Master of Physics (Hons) (with Sandwich Year)

at University of Hertfordshire - De Havilland Campus United Kingdom

Biology is the scientific study of living organisms and deals with every aspect of life. During the course you’ll examine the physiology of the human body and how it’s affected by disease and drugs. You’ll study the structure, biochemistry and mechanics of the cell, as well as evolutionary processes and genetics, both in mammals and microorganisms. As you progress, you’ll choose from a wide range of modules including blood sciences, pharmacology, microbiology, immunology and drug discovery. You’ll also have the chance to study abroad or take a year’s work placement, either of which will boost your employability. Ultimately, you’ll gain the technical, analytical and practical skills needed to investigate biological phenomena in microorganisms, plants, humans and animals. This degree is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

• Biology is a discipline with a broad range of applications affecting many areas of human activity.  You will study life at all levels from molecules, through organelles and cells, to whole organisms.  You will gain the technical, analytical and practical skills needed to investigate biological phenomena in microorganisms, plants, human beings and other animals.
• The Biological Science programme offers you flexibility and a broad range of options for study.  The first year provides a solid foundation in all aspects of biology including topics in areas such as physiology, biochemistry, genetics and cell biology.  It also gives you an opportunity to start developing your practical skills in the laboratory.   At second and final year you can choose from a range of modules from across our biosciences courses according to your particular interests. 
• The degree provides a stepping stone to a wide range of scientific careers, including teaching.

An understanding of the world from social, economic, political and environmental perspectives has never been more critical. A geography degree will give you an in-depth understanding of our rapidly changing world by combining elements of both physical and human geography. Fieldwork learning, and practical application are at the heart of this course, and you'll develop skills using our own field station, specialist laboratories and geographical information analysis facilities whilst also benefitting from our unique location in terms of planning and urban design. Your studies include two fully-funded field trips in the UK and Switzerland. Throughout the course you can explore topics such as sustainability, globalisation, climate change, food scarcity, earth surface processes and landforms, natural hazards, glaciology, environmental problem solving, demography, migration, urban place making, transport, future mobility, planning and development, leisure, tourism and identity, marginalisation, exclusion and geopolitics.

• No additional charges for compulsory UK and overseas residential field courses in Year 1 and Year 2
• Outstanding employability levels after graduation
• High student satisfaction, a vibrant student society and a strong staff-student community
• Regular opportunities for students to assist staff with field research and to undertake fieldwork in pursuit of final year dissertations in locations that have included Iceland, Switzerland and the High Arctic
• Excellent work placement and study abroad opportunities and strong links with local and national employers
• Opportunities to get involved in ecology activities at Bayfordbury such as beekeeping, bat watching, coppicing, etc.

You can find out more about our staff in Geography, Environment and Agriculture here.

On the BA in Politics and International Relations you’ll study the central challenges that politics faces in the 21st century. You’ll develop the skills to understand, analyse, and critically debate the issues and arguments that shape national and international politics today. Our Politics and International Relations degree allows you to take your interest in politics and add the knowledge and training to turn it into a successful career in the world of local and global politics, the media or business.

Our sports coaching degree gives you the opportunity to explore coaching theory, research and practice. You’ll focus on contemporary areas of sports coaching study, including coach education, learning and practical skills. You’ll also develop your own specialised coaching knowledge, attributes and abilities through a whole range of theoretical and hands-on experiences. Throughout, we’ll encourage you to shape your own professional development journey and achieve the appropriate vocational coaching qualifications to take your career in the direction you want. We’ll also emphasise the importance of developing your academic and research strengths, improving your confidence, credibility and critical writing skills.

Literature can offer new perspectives on familiar themes, as well as open doors to unfamiliar ideas and cultures which are temporally or spatially remote from your own. It is an ideal source for philosophical reflection, exploring and challenging the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us.

Our BA Philosophy and English Literature degree encourages you to expand your imaginative capacities and to critically reflect on possibilities for how the world could be, by engaging with a wide variety of perspectives. You will gain skills in understanding how to read and interpret in context, and in how to formulate your own arguments, to arrive at your own conclusions.

In your first year, you might choose to study international and American literature or revisit Shakespeare and consider his cultural relevance today through fictional, cinematic and TV adaptations. In Philosophy, you might explore questions which lie at the heart of much literature, such as whether anything can give meaning to life, and whether our striving to achieve anything of significance is ultimately futile, even ridiculous. The philosophy of film and literature module addresses the assumption that anything is possible in fiction and considers the extent to which that is true.

All our English Literature and Philosophy lecturers are active researchers, so you’ll share the excitement of doing original work in a supportive and highly-rated academic community. Our Philosophy team is in the top 15 in the Guardian League Table 2019 and rates as one of the 100 best Philosophy departments worldwide in the 2017 QS rankings.

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 20th century. In Philosophy, you’ll choose from a variety of topics, which includes a module on the nature of art, expression and representation (in literary as well as visual art), and modules on influential texts in philosophy, such as Plato’s Republic.

The final year allows for even more opportunity to tailor your degree to reflect your own interests. On the literature side, themed options include children’s literature, young adult fiction, Renaissance tragedy, 21 st century American literature, European crime fiction, literary adaptations and the culture of print in the 18th century. A wide variety of Philosophy modules are available, including modules on feminist philosophy, the nature of language and meaning, and a module on Nietzsche, who is well-known for his literary style.

• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
• Stimulating, innovative courses that allow you to make rewarding connections between two disciplines
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

Learn the fundamental skills and knowledge of a modern engineer. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to engineering, giving you the flexibility to work in a broad range of industries. Among the general topics, you’ll study engineering mathematics, materials and electrical science, mechanical science, manufacturing technology, computer-aided engineering and thermodynamics. During your MEng year, you’ll deepen your understanding of engineering through a selection of advanced modules. As with the BEng, you’ll get the chance to work on some impressive team projects, including designing a hovercraft, a Formula Student racing car and an unmanned aircraft. This course is the first step towards chartered engineer status.

• The MEng in Mechanical Engineering is a broad subject and there have been thousands of successful UH graduates of this discipline working in all fields of engineering
• You can apply your knowledge to typical mechanical projects such as the design of a hovercraft
• You may join the automotive students and help design, build and race single-seater race car in the UK Formula Student Competition
• You may join aerospace students on projects involving Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), rocketry and space tourism
• You will learn how to apply computer-aided engineering and industrial-standard software, recommended by the Automotive Industry Advisory Panel
• Students from the School of Engineering and Technology have previously completed work placement years at companies including: Rolls Royce plc, BAE Systems, and RP Aero Systems
• Recent Mechanical Engineering graduates have gone on to work at organisations including: Ocado, Ford and General Electric

More about the Course
Our School of Engineering and Technology is well known for project-orientated learning, and mechanical engineers have the opportunity to take part in exciting team projects such as the UH Hovercraft, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ESCO-UAS) competition or the Formula Student competition. For more information see racing.herts.ac.uk

Our students can take the work placement option, spending their Third Year in industry. Some students take the opportunity to study part of their degree abroad through student exchange programmes with other universities in the EU, USA or Canada.

A mechanical engineering degree will provide you with the flexibility to be employed in any industrial company irrespective of their product range. Mechanical engineers are involved in producing innovative designs, using the latest materials and Computer Aided Engineering systems to meet ever-increasing expectations in 21st century living.  With our excellent teaching standards and facilities, the University has a strong track record of providing industry with these highly skilled professionals.

In your first year you will study the fundamental skills and knowledge required by a modern engineer including principles of flight and an introduction to aircraft systems. In particular you will be introduced to computer packages commonly used in the aerospace industry.

In your second year the core themes from year 1 are further developed so that they can be applied to solve engineering problems encountered in industrial and commercial environments. You will learn about the design process, through both group design and detail design work, and will have the opportunity to work on the Class 200 Formula Student car.

In your third year you have the chance to work for an engineering company on placement.

In your fourth year you have the option of covering either manufacturing or the rapidly growing field of micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS). Project work, both in teams on design and individually on a topic of special interest, encourages you to develop valuable practical, interpersonal and communication skills. You also have the opportunity to work on the University's entry to the Formula Student competition.

In your final year you will study at Masters level, deepening your knowledge and understanding of engineering as well as developing your business and management skills. The Team Project is multidisciplinary and involves applying your skills to solve an unusual and challenging problem.

The School has a strong international reputation for research in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and this expertise influences this course which explores current research and practice in artificial intelligence and robotics. This MSc can lead to a career such as a designer of intelligent systems or in research.

Why choose this course?

• Through your placement year you will gain industrial experience and be able to practice applying the skills you have learned throughout your studies.
• One of a range of advanced courses within our postgraduate Master's programme in Computer Science, this particular course provides you with a specialism in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
• Advanced topics studied include artificial life with robotics, neural computation and machine learning, theory and practice of artificial intelligence.
• Taught by a highly-regarded and long-established computer science department.
• Computer Science saw 90% of its research ranked as world-leading (Research Excellence Framework, 2022).

Nursing is a highly skilled, rewarding and caring profession where you can make a real difference to people’s lives. In adult nursing, you’ll promote health and provide whole-person care in hospitals and the community. Throughout this pre-registration course you’ll develop critical, analytical and reflective skills that allow you to make sound judgements and evidence-based care. Half the course will be spent at the University, where you’ll learn the theoretical foundations of nursing. The other half will be spent in a variety of clinical settings, developing your hands-on skills.

This integration of theory and practice will ensure you become a skilled, competent, compassionate and committed adult nurse.

• Adult nursing is an exciting and rewarding career that can lead to work in a variety of settings.
• You will complete placements in a range of adult settings, both within hospital and the community during your course, learning practical skills that underpin your theoretical knowledge.
• You will develop a sound knowledge of ‘normal’ adult development and behaviours and develop skills in recognising and managing deviations from the norm. 
• 100% of our Adult Nursing graduates went on to employment or further study within 6 months according to the latest national Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey.

Graphic Design is a very broad subject, with students increasingly able to choose a wide variety of career paths after they graduate. This pathway, based around the current successful BA (Hons) Graphic Design course, allows students to gain the specialist skills required for advertising and branding projects. Workshops will introduce art direction, copywriting, campaign development, brand strategy and how to design dynamic visual identities. Dedicated modules will give a thorough grounding and understanding of the commercial applications of both subjects, as well as exploring creative applications of emerging technologies

Our location on the doorstep of London means we’ve been able to develop relationships with some of the world’s biggest and best agencies and brands. In recent years our students have worked on live briefs with the likes of Prada, Lacoste, Sky, and Mini. We’ve also partnered with design and creative agencies that include Droga 5 (named D&AD’s ‘Best Agency 2019’ and Campaign Magazine’s ‘Agency of the Year’ 2019) and DesignStudio (the designers of the Premier League, Airbnb and Deliveroo branding). Students on the Graphic Design & Illustration programme have a phenomenal record in the highest-profile award schemes, including winning a prestigious D&AD New Blood pencil every year since 2011.

• Outstanding connections to industry, including high profile live briefs.
• A forward-thinking curriculum which prepares our graduates for a career in rapidly evolving industries.
• A reputation for success in the most-coveted student award schemes.

This course specialises in the design and production of immersive, innovative and surprising interior spaces. There’s great emphasis on the understanding and use of materials as you explore surface design and detailing. Throughout the course you’ll work with existing buildings and conditions, producing refit, refurbishment, retrofit, re-use and place-making designs. As you progress you’ll develop an expertise in producing impressive drawings, images and models, as you not only design functional, contemporary and innovative interiors, but – above all else – create immersive atmospheres.

• Interior Architecture and Design students have participated in live projects with a number of commercial partners including Letchworth Garden City urban regeneration, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange, The Forum Hertfordshire, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and St Albans Museums.
• The degree focuses on working with existing buildings and spaces and exploring different possibilities for habitation.
• The Interior Architecture and Design degree pursues a progressive and holistic teaching approach as we consider the design process as something non-linear or sequential (i.e. research first, design later).
• Graduates from the course are eligible for associate membership to professional institutions such as: The British Interior Design Association, The Society of British Interior Design and The Chartered Society of Designer.