Master of Science in Public Policy

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

This four-year course has the same basic structure as BSc Geography but you will spend your third year studying geography and other subjects at an English-speaking university abroad.

In year one you receive an overview of human and physical geography, and develop a range of geographical and scientific skills. The remaining years are organised around specialist units from human and/or physical geography.

Physical geography units cover three broad areas: glaciology, hydrology and environmental change. Human geography units provide in-depth study of cultural, economic and social geography, emphasising the importance of theory and methods for analysing contemporary geographical problems and policies. Topics range from economic development and global politics to inequalities of health and contemporary social theory.

You will also develop skills in the use of specialised computer software, statistics and data collection in the field. Field trips and practical work are key components of the course. There are UK residential trips in year one and in year two there is an overseas field trip.

Your third-year studies abroad will be arranged on an individual basis. We currently have exchange agreements with universities in the US, Canada, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more about where you can study abroad.

The skills that you acquire throughout your studies will be applied in a self-directed dissertation project in your final year.

BSc Economics and Mathematics combines high-level mathematics with a technically rigorous economics programme that emphasises the use of mathematical tools, including econometrics.

Mandatory economics units develop your understanding of micro- and macro-economics, while the mathematics part of the degree builds your mathematical ability and allows you to explore applied topics that are particularly relevant to economics.

Having built a solid grounding in the fundamentals of both disciplines in your first year, the second and third years allow you to choose optional units to tailor your degree to your specific interests, including the option to complete an applied economics dissertation.

Previously, economics options have included Industrial Economics, International Economics and Macroeconomic Theory and Policy. Mathematics options have included Complex Networks, Financial Mathematics and Time Series Analysis.

Our MA draws on these strengths. It is intended both for students who have a first degree in philosophy who wish to specialise in philosophy of science at a higher level, and for individuals with a background in pure science who wish to make a transition to philosophy of science or to explore foundational issues within the sciences.

The emphasis of the programme is on philosophical issues arising from specific scientific disciplines, with particular focus on physics, biology and mathematics. The history of science is studied in terms of the philosophical debate about the nature of scientific method and knowledge.

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.

Our BSc Finance will equip you with the skills necessary for a successful career in the financial services industry as well as in economic consultancy, in government departments or in regulatory agencies. You will also be well placed to pursue specialist postgraduate studies.

The course offers rigorous training in all areas of finance with a focus on the quantitative skills that are required in every aspect of financial decision making today. Through a choice of core and optional units, you will gain exposure to the related fields of economics, accounting, management and business law.

The course is designed by researchers who have industry or regulatory experience. It is among the first courses in the UK to contain coverage of new and disruptive forms of finance at the undergraduate level, including cryptocurrencies, FinTech, digital finance (Big Data), smart beta investing, peer-to-peer lending, and high-frequency trading.

You will learn to relate concepts and theories to financial practice through the use of specialist industry newspapers, including the Dow Jones Financial News and data vendors, such as Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters Eikon as well as Refinitiv.

Study abroad enhances your intellectual development, breadth of perspective and employability.

If you're driven by intellectual curiosity and enjoy the satisfaction of cracking difficult puzzles, this course offers a rigorous foundation in mathematics that will help you stand out to top employers.

Our lecturers are passionate about their subject, with modules informed by cutting-edge research in fundamental mathematical abstractions, statistics and practical applications to global problems. Vocational units prepare you for a successful career in industry. Opportunities to undertake a research project could inspire you to pursue postgraduate study.

The first two years of the course are identical to our single honours mathematics degrees, providing a broad background in pure, applied and statistical mathematics which underpins more advanced material later.

Year one consists of compulsory topics. In your second year you can start to shape your degree; choose from an extensive range of topics that most interest you.

Provided you fulfil progression requirements, you will spend your third year abroad at one of our partner universities. This course is different to 'with Study Abroad in a Modern Language' as you will study in English and are not required to learn a foreign language. Visit our Global Opportunities website to find out where you can study.

On returning to Bristol you will complete your final year, choosing from a wide range of units from our MSci Mathematics course, and benefiting from our pioneering research.

This MSc examines the physical processes governing the behaviour of volcanoes. The program is taught by leading scientists working at the cutting edge of research into volcanoes, and will provide you with a strong background for independent research to PhD level or for a career in industry, the public sector or a non-governmental organisation.

Increasing numbers of the global population being at risk means that volcano hazard prediction and mitigation is a fast-growing and competitive area of research that crosses the boundaries between traditional subject areas.

The program is designed to equip you with knowledge of the physical processes of volcanoes, including both sub-surface and surficial behaviour, insights into important historical eruptions, understanding of risk and risk mitigation, and instruction and experiential learning on data gathering, handling analysis and presentation to publishable standard.

You will develop a wide range of skills, such as quantitative and computational skills, including the application of basic mathematical descriptions of physical processes and the use of statistical and data handling software; proficiency in critical analysis of scientific material from a variety of sources, including primary research documents and original data; and the ability to synthesise concise and informative material produced for a variety of audiences. A familiarity with A-level mathematics (or international equivalent) is recommended.