Master of Arts in Maritime History

at University of Plymouth United Kingdom

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.

In this hands-on degree, one of the best in the UK and with an international reputation, you’ll explore the diversity of marine life from coastal margins to the deep sea and gain an in-depth understanding of the biology of marine organisms. Teaching takes advantage of the South Devon coast as well as some of Europe’s best marine facilities – so you’ll have the opportunity to not just experience marine biology but to practice it at the highest levels in both the laboratory and out in the field.

You'll gain an understanding of marine life at the level of the biology of organisms – ranging from microbes found on coral reefs, the physiology and behaviour of marine vertebrates, to the biology of the marine algae that underpin the vast majority of other marine life. The aim of the degree is not only to teach you about marine biology, but to equip you with the practical, intellectual and scientific skills to be a practising marine biologist.

Key Features

Do you want to pursue a career as an eye-care professional? Here at Plymouth you benefit from a pioneering clinical degree – the first to bring optometry to the South West. Our course has been built in consultation with experts in the field and has been carefully designed to equip you with the core clinical skills, professional training and confidence required for a successful career as a General Optical Council (GOC) registered optometrist.

Key Features

• Become part of a pioneering clinical degree programme – the first to bring optometry to the South West.
• Develop your clinical and communication skills while working with real patients at our Centre for Eyecare Excellence (CEE) optometry practice throughout your third year.
• See your studies in a real-world context, with regional practice placements during Years 1 and 2 and a hospital placement in Year 3.
• Explore the theory side of the course at the Peninsula Allied Health Centre with brand new clinical facilities, equipment and learning spaces. 
• Join a close-knit team of staff and students and benefit from an open, supportive environment.
• Boost your employability through learning in a way that’s based on solving problems, working together and communicating well with others.
• Graduate with the scientific and clinical knowledge, as well as the professional training, required by the General Optical Council (GOC) to enter the pre-registration year for qualification as an optometrist.
• According to the 2019 Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE)* survey, 100 per cent of students were in work/study six months after finishing.
• 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 ready to make your mark? If you’ve studied a foundation course in law and business at one of our partner colleges and want to obtain a law degree, BSc (Hons) Law with Business will prepare you for a career in the legal or business professions and beyond. Develop a breadth of transferable skills, and benefit from our focus on teaching law in the ‘real’ world.

*Please note: the first two years of the degree are only available through University of Plymouth partner colleges which provide you with a foundation degree in law, enabling you to join the third year of our law and business programmes to obtain the BSc law degree.

Key Features

• Choose from a range of relevant third year law and business options from the LLB (Hons) Law programmes and BSc (Hons) Law with Business Studies.
• Top-up your degree with a one year Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before applying for the solicitors’ Legal Practice Course or the Barristers’ Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC). 
• Benefit from working with a faculty of highly qualified law and business staff who provide a great mix of research-informed and practice-led teaching.
• Pursue further business study – we offer a range of postgraduate options at the Plymouth Business School.
• Take part in relevant work experience and research in areas such as business, criminal justice, employment and family law via our Law Clinic.
• Benefit from being part of a very successful Business School which was recently shortlisted for the national Business School of the year.

*Please note: the first two years of the degree are only available through Plymouth University’s partner colleges which provide you with a foundation degree in law, enabling you to join the third year of our law and business programmes to obtain the BSc law degree. 

Create truly unforgettable events. Our hands-on degree – developed with industry – gives you the insight, know-how and skills to become a critical, creative events professional. Study on a course where our students gave us a 95% satisfaction rate in the 2018 National Student Survey. Collaborate with a range of UK event companies – so you’re ready to impact the way events are produced and managed in the future.

Key Features

• Plan and deliver real, live events – including conferences, high-end banqueting, exhibitions and trade fairs. You’ll bid for the opportunity to manage your preferred event, and learn collaboration skills by working with your course mates on the delivery of all staged events.
• Be inspired by extra-curricular activity that helps you become a well-rounded events professional. Take part in team-building activities at Skern Lodge in Devon. Learn from guest speakers and attend event conferences. You’ll have the chance to acquire industry-related professional qualifications too.
• Expand your horizons with our international fieldwork. Build confidence, understand different cultures and get to grips with industry standards. In the past our students have visited event venues in Prague, attended a bespoke training session at Disneyland Paris and explored Amsterdam at night through a series of free events across the city.
• Lay strong foundations for a successful career using our extensive industry links to secure a one-year work placement in the UK or abroad. Gain vital industry experience – students have worked at international exhibitions, organised Christmas parties for over 900 guests, and taken part in marketing activities and corporate team building.
• Learn from the best – our teaching staff are all actively engaged in the research of industry leadership, employer needs, planning, communication, event innovation, evaluation and other management issues.
• Create a portfolio before you even graduate. Assessments are linked to real clients throughout the course, and you’ll have the chance to develop professional materials and presentations to explain your ideas. In previous years, clients have used winning ideas in their business operations.
• Future-proof your career and benefit from a course that views sustainability as a crucial factor in the events industry. You’ll examine the social, economic, political, cultural and environmental dimensions related to the issue of sustainability. 
• Seize the opportunity to learn a foreign language.
• Empower yourself with our unique course. Challenge normal thinking. Ask the difficult questions. Take the long view and become an advocate for better business practice. 
• In the 2019 National Student Survey, 91% of students were satisfied overall and 94% of graduates felt staff were good at explaining things.*

Around 70 per cent of our planet is ocean with an average depth of 3000m. To understand the biology of this vast area, we must also understand the oceans themselves. Marine biology and oceanography studies the biology and ecology of the marine realm, with a focus on offshore and deep-sea ecosystems, and the physical and chemical processes that shape them. Teaching uses both small and large research vessels, providing you with an unrivalled experience of open ocean marine biology.

You will develop a host of practical skills that will prepare you for your chosen career and make you attractive to employers. You will have the opportunity to gain the HSE PRO SCUBA qualification, for those with a suitable background in diving. You’ll also gain invaluable experience on a six or 12-month international placement during your third year, or working in a local host organisation alongside your studies.

Key Features

90% of world trade is carried by sea, with a navigation and maritime science degree you can become a professional in this exciting and vital industry. Our graduates go on to careers in the shore-based maritime sector and, for those who follow the accredited route, to become a Ships Officer. Our degrees are accredited by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the Merchant Navy Training Board. You will study an exciting programme that develops the skills sought by employers across the sector.

You can increase your employability with an optional one-year industrial placement in a relevant maritime business or, if sponsored, work at sea towards the professional qualification of Officer of the Watch. We embed our full mission bridge simulator and sailing vessel in the teaching of this challenging applied degree. By studying with us, you will develop the skills required to join the next generation of leaders in the maritime sector.

Key Features

• Lay strong foundations for your successful career in the maritime sector. Our students go on to work in a diverse range of maritime industries. Whether you aspire to be a professional navigator, a marine manager or yacht racer, the world’s oceans could literally unfold before your eyes. 
• Distinguish yourself with a degree that’s accredited by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, as well as the Merchant Navy Training Board*.
• Immerse yourself in the latest technology; we've equipped our Marine Navigation Centre with an advanced full mission ship simulator and the latest in electronic charts.
• Develop your 'sea-sense' with hands-on experience on our dedicated 13 metre sail and navigation training vessel 'Take The Helm' on Plymouth Sound. If qualified and approved, you'll be able to skipper the vessel yourself.
• Ensure you have the practical, communication and problem-solving skills employers are looking for. With a mixture of lectures, tutorials, and practicals featuring group and individual problem-based learning.
• Many of our students gain sponsorship from shipping companies or training providers. In many cases sponsorship becomes available to students already on our programme.  
• Students may also receive funding towards tuition fees and living expenses from the sponsoring company, greatly reducing costs. They go to sea as trainee officers to gain practical experience from a seagoing placement year.

Do you have the ambition to develop the electrical power systems and renewable energies of tomorrow? Whether focused on embedded microcontrollers, power converters, or high frequency communications, you’ll be developing your understanding of the high-level aspects of electronics on the BEng course. Electrical and electronic engineering, accredited by The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), will provide you with a solid foundation for engineering a wide range of electrical systems.

You will balance teaching sessions with hands-on practical experiences throughout the course. You’ll draw on our strong industry links and benefit from industry participation in course development, delivery and project sponsorship. You’ll take advantage of our flexible course, allowing you to switch between electronics and robotics until your final year, as your interests develop.

Have you Considered

• MEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• BEng (Hons) Robotics

Key Features

• 100% of our graduates said they were satisfied with the quality of their degree in the 2019 National Student Survey (first place) and that the course provided opportunities to apply what was learnt. No doubt because from the day you join us until the day you graduate you’ll be testing and applying everything you learn in our fantastic labs.*
• Immerse yourself in a degree accredited by the Institution for Engineering and Technology (IET) to meet the educational requirements for chartered engineer (CEng) status after some additional learning, either workbased or further advanced study.
• Ranked 14th overall in the country for electrical engineering (Guardian league tables 2020).
• Develop highly practical skills and learn through doing. 
• Draw on our strong industry links and benefit from industry participation in course development, delivery and project sponsorship.
• Take advantage of our flexible course, allowing you to switch between electronics and robotics until your final year, as your interests develop.  
• Benefit from free IET membership (while at University) as the University is an IET Academic Partner.
• Take part in our final year student project open day, showcasing the excellence of the engineering skills development and the high levels of achievement of our undergraduates, with many industrially sponsored prizes awarded.
• Balance laboratory sessions with hands-on practical experiences throughout the course. 
• Develop your skills, with opportunities throughout your degree to build and program embedded systems, advanced mobile communications devices, and solar power systems.
• Hone your expertise in your final year project, offering you a chance to design and develop an original system or device on the theme of your choice.
• Demonstrate your abilities to future employers with your final year project. Many of our graduates quote this aspect as having helped them get a good job.
• Access one of the largest undergraduate laboratory spaces in the country, which you can use to further your own understanding of communications, electronics and renewable energy technologies. 
• Receive electronic tools for studying.
• Transfer to MEng is possible after the first or second year following the demonstration of an excellent overall achievement. 
• Study a broad range of topics from electrical and electronics, power, communications and microprocessors before choosing your final year project to gain expertise and experience in a specialist area.
• 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.

Explore a range of subjects within British, European and world history, from the 15th century to the present day. Benefit from the History team's specialist knowledge and links across the global historical community and develop a deep and systematic understanding of historical research to excel in further studies, or begin your career with confidence thanks to the professional experience opportunities offered.

Key Features

• Designed for a range of applicants, including recent graduates, teachers looking to enhance professional qualifications, and those in the local community with a passion for history.
• Join a community of student-historians from a variety of backgrounds with a programme designed to appeal to a range of audiences, including recent graduates, teachers looking to enhance their professional qualifications and those in the local community with a long-standing passion for history.
• Explore history through a variety of means – with a combination of taught and self-led learning, regular research seminars run by University of Plymouth's Centre for Research in Humanities and Performing Arts, and access to The Arts Institute history lecture series featuring world-leading academics.
• Work alongside internationally recognised researchers* and experienced professionals as you develop the skills that will allow you to choose how you progress upon graduation: take your studies further with a PhD, or enter the workplace with the confidence and skills to fast-track your career.
• Plot your own course through the centuries as you take the lead in your masters dissertation research project, and choose areas of study from the history team’s range of research specialisms.
• Explore history with your friends and colleagues by joining the History Society, a lively and supportive community hosting educational and social events.
• Discover the most up-to-date ways of studying history through our online resources including a vast eBook library and digital archives. Build links with local record offices and archives, accessing opportunities to develop your expertise in the local and regional history of Plymouth and the South West.

Environmental scientists are critical to addressing global environmental challenges. Your degree will provide you with the knowledge and skills to identify and develop solutions to a wide range of environmental challenges on land and in our oceans, including climate change, biodiversity loss, conservation and sustainability. Applying the latest techniques in the laboratory and the field, you will graduate ready to shape the future of fields from ecosystem management to environmental monitoring.

Key Features

• In the 2018 National Student Survey (NSS), 90 per cent of students agreed that the course was intellectually stimulating 93 per cent of students agreed that staff were good at explaining things and 95 per cent were satisfied with the quality of the course*.
• Benefit from enthusiastic, supportive staff and teaching informed by our renowned research.
• Take part in regularUK and overseas fieldwork in destinations such as Dartmoor National Park, Malaysia and Malta, where you will explore and study terrestrial and marine environmental systems.
• Experience in-depth coverage of natural sciences in the context of cultural and economic systems.
• Learn about the latest actions and technological developments in the struggle against climate change.
• Deepen your knowledge through our international exchange programme with the USA, Canada, Australia and various European countries.
• Hone your skills and knowledge with a wealth of facilities, including our marine research vessel Falcon Spirit, high specification laboratories and analytical facilities, LABplus and our new Marine Station. 
• 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. 
• Develop your employability with placement opportunities in the UK and abroad, with organisations such as Kew Gardens, Pell Frischmann, The National Trust and Hyder Consulting Ltd.
• Qualify as a professional diver (HSE SCUBA) as part of your second year of study. 
• Increase your confidence with support from student mentors in our externally recognised peer assisted learning scheme, PALS.