Master of Biology (Hons) in Ecology (Plus Optional Placement Year)

at University of York United Kingdom

Study the sounds and sound patterns of the languages of the world from cognitive and social angles, integrating theory and data. Explore the social, interactional, perceptual, and phonological importance of phonetic detail, why sounds of language change over time and why we have different accents. Investigate how we learn the phonologies of our first and second languages.

Learn about a broad range of topics within the field, and be equipped to develop your own original research. Taught by a diverse group of researchers, you'll gain practical training in essential skills for phoneticians and phonologists, as well as a firm grounding in theory. We are recognised experts in our field, with specialisms in a wide range of areas including sociophonetics, language change, acquisition, prosody, articulation, corpus phonetics, and spoken interaction.

Material culture tells the story of people and their things: allowing us insights into the significance that objects held for people in the past.

Interweaving practical and theoretical approaches to material culture, this course explores ethnoarchaeological and experimental archaeological approaches to objects, alongside functional analyses of a broad range of artefact types.

You will discover the theories underpinning our understanding of the material world while developing invaluable practical skills such as designing and executing your own experimental archaeology project, the analysis of microscopic wear and residue traces, working with objects from excavations and museum collections or making a short documentary film for the heritage sector.

Whatever your period of interest is, this course will equip you with the skills and experience you need to begin a career in cultural heritage, academia, or commercial archaeology.

An English and Politics degree will enhance your understanding of the world around you in a thought-provoking, innovative way.

Studying English asks you to embrace new ways of thinking about the world and new possibilities of expression. Studying Politics invites you to engage with a vast spectrum of political issues and problems. Studying the two subjects together asks how literature and politics work to shape the world. You will graduate with skills highly prized by employers across a wide range of industries.

One of the first universities in the country to specialise in medieval archaeology, the Department of Archaeology at York is well established as a leading authority on the subject. The specialisms of our staff cover the whole medieval period.

The course focuses on the archaeology of medieval Britain and Western Europe, considering buildings, landscapes and artefacts within a range of social, cultural and environmental contexts. It covers the period from the end of the Roman Empire to the Reformation, and explores themes such as settlement, trade and economy, religion, social structure, ethnicity and identity, conquest and cultural contact, and methodological and theoretical approaches.

The flexible modular structure of the course means you can tailor your MA to suit your interests and goals. There is an opportunity to learn valuable practical skills, which are essential for a wide range of archaeological and associated careers.

Develop your mathematical and statistical skills and prepare for a career in quantitative business analysis.

You'll learn to use sophisticated tools from a broad range of mathematical disciplines, such as calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, to sharpen your mathematical and statistical reasoning. Alongside this, you'll develop an in-depth knowledge of the context in which business analysts, quantitative finance officers ('quants') and operations managers work.

You'll expand your knowledge of theoretical concepts, with a particular focus on finance and operations. Spending a year in industry is an opportunity to apply the techniques you learn to practical business problems.

This course is taught in collaboration by the Department of Mathematics and the York Management School.

Our course will provide you with a detailed foundation in the key theories and questions in sociolinguistics, while giving you practical training in the techniques, methodologies, and quantitative analysis methods associated with this field.

You’ll analyse the ways in which social factors affect language, and investigate the social, geographical and stylistic differences in spoken language. You'll have the opportunity to develop your interest in areas including language change, language and gender, attitudes to language, language planning, bilingualism and sociophonetics. You will be able to study contemporary and historical data.

With world-class tutors you'll gain up-to-date knowledge of the field, and be introduced to research questions and methodologies. You'll also have the opportunity to conduct original research in sociolinguistics, and apply your skills and knowledge to linguistic data.

Explore what crime means in our culture and society and how it affects our lives.

Look beyond traditional views and develop new ways of thinking about the effects of crime, how it impacts individuals and societies and how we respond to it.

Challenge your own opinions about the nature of crime and disorder and learn to evaluate evidence, think critically and craft arguments – attributes valued by employers. After a core introduction to Criminology you can tailor your degree to your developing specialist interests.

On this course we combine writing workshops with seminar discussions. The practice of writing is interwoven with critical analysis and preparation for a professional career. You'll have the chance to generate an extensive portfolio of writing in various styles and genres, and will work collaboratively with other writers, directors and actors to develop your plays. Beyond your writing you will learn about new play development in the UK, along with specific skills needed for the industry.

Chemistry is often referred to as the 'central science'. It covers topics as diverse as quantum mechanics and the study of atomic particles, to the molecular nature of biological systems and the Human Genome Project.

Learning about the fundamental basis of chemistry - the analysis of molecules, their structures and shapes and how they react - is vital for our modern society. Chemists can really make a difference in the world.

Investigate the art, literature, history, culture and thought of the post-1945 era. Explore topics from social media to the making of the contemporary world, cultural heritage management to globalisation, from art and the environment to justice.

On this flexible course you'll study with leading experts in their field from the Departments of Archaeology, English, History, History of Art, Sociology and the Centre for Women’s Studies. We'll introduce you to the various means by which different disciplines conceptualise and analyse the period. You can construct a programme that suits your interests and develops your transferable skills in interdisciplinary research.

You’ll engage with the wider research culture of the Centre for Modern Studies, and there will be a diverse schedule of seminars, conferences and reading groups for you to attend. You’ll also be part of the Humanities Research Centre, a vibrant interdisciplinary hub which will enable you to form close social and intellectual bonds over the course of your study.