Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Management

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.

Examine the interactions between the geology, biology, chemistry and physics of Earth’s surface, oceans and atmosphere and gain a deep understanding of Earth’s environment and how it can be influenced by human activities.

Learn with experts whose research feeds directly into your studies at the cutting edge of scientific developments. Recent options have included Soils and the Critical Zone, Environmental Impact Assessments, Oceans and Climates, and Environmental Radioactivity.

By your final year you’ll be conducting your own independent research and exploring the questions that matter most to you.

We have a friendly community and a program of student-run projects, informal seminars and social events. Field trips are a huge part of why our school community is so tight knit, giving you the chance to get to know your course mates and key staff, while honing your practical skills. You will gain plenty of hands-on experience, with over 40 days of fieldwork both in the UK and overseas, the cost of which is included in your tuition fee.

The skills developed throughout your studies are highly valued by employers – from scientific and technical skills including coding, modelling, lab skills, and data analysis – to transferable skills such as communication, creativity and resilience.

This course provides an exciting intellectual challenge from the outset. In year one you will study physics and mathematics and philosophical topics such as metaphysics, the theory of knowledge, and ethics.

Subsequent years allow you to study the overlap between the subjects in depth and might include units in the philosophy of science and the foundations and philosophy of physics.

The course gives you the opportunity to develop a physicist's broad range of skills, including problem solving, numeracy and communication, and to supplement these with a philosopher's ability to rigorously analyse complex texts and form coherent arguments on complex subjects.

You will join a friendly department with a very active, award-winning student society. The course is accredited by the Institute of Physics.

Learn about the physics that underpins the history, structure and dynamics of Earth systems, and how these relate to exploration for natural resources and environmental monitoring.

You will explore the inaccessible parts of Earth’s interior through a range of geophysical techniques and become immersed in hands-on science from the start.

Learn with experts whose research feeds directly into your studies at the cutting edge of scientific developments. Recent options have included?Global Seismology, Near Surface Geophysics Fieldwork and Physical Volcanology. By your final year you’ll be conducting your own independent research and exploring the questions that matter most to you.

Your third year is spent abroad, studying units comparable to those offered in Bristol. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more about where you can study abroad.

MSci courses allow you to study more advanced material in greater depth during the additional year, giving you a career boost through investing in your skills development or preparing you for further research.

Field trips are a huge part of why our community is so tight knit, and you’ll get to know your course mates whilst honing your practical skills. You will gain plenty of hands-on experience, with over 40 days of fieldwork both in the UK and overseas, the cost of which is included in your tuition fee.

The skills developed throughout your studies are highly valued by employers, from scientific and technical skills including coding, modelling, lab skills and data analysis, to transferable skills such as communication, creativity and resilience.

This innovative program aims to give you the knowledge, skills and practical training needed to work with wildlife, and places particular emphasis on wildlife health and conservation on a global scale.

Cutting-edge topics include animal capture and handling techniques; the assessment, stabilisation and transportation of injured animals; methods for improving the welfare of captive animals; concepts in behavioural ecology; endangered species breeding program; the reintroduction of captive populations to the wild; practical conservation strategies; and the management of protected areas. The curriculum also delivers a comprehensive introduction to wildlife disease ecology, surveillance and control.

A distinctive feature of this MSc is the large number of specialist lectures, workshops and seminars that are delivered by leading researchers, conservationists and wildlife veterinarians from outside the University. These provide valuable networking opportunities that will benefit you in your future career.

Sociology is a well established discipline, as relevant to the study of 21st-century societies as it is to the sweeping changes of the Industrial Revolution.

Sociologists study society’s structures, forms of action, and cultural practices and they are uniquely placed to understand the changes of social life. This course provides the academic and professional support needed for you to develop your own sociological imagination.

The first year provides a solid grounding in sociology, followed by a greater choice of units linked to staff research interests in subsequent years. Recently, these units have covered subjects such as culture, ethnicity, class, migration, modern slavery, popular music, racism and science. There is a strong emphasis on research skills throughout, with compulsory units in the first two years.

Your third year is spent studying sociology abroad at an English-speaking university. The year abroad is an exciting opportunity to experience and study a different society and culture from a sociological perspective. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more about where you can study abroad.

In your final year in Bristol, you will conduct a piece of supervised sociological research on a topic of your choice that draws on your research skills.

This course will equip you to combine the critical, theoretical and practical skills central to psychology with a cellular, synaptic and systems-level understanding of brain function from neuroscience. The course emphasises the experimental study of the mind and nervous system and we want our students to share a sense of fun and adventure in exploring and combining these different perspectives.

MSci Psychology and Neuroscience is taught by experts who are enthusiastic about teaching students the latest developments in the field based on the research that they are conducting. It is specifically designed to meet the requirements for accreditation by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and gives you eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). It provides you with a pathway to becoming a psychologist along with knowledge and skills from both disciplines, which you can apply in a wide range of careers.

In the first year you will be introduced to what psychology can reveal about how the mind works and the neuroanatomical pathways and cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying brain function.

In the second year you will continue to develop your understanding of biological, cognitive, social and developmental aspects of psychology alongside the different techniques used to study nervous systems.

The third year will combine training in psychological experimental design and statistical analysis with the opportunity to focus on specific research areas, such as neurological and psychiatric disorders or interdisciplinary areas, such as behavioural and cognitive neuroscience.

In your fourth year you will apply what you have learned to investigate a specific psychological research question. You will also develop valuable skills in communicating science and developing ideas, as well as deepening your understanding of specialist and interdisciplinary areas of psychology and neuroscience.

There is strong industrial demand for skilled engineers able to span the mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines. This degree will give you the fundamental knowledge and tools to satisfy this demand in a unique way.

You will study units from the mechanical and electrical disciplines along the following themes: design and integration of electro-mechanical systems; energy conversion and actuation systems; embedded systems and control; power electronics and electric drives; and energy management.

Years one and two offer a grounding in mathematics, thermal management, dynamics and control, computing, electrical energy technologies, and analogue and digital electronics. Laboratory work and case studies will draw together these interdisciplinary foundations.

In the third and fourth years you will choose from a range of options and engage in group design projects and an individual research project. This means you can focus on anything from soft robotics and intelligent adaptable power systems to efficient, clean propulsion technologies.

Mechanical and electrical engineering graduates will be able to innovate technologies in a range of areas. These might include:

• The power flow of renewable energy microgrids – from the wind, to the electric generator and the power network, to the user in the home;
• Robotics used in healthcare and manufacturing – by exploring the integration of mechanical and electrical elements to deliver new capabilities;
• The complete power train of future electric vehicles – from the energy storage system, through to the electric motors, to the mechanical drivetrain and traction system;
• Battery-free technology that harvests background energy, allowing sensors to operate in previously inaccessible and far-reaching locations.