Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Social and Cultural History with Foundation Year

at Wrexham Glyndwr University - Wrexham Campus United Kingdom

This degree in Illustration will help you develop both your illustrative style and flair for creative image-making. The course covers the practical, professional and artistic sides of working as an illustrator with an individual artistic voice. The programme will equip you for a successful career in the creative industries.

You will

• learn how to create compelling images, work to professional standards and understand how your work fits into the industry
• be introduced to a broad range of creative skills, from the generation of ideas to their technical production through printmaking, bookbinding, 3D materials, life drawing, traditional and digital media, with an emphasis on drawing and the development of a unique personal style
• be introduced to professional creative processes and encouraged to expand your abilities through workshops and practical projects
• learn how to interpret a brief, identify and solve problems, develop creative individuality and produce a professional portfolio
• gain personal, professional and entrepreneurial skills including working as a freelance artist: from marketing and self-promotion to contracts, invoices and working with clients
• be encouraged to work on live briefs and competitions

Key Course Features

• You will be part of a vibrant and creative community of commercial artists including children’s book artists, illustrators, animators, game artists and designers.
• You will be taught by a teaching team with a broad range of experience working professionally in the illustration and creative industries.
• We encourage our students to self-publish and learn how to produce high-quality production prototypes to pitch to the publishing industry through the use of our in-house Bindery.
• Our students have won illustration prizes and awards such as the Oxford University Press Illustration competition, the Macmillan Children’s Book competition, the Caldecott Society and D&AD awards and been nominated for prestigious Eisner and Silver Reuben Awards.

Much has been made of the use of composite materials in the aerospace industry with the Airbus A350XWB and the Boeing Dreamliner being headline news. However, the advantages of using composite materials can be extended to the majority of engineering areas and disciplines.

The rapid emergence of composites has revealed a difficulty in supplying the industry with Engineers that have the requisite knowledge of the materials. This MSc in Composite Material Engineering has been developed with that in mind. Students will learn the full lifecycle of components designed and manufactured with composites.

From first principles, potential students will learn the constituent parts of a composite material and understand the reasons for selecting each material. From there manufacturing methodologies will be understood. Design using composites will be taught after the different types of failure mechanisms are shown. Finally, repair, recycling and disposal of composites will be discussed in detail.

Students will be taught by lecturers from industrial and research background through a combination of lectures, tutorials, Laboratory sessions and computer classes.  Industry standard software will be taught to enable the students to graduate with the skills required for industry.

Key Course Features

• The university shares an Advanced Composite Training and Development Centre, (ACT&DC) with Airbus at the Broughton site a fully-equipped specialist composite laboratory will be used for lab tutorials throughout and also the student’s dissertation project if required.
• Access to cutting edge computer-aided design, analysis and simulation software, including ANSYS, Abaqus, MATLAB and Simulink, etc.
• The opportunity to add a specialist edge to your skill set.
• The university is perfectly placed with a number of composite manufacturers within 30 miles, namely Solvay, Sigmatex and Excel. In addition there are a number of SME and large engineering companies that utilise composite materials for their designs and components.
• Solid base for career progression in industry.

If you are fascinated with behaviour and wonder why people do what they do, then our psychology course – which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) – will be ideal for your questioning mind.

As a psychology student at Wrexham Glyndwr University, you will have access to a diverse range of facilities including our psychometric lab, flight simulator, high-tech sports performance lab, experimental cubicles and simulation lab.

On this hands-on, practical degree, you’ll discover the fascinating science behind how people think, act, react and interact.

Throughout the course, you will gain a greater understanding of social interaction, individual development and the way in which the brain interprets information that we deal with on a daily basis.

The scientific nature of psychology is emphasised throughout the course with specific modules relating to social psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences, cognitive psychology, and psychobiology. You will develop your statistical and research skills through regular laboratory-based practicals and in the final part of the course, you will complete a substantial final project on a topic of your choice.

You will take part in our annual real-time training exercise.

You can also choose to study this course as a foundation year BSc Psychology (four years including foundation year)

Key Course Features

• Small and friendly department with a research-active academic team.
• Fully supportive of student research interests.
• Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) – students will also have the opportunity to attend and present at the BPS conference at level 6.
• Facilities used on the course include a psychometric lab, teaching laboratories with modern computing facilities, a high tech sports performance lab, experimental cubicles and a simulation lab.
• Practical sessions in each module to give hands-on experience of the applicability of theory and/or develop students research skills. We believe that as psychology is about real life, formal lectures should be enhanced by experiential learning. All set lectures in the morning are supplemented by a practical exercise in the afternoon. These practicals relate directly to the theory studied in the morning session and use the excellent and varied resources available at the university.  

Our Animal Science subject area is top in the UK for overall satisfaction and learning community (WGU analysis of unpublished NSS data 2019) and our BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Conservation Science with foundation year programme is one of the courses in the subject area. This broad-based course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills required to enter a variety of professions within the animal sector.

Students will develop their knowledge in the core themes of animal behaviour, welfare and conservation. At level 6 students will design and implement their own research project, enabling them to specialise in an area of their choice. Personal and professional development is embedded within the course to maximise students’ employability within the industry and to enable you to focus upon your chosen career path.

This course is based at our rural Northop campus, set in the stunning North Wales countryside, with access to a rare breeds farm, animal unit, equestrian facility and woodland. Off-site visits to animal charities, wildlife centres and other industry related venues form part of the course.

Key course features

• Develop high-level knowledge of animal physiology, behaviour, training, welfare, and conservation.
• Urban and rural study environments - split your study time between the Northop campus set in the stunning North Wales countryside and our Wrexham campus, on the edge of the largest town in North East Wales.
• Excellent links with industry. Opportunities to carry out your own research project in a specialism of your choice within a variety of settings.
• Industry-active staff with specialist academic and practical skills, and experience of working with a range of domestic, and wild animals.
• Join our zoological society and enjoy a range of events, activities and trips throughout the year.
• Subject area is number one in the UK for overall satisfaction, learning community, student voice and students' union in the 2019 National Student Survey * (WGU analysis of unpublished NSS 2019 data).
• Progression from the BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Conservation Science includes employment or post-graduate study. 

The Foundation year is taught at our Wrexham campus, with Level 4 (year 2) studies moving to our Northop campus.

This popular degree is ideal for those interested in working with children and young people in informal and formal education settings. You'll learn the statutory requirements of curricula for primary education in both England and Wales, explore learning dispositions, and discover how to support pupils both academically and pastorally.

The course:

• Has a long history of providing a well-respected, successful and alternative pathway into mainstream primary teaching via a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE – Primary Education) or Post-compulsory qualification (PcET – Adult and Further Education ).
• Keeps options open for a range of other career opportunities that involve work with children and young people.
• Is predominantly geared towards working with children between the ages of 3-13 years of age.
• Combines academic study and work experience.
• Draws upon theoretical perspectives from a wide range of disciplines including education, sociology, psychology, philosophy, health and social welfare/justice.
• Considers educational policies, processes and perspectives relating to the statutory requirements of early years’ curricula and Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum in both England and Wales.
• Covers factors that impact the wellbeing and learning dispositions of children and young people.

Key Course Features

• Includes a foundation year to prepare you for university-level study.
• Study contemporary topics which are directly related to the education of children.
• Experience extended placements within the children’s workforce.
• Engage in research whilst out on placement, guided by experienced practitioners.
• Use your current relevant employment as your placement or seek exciting new experiences.
• Receive support from an experienced staff team and academic tutorial system.

Are you interested in health and wellbeing? Do you want to make a real difference to people’s lives? If so, this is the programme for you.

At the heart of public health is helping people to enjoy healthier lives and preventing them from getting ill. In a society where the National Health Service is facing unprecedented demand, promoting good health and preventing poor health is of vital importance. There are many existing as well as new and exciting roles out there for public health and wellbeing graduates, from developing health promotion campaigns through to social prescribing and tackling health inequalities.

Students will

• be introduced to a whole range of health challenges affecting the nation, including obesity, substance misuse, loneliness, mental illness and air pollution & will learn what we can do to address these challenges.
• learn about health behaviours at different life-stages – childhood, youth, adulthood and old age – and how to help different populations adopt healthy behaviours and change damaging ones.
• develop your self-awareness and emotional literacy, alongside reflective and interpersonal skills – all of which are crucial to working effectively in public health.

  This course is also available as a three year degree (without a foundation year) BSc (Hons) Public Health & Wellbeing

Key Course Features

• Includes a foundation year to prepare you for further years of study
• The programme team work with local employers to ensure that the theory taught is relevant to current practice in the sector
• Delivered by academics from a range of backgrounds, which means that you will be part of a diverse community of practice
• Established peer mentor scheme, so you can obtain support from students already undertaking the programme
• Innovative and flexible teaching methods are embedded throughout, including interactive lectures, tutorials, case studies, workshops, online activities and learning resources.
• Work based experience which you can tailor to your own area/s of interest in years two and three of the programme
• Opportunities to take part in additional relevant events and volunteering within the wider University, giving you a full portfolio of experience on graduation

This course offers a practical programme of study, enabling you to bring characters to life. This specialised Animation programme will transform you into a versatile creative in the art of the moving image. Designed and developed from the ground up with employability as the core aim, you will develop skills in 2D, 3D and stop motion animation.

You will finish your studies with the professional skills and creative thinking strategies to pursue a career within animation studios, work as a freelance artist, or start your own studio.

Students will

• Learn the principles of visual communication and drawing and apply them to character design, background design, storyboarding and scene layout.
• Explore the principles of animation with a focus on 2D digital techniques.
• Work in teams on a short film to be submitted to film festivals, both nationally and internationally.
• Practice character animation using 3D techniques to build up a professional show reel.
• Specialise and develop a final degree project that will push on the boundaries of your skills to ensure you stand out from the crowd in the job market.

You can also choose to study this course as a three year degree (without the foundation year) BA (Hons) Animation or as a four-year integrated masters option MDes Animation

Key course features

• Official partnership with http://TechUpandGo.com. With direct links to live 3D Animation projects.
• Latest industry standard software used such as Autodesk Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Dragon Frame and the Creative Cloud suite.
• Access to Wacom Cintiq tablets and a purpose built stop motion studio.
• Industry-focused visits to gain first hand insight into how creative media companies function and the variety of employment opportunities that are available in the development of your career aspirations. There are also other study trips to festivals and expos.
• Opportunities to enter competitions.
• There is strong pastoral care within a friendly creative community with an emphasis on team building and collaborative work. Contact hours with tutors is high with enthusiastic and supportive sta? who are knowledgeable, research-active practitioners.

Computing specialists are in high demand as technology now plays a role in almost everything we do. Our computing degree combines the core principles of the field with a forward-looking approach to embracing and driving new developments.

The subject area is 1st in Wales for learning opportunities and academic support (WGU analysis of unpublished 2019 NSS data).

Key Career Features

• These courses respond to identified skills gaps. They will provide you with the critical understanding, knowledge and skills needed for successful employment.
• Personal Development Planning is integrated throughout the course to develop the skills framework necessary for effective personal, academic and career management.
• The university is home to ARCLab, which specializes in research in the field of Computing and Computer Science.
• Newly refurbished IT labs.
• Host of biennial internet research conference attracting delegates from across the world.
• Optional Industrial Placement Year gives students the opportunity to experience the workplace first-hand and gain valuable employment experience for the future.
• Subject area is 1st in Wales for learning opportunities and academic support (WGU analysis of unpublished 2019 NSS data).

Computer Science is an exciting, challenging, and dynamic field at the cutting edge of technology.  It is at the core of pioneering technologies of the 21st Century, shaping the future of both industry and society. 

This BCS accredited degree programme will equip graduates with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to analyse, design, develop, test and maintain systems for the future.  It also provides an opportunity to participate in the CISCO Academy Programmes in preparation for acquiring CISCO certified accreditation.

The Computing Department provides a friendly learning and teaching environment that operates an open door policy.

Wrexham Glyndwr University is 1st in Wales for learning opportunities and academic support for courses in the computer science subject area (WGU analysis of unpublished 2019 NSS data).

This course

• will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to work as a professional engineer and/or consultant in the design, configuration and management of computer systems
• has employability skills at its heart, developing team working, project management, communication and creative thinking.
• allows you to work on practical design projects, laboratory activities and group project work
• gives you the opportunity to work on a live work based project/placement
• gives you the option of an Industrial Placement Year 

Key Course Features

• Research active department in future and emerging technologies.
• The department has been successful in achieving funding for developing a range of intelligent kitchen appliances for use by elderly or disabled people and continues to develop research projects.
• The University is home to ARCLab, which specializes in research in the field of Computing and Computer Science.
• A host of biennial internet research conference attracting delegates from across the world.
• Our courses provide an opportunity to participate in the CISCO Academy Programmes and qualify for CISCO accreditation.
• Students undertake an individual project in the third year of their course. Normally each year, there are a number of ‘live’ projects available that involve working with businesses.
• 1st in Wales and 3rd in the UK for learning opportunities and 8th in the UK for academic support (WGU analysis of unpublished 2019 NSS data)

You can also choose to study this course as a foundation year BSc (Hons) Computer Science (four years including foundation year)

Developed for students with a passion for independent photography, film and cinema, this innovative multi-genre programme combines practice, theory and professionalism. Whether you prefer to work with the still or moving image, you can creatively and conceptually explore film and photography on our inspiring, challenging and rewarding degree.

Students will

• Discover a range of skills including how the lens can be used creatively as a tool for storytelling, specialist and experimental camera techniques, lighting for studio and location work, editing and post-production
• Be encouraged to acquire unique approaches to the photography and film disciplines
• Develop and research their own ideas in relation to project briefs, learning transferable skills needed to work as an imaginative professional
• Generate and produce ideas through location and studio work
• Be guided in making submissions for international galleries, expositions, festivals, drama, documentary, advertising, music media and other forms of digital imagery and visual effects
• Have the opportunity to study abroad through the Erasmus Scheme

You can also choose to study this course as a foundation year BA (Hons) Photography & Film (four years including foundation year)

Key Course Features

• Students have access to an on-site cutting-edge high definition TV studio with green screen, photographic studio as well as analogue facilities with a dedicated dark room. Small group sizes allow for individual support and experimentation with ideas in a creative environment.
• Post-production, 3D workshops, media training and computer editing facilities utilising the latest in HD technology and non-linear editing.
• Well-equipped computer labs with both Apple and PC based systems loaded with a wide selection of industry-related software.
• Teaching team are research-active practitioners enthusiastic about their subject areas. They exhibit their own work both nationally and internationally as well as writing about art and design practice in books and journals.
• Opportunities to study abroad or take part in projects with an international dimension.
• Be part of our vibrant community of artists and designers where students are encouraged to exhibit their work and to gain knowledge from high profile visiting artists and designers.
• 1st in Wales and 10th in the UK for overall satisfaction in the subject area of Cinematics & Photography. (WGU analysis of unpublished NSS 2019 data).