Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Architectural Engineering (Optional Placement)

at University of Plymouth United Kingdom

Key Features

• Take advantage of our unique professional development programme that provides invaluable work placement and performance opportunities. You'll get the chance to work in primary and secondary schools giving instrumental lessons, and running band development sessions and workshops. You can also use our local contacts to set up regular live mic and gig nights around Plymouth, or get involved in our University songwriters project.
• Customise your study and specialise in areas that really interest you within our specialist exit award pathways in composition, performance, ethnomusicology and technology.
• Stay ahead with a course designed in consultation with working musicians to ensure you leave ready for the rapidly changing music environment, including knowledge of the latest digital technology. Get exclusive insights into theory and practice with talks and workshops from visiting speakers and musicians.
• Give your creativity free rein in our rehearsal and recording facilities, including individual practice rooms, a professional recording environment, digital audio workstations and instrumental facilities ranging from Steinway and Bosendorfer pianos to guitar amps, electronic keyboards and midi-guitar synthesisers.
• Enjoy a great lifestyle in the South West with its active live music and festival scene. Get involved in the wider musical life of the University with the annual Contemporary Music Festival and the music programme with The Arts Institute.
• Learn from teachers with world-class reputations for research expertise, many who have come from industry and are acclaimed in their field, and benefit from links with the University’s exciting Centre for Computer Music Research.
• We are one of the few music degrees in the UK who facilitate intercalated music degrees (where medical students join and enjoy our final year).

Hone your craft as a writer by studying others, immersing yourself in the words that have shaped our world. Finesse your writing with our academics and professional authors and combine analysis of literature from across cultures and geographies with your own perspective. Develop your voice as a writer and see the impact your words could have on tackling today’s pressing social issues. Watch your words take shape on the stage through our partnerships with local theatres and arts organisations.

Key Features

• Choose from a wide variety of specialist modules, including period and cultural studies and creative writing.
• Receive free set texts for all core modules throughout the three years.
• Benefit from assessment through coursework, with no written exams.
• Boost your career prospects by working with a publishing house, literary agent, arts organisation or magazine on our work-based learning module or extra-curricular internships.
• Make use of our open-door policy and talk to your lecturers in a friendly and supportive learning environment.
• Learn from internationally recognised research-active staff, including published creative writers.
• Experience other cultures by studying or working abroad in either Europe or the US.
• Write and be published as part of INK, the English and Creative Writing student-run magazine.
• Access resources at any time with the University library, open 24 hours 365 days a year, offering a vast range of electronic and print materials, including a rare books collection. 
• Make the most of a rich cultural life with The Arts Institute programme and the University’s links with local arts organisations, like the Theatre Royal.
• We’re very proud of our National Student Survey (NSS) 2019 return showing 95% overall satisfaction – sixth out of 50 higher education institutions.100% of students agreed staff are good at explaining things, the course is intellectually stimulating and challenged students to achieve their best work.*
• If you are interested in taking this normally full-time programme on a part-time basis please contact Rachel Christofides to discuss this possibility

Make, use and analyse images, engaging directly with the world around you while exploring the medium’s endless potential. Develop a clear understanding of photography in its wider historical, cultural and professional context and be equipped with the skills to achieve and sustain your career ambitions in the creative industry. Our diverse teaching team, purpose-built environment and advanced facilities enable you to establish your unique style and personal visual language.

Key Features

• Experiment - a key feature of our course is the space to experiment. During the three years there is a great deal of focus on the way you develop your photography, both in practice, and in ideas.
• Document - a growing aspect of the course, in response to contemporary practice, is the importance of the photographic document. This includes opportunities to develop as a contemporary documentary practitioner.
• Collaborate - a valuable skill for any creative practitioner, collaboration is sewn throughout our course including short studio projects, group presentations, a collaborative practice module, and our unique Set Construction Project that allows you to work collaboratively and develop the skills to build, style and photograph your own studio sets.
• Think differently - an important aspect of our course is the development of you as a critically aware contemporary photographer. This means that you can move between ways of working that span the commercial and artistic worlds. The life of a contemporary practitioner is a varied and multi-faceted affair, and the skills taught on this course help you to navigate this exciting world.
• Plymouth - take advantage of our stunning location in the South West. This natural resource will inspire your creative practice with its rural and city landscapes, brooding moors and dramatic coastline.
• Explore - broaden your understanding of photographic practice in other cultures - our international opportunities include a residential field trip to Europe in year 1 and rich opportunities for studying abroad in countries like Germany, Romania, Sweden, Cyprus, Slovenia, France, Slovakia, Norway, New Zealand and the USA in year 2.
• Facilities - achieve your creative goals with our excellent facilities and resources, including a custom-built analogue and digital resource and an extensive Artist Book Collection. Be free to work when the inspiration takes you with our resources open from 8am to midnight, seven days a week and throughout the holidays.
• Visitors - deepen your understanding of the subject with our lively visiting speaker series, featuring well-known practitioners and former students talking about their work and career paths. Past speakers have included: Brett Rogers, Director of the Photographers Gallery; celebrated documentary photographer Ed Clark; image makers Anna Fox, Simon Roberts, Charlotte Dumas, Ori Gersht, Martin Parr, Mark Power, David Goldblatt, Laura Pannack and more.
• We also work with Specialist Professional Practice visitors who create clear links between the creative practice of the course, and professional outlets in the future.
• The future - follow in the footsteps of our impressive, prizewinning photography students, including graduate David Hedges, a press photographer who recently won two major awards for his images and video work; Anna Jay, prize winning art director for The Debrief; or Louis Little assistant to Martin Parr.
• Unistats - 87% of students agreed staff were good at explaining things and 90% of students agreed the course provided opportunities to explore ideas or concepts in depth (National Student Survey 2019).*

This programme focuses on state-of-the-art practical and theoretical aspects of a wide range of electronic engineering systems including integrated systems programming, advanced inverter technology, state-of-the-art mobile phone signal processing and nanotechnology clean-room applications. Design and build your own hardware and benefit from hands-on practical experience in well-equipped labs supported by expert researchers and practising engineers.

The MSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering will appeal to you if you are a design engineer. The programme provides an in-depth knowledge of specialist areas in electrical and electronic engineering underpinned by the theory and practice of modern electronics and renewable energy systems, together with the associated signal processing and embedded programming techniques. The modules have been selected to give you an even balance of essential modern areas of electrical and electronic engineering. The communications content will give you a broad grounding in communication theory and systems while the signal processing content is generally biased toward applications in communications engineering. From our experience of intensive courses, and our work with partner companies, this programme meets the current needs of electrical and electronics industry. The programme is taught in autumn and spring blocks and includes a project

Key Features

Bring your creativity to the world of computer games. Learn 3D modelling, 2D art and animation, level design and gameplay coding. Games industry experts will guide you through all aspects of game design and development, building a full understanding of the game creation process and allowing you to specialise in the areas you find most engaging.

Key Features

• Learn 3D modelling with industry-standard software like Maya, Blender, ZBrush and Substance Painter.
• Hone your 2D art and animation skills, using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Animate and After Effects.
• Create epic level designs in Unity and Unreal Engine.
• Develop your coding skills with C# and Blueprints.
• Taught by industry experts, with a focus on preparing you for a career in the games industry.
• Amazing national and international field trips to gaming expos and festivals, such as meeting professionals from top games studios at EGX Rezzed in London and exploring immersive gameplay Amsterdam.
• Explore sound design, narrative and game design theory, and study the psychology of games and gamification.
• Access to the latest hardware, including high-spec gaming PCs and VR headsets.
• Get a head-start in the industry with an optional placement year (for example, one of our students has secured a placement at Criterion Games).
• Get ready for a career as a game artist, 3D modeler, game designer, level designer or gameplay coder, joining Plymouth graduates who have gone on to work at the world's top games companies including Electronic Arts, Frontier Developments and Bossa Studios.
• We annually review the skills, software and hardware we teach, to ensure the course is always up to date.
• Our dedicated lab space is open until 10pm, other amazing facilities, include our 35-seat, 360° immersive vision theatre, VR kits, graphics tablets, game controllers, 3D printers and even an extensive collection of boardgames.
• Teaching and learning are practical and project-based - sometimes working individually, and sometimes in teams.
• Your assessments are 100 per cent coursework – no exams.
• No prior knowledge requirements – we teach everything from the ground up (but if you do already have art and coding skills, we can’t wait to see how much further you can take them with our help!).

Creatively solve design problems as you learn to harness the power of typography within graphic design. Collaborate with students from other disciplines and world-leading researchers to discover how graphic design makes a positive impact in the world. Work hands-on in an inspiring and dedicated studio environment with 360-degree views of the cityscape and ocean before joining our community of graduates working for leading design studios worldwide.

Key Features

• Prepare yourself for your dream career: our graduates finding creative fulfilment working for companies such as DesignBridge, Leo Burnett, Snask, IBM and The Times.
• In your final year you can choose a specialism to match your interests and career goals with options that relate directly to the design industry. Choose from identity and branding, editorial and publishing and Information design.
• Draw on support from committed tutors with long-term industry and academic experience.
• Fly high and join alumni and current students who have won national and international competitions.
• Engage with live client briefs, giving your creativity real-world impact.
• Explore our range of resources including printmaking workshops, photographic studios and Apple Mac workstations complete with the latest Adobe CC software.
• Develop your knowledge and develop yourself by taking advantage of a learning environment that includes open plan studios with a 360 degree view of Plymouth, a city at the heart of art and culture in the South West.
• Have direct contact with prestigious visiting speakers such as Jonathon Barnbrook, Michael Johnson and Angus Hyland. Get feedback on your work from practicing graphic designers during our ‘Industrial Liaison Day’.

The impact of human activity on our marine ecosystems has become more evident and high profile in recent years, such as from overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, coastal development, plastics and climate change. So what do we do about it – how can we preserve and recover marine habitats and species populations while also allow sustainable use and exploitation of our seas?

This new MSc program, taught by leading experts in the field, focuses specifically on marine conservation in practice and is targeted at producing the next generation of ocean guardians with the skill set to address this question. The MSc Marine Conservation program does not have any exams within its range of assessments.

Key features

 This exciting programme is pioneering, patient-centred and delivered in a supportive and research-rich environment. You will develop the highest level of core dental skills and knowledge needed for a hugely rewarding career as a healthcare professional. We offer you state-of-the art facilities and are committed to making you a dental practitioner with clinical skills of the highest order and a strong sense of social awareness.

You will treat patients through partnership with Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise and the wider NHS in Devon and Cornwall, become familiar with a variety of clinical situations, and prepare for a future career path through solving clinical problems. You’ll also discover how clinical dentistry and research is practiced in different social and cultural contexts in other parts of the South West, UK and the world.

Key Features

• Programme mapped against the General Dental Council’s guidance ‘Preparing for Practice’.
• Treat patients through partnership with the NHS Primary Care Trust in Devon and Cornwall.
• Engage directly with participants and service users in a unique and meaningful way with the Community Engagement Team.
• Benefit from the state of the art facilities provided by established Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE), a Community Interest Company (CIC).
• Become familiar with a variety of clinical situations.
• Prepare for a future career path through solving clinical problems.
• Become competent at diagnosing disease and planning preventive care.
• Choose your own areas of interest to study further.
• Early clinical contact with a strong patient focus.
• Gain the core dental knowledge and communication skills you need to practise as a competent and caring dentist.
• Strong partnerships within the University.
• Students will spend Years 1, 2 and 5 in Plymouth and Year 4 in Truro. Students in Year 3 travel 2 days a week, via transport organised and paid for by the School, to the Dental Education Facility in Exeter.   .

Hydrography is crucial to the sustainable management of marine environments. Yet there is an international shortage of hydrographic surveyors, data processors and analysts, during a period when technology is rapidly advancing. Seize this opportunity to gain a thorough knowledge of the science and technology of hydrography, experiencing the practical application of modern methods and equipment involved in exploring and managing the seabed whilst preparing for a career in this growth area.

Key Features

Zoology is the science of animals and you will study the whole diversity of animal life, from tardigrades to elephants. You'll gain in-depth knowledge of how animals work, develop key lab skills in molecular biology, physiology, and cell biology that are sought after by employers and build fieldwork skills on two residential field trips.You'll also gain the expertise and skills to be a professional zoologist and work across a diverse range of professions or go on to further study.

Key Features

• Study the biology of animals in marine, terrestrial and freshwater aquatic habitats. A spectacular range of these habitats are right on our doorstep.
• Gain a strong foundation in theoretical aspects of ecology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, evolution and genetics.
• Develop high-level laboratory skills across animal biology in a wide range of taxa and habitats and gain key transferrable skills that are sought after by employers.
• Undertake in-depth field studies of animals, including residential courses in the UK and abroad that develop field techniques and familiarity with a wide range of ecosystems and fauna.
• Undertake self-study throughout your course, using our well-equipped library and range of online scientific journals, as well as LABPlus, our unique laboratory and resource centre designed for science and engineering students.
• Have the opportunity to boost your employability by taking a placement year between your second and final years of study, working in the industry, anywhere in the world - you can read more about this in the 'course details' section of this page.
• Take an extended personal research project on a range of topics, often linked to ongoing staff research, in your final year.
• Benefit from our strong links with external organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts, the Natural History Museums in London and Plymouth, the National Marine Aquarium, the Field Studies Council, Whitley Wildlife Trust, the Donkey Sanctuary, Dartmoor National Park.
• Explore a range of contemporary issues in zoology.