-world problems from our industry partners.

With applications across a wide range of industries, studying data science will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to fast-track your career. Pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, market research, social media, finance, sports and disaster management are all fields with high demand for data scientists.

If you’re interested in pursuing further research, our Centre for Doctoral Training, COMPASS, offers the opportunity to study computational and statistical science through a four-year PhD program.

This course gives you 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.

Study areas begin with a broad overview of all of the modern astrophysics followed by more advanced topics. These could include high-energy astrophysics, galaxy formation and evolution, general relativity and cosmology, and astrophysical fluids and plasmas.

Your final-year project will be with a member of the astrophysics research group. The group currently specialises in cosmology, the formation of clusters and galaxies, active galaxies, high-energy astrophysical processes, and the formation of extrasolar planets.

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

You will join a friendly department with a very active, award-winning student society. This course prepares you for a research career in astrophysics but also gives you the flexible career options that a physics degree offers.

The next frontier in robotics will take inspiration from biology to design robots that are soft, smart, green, and social. From microrobots for cancer treatment, to swarms powering warehouses, soft grippers for manufacturing, and new material interfaces for prosthetics, biorobots will provide solutions to today’s global challenges. State-of-the-art robots will in turn power scientific discovery, allowing for the study of living systems in their natural habitats from robots automating experiments in the lab, to artificial fish studying pollution in the deep sea.

This programme brings together life scientists and engineers in an interdisciplinary environment where solutions are co-created with stakeholders in mind. For the life scientists, this will open new horizons powered by Robotics and AI, skills in high demand in today’s job market. For the engineers, this will go beyond a typical robotics training, towards reinventing the way robots are designed and used with bioinspiration at heart.

This unique combination of biology and engineering will develop core professional skills including working across disciplines and responsible open-ended innovation. The programme centres around a common core in fundamental robotics and life sciences, followed by dedicated taught and project-based biorobotics units that will walk you through latest research and applications, with a hands on understanding of how to build these systems yourself, and demonstrations of how they can be used for good.

Our MSc in Mathematical Sciences is a flexible and challenging program, taught by leading experts in the field. It will help you to develop a wide range of mathematical techniques and gives you a solid foundation for further research or employment at the highest levels.

Under the guidance of an academic mentor, you will be offered a choice of units spanning the breadth of mathematics. There is a wide variety of combinations of units and themes, allowing you to add units from other schools to create an MSc that closely matches your interests. The taught element is followed by your chosen research project, which is supervised by an experienced research academic.

The program gives you the opportunity to increase your understanding of mathematical theory and equips you with fundamental skills in the modelling and analysis of problems. Our graduates are highly sought after by employers for their strong analytical, communication and organisational skills.

This taught postgraduate program is research-led and will draw heavily on academic literature. It will build on your existing knowledge of technical aspects of accounting and finance. You will develop your ability to critically analyse the nature and conditions of effectiveness for these techniques to contribute to accounting and finance practice and governance.

In the first term you will explore contemporary issues in accounting and finance research literature. You will also build key skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. This will prepare you for the more specialist elective units taught in the second term.

The final part of the MSc is a research-based dissertation, which involves identifying and analysing a research question in accounting and/or finance under the guidance of a member of staff. For those planning on undertaking a PhD, this dissertation represents an important bridge between taught and advanced research studies.

This program develops skills for critical analysis of accounting and finance topics, which will be valuable in your future career. The strong conceptual foundation it offers will support students who want to pursue an academic or professional career in accounting or finance.