Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English

at University of Plymouth United Kingdom

Geography explores the relationships between people, places and the environment. Our diverse degree has a strong emphasis on applied skills and career development. You can choose to specialise or maintain a broad range of interests, and an optional placement year offers work experience. You learn from expert, accessible, supportive staff who are skilled researchers in their field. Plymouth is the ideal setting as a vibrant urban environment surrounded by iconic rural and coastal landscapes.

Our geography degrees make the most of geography’s strengths in tackling head on the biggest global challenges we face. Modules have been designed to address many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – developed by the UN as the 'blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all' – all of our degrees are fully accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Key Features

• Our newly designed curriculum places sustainability challenges at the centre, with modules designed to help address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
• Choose from a range of human and/or physical geography choice modules so that you determine your degree pathway. 
• Our supportive staff are expert researchers and many are world leaders in their field.
• Teaching is innovative and student-centred. You will learn through lectures, seminars, practicals, national and international residential fieldwork, tutorials and one-to-one dissertation support. 
• Learn to use Geographical Information Systems to analyse and communicate complex spatial data. 
• Take advantage of a wide range of study abroad possibilities in Europe, North America and Australia. 
• Experience a valuable work placement programme, opening up a range of career opportunities such as consultancy, policy development and management, teaching, planning and conservation.
• LABplus is a unique open access laboratory and resource centre designed for students studying science and engineering courses. The lab provides a flexible workspace, computing facilities, specialist software, access to microscopes, microscope cameras and bespoke resources. 
• We’re very proud of our National Student Survey (NSS) 2020 return which shows student satisfaction overall at 96 per cent for human geography. 
• Benefit from our unique location, in the heart of the historical city of Plymouth, bordered by Dartmoor National Park as well as the Tamar Valley and South Hams Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Devon and Cornwall have glorious beaches, coasts, rivers and estuaries.

Become a driving force behind modern business. Our degree has deep industry ties and years of student feedback, which we use to shape the course and continuously adapt it to reflect current issues. Including an option to specialise in digital and social media marketing. Become a flexible, skilled communicator with a flair for marketing strategy, giving you the head start needed for a flying career in marketing management, advertising, digital marketing or marketing research.

You will distinguish yourself professionally with an accredited degree – this course is accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing, The Institute of Data and Marketing and works with The Market Research Society.

Key Features

• Distinguish yourself professionally with an accredited degree - this course is accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing, The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing and works with The Market Research Society. Receive maximum exemptions from the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing.
• Be inspired by our teaching staff, who are widely published in their field and who have wide professional marketing expertise.
• Position yourself highly with future employers. The University's BSc (Hons) Marketing was ranked joint second for employability in the Complete University Guide rankings.
• Gain real world experience and be involved in a number of ‘live’ consultancy projects.
• Kick start your career and take a year in industry as a marketer with a major corporation, a dynamic agency or start your own business.
• 94% of students asked were satisfied overall with the course. 97% of students agreed that staff were good at explaining things and 94% of students felt that staff valued their opinions. Six months after graduating 85% of students were in a professional or managerial job.* (Source: NSS)
• To enhance the employability of our students we work with key professional bodies within marketing such as the IDM/DMA, MRS and CIM by ensuring that the subjects are relevant and up to date, providing opportunities for professional certificates and scope for future professional development. As part of the degree we provide opportunities to attain:
• IDM Certificate in Digital Marketing
• MRS Certificate in Market Research
• CIM Graduate Gateway

A marine biology degree with an international reputation, you’ll explore the diversity of marine life from the coast to the deep-sea. Using a range of marine organisms from the smallest microbes to the largest marine vertebrates, you'll learn how marine species and ecosystems function, consider why we see such diversity of life in our oceans, and learn how to conserve this. You'll tackle big questions like how are humans and climate change affecting marine biodiversity?

Using some of the best marine facilities in Europe alongside field work in the marine and coastal habitats of Devon, France and South Africa, and the option of becoming an HSE diver, you'll gain arguably the best practical experience of any marine biology course. By the end of your degree, your wide-range of skills and in-depth knowledge of marine biology will allow you to tackle the most pressing environmental challenges that marine systems are facing.

Key Features

• We’re very proud of our National Student Survey (NSS) 2019 return including that 94% of student respondents said that staff made the subject interesting. Other feedback included 100% also agreeing that our staff are good at explaining things and that the course was intellectually stimulating.*
• Add an exciting extra dimension to your marine studies by examining marine organisms and ecosystems in a truly global context. If you are interested in how marine and coastal habitats work, why they are so diverse and how best to conserve them, this is the course for you.
• Access the University’s research vessels based in the Plymouth Sound Special Area for Conservation and our Marine Station.
• Benefit from our reputation as an international centre for marine and environmental research. Our expert teaching staff are active researchers and enthusiastic specialists in their fields.
• Study marine life in the wild with access to the beautiful and varied Devon and Cornwall coastline. A recent World Wildlife Fund report highlighted the South Devon coast – which can be reached on foot from campus – as the area of highest marine biodiversity in the UK.
• Deepen your experience through practical field and laboratory work, linked to lectures – something regularly praised by our external examiners. Our specialist facilities include advanced molecular and behavioural laboratories, a seawater aquarium, environmentally controlled labs and a new bespoke marine station opening in 2014/15.
• Increase your knowledge and apply your skills in an international setting, with two residential field courses abroad (France and South Africa – one of the most biodiverse places on earth), giving you the chance to study organisms and ecosystems not found in the UK.
• Develop a wide range of skills that will prepare you for your chosen career and make you attractive to employers – learn how to ask and answer research questions, and how to apply this skill to conservation challenges in the real world.  There is also the opportunity to gain the HSE PRO SCUBA qualification, for those with a suitable background in diving.
• Immerse yourself in Plymouth’s marine research culture. Alongside the University the city is home to several other world-leading establishments, one of the largest concentrations of marine science study in Europe. Take opportunities to gain extra experience working in one of the marine organisations located in Plymouth, alongside your studies.
• Take the opportunity to contribute to the latest research and advances in the field – many of our students have their research projects published in leading international peer-reviewed journals.
• Choose from a wide range of subjects that most interest you and are best suited to your intended career path, building your own specialisms and skills.
• LABplus is a unique open access laboratory and resource centre designed for students studying science and engineering courses. The lab provides a flexible workspace, computing facilities, specialist software, access to microscopes, microscope cameras and bespoke resources.

Create your own apps, games, virtual and mixed reality solutions to build your profile as a versatile developer. This course challenges you to innovate in the games sector while applying your highly transferable skills using game technologies to solve real world problems. Work individually and as part of a team, establishing your portfolio and career trajectory.

Have you Considered

• BSc (Hons) Computer Science 
• BSc (Hons) Computing and Software Development 
• BSc (Hons) Cyber Security

Key Features

• Create an impressive portfolio of tech demos, indie game releases, and client projects for multiple platforms (working on live projects with real clients). 
• Experience the full development cycle from initial concept through design process and implementation to final project delivery and product release. 
• Join our established developer community, participate and compete in exhibitions and national events such as the Explay festival, TIGA Game Hack, Explay Gamejam and Global Game Jam and establish your developer profile. 
• Seeking accreditation by BCS for 2020, The Chartered Institute for IT. We are a member of TIGA, the trade body for the games industry 

Are you looking for a career in hydrographic surveying and marine exploration industries? On this course you’ll explore offshore and environmental surveying, marine remote sensing, oceanography, underwater acoustics, digital mapping and geographical information systems. A focus on the practical application of survey technology to the marine environment gives you highly sought after skills in hydrographic surveying, mapping, measurement and visualisation of the seafloor and underlying geology.

You will develop your range of practical skills with our own fully-equipped fleet of boats. You’ll experience an overseas field course that is aimed at integrating your surveying and mapping knowledge and understanding across the different sub-disciplines to address real-world issues. You will have the option to take the industry-recognised professional diving qualification (HSE Professional SCUBA) alongside your degree.

Have you considered

• BSc (Hons) Oceanography and Coastal Processes

Key Features

• In the 2019 National Student Survey, 100 per cent expressed overall satisfaction with the course; 100 per cent of students felt staff on this course were good at explaining things; 100 per cent felt that the staff made the subject interesting and 100 per cent found the course intellectually stimulating.*
• Experience extensive vocational elements with an emphasis on hands-on experience using current hydrographic and surveying methods and state-of-the-art technology as used by the survey industry.
• Benefit from strong industry links and excellent home and overseas employment prospects.
• Develop your range of practical skills with our own fully-equipped fleet of boats, a new £4.65 million Marine Station used as a base for fieldwork afloat, industry standard oceanographic and surveying equipment, and a type-approved ship simulator.
• Option to take the industry-recognised professional diving qualification (HSE Professional SCUBA) alongside your degree and an optional dedicated scientific diving module to provide training and qualification for diving-based research projects and employment (limited places and additional costs apply).
• Experience an overseas field course that is aimed at integrating your surveying and mapping knowledge and understanding across the different sub-disciplines to address real-world issues.

Learn how to become an organisation’s best asset by successfully coordinating people, projects and resources. Acquire the skills to become an effective manager, while learning about management in the context of economics, marketing, entrepreneurship, sustainability, ethics, corporate social responsibility and globalisation. You will also get the chance to put theory into practice with an optional placement year.

Key Features

• We recognise that our students are unique, coming from all over the world, with different backgrounds and interests. We believe that your degree should be as unique as you are, and that you should have the flexibility to tailor your degree to your interests. Study the topics you are interested in and graduate with a specialist business management degree of your choice.
• We appreciate that students learn in different ways. As such you will be challenged through both practical and theoretically derived assessments. You will apply knowledge to real business contexts and undertake tasks related to real world practice.
• Boost your employability with paid, real-world experience during an optional work placement year and apply your learning to real world scenarios through live consultancy projects with local, national and international businesses.
• Join the Devon Junior Chamber, engage with industry employers and receive opportunities for training and professional mentoring.
• Study full-time over three years or choose the two-year, fast-track route to get ahead of the competition.

Broaden your geological horizons by exploring the connection between the Earth and its marine and nearshore environments on our joint honours degree. Geology with ocean science will arm you with the theoretical and practical aspects of geology, as well as enabling you to develop an understanding of oceanography and coastal processes. Gain an awareness of the interplay between the solid Earth and marine processes, and learn how these factors control the development of coastal regions.

You will take part in the substantial fieldwork offered in a variety of UK and overseas locations such as Morocco, Iceland, Sicily, Spain and Cyprus. You'll become an experienced field-worker, able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom to existing Earth science problems. You’ll work towards becoming a Chartered Geologist, our accreditation by the Geological Society helps you to gain the required experience.

Have you Considered

• BSc (Hons) Geology
• BSc (Hons) Physical Geography and Geology
• BSc (Hons) Geography

Key Features

• Gain a breadth of knowledge of the Earth and marine sciences not possible with a single honours degree.

Interested to learn how we think and behave and how the social influences and structures of our everyday lives affect us? With this combined honours course, you’ll cover all aspects of human behaviour and our underlying thoughts, feelings and motivations. You’ll learn about the rapidly changing nature of contemporary society and graduate with a true understanding of the interaction between the individual mind and the social world in which we live.

You will immerse yourself in an innovative and imaginative curriculum that’s continually shaped by the latest developments in psychological research. You’ll expand your horizons and experience with opportunities for international exchange and a year studying abroad. You’ll develop your skills as a scientist working alongside leading researchers with the Research Apprentice Scheme. You will gain invaluable experience and cultivate professional contacts by taking an optional placement year.

Key Features

• Take your first step to becoming a professional in your field – as a successful graduate, you’ll be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society, putting you on the ladder to becoming a professional psychologist.
• Expand your horizons and experience with opportunities for international exchange and a year studying abroad (in Year 2).
• Develop your skills as a scientist working alongside leading researchers with the Research Apprentice Scheme.
• Maximise your learning with a personal tutor assigned throughout your studies to provide the support and guidance you need to get the most out of your course.
• Shape your own study path with an exciting range of topics available through lectures, optional courses and project supervision.
• Gain invaluable experience and cultivate professional contacts by taking an optional placement year.
• Benefit from studying on a course that the Research Assessment Exercise rates as excellent for research and the Quality Assurance Agency praises for its quality of education.
• Immerse yourself in an innovative and imaginative curriculum that’s continually shaped by the latest developments in psychological research.
• Make the most of our specialist facilities – we’ve got 22 labs to choose from, including a virtual reality laboratory with 3D modelling software, sound-proof cubicles with a range of stimulus equipment and computer laboratories.  You'll be able to get your hands on everything you need for your own research.
• To complement your formal learning we offer regular PALS sessions that provide the opportunity for you to learn with and from your peers. Share knowledge, discuss ideas, and ask questions in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Are you a qualified health and social care professional working in Neurological Rehabilitation? Do you want to develop advanced practitioner skills and knowledge along with a critical thinking ethos? Do you want to challenge your current practice and be innovative in applying your studies to your area of practice? This successful pathway is taught by an enthusiastic research active team who are specialists in neurological rehabilitation, and is endorsed by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Key Features

• Progress your health professions career and become a leader in this specialist area with a programme formed on evidence-based clinical practice, incorporating practical skill development*.
• Increase your skills in reflection, analysis and critical debate, as well as developing your knowledge base of this cutting-edge subject. The assignments for all modules are designed to help you link theory to practice.  
• Learn from research active teaching staff, with national and international reputations in this specialist area. You’ll be encouraged to join the faculty’s Rehabilitation research group, nested under the Institute of Health and Community, and will work with our experienced staff on your own research project.
• Further your research skills through use of the University’s highly advanced equipment at the Human Movement and Function Laboratory.
• Take the opportunity to choose specialist skills modules such as Injection Therapy for your continuing professional development (CPD).
• Make the most of our blended learning approach, which combines short study blocks and distance learning technologies with face-to-face teaching, enhancing the learning process by allowing time for reflection.
• Take advantage of flexible study – you can complete the programme over one year full time or two to five years part time. Your study will comprise of a mixture of lectures, practicals, seminars and tutorials. The full-time route is suitable for international students, who will be supported to choose optional modules with non-clinical assignments.
• Choose from three award pathways with full and part-time options: Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert), 60 credits; Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip), 120 credits; and Masters (MSc), 180 credits.
• This programme is accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

*As this programme is designed for qualified practitioners there is no requirement of a clinical placement component. Neither the programme nor any of its pathways lead to eligibility to apply for registration with a regulatory body.

Study the literature of the sea in the Ocean City and explore the Devon settings that have inspired authors like Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. From the graphic novel to transatlantic literature, English at Plymouth will take your love of reading in new directions. Explore texts that have shaped our world as you navigate the challenges of the future. We’ve decolonised our curriculum, giving you free rein to study an eclectic range of literature across cultures and geographies.

Key Features

• Personalise your degree by choosing from a wide variety of optional modules in literary studies and creative writing, or widen your horizons by taking specialist modules in other subjects in the school.
• Learn from internationally recognised research-active staff.
• Receive free set texts for all core modules throughout the three years.
• Benefit from assessment through coursework, with no written exams.
• Make the most of a rich cultural life with The Arts Institute programme and the University’s links with local cultural organisations, like The Box and Theatre Royal.
• We’re very proud of our National Student Survey (NSS) 2020 return – 94% of students agreed staff are good at explaining things, and 94% said that the course is intellectually stimulating.*