Master of Arts in Smart Urban Futures

at University of Plymouth United Kingdom

Want to make a rewarding and positive contribution to society? Social workers support children and families through child protection procedures, fostering and adoption and youth justice to name but a few. They also support adults with issues including disability, drug and alcohol dependency, mental health, homelessness and safeguarding. You'll spend over 170 days on real-life placements with adults and children so you graduate ready to start your professional career.

You will get a head start – be eligible to apply to become a registered social worker as soon as you successfully complete the course. You will stand out from the crowd with a degree recognised by Social Work England. You'll gather insights and develop a real understanding of social work through our highly commended approach to integrated learning. you will equip yourself with the skills to be a reflective and ethical practitioner, committed to lifelong learning.

Key Features

• Get a head start – on successful completion of the course you can apply to become a registered social worker.
• Stand out from the crowd with a degree recognised by Social Work England.
• Benefit from the expertise of our network of partner agencies across the social work spectrum, learning from professionals to develop your skills.
• Enhance your career options - six months after finishing the course, 95 per cent of our graduates are in work or further study (source: 2019 DLHE survey results available on Discover Uni*).
• Gather insights and develop a real understanding of social work through our highly commended approach to integrated learning.
• Build your hands-on knowledge and experience on an excellent variety of placements, working in real-life adult and childcare settings in all three years.
• Engage with real service users and carers at every stage of your learning, so you graduate primed to put effective strategies to use in the workplace.
• Learn about the increasing influence of global issues on social work and be inspired by staff who are leading the way in international social work.
• Develop as a professional – equip yourself with the skills to be a reflective and ethical practitioner, committed to lifelong learning.
• 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. Find out more about the Peer Assisted Learning Scheme (PALS).

This course enables you to gain an in-depth practical understanding of the role of human resource management (HRM) in today's businesses, which sets you apart in the world of graduate employment. The course involves extensive involvement from guest speakers, as well as a range of practical activities, role play and case studies, enabling you to apply your knowledge of HR to real-life scenarios.

You’ll be taught by staff that have a considerable depth of human resource management experience from large employers such as the NHS and have undertaken research for professional bodies such as CIPD and ACAS. You will also be supported in your study by subject tutors and receive individual support for your academic and personal development from your personal tutor. You will acquire improved competences that will significantly enhance your employability in an HR role.

Key Features

• Gain a well rounded academic experience, through the provision of a mixture of taught modules and independent learning. 
• Benefit from the extensive use of guest speakers. This enhances the practitioner and practical focus elements of the programme and brings an added dimension of current practice and recognised issues directly to the classroom.
• Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
• Graduate with Associate Membership of the CIPD.
• Be taught by staff that have a considerable depth of human resource management experience from large employers such as the NHS and have undertaken research for professional bodies such as CIPD and ACAS.
• Undertake a range of practical activities to enhance the application of your learning to HR and managerial roles in an organisational context; this will include role play and case study activities.
• Choose and utilise a range of skills and techniques relevant to the management of people, including recruitment, selection, reward and retention.
• Learn to successfully manage and deliver a project on time.
• Gain the skills to write reports for commercial and academic audiences.
• Focus on enterprise and sustainability in human resource management and organisational practice.
• Evaluate actions and performance to enhance self-management, and devise plans to enhance personal and career development.
• Benefit from individual support - you are supported in your study by subject tutors and receive individual support for your academic and personal development from your personal tutor.
• Acquire improved competences that will significantly enhance your employability in an HR role.
• Progress on to further study with our MA Human Resource Management programme, or move into a graduate scheme entry.

Our interdisciplinary design studio inspires you to challenge, disrupt and rethink design practices to create unique and compelling objects, artefacts and user experiences. Go hands-on with materials in our extensive workshops to design products, furniture, ceramics and lighting. Develop a rich portfolio that is relevant to the evolving needs of professional design practice and become a Designer Maker, or a Designer for Industry, or combine areas of 3D design practice.

Key Features

• Teaching is in small groups with the studio culture run like a design practice with innovative delivery including flipped classroom, podcasts and team teaching.
• Work alongside students from our Interior Design course in our vibrant studio with individual desk space and CAD stations.
• You’ll build up a portfolio with fresh projects starting every few weeks. Assessments are 100% coursework – so no exams.
• Culture trips to Europe and study exchanges in Japan, USA, India or Italy are also possible.
• Engage with real clients with live projects. We’ve recently run projects with Vitra, John Lewis, Red Paddle, UPP, architects Willmore Iles and Herman Millar.
• Gain valuable industry experience through our competitions, studio visits, visiting lecturers and our meet the supplier visits.
• BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design is professionally accredited by the Chartered Society of Designers.
• The studio practice mirrors contemporary professional practice, helping you develop the skills and confidence to succeed in the job market.

Computing and software development drives many of the world’s greatest technologies, helping us to live, learn, build and even save lives. This course combines computer science, software engineering and information systems to give you the skills employers want.

You’ll learn about programming, databases, computer hardware, computer networking, and how a computer operating system works. You will then extend your knowledge in graphical representation, data modelling and artificial intelligence. You can also enhance your career prospects with a placement at industry leaders such as IBM, Microsoft, Goss Interactive and Vualto.

Key Features

• Benefit from our close links with local industry by taking part in local meetups, conferences such as Agile on the Beach, and networking events across the South West such as Tech Exeter, Digital Plymouth. 
• Distinguish yourself with a degree that’s accredited by, and entitles membership of, British Computer Society, BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT (subject to approval). 
• Graduates may also gain registration as a Chartered IT Professional (CITP) and will partially meet the educational requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng) registration. 
• Be inspired by the creativity that our practical, hands-on course nurtures. Our ‘learning through doing’ ethos means you build the skills to make you a desirable applicant for employers. 
• Learn from dedicated teaching staff who are engaged in internationally significant research, are actively creating and developing applications, and have a wealth of industry contacts.
• Enjoy guest lectures on cutting edge computing from the experts in industry such as Red Hat and Goss Interactive.
• Discover the many collaboration opportunities, which mirror the teamwork at the heart of the industry. In the second year, you’ll work in a team to develop a piece of software with a real purpose.
• Immerse yourself in the very latest technology and software. We use open source as well as providing access to Microsoft Imagine for software to work at home with. In our specialist labs you will get to use the Microsoft and Apple industry standard software, which we regularly update and refurbish. 

Are you ready to make the difference? Discover the formula to teaching mathematics with our expert staff and world leading researchers. You’ll gain a solid foundation in mathematical and statistical modules, while the final year combines educational theory and school experience. Time spent in the classroom will give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to progress to a teacher training course such as a PGCE, or move into one of many careers where high-level mathematical skills are essential.

Key Features

• Gain classroom experience in a placement module, supporting mathematics teaching in a secondary or primary school for one morning a week throughout your final year. This will help you become an effective communicator.
• Dr Jenny Sharp who leads the Education modules has worked with schools in many different capacities, and is regularly invited to run workshops and masterclasses all around the country, including at the Royal Institution, other universities and in schools.
• An in-depth individual project gives you an introduction to mathematical educational theory, an ideal preparation for teacher training courses.
• Help others and gain hands on expertise by taking part in our Mathematics Enrichment Programme activities. You can gradually develop a workshop for a Mathematics masterclass.
• Gain high level understanding of modern pure and applied mathematics, and statistics; this knowledge base opens up many mathematical careers to you.

Do you want to protect coastal communities from the threat of flooding? Are you interested in how engineers think about the sustainability of our coastlines and the consequences of climate change? Would you like to design large structures that withstand the strength of storms and the sea? Our Coastal Engineers graduate with the skills and knowledge of a Civil Engineer combined with specialist skills for designing and creating infrastructure that functions in the coastal environment.
This professionally accredited course allows you the flexibility to change to other civil engineering programmes. We offer a mentoring scheme that puts you in touch with our professional network of alumni. You can also enhance your professional competence by choosing to take a year in industry. You will receive support and inspiration from enthusiastic academic staff from the day you arrive through to your joining our exciting profession as a graduate Plymouth Engineer.

Key Features

In today's global economy, the ability to think and work across geographic and political boundaries is imperative to not only conduct business in an international context but also to survive in such a competitive, globalised environment. This MSc is designed to give you the essential skills for professional and practical development, covering topics such as competitive marketing strategy, global supply chain management, leadership and management and international business environment.

Key Features

Get the best preparation to take on the challenge of a career as a primary teacher focusing on Special Educational Needs (SEN). With teaching methods shaped by our own research expertise, and plenty of on-the-job training in the classroom, you’ll gain the confidence and experience you need to work with SEN students in a variety of roles and settings. We’ll support you to explore the diversity of how children learn and develop your own toolkit for inclusive and effective teaching.

Have you considered

• BEd (Hons) Primary (FS/KS1 with QTS)
• BEd (Hons) Primary (KS1/KS2 with QTS)

Key Features

• Launch your career: obtaining integrated Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which means you can begin your teaching career immediately. Expand your horizons, enhance your practical experience and set yourself above the competition.
• SEN focus area: this degree will look at teaching over the primary phase but also look at the way SEN and inclusion feeds into KS1 and KS2 preparing you to work with children from any phase of primary education in either mainstream or special schools.
• Partnership with special schools: throughout this degree you will be visiting special schools and working with learners with inclusive needs. You will have a good understanding of how these schools support children with their learning.
• No exams: learn through interactive workshops and with no end-of-year/semester exams.
• Close links to the Master of Education (MA Ed): this link enables students to achieve enhanced career progression in a profession in which masters level attainment is increasingly valued.
• Work based learning opportunities: students benefit from a wide range of placement types within our partnership of over 500 schools and other settings, from single days to extended block placements to develop and consolidate QTS standards.
• Professional identity: from the very start of the programme you are considered as a teacher in development. The programme supports you as you develop your professional standards and identity.
• Research -informed teaching: not only are all modules enhanced by tutors’ active research interests but students are immersed in a research culture and benefit from learning about the advantages of researching their practice first hand.
• Student support: within the Plymouth Institute of Education there is a strong ethos of support for all students. Your professional tutor will actively engage with you throughout the BEd programme to offer guidance and support in both academic and pastoral terms.
• OfSTED recognised: recent inspection rated the Primary ITE provision at Plymouth as good in all aspects, with particular strengths in the partnership led elements of the programmes and the quality of the graduates.

Will gene therapy become an established treatment for cancer? What are the potential benefits of stem cell research? How has the revolution in genome sequencing provided insights into human biology? On this flexible course, you’ll develop skills and knowledge across the spectrum of subject disciplines – enabling an understanding of these and other key questions relating to human biology, health and disease.

This course is delivered by the School of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and enhanced by links with healthcare professionals. You’ll benefit from a rich and varied learning environment. You will also have the opportunity to enhance your employability with an optional placement year. We’re very proud of our National Student Survey (NSS) 2018 return showing that the course had an overall student satisfaction of 95 per cent.

Have you considered

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
• BSc (Hons) Nutrition, Exercise and Health
• BSc (Hons) Psychology with Human Biology
• BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology

Key Features

• Delivered by the School of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and enhanced by links with healthcare professionals.
• A strong foundation in a broad range of bioscience disciplines underpinned by a biomolecular knowledge-base relevant to contemporary human biosciences today.
• Opportunities to include optional elements of psychology at each stage of the programme.
• Enables students to explore themes of personal interest within the biosciences at all stages.
• Staff with expertise in a wide range of biomedical research topics directly inform learning and teaching.
• Strong international reputation in translational research with significant financial investment in laboratory infrastructure.
• Emphasis on practical laboratory skills relevant to research and other scientific careers.
• Benefit from a rich and varied interdisciplinary learning environment, which includes collaboration with a wider health care education community at the University.
• Optional placement opportunities provide students with relevant work experience.
• Personal tutoring in modules throughout the programme of study.
• Equips graduates with the confidence, knowledge, skills and other attributes suitable for a wide variety of careers within this rapidly expanding field.
• This course has competitive entry for up to ten ring-fenced places at the end of stage one for progression onto medicine and dentistry. Applicants must meet minimum academic requirements for consideration. e.g A levels - Minimum of AAB to include A grades in Biology, one other science from Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Psychology, Geology or Geography. General Studies will not be accepted.

Biomedical science focuses on the understanding of human health and disease, to develop treatments that ultimately save and improve lives. This research-informed MSc Biomedical Science programme aligns to our research within our newly formed Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (replacing the Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine – ITSMed).

Enabling students to broaden their theoretical knowledge, hone practical/clinical skills, and help support those who are particularly interested in pursuing research at postgraduate level

Key Features

• Specialist programme pathways in Cancer Biology, Clinical Neuroscience* or Infection and Immunity.
• An international reputation in translational research, with significant financial investment in laboratory infrastructure.
• Benefit from academics actively researching and developing new techniques/diagnostics in biomedical science.
• Enrich your learning with expertise from our research-active staff and NHS links.
• Focus your specific research interests under the guidance of your personal project adviser.
• Gain skills needed to study at masters level with specialist modules on research techniques and project development.
• Accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science.