Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Fine Art

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

This degree enables you to explore the nature of current sound and music technologies, using the latest digital audio hardware, software and programming packages. You'll investigate topics such as sampling, sequencing, mixing, remixing, signal processing, sound editing and recording, alongside audio programming, internet audio and electronics, ensuring that you'll be well equipped with the knowledge and hands-on experience expected of today’s professionals.

• Our programme is Accredited by JAMES, who represent the Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS), the Music Producers Guild (MPG) and Associate Industry Bodies.
• Develop excellent technical skills over the course of your degree, and benefit from our high quality studio, listening room, venue and sound resources including those by SSL, Yamaha, Avid, Focusrite, Quested, Genelec, Neumann, TLA, Lexicon and Drawmer to name but a few.
• Excellent industry input is built into the design of the degree awards from a huge number of areas within the wider music industry.
• The degree awards within the programme are designed to expose you to areas of music, sound and audio technology that you might not even know exist yet.  "Coming to this course has really given my brain the kick-start it needed, and I'm beginning to see near endless possibilities with where I can go." - Glenn Osborn, second year student
• We have a strong record of students from the programme securing placement years between years 2 and 3 of their studies.  Placement destinations include Focusrite,  Sound Technology (a leading distributor of high profile brands for the Music Retail and Professional Audio industries), The Famous Company, and a number of recording studios.
• Every year, organisations and companies approach us to recommend our graduating students.
• Music business is woven into your degree study at every year giving you the skills to slot into the music industry (or create your own business).
• Organise and Participate ‘live’ projects, and our ‘JamJar’ showcase live events.
• Benefit from studying in creative arts school and collaborate with filmmakers and animators in realising fully featured, professional standard media projects.
• We have some of the best resources in the UK, including the 39 million pound entertainment venue – the Forum where our students perform, and engineer every month, and state-of-the art music studios and film and TV facilities in our 12 million pound building for Music, Film and media.

Course Details

The BSc (Hons) Music and Sound Design Technology course is designed for students who wish to interrogate music and media through music, sound design and immersive audio applications.  Focus is placed on sound and music as a component of multimedia, including the world of sound design as a creative process.   Students create and work on a range of media focused projects including moving image, game audio and voice over production as well as determining how sound can be delivered within both multi-speaker environments and ‘virtual’ spaces. 

Core modules studied alongside music and sound design technology practice modules develop students’ techniques and approaches using a range of sound technologies, as well as fostering professional and industrial contextual immersion and awareness, and experience with specialisms within connected music and sound related fields.

BSc (Hons) Music Production sits within the overarching Music & Sound Technology Programme.  There are four degree awards within this programme: BSc (Hons) Music Production, Bsc (Hons) Music and Sound Design Technology, BSc (Hons) Live Sound and Lighting Technology. 

All courses share the same ethos, and you’ll have opportunities to work alongside our music composition and music industry management students too, ensuring you benefit from teaching and experiences within a large community of musicians, composers, technologists and performers.

Within the wider school of creative arts at UH, there are opportunities to collaborate with students from other creative areas, including animation and film and TV, allowing you to network with a broad range of creative industries.

Indicative course structure

Discover the vital role economics plays in shaping policy in companies, institutions and governments. This course will give you solid knowledge of economics and a rigorous understanding of the quantitative methods economists use in their analyses. It will also enable you to apply economic principles to a wide variety of contemporary problems and use your quantitative skills in numerous professional situations when you graduate. The opportunity to study abroad or spend a year in industry will give you valuable experience and enhance your career prospects.

You can also study a language with this course. You can be awarded the degree ‘with language’ in the title if you choose to study a foreign language in all years of study.

• To receive a broad intellectual learning experience by studying economic issues within the wider political and social environment;
• to develop a critical understanding of the principles of economic theory;
• for an appreciation of different approaches to economic problems and their relevance for real life circumstances; 
• to develop the ability to apply the theories of economics to a range of decision making problems in business;
• to become equipped with a set of subject specific and transferable skills needed to pursue a successful career.

Many exciting opportunities await the graduate with an LLM in IT Law and Policy. Graduates with specialist knowledge of IT law and policy are in high demand in this fast-moving and swiftly growing sector.

You will study two compulsory modules – International Electronic Communications Law and Emerging Technologies and Law – in combination with two further modules of your choice from a wide range of options. This will give you a solid grounding on which to build with further specialisations, and you can tailor your course specifically according to your desired career path.

The International Electronic Communications Law module explores the existing legal framework around the electronic communications sector in the UK and Europe. It also examines emerging areas such as cloud computing, net neutrality and surveillance, along with questions relating to spectrum management. Changes to European law are also investigated.

In the Emerging Technologies and Law module you will study a range of internet and emerging technologies law and policy principles. You will also consider consumer protection online and the rules relating to digital marketing, distance selling and e-payment, as well as the legal requirements for online company presence and advertising. The module also offers the exciting opportunity to examine in depth any emerging legal issue in the area of the internet and emerging technology.

Why choose this course?

This highly relevant, contemporary course will provide you with the knowledge and understanding you need to work within the exciting, dynamic technology sector. Taught by specialists in their fields and continually updated and underpinned by the latest research and practice, you can be sure that you will graduate with up-to-date knowledge and skills to thrive in your chosen career.

Innovative, practical teaching methods are designed to develop your intellectual, transferable, interpersonal and practical skills. These skills, in combination with the knowledge and critical understanding you will receive of the history and current and emerging developments within the sector, will ensure that you are very attractive to potential employers!

In addition to your study modules, the University’s co-curricular programme offers a wide range of options that will further enhance your skills.

The programme is designed for students who wish to acquire the skills and knowledge that will enable them to apply psychological principles within the business world. The course will appeal equally to those with a business or psychology background. Graduates are equipped for a variety of careers including human resource practitioners or careers in consultancy and business psychology.

The course includes the following modules

• Psychological Assessment at Work
• Learning, Training and Development
• Research and Professional Skills
• Well-being at work
• Human Resource Management for psychologists
• Strategic Management for psychologists
• Marketing for psychologists
• Consulting Skills

And an option from

• Work Design, Organisational Change and Development
• Leadership, Engagement and Motivation

You will also carry out a project which is a substantial piece of investigative work, normally carried out in an external organisation.  Host organisations for MSc projects have included large commercial concerns in both manufacturing and service sectors, a range of consultancies, charities, and in local government and government departments.

Projects are sometimes conducted abroad; past locations include Germany, Greece, Turkey, Malaysia, Kenya, Indonesia, China, India and Taiwan.

Staff who teach on the course include permanent academic staff who have industrial experience and who undertake regular consultancy work, and external psychologists from consultancies, large organisations and other universities.  Teaching and learning methods include lectures, workshops, seminars, tutorials and practical sessions.  There is an emphasis on putting theory into practice.

Indicative course structure

This course gives you a firm understanding of key business functions and the basic principles of accounting and finance. You’ll learn about corporate reporting, auditing, corporate law and management accounting, as well as develop your general business and commercial awareness. You’ll study and research the key areas of financial accounting and corporate finance in great depth, and choose from a broad range of specialist modules. These cover topics such as financial strategy, taxation, Islamic banking and information systems. During the course, you’ll have the opportunity to study abroad or take a work placement for a year.

This course offers exemptions from the professional examinations of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

• Developed in collaboration with ACCA, ICAEW and CIMA, our course gives you exemptions from professional exams, helping you qualify faster.
• Input from industry leaders and professional bodies adds real-world skills to academic theory, giving you the competitive edge.
• You’ll be taught by leading academics and innovative industry specialists with years of hands-on experience in commercial accounting.
• We’ll help you find a valuable work placement, developing sought-after skills either in the UK or overseas.
• You’ll also have the opportunity to study abroad for part of your course, developing confidence, experience and practical language skills.

A degree in English Literature and Journalism will help you grow from passionate reader into a critical thinker and literary scholar; it will also develop your practical, professional writing skills, shed new light on how the media works, and get you some hands-on experience that employers are really looking for.

On a degree in English Literature and Journalism, we’ll introduce you to writers who will open doors to contemporary worlds and cultures remote from your own, and also help you explore more familiar literature in ways that challenge your preconceptions. This means you’ll study literature written in English by writers from all parts of the globe, whose voices are relevant and important in our modern world. You’ll also develop your journalistic skills in exciting ways: you’ll learn the different requirements of writing ‘news’ and ‘features’, while learning how to carry out research, conduct interviews, and structure your writing in order to get published.

You’ll be taught by academic staff who bring fresh thinking to our accessible, engaging courses. Some are active researchers of international standing who bring their own passion for their discipline into the classroom; others are dynamic teachers with extensive industry experience.

Whatever your taste in literature, there will be something to interest and provoke you. From The Tiger Who Came to Tea to Jane Eyre, from Paradise Lost to Zadie Smith’s Swing Time, we’ll broaden your literary horizons and hone your critical thinking.

A core Literature module in your first year will equip you to read and interpret both traditional and contemporary literary texts critically as a scholar of English literature. Alongside this you can choose to revisit Shakespeare and consider his cultural relevance today through fictional, cinematic and TV adaptations; or to deepen your understanding of Gothic writing by tracing its origins back to the Romantic era.

In your second year you’ll focus on period-based literature from the Renaissance onwards and gain an understanding of literary history, from Elizabethan verse and drama, via Augustan poetry and the emergence of the novel in the 18th century, to the radical transformations of the Victorian age, and the emergence of modernity in the twentieth century. You’ll also have the opportunity to consider ways of reading that go beyond textual analysis or historical context, such as understanding literature through the political or ideological lens of Marxism, feminism and post-colonial theory.

You’ll have the chance to specialise in your final year, tailoring your literary study to reflect your own interests. Themed options include children’s literature, young adult fiction, Renaissance tragedy, European crime fiction, literary adaptations and the culture of print in the 18th century.

Your study of English Literature will enhance your ability to analyse and synthesise complex ideas, and to express yourself clearly in both written and spoken English. These skills will be hugely beneficial to your study of Journalism, but this part of your course will extend your range far beyond just print media. As the course progresses, you’ll discover how journalism varies across video, radio and the internet, hear from inspiring industry guest speakers, and take placements in real newsrooms.

The massive research expenditure of Britain’s pharmaceutical companies and the fierce competition in the field ensures a continual demand for well-trained pharmacology graduates. This degree covers all aspects of drugs and their uses as medicines. You’ll learn how new drugs are discovered and tested and understand the reasons for their effectiveness in treating disease. You’ll also gain an appreciation of why new drugs are needed and how they can be developed. Our links with major pharmaceutical companies will provide cutting edge insight into the drug discovery process and give you the opportunity to gain valuable experience during your placement year. This degree is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

• Pharmacology is the study of the action of drugs or other chemicals on living systems.
• Pharmacology studies the mechanism of action of drugs and the effects of drugs at the whole body level (therapeutic pharmacology), at the tissue level (system pharmacology) and at the level of receptor proteins (molecular pharmacology).
• The demand for new drugs continues and the University of Hertfordshire has strong links with the pharmaceutical industry which is located in this region.
• A number of the pharmacology teaching staff have extensive experience working in industry and this expertise ensures that the course provides an excellent stepping stone to a career in a range of healthcare industry roles.

With a 30-year record of producing skilled engineers for all branches of the automotive industry, Hertfordshire’s a great choice if you want to work in this cutting-edge sector. How? The course focuses on vehicle design, taking into account performance, consumer demand, safety and sustainability. You’ll use all the latest industry tools and techniques, and take specialist classes in vehicle structures, engine performance, aerodynamics, materials and manufacturing strategies. This course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is the first step towards chartered engineer status.

• You will learn how to apply computer-aided engineering and industrial-standard software, recommended by the Automotive Industry Advisory Panel.
• Our BEng Automotive Engineering students have previously completed work placement years at companies including: Bentley Motors, Rolls Royce Cars, and Triumph Motorcycles.
• We have links with all the major UK automotive companies and most Formula One racing teams have one of our graduates working in their design team, so your degree will open doors for you.
• This BEng Honours degree course will give you the opportunity to design, build and race single-seater race car in the UK Formula Student Competition from your first year onwards.
• Recent Automotive Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including: JCB, Nissan, Ford Motor Company, Nissan Technical Centre Europe, Jaguar Land Rover and McLaren Automotive.

All three of our model design courses share the same First Year, giving you an excellent introduction to model making, prop making, sculpture and special effects. Building on this foundation, you’ll focus on developing your artistic and technical skills to produce models, animatronics and other effects. You’ll also gain hands on experience of the specialist equipment used to produce rain, fire, smoke, wind and snow, and learn about the safe use of pyrotechnics.

In Second Year, you will acquire an understanding of special effects design and receive a thorough grounding in the practical aspects of this. You will be able to combine your artistic and technical skills to produce animatronics, action props, models and special effects.

In your Final Year, you’ll work on major projects and create a professional portfolio to impress employers. Throughout your studies you’ll use a mix of traditional techniques and modern technology. This course is accredited by Creative Skillset, reflecting the highest standard of teaching and facilities.

• Combine your artistic and technical skills to produce animatronics, action props, models and special effects.
• Gain ‘hands on’ experience of special effects equipment used to produce, rain, fire, smoke, wind and snow etc. and learn about the safe use of pyrotechnics.
• Use of traditional workshop machinery and cutting-edge technologies, plus access to specialist industry standard facilities for animatronics, model making and prop making.
• Close contacts with industry, which provide outstanding work experience opportunities and collaborative projects.
• High graduate employment rates for Special Effects students. 
• The only Creative Skillset Tick accredited Model and Special Effects course in the UK.

Explore the full range of modern mathematics as you gain fundamental knowledge and advanced mathematical and statistical skills. Mathematics holds the key to advances in virtually all areas of our lives, from finance to computing, logistics to medicine and travel to weather forecasting. If you’re looking for a career that involves shaping technological or scientific progress, mathematics is an ideal degree for you. What’s more, our flexible course allows you to specialise in whichever area of mathematics interests you most. You will find our friendly and personalised approach in the small group tutorial besides your day to day lectures. We have particular teaching expertise in various areas of numerical modelling, financial mathematics, algebra, statistics, optimisation and mathematical physics. You can even choose to take a year out to study abroad or undertake a placement.

Our Mathematics degree is a highly flexible course that allows you to specialise in whichever area of Mathematics interests you the most.

• We take pride in our student-focused approach to teaching Mathematics. Our School is well regarded for its friendly and professional environment, which allows us to equip you with the skills and knowledge required to be a successful mathematician. We will support you throughout your degree so that you can achieve your full potential.
• We are a research-active department undertaking internationally excellent research in mathematics and mathematical physics. Take a look at the latest exciting research, which will underpin and inform your studies.
• You can always access additional support throughout your course with regular drop-ins at the University’s own Maths Support Service located in the Library and accessing specialised career support from the Career and Employment department.