Masters Degrees (Dissertation)

Why study an MA by Dissertation in Art & Design?

MA by Dissertation in Art & Design is designed to help students review, develop and progress their practice as an artist or designer. The course has been created to enhance the breadth and depth of students’ artistic abilities and capacities for self-direction and professionalism. It will allow students to develop an individual practice and engender the required excellence to successfully become a creative professional.

If you would like to find out more about our postgraduate courses in Art & Design please see here: http://www.writtle.ac.uk/design/postgraduate.cfm

Who is the course for?

The MA by Dissertation in Art and Design is for those with art and/or design degrees or related Honours qualifications. These include, for example: fine art, graphic design, illustration, interactive media, networked media, architecture, interior, landscape and garden design, and art history. Students may choose to progress straight from their undergraduate studies or return to their studies after a period of work. As a non-taught postgraduate degree, the MA by Dissertation offers students the opportunity to identify and refine an area of research within an open studio culture of debate and practice led by established practicing artists, curators, theorists and art historians. A portfolio of work and CV are required, together with a letter addressing research interests and reasons for applying.

Course aims

Giving students an intellectually-stimulating and creative environment in which they can further develop their potential as an artist or designer.
Providing teaching and peer-group learning that is both challenging and responsive to student needs.

Providing a place for debate that aids students in becoming increasingly articulate and professional in questioning and improving their works and goals.

Providing practical support and the necessary technical resources for creating works in a range of different media.

Developing a range of transferable skills and the knowledge of how to apply them in the art and design industries.

Delivery and assessment

While the MA by Dissertation is a non-taught postgraduate degree, students benefit from, and contribute to, the dynamism of the studio-based Art and Design courses at Writtle School of Design. Students attend a weekly seminar in which they present their research findings and practice to tutors and fellow students.
Assessment is in three parts: a dissertation, portfolio of practice-based research and an exhibition or final major project that embodies the results of the research carried out.

Dissertation:

The dissertation comprises a written thesis (of up to 10,000 words) which sets out the relationship between the student’s work and the wider field of knowledge/the subject area, addressing the theoretical, historical and critical context of their work.

The Portfolio of Research:

The portfolio of research is a comprehensive body of developmental work that demonstrates an exploratory and reflective approach to an appropriate breadth of media, tools and techniques. The format of this portfolio is agreed with supervisors but may include a blog, journal, sketchbook and/or a collection of sketches and models.

The Final Exhibition:

The public presentation of art and design work is an important aspect of creative professional life and students will be supported in planning, promoting and implementing a public presentation of their work to a professional standard at the end of the course.

Throughout the programme students will engage with the following activities:

Semester one:
• Introduction to Research Methods
• Discussion of texts
• Exhibition visits
• Exploration and reflection on tools, techniques, materials
• Seminars

Semester two:
• Development of work towards final exhibition or major project
• Discussion of texts
• Exhibition visits
• Seminars

Spring-Summer:
• Dissertation – supported by seminars and tutorials

Career prospects

Career possibilities for art and design graduates have increased over recent years, reflecting the burgeoning opportunities within the cultural sector in the UK and internationally. Graduates work as professional artists, filmmakers, graphic designers, game designers, curators, and gallery professionals in public and private galleries. They also write for magazines, newspapers and journals on a whole variety of cultural topics. Other career opportunities for MA graduates include residency programmes, community-led outreach work and teaching art or design. Students who are on our MA programme may already be professional artists or designers who wish to reinvigorate and refocus their practice.

To find out more about our careers guidance, please see here: http://www.writtle.ac.uk/Careers

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This pathway enables you to study social changes at an advanced level. It provides an opportunity for in-depth study of some key dimensions of modern society. The scope of this pathway is deliberately broad to allow students to study any area of sociology where the department has the expertise to supervise dissertations.

It aims to integrate the consideration of themes in social theory with the study of substantive topics, as well as give a thorough grounding in research methods. There are four elements:

1. Social theory: This course aims to stimulate a critical, globally conscious theoretical reflexivity. Above all, it provides students with the tools for a wide range of social interpretation and analysis, particularly of the contemporary social world.

2. Modern society: This part of the course has a modular structure. Modules consider a series of key dimensions or institutions of modern society with particular emphasis on current changes resulting from the interaction of global forces and national institutions. All of the modules being taught on all of the sociology MPhil pathways are available to students doing this pathway, as well as several other modules on topics such as ‘health and illness’ and ‘globalisation’.

3. Research methods: This includes sessions on philosophical issues in the social sciences; research design; data collection and analysis in relation to quantitative and qualitative methods; reflection on research ethics and practice; library and computer skills. Your dissertation supervisor will advise you on which courses to take.

4. Dissertation: A dissertation on a topic of your choice but broadly related to one of the Modern Society modules. A research supervisor will assist you in refining your research topic, conducting the research and writing the dissertation. A dissertation workshop provides the opportunity to present aspects of your dissertation work and to receive constructively critical feedback from course teachers and fellow students.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/hssompsgt

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the programme students should have:

- an advanced understanding of current sociological research in selected topics;
- skills necessary to conduct independent social research and experience in their use;
- an ability to apply and develop modern social theory with respect to empirical topics;
- a deeper understanding of their chosen specialist area, including command of the literature and current research;
- the ability to situate their own research within current developments in the field.

Format

The course offers teaching on Social Theory, Substantive modules and Research Methods. Students work towards a written dissertation supported by supervisions and a dissertation workshop.

- Students typically receive bi-weekly supervisions over 8 weeks
- Modern Society modules 12 hours x 4 modules; Research Methods 12 hours x 2 modules; 72 hours hours per year.
- Social Theory 8 hours hours per year.
- Dissertation workshop 10 hours hours per year.
- Within the Department various journal clubs are offered 8 hours per week.
- Students conduct a critical appraisal as part of the training.
- The Department runs a dissertation workshop in the first term.

Students receive written feedback on each essay and the dissertation. Feedback is also given during the dissertation workshop on the direction and progress of the dissertation research.

Assessment

Students write a dissertation of not less than 15,000 and not more than 20,000 words on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

Students write one methods essay of not less than 2,500 and not more than 3,000 words (or prescribed course work) and two substantive essays of not less than 4,000 and not more than 5,000 words.

Continuing

Students are encouraged to proceed to the Faculty's PhD programme, provided they reach a high level of achievement in all parts of the course. MPhil students who would like to continue to the PhD would normally need to have a final mark of at least 70% overall and 70% on the dissertation.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

The Department of Sociology holds ESRC funding awards. Sociology is a recognised Doctoral Training Centre pathway toward a PhD. Therefore candidates for the MPhil in Sociology (Modern Society and Global Transformations) can apply for 1+3 ESRC funding.

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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First-year MLitt students are not registered for any degree and must undergo an examination at the end of their first year. If they successfully pass this then they will be registered for the MLitt degree. Candidates submit a dissertation of not more than 80,000 words. The dissertation title must be approved by the Degree Committee. There is an oral examination on the dissertation and the general field of knowledge in which the dissertation falls.

The Divinity Faculty at Cambridge has distinguished international reputation for research, teaching and for the formation of graduate students in Theology and Religious Studies. Consistently rated as one of the top research units in the country in our subjects, it offers postgraduate training at an acknowledged world-class standard.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/dvdvmlltr

Specialisms

The teaching officers of the Faculty include leading experts in a wide range of fields:

- Biblical Studies;
- Ancient, Medieval and Modern Judaism;
- Patristics;
- History of Christianity;
- Christian Systematic Theology;
- Philosophy of Religion and Ethics;
- Religion and the Natural Sciences;
- Religion and the Social Sciences;
- Study of World Religions (with special reference to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism).

Each major research area is centred on a senior seminar meeting fortnightly during term. In practice these seminars are often interdisciplinary in character (such as the D Society in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics and the Hebrew, Jewish and Early Christian Studies Seminar); and a variety of other informal graduate seminars and reading groups also helps to expand the repertoire of exchange. A number of named lectureships (the Stantons, the Hulseans etc) regularly bring international figures from outside Cambridge to contribute to the research culture.

First-year MLitt students are not registered for any degree and must undergo an examination at the end of their first year. If they successfully pass this then they will be registered for the MLitt degree. Candidates submit a dissertation of not more than 80,000 words. The dissertation title must be approved by the Degree Committee. There is an oral examination on the dissertation and the general field of knowledge in which the dissertation falls.

Learning Outcomes

Candidates submit a dissertation of not more than 80,000 words. The dissertation title must be approved by the Degree Committee. There is an oral examination on the dissertation and the general field of knowledge in which the dissertation falls.

Format

Supervisions are given on the dissertation, twelve hours per year full-time (reduced pro rata for part-time).

Feedback will be given by the supervisor in the course of supervisions and in termly reports. In addition, there will be a report from the assessors following the first-year examination.

Assessment

Dissertation of not more than 80,000 words with a compulsory viva.

A first-year examination for which students must submit the following:
- a summary of the scope, purpose, methodology and value of research project;
- a provisional outline of dissertation with a timetable for the conduct and completion of the research and writing;
- a bibliography of topic and its immediate intellectual context set out in accordance with the conventions current field of study;
- a sample of written-up research of no more than 10,000 words, with appropriate footnotes and bibliographical references (included in word-count).

Students will have a meeting with two assessors to discuss the submitted work.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

Faculty Studentships:

- Burney & Gregg Bury Studentship (Philosophy of Religion & Christian Theology)
- Peregrine Maitland Studentship (Spread of Christian Religion, comparison between Christianity &other religions, the contact of Christian & other civilizations)
- Polonsky-Coexist Studentship in Jewish Studies
- Shapiro Fund (Jewish Studies0
- Theological Studies Fund Studentship

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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The MA in Anthropological Research Methods (MaRes) may be taken either as a free standing MA or as the first part of a PhD [e.g. as a 1 + 3 research training program]. In either case, the student completes a program of research training that includes the Ethnographic Research Methods, Statistical Analysis and the Research Training Seminar as well as a language option. All MaRes students are assigned a supervisor at the start of the year, who will help the student choose other relevant course options. Candidates must also submit a number of research related assignments which, taken together with the dissertation, are equivalent to approximately 30,000 words of assessed work. All students write an MA dissertation, but for students progressing on to a PhD, the MA dissertation will take the form of a research report that will constitute the first part of the upgrade document for the PhD programme.

The MaRes is recognised by the ESRC.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/maanthresmethods/

Aims and Outcomes

The MA is designed to train students in research skills to the level prescribed by the ESRC’s research training guidelines. It is intended for students with a good first degree (minimum of a 2.1) in social anthropology and/or a taught Masters degree in social anthropology. Most students would be expected to progress to PhD registration at the end of the degree. By the end of the program students will:

- Have achieved practical competence in a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods and tools;
- Have the ability to understand key issues of method and theory, and to understand the epistemological issues involved in using different methods.

In addition to key issues of research design, students will be introduced to a range of specific research methods and tools including:

- Interviewing, collection and analysis of oral sources, analysis and use of documents, participatory research methods, issues of triangulation research validity and reliability, writing and analysing field notes, and ethnographic writing.

- Social statistics techniques relevant for fieldwork and ethnographic data analysis (including chi-square tests, the T-test, F-test, and the rank correlation test).

Discipline specific training in anthropology includes:

- Ethnographic methods and participant observation;
- Ethical and legal issues in anthropological research;
- The logistics of long-term fieldwork;
- Familiarisation with appropriate regional and theoretical literatures;
- Writing-up (in the field and producing ethnography) and communicating research results; and
- Language training.

The Training Programme

In addition to optional courses that may be taken (see below), the student must successfully complete the following core course:

- Research Methods in Anthropology (15 PAN C011).

This full unit course is composed of Ethnographic Research Methods (15 PAN H002, a 0.5 unit course) and Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research (15PPOH035, a 0.5 unit course hosted by Department of Politics and International Studies).

MA Anthropological Research Methods students and first year MPhil/PhD are also required to attend the Research Training Seminar which provides training in the use of bibliographic/online resources, ethical and legal issues, communication and team-working skills, career development, etc. The focus of the Research Training Seminar is the development and presentation of the thesis topic which takes the form of a PhD-level research proposal.

Dissertation

MA/MPhil Students meet regularly with their supervisor to produce a systematic review of the secondary and regional literature that forms an integral part of their dissertation/research proposal. The dissertation, Dissertation in Anthropology and Sociology (15 PAN C998), is approximately 15,000 words and demonstrates the extent to which students have achieved the key learning outcomes during the first year of research training. The dissertation takes the form of an extended research proposal that includes:

- A review of the relevant theoretical and ethnographic literature;
- An outline of the specific questions to be addressed, methods to be employed, and the expected contribution of the study to anthropology;
- A discussion of the practical, political and ethical issues likely to affect the research; and
- A presentation of the schedule for the proposed research together with an estimated budget.

The MA dissertation is submitted no later than mid-September of the student’s final year of registration. Two soft-bound copies of the dissertation, typed or word-processed, should be submitted to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Office by 16:00 and on Moodle by 23:59 on the appropriate day.

Exemption from Training

Only those students who have clearly demonstrated their knowledge of research methods by completing a comparable program of study in qualitative and quantitative methods will be considered for a possible exemption from the taught courses. All students, regardless of prior training, are required to participate in the Research Training Seminar.

Programme Specification 2013/2014 (msword; 128kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/anthropology/programmes/maanthresmethods/file39765.docx

Teaching & Learning

This MA is designed to be a shortcut into the PhD in that two of its components (the Research Methods Course and the Research Training Seminar, which supports the writing of the dissertation) are part of the taught elements of the MPhil year. Students on this course are also assigned a supervisor with whom they meet fortnightly as do the MPhil students. The other two elements of the course are unique to each student: and might include doing one of the core courses from the other Masters degrees (Social Anthropology, Anthropology of Development, Medical Anthropology, Anthropology of Media, Migration and Diaspora, or Anthropology of Food), as well as any options that will build analytical skills and regional knowledge, including language training. The MaRes can also be used to build regional expertise or to fill gaps in particular areas such as migration or development theory.

The dissertation for the MaRes will normally be assessed by two readers in October of the following year (that is, after the September 15th due date). Students who proceed onto the MPhil course from the MA will then have the first term of the MPhil year to write a supplementary document that reviews the dissertation and provides a full and detailed Fieldwork Proposal. This, along with research report material from the original MA dissertation, is examined in a viva voce as early as November of the first term of the MPhil year by the same examiners who have read the dissertation. Successful students can then be upgraded to the PhD in term 1 and leave for fieldwork in term 2 of the first year of the MPhil/PhD programme. This programme is currently recognised by the ESRC and therefore interested students who are eligible for ESRC funding can apply under the 1+3 rubric. (ESRC)

Destinations

Students of the Masters in Anthropological Research Methods develop a wide range of transferable skills such as research, analysis, oral and written communication skills.

The communication skills of anthropologists transfer well to areas such as information and technology, the media and tourism. Other recent SOAS career choices have included commerce and banking, government service, the police and prison service, social services and health service administration. Opportunities for graduates with trained awareness of the socio-cultural norms of minority communities also arise in education, local government, libraries and museums.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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Globally recognised qualification in public services management with a focus on international development.

Overview

The Masters of Public Administration is an internationally recognised qualification acting as the public service equivalent of an MBA.

This course is ideal for early- and mid-career professionals working in international development. During your studies you'll develop the skills and knowledge you need to work in large organisations and to lead development projects in complex and uncertain situations. You will learn to examine and influence the policy process across multiple layers of governance and analyse the varying approaches used in different countries.

By choosing this part-time online course you will be able to combine your study with your career and family. You'll also be studying with one of the top universities in the world, with teaching and support from experienced academics and practitioners. Our Department is ranked 25th in the world and 4th in the UK (QS World Rankings 2016). All our courses are run directly by us, so you can always count on coherent and strong support from your academic tutors, personal supervisor and a dedicated support team.

You'll study alongside peers working in similar organisations around the world. You'll be able to actively engage with them and share your ideas, learning and experience as you progress through the course. You'll also be in a position to immediately apply your learning and insight to your work and your organisation.

Course content

Our MPA in International Development will enhance your capacity to influence and lead the development agenda at a national, regional or international level. You'll develop your capacity for critical analysis of the complex problems that you tackle in your work. You'll also develop your skills as a manager or leader in your field.

During Year 1 you'll explore the foundations of development theory, policy and practice. In Year 2 you'll combine studying further core content with a choice of topics to match your interests or area of work.

As you progress through this two year course you will apply your learning in the workplace. We'll encourage your development as a reflective practitioner throughout this process, with support from a dedicated dissertation supervisor.

Towards the end of the course you'll start to prepare for your dissertation which will allow you to explore an area of particular interest.

You can also study for a shorter period of time and graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma.

Modules
To graduate with an MPA degree you will need to take 140 credits of taught modules and complete a dissertation worth 40 credits. You'll study these modules to a schedule. This will allow you to participate online with academics and fellow students from around the world.

Year 1: foundation
In the first year you'll study 80 credits with these modules:
-Social and Political Issues in Development (20 credits)
-Governance and Public Administration (20 credits)
-Policy Analysis and Process (20 credits)
-Reflective Practice for Professional Development - Part One (10 credits)
-Digital Government: Policy and Practice (10 credits)

Year 2: specialisation and dissertation
In your second year you'll study a combination of taught modules and work on your dissertation. You will start the year studying this module:
-Leading and Managing Organisational Change (20 credits)

You'll then have a choice of studying one of the following modules:
-Globalisation and Social Policy (20 credits)
-Project Management (20 credits)
-Public Service Reform: Economic and Political Perspectives (20 credits)

You will also need to complete a dissertation, as well as modules designed to develop your professional and research skills:
-Reflective Practice for Professional Development - Part Two (10 credits)
-Dissertation Workshop (10 credits)
-Dissertation (40 credits)

As you progress your assignments will help you apply theory to practice. You'll be able to combine academic work with case studies or examples relevant to your work.

Building on these experiences, your dissertation will be an individual project that explores a topic of your choice under guidance from a dissertation supervisor.

One of your taught modules, the Dissertation Workshop, will help you prepare for your dissertation. You'll learn how to plan and schedule your independent literature-based research project. With the help of your designated dissertation supervisor you'll work on finding the appropriate scope and focus for your project, and develop a workable structure. You'll also receive feedback on draft chapters and guidance on conducting your literature review and research.

Your dissertation is worth 40 credits and will be 12,000 words long.

Careers

This course is ideal if you have some experience of working in international development and seek professional development to work towards your career goals. It's also ideal if you're working in the social or public sector and would like to work in international development. A key strength of the course lies in allowing you to develop your skills while continuing to gain experience in a relevant professional field.

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This two-year part-time Masters Degree in Literature and Arts course offers the opportunity to study the literature and arts of three different periods of English history (ranging from the c16th to the c19th) in an interdisciplinary manner over four five day residences and two online modules. The course offers full access to the library and electronic resources of the university, a team of expert tutors, and a high level of personal and academic support.

VIDES (volume of interdisciplinary essays)

VIDES 2016 - Volume 4
In the second year, as part of the preparation for the dissertation, each student writes a short essay around two documents or artefacts which they have chosen which comment on a particular topic but from contrasting viewpoints. The student group is divided up into a number of small committees responsible for peer reviewing and editing the journal, deciding on its house-style and designing it.

To make navigation around the journal easier the volume is also presented on the open.conted site where you can find a list of all the essays with their abstracts to help you identify the essays which are of interest you. We hope you enjoy the read!

If you have enjoyed VIDES 2016 - Volume 4 you might also like to read VIDES 2015 - Volume 3, VIDES 2014 - Volume 2 and VIDES 2013 - Volume 1.

Visit the website https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/mst-in-literature-and-arts

Description

This literature and arts course brings together the creative, intellectual and manufactured output of people in the past. It has a twofold aim – to explore the past through the lens of human creativity, and to inform our understanding of that creativity by studying the context within which it emerged. It is therefore an interdisciplinary programme which encompasses literature, art and architectural history, history, philosophy and theology. Based in Oxford, and taking full advantage of the remarkable human and cultural resources which this university has at its disposal, the literature and arts course is designed around three sequential periods of British history, from Early Modern (c.1450) to the early twentieth century (c.1914). By studying each period through a range of disciplines, students will acquire a broad and multi-faceted picture of the past. In this framework giant achievements such as Milton’s poetry or Wren’s architecture can be understood not only as products of their times but also in so far as they stand as uniquely inspired statements, or as harbingers of future developments.

Interdisciplinary study raises challenges for a student in terms of methodologies. How do I analyse and interpret a picture when I have only ever worked with text? A poem when I have only worked with documentary sources? A building when I have only ever studied abstract ideas? How do I make viable connections between these different areas of study? An online element offered towards the beginning of the course will provide the opportunity to discover, practise and develop these skills, and to engage with current theoretical discourses concerning the way scholars relate with their source material. Similarly a more advanced on-line component in the second year will focus on interdisciplinary research skills, including trying out those skills by contributing to a small volume of papers on a subject related to the chosen dissertation topic.

Whilst focusing on British history and culture, the course will begin with an introductory unit which sets Britain in a world context and explores her cultural relationship with the rest of the world since the sixteenth century. Using the layout of the Ashmolean museum’s international collections with its emphasis on global interaction, this unit will principally be concerned with the formation of British culture through the stimuli of influences beyond Europe.

The literature and arts course aims to enable students to specialise in certain disciplines and ultimately in a particular historical period, whilst structuring their learning within a strong contextual and critical framework. It aims to enable students to make the most of the university’s resources (e.g. its libraries, computer facilities, museums and historic monuments), to provide a high quality of academic and pastoral support, and to maximise the potential for learning within a peer group. It sets out to encourage a richly democratic view of cultural history in which all men’s and women’s lives play their part.

Programme details

Structure of the Literature and Arts Course
Year One

Two core courses in year one will introduce students to post-graduate research skills and methodologies and use a series of case studies to explore some of the challenges inherent in the practice of interdisciplinary study.

Students will also take two options during year one, which will allow them to begin to specialise either by period or theme.

Year Two

A third option at the start of year two will enable students to gain wide-ranging insight into their chosen area of study before deciding on their dissertation topic. A final core course in cultural theory will prepare the student for the writing of the dissertation. This involves writing an article for and contributing to the production process of the course's online journal, Vides. The dissertation occupies the final two terms of year two.

Core Courses

Core courses will be both residential and delivered through online distance learning modules.

Residences: students will attend tutorials, seminars and lectures during five-day residences in October, February and late June/July in year one and in October of year two, plus an initial residential induction weekend, prior to the first core course. Residences will account for eighty face to face teaching hours over the two years (structured around intensive discussion in seminars).

Distance-learning: these modules are fully supported by a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment. Students will engage in on-line group discussions using the course website and email. Students will also have access to the electronic on-line resources of Oxford University's Library Services, including the Bodleian Library, and all other University libraries, including the English Faculty Library, the History Faculty Library, the Philosophy Faculty Library and the Theology Faculty Library. These modules are designed such that students need not have a sophisticated understanding of IT; materials may be provided in a variety of ways to suit the student's preference and situation.

In keeping with the Oxford ethos of tutorial instruction, individual tutorials and supervisions will be an integral part of the programme, most notably with regard to the dissertation. Individual supervision will be undertaken both face-to-face and by e-mail.

Options

Each of the options residences is structured in the same way, beginning with an historical introduction to the period and ending with a plenary discussing where connections can be made between the subjects studied through the week. The options are taught in the mornings and afternoons and represent a range of disciplines, specifically Literature, History, Visual Culture and Philosophy/Theology/History of Ideas. Each student chooses two options out of four offered. Please note that due to timetabling constrictions it is not always possible to allocate each student to their preferred options. The following list indicates the subjects which were available in 2014/15, there may be some changes for 2016.

Late Medieval and Early Modern
Shakespeare in History - Dr Lynn Robson
Tudor Monarchy– Dr Janet Dickinson
The Role of Wit, Conceit and Curious Devices in Tudor and Jacobean Art and Architecture - Dr Cathy Oakes
The Uses of History in Seventeenth-century England - Dr Gabriel Roberts

The ‘Long Eighteenth Century’
Writing, Money and the Market - Dr Carly Watson
British Collectors and Classical Antiquities – Dr Stephen Kershaw
The British Empiricists: Locke, Hume and Berkeley – Dr Peter Wyss
Overseas Trade and the Rise of Britain as a Superpower - Dr Mike Wagner

The ‘Long Nineteenth Century’
Love and Sex in the Victorian Novel - Dr David Grylls
Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Late Nineteenth Century British Culture – Professor Barrie Bullen
The British Empire and the Indian Mutiny– Dr Yasmin Khan
'Habits of Heart and Mind' - Victorian Political Culture – Professor Angus Hawkins

Dissertation

A dissertation of 11,000 words will be the focus of the final two terms of the second year.

The final core course, delivered in Hilary term of the second year, is envisaged both as a graduate-level survey of relevant cultural theory, which will provide the necessary intellectual contexts for the students' chosen dissertation topics, and as an opportunity to fine-tune the students' research and writing skills in preparation for the dissertation. After completing Vides, students will decide on their dissertation subject in consultation with the Course Director. They will be advised on reading lists and a timetable of work by their dissertation supervisor.

The dissertation is intended to demonstrate the student's knowledge and awareness of more than one subject discipline in this final piece of assessment.

Who should take the course?

The design of the Masters Degree in Literature and Arts is part-time over two years, and as such it is intended for gifted students who, due to their obligations to professional work or caring duties, would otherwise be unable to pursue higher degrees. The MSt in Literature and Arts is taught in the format of regular short residences in Oxford, together with an element of closely-monitored distance-learning.

The course is ideal for the following:

- Graduates in Humanities disciplines who have entered employment, but who wish to maintain their momentum of study progressing to a postgraduate qualification. This group will include teachers, librarians, and archivists, and others involved in humanities-related professions.

- Humanities graduates who would like to study part-time because of other responsibilities (including caring roles).

- Graduates who have reached a stage in life where they wish to pursue a new area of study, either for personal development, or to establish new career paths.

While the Masters Degree in Literature and Arts can be seen as a stand-alone qualification, it will also prepare students for doctoral work.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/applying-to-oxford

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The MPhil in Sociology of Media and Culture pathway provides students with the opportunity to study the nature and transformation of media and cultural forms at an advanced level. The programme gives students a firm grounding in the theoretical and empirical analysis of media and culture and enables them to study particular media and cultural forms in depth, examining their transformations over time and their impact on other aspects of social and political life. The programme consists of 4 components:

1. Theories of Culture and Media: all students taking this programme will be expected to follow this course of lectures that will cover some of the major theoretical contributions to the study of media and culture, ranging from Adorno and Habermas to Bourdieu and Becker and from medium theory to Castells and more recent theoretical work on new media and the internet. Students are also strongly encouraged to follow the course of lectures on social theory.

2. Substantive modules: there will be at least three core substantive modules taught by Prof John Thompson, Prof Patrick Baert and Dr Ella McPherson. The modules will be research-led and will reflect the research being undertaken by members of the Department. The content of specific modules may vary from year to year but topics covered will typically include the nature of the digital revolution and its impact on the media and creative industries; the changing nature of news and journalism in the digital age; the role of new media in the development of social movements and new forms of political mobilization and protest; the uses of social media and the internet and their impact on everyday life and culture; the role of ideas, intellectuals and media forms in processes of social and political change. Students in this programme will be expected to take at least three of these modules; they may also take the fourth module in this programme, or they may substitute one of these modules with a module taken from another MPhil programme offered by the Department (Modern Society and Global Transformations, Political and Economic Sociology, Sociology of Reproduction).

3. Research Methods: all students will take a course on research methods which includes sessions on philosophical issues in the social sciences; research design; data collection and analysis in relation to quantitative and qualitative methods; reflection on research ethics and practice; library and computer skills.

4. Dissertation: all students will write a dissertation on a topic of their choice that allows for theoretically informed empirical analysis of some aspect of media or culture in contemporary societies. The choice of dissertation topic is made in consultation with your supervisor, who can advise you on the suitability and feasibility of your proposed research and on research design. A dissertation workshop provides the opportunity to present aspects of your dissertation work and to receive constructive feedback from course teachers and fellow students.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/hssompsmc

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the programme students should have:

- an advanced understanding of current sociological research in selected topics;
- skills necessary to conduct independent social research and experience in their use;
- an ability to apply and develop modern social theory with respect to empirical topics;
- a deeper understanding of their chosen specialist area, including command of the literature and current research;
- the ability to situate their own research within current developments in the field.

Format

The course offers teaching on Social Theory, Substantive modules and Research Methods. Students work towards a written dissertation supported by supervisions and a dissertation workshop.

Students receive written feedback on each essay and the dissertation. Feedback is also given during the dissertation workshop on the direction and progress of the dissertation research.

Assessment

Students write a dissertation of not less than 15,000 and not more than 20,000 words on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

Students write one methods essay of not less than 2,500 and not more than 3,000 words [or prescribed course work] and two substantive essays of not less than 4,000 and not more than 5,000 words.

Continuing

Students are encouraged to proceed to the Faculty's PhD programme, provided they reach a high level of achievement in all parts of the course. MPhil students who would like to continue to the PhD would normally need to have a final mark of at least 70% overall and 70% on the dissertation.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

The Department of Sociology holds ESRC funding awards. Sociology is a recognised Doctoral Training Centre pathway toward a PhD. Therefore candidates for the MPhil in Sociology (Media and Culture) can apply for 1+3 ESRC funding.

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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Understand and influence how policies are made and how public services are managed.

Overview

This course is ideal for professionals in the public sector, in not-for-profit organisations or in for-profit organisations involved in public policy or the delivery of public services. During your studies you'll develop the skills and knowledge required to influence policy and how policy decisions are translated on the ground. You'll deepen your understanding of policy-making and its intersection with public management. You will prepare yourself for more strategic roles and help your organisation operate more effectively in complex and challenging environments.

By choosing this part-time online course you will be able to combine your study with your career and family. You'll also be studying with one of the top universities in the world, with teaching and support from experienced academics and practitioners. Our Department is ranked 25th in the world, and 4th in the UK (QS World Rankings 2016). All our courses are run directly by us, so you can always count on coherent and strong support from your academic tutors, personal supervisor and our dedicated support team.

You'll study alongside your peers working in similar organisations around the world. You'll be able to actively engage with them and share your ideas, learning and experience as you progress through the course. You'll also be in a position to immediately apply your learning and insight to your work and your organisation.

Course Content

This masters course will develop your knowledge of public policy, so you'll gain a better understanding of how policies are made and then implemented on the ground. You'll also acquire skills in public management, and learn to analyse and influence how public services are run and how organisational change can be best managed.

The first year of the course will ensure you have a foundation in all key aspects of public policy and management. In your second year you can choose areas of study that are most interesting or most applicable to your own work

Towards the end of the course you'll start to prepare for your dissertation which will allow you to explore an area of particular interest with support from a dedicated dissertation supervisor.

You can also study for a shorter period of time and graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma.

Modules
To graduate with a masters degree, you will need to take 140 credits of taught modules and complete a dissertation worth 40 credits.

You'll study these modules to a schedule. This will allow you to participate online with academics and fellow students from around the world.

Year one: foundation
In the first year you'll study 80 credits with the following modules:
-Public Management and Delivery (20 credits)
-Governance and Public Administration (20 credits)
-Policy Analysis and Process (20 credits)
-Reflective Practice for Professional Development - Part One (10 credits)
-Digital Government: Policy and Practice (10 credits)

Year two: specialisation and dissertation
In your second year you'll study a combination of taught modules and work on your dissertation. You will choose one of these modules:
-Comparative Social Policy (20 credits)
-Leading and Managing Organisational Change (20 credits)
-Social Policy: Evidence, Ideas and Institutions (20 credits)
-Work, Welfare and Citizenship (20 credits)

You'll then choose to study one of these modules:
-Globalisation and Social Policy (20 credits)
-Project Management (20 credits)
-Public Finance (20 credits)
-Public Service Reform: Economic and Political Perspectives (20 credits)

You will also need to complete a dissertation, as well as modules designed to develop your professional and research skills:
-Reflective Practice for Professional Development - Part Two (10 credits)
-Dissertation workshop (10 credits)
-Dissertation (40 credits)

Throughout your studies your assignments will help you to apply theory to practice and to combine academic work with case studies or examples relevant to your work.

One of your taught modules, the Dissertation Workshop, will help you prepare for your dissertation. You'll learn how to plan and schedule your independent literature-based research project. With the help of your dissertation supervisor you'll work on finding the appropriate scope and focus for your project, and develop a workable structure. You'll also receive feedback on draft chapters and guidance on conducting your literature review and any further research.

Your dissertation is worth 40 credits and will be 12,000 words long.

Careers

This course is ideal for people working in the public and not-for-profit sectors as well as people working in for-profit organisations that deliver public services. It will allow you to develop the skills required for management in a large and complex organisation. You'll also gain a thorough understanding of public policy so that you can analyse and influence policy-making and implementation.

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The MSc in Wound Healing and Tissue Repair is a three-year, inter-disciplinary, part-time, distance learning course. 

The course attracts healthcare professionals from fields such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, podiatry and the pharmaceutical industry, and offers the opportunity to study at a distance alongside an international group of professionals from countries around the world.

It aims to enable you to explore and analyse existing and developing theories and concepts that underpin wound healing and tissue repair so facilitating professional and personal growth, building upon your educational and vocational experience and developing your ability to become a life-long learner.

Students are required to attend a five-day study block in year one and year two, otherwise no further attendance is required. 

The on-campus study blocks will consist of: introduction to e-learning on the Internet and using your individual home page; introduction to study skills, library resources and tutorial support; introduction to course work and assignment briefs; lead lectures – introduction to module content and theory; group interactive sessions - via workshop, discussions, case presentation; private and group tutorials; course committee meetings - providing an on-going evaluation of the course.

Between the annual study blocks, students are supported by online personal and group tutorials, and personal tutorials by email or telephone. In addition, there are dedicated distance learning library support staff to help ensure you can access necessary databases and full-text journals. The online information and resources are constantly updated for students to access through a virtual learning environment.

Distinctive features

• This is a well-established course, first conceived as a postgraduate diploma in 1996 and extended to a Master of Science (MSc) in 1999.

• The course has attracted healthcare professionals from the field of nursing, medicine, pharmacy, podiatry and the pharmaceutical industry, and offers the opportunity to study at a distance alongside an international group of professionals from countries such as Ireland, Holland, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and New Zealand.

• Hyperlinked reading lists to facilitate easy access to resource material.

• One-to-one and group tutorials are arranged online to encourage both lecturer and peer support and to suit students in different time zones.

• Self-assessment tests from the course material are also linked to discussion board groups in order to facilitate sharing of information and further facilitate peer support.

Structure

The MSc consists of three stages:

• Stage T1 (first taught stage)
This stage lasts for one academic year, and consists of one five-day study block and five modules totalling 60 credits (of which no greater than 20 credits shall be at level 6, with the remainder at Level 7).

• Stage T2 (second taught stage)
This stage lasts for a further academic year, to a total of two years for the taught stages, and consists of a further five day study block and three 20-credit modules totalling 60 credits, at Level 7, to achieve a total of 120 credits (of which no greater than 20 credits shall be at level 6, with the remainder at Level 7), to complete the taught stages.

• Stage R: MSc research dissertation stage
The dissertation stage lasts for a further academic year, to a total of three years, and will include a dissertation of 60 credits at Level 7, to achieve a combined total of 180 credits (of which no greater than 20 credits shall be at level 6, with the remainder at Level 7), to complete the MSc programme.

The total normal duration to complete the full MSc course is three academic years (stages T1, T2 & R), from the date of initial registration.

You may exit after stage T1 with a Postgraduate Certificate, if you have gained at least 60 credits (of which no greater than 20 credits shall be at level 6, with the remainder at Level 7), including the award of credit for any ‘required’ modules.

You may exit after stage T2 with a Postgraduate Diploma, if you have gained at least 120 credits (of which no greater than 20 credits shall be at level 6, with the remainder at Level 7), including the award of credit for any ‘required’ modules.

Your dissertation, which will normally be no longer than 20,000 words and supported by such other material as may be considered appropriate to the subject, will embody the results of your period of project work. The subject of each student’s dissertation will be approved by the Chair of the Board of Studies concerned or his/her nominee.

For a list of modules please see the website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/wound-healing-and-tissue-repair-msc-part-time

Teaching

Taught stages - You will be taught through lectures, workshops, student presentations; tutorials; distance learning material; asynchronous discussion forums; synchronous online tutorials; written text in modules; self-assessment tests; recommended reading/links within module; feedback on plans, drafts and aims; feedback on assignments; external examiners’ feedback.

MSc dissertation - Studies at MSc dissertation level will largely consist of guided independent study and research, making use of the extensive learning and research facilities available. A project supervisor will be allocated to support and advise you on researching and writing up your specific dissertation topic.

Assessment

Summative assessment:
Coursework in the form of written assignments and moderated discussions including critical evaluation of recent research evidence are used to assess students’ critical reasoning and ability to present coherent written material.

Formative assessment:
Self-assessment tests and opportunities for reflection in the modules are included as a formative method of assessing progress. In addition students are allowed to submit a draft assignment prior to final submission. Students can also seek further advice on both pieces of coursework via the discussion board, online tutorial and also by email.

MSc dissertation:
The MSc dissertation stage will be wholly assessed based on the final dissertation. Expectations for the format, submission and marking of the dissertation will follow the current Senate Assessment Regulations, supplemented where appropriate with additional requirements of the Programme/School/College and any specific requirements arising from the nature of the project undertaken.

Career Prospects

Completion of this course could help you in the following areas:

Writing for publication.
Securing a specialist professional role.
External examining for other academic institutions.
Membership of wound healing association executive committees.
Invited speaker for national and international wound healing conferences.

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The MSc is designed to meet the demand for health economics’ quantitative, theoretical and analytical skills for decision-making in the healthcare sector, both in developed and in developing countries.

Who is it for?

This course is designed for anyone with an economics background interested in developing a career as a health economist working for the public and private sectors, as well as international health organisations and NGOs.

Objectives

The aim of this course is to develop your analytical and modeling abilities and enable you to apply microeconomics and econometrics tools to understand the health care sector and the demand for health. This course will provide you with the experience and the skills you need to work as a health economists in private or public of institutions doing health economics.

Placements

Companies and organisations are invited to meet our students and propose subjects for their dissertation to be done during a placement. Organisations and students liaise directly with the approval of the academic supervisor.

Placements can be for instance with: Boehringer-I, Janssen –Cilag, Eli Lilly, Campbell Aliance, Office of Health Economics, Otsuka, Celgene, Curo, IMS Health, and many others.

Placements provide a unique opportunity to apply the skills learned during the MSc and acquire experience in the workplace.

Academic facilities

You will benefit from state of the art student-geared facilities, including a bright new gym and meeting points. Most importantly, you will benefit from City’s central London location.

Teaching and learning

The course is taught by research active academic staff, teaching assistants and industry and visiting lecturers.

We also have invited speakers that come to present specialised topics in health economics.

Assessments are typically a combination of unseen written examinations (70% for each module) and coursework (30% for each module) but this can vary by module. About two thirds of our students secure a placement at a firm. The placement is used to learn about the sector while writing the dissertation.

Assessment

The teaching takes place over two terms, from September to June. Full time: 20 weeks of lectures plus dissertation/literature review and examination periods over one year. Full-time students who pass all the taught modules during the main exam sessions will finish the programme at the end of September, when they submit their literature review/dissertation. Full-time students who successfully complete the taught modules in the August re-sit exam session will submit their literature review/dissertation in December.

Part time: 20 weeks of lectures plus dissertation/literature review and examination periods spread over one year and 3 months. Part-time students complete all modules over the course of four terms, from September to June, before undertaking their literature review/dissertation. Part-time students who successfully pass all the taught modules during the main exam sessions will finish the programme in December when they submit their literature review/dissertation. Part-time students who successfully pass all the taught modules in August will submit in March of the following year.

Modules

The teaching takes place over two terms from September to June. Full-time students who pass all the taught modules during the main exam sessions finish the programme at the end of September when they submit their dissertation or literature review. Full-time students who successfully complete the taught modules in the August resit exam session submit their dissertation or literature review in December.

Note: for part-time students, the modules are taught on weekdays during the daytime, alongside the students who are studying on the full-time Master’s programme. Please contact us for further details.

We are introducing a revised programme structure for students who join from September 2016. You will take three core modules, then subsequent modules are tailored to your chosen pathway.

Core modules for all students
-Economic Evaluation (15 credits)
-Advanced Economic Evaluation (15 credits)
-Health Economics (15 credits)

Core modules for the dissertation path
-Microeconomic Theory (30 credits)
-Econometrics (30 credits)
-Economics Research Project (60 credits)

Core modules for the literature survey path
-Microeconomic Analysis (30 credits)
-Quantitative Methods Health (30 credits)
-Economics Literature Survey (30 credits)

Elective Modules - on the Dissertation route you will take one elective, on the literature survey route you will take three.
-Health Economics
-Economic Evaluation Workshops (15 credits)
-Welfare Economics (15 credits)
-Epidemiology (15 credits)
-Development Economics (15 credits)
-Economics of Regulation and Competition (15 credits)
-The Economics of Micro-Finance (15 credits)
-Experimental Economics and Game Theory (15 credits)
-History of Economic Thought (15 credits)

Career prospects

This MSc prepares you for career opportunities in economic consultancies, think-tanks, the pharmaceutical industry, professional associations, governmental bodies and non-governmental organisations.

It also prepares you for a PhD in health economics, or teaching and research positions in academic institutions.

Examples: Abacus International, NICE, Optum, IMS Health, Research International, NHS, Kovis, Eli-Lilly, OHE, United Nations, Fidelity, Oxford Outcomes, Gallaher, Johnson&Johnson, Novo Nordisk, Synovate, Tomtah, as well as PhDs at UCL, York, City University London and Warwick.

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Do you want to top up a postgraduate diploma to a full Masters qualification?

This Tourism and Hospitality (Dissertation Stage Only) course consists of a single module, which is a research project. The course is only open to those who have already gained a Diploma in Strategic Hospitality Management or a Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management, and who have at least one year of work experience.

The three-month course starts in January, April, August and October.

Our supportive tutors will help you choose a suitable topic, which will reflect your personal interests and chosen career path, and then supervise your progression to final completion. The course develops a mix of research skills, advanced theory and independent working. The academic team at Sunderland is well placed to supervise your project. Our active research interests include cultural geographies of tourism, tourism political economies, heritage management and events.

The tourism department at Sunderland has a strong reputation. According to The Guardian University Guide 2013, we are ranked seventh in the country for tourism, transport and travel.

COURSE CONTENT

This course is focused on your Masters dissertation. You can negotiate the topic of the project to fit both your personal interests and the supervisory expertise of Sunderland's tutors. There is one module on this course:
-Tourism and Hospitality Major Project (Dissertation) (60 Credits)

TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT

You will complete a major project (dissertation) on a topic that you negotiate with your tutor. There is a high level of personal research and independent working, under supervision from your tutor. Assessment is based solely on the project (dissertation).

EMPLOYMENT AND CAREERS

According to a report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), people with a postgraduate qualification earn an average of 27% more than graduates with just an undergraduate degree.

Your Masters qualification will help you progress rapidly in tourism and hospitality management. Potential employers include:
-Hotel and resort management
-Attractions and museums
-Destination marketing agencies
-Tourism companies
-Restaurant and bar management
-Catering management

Another option is to set up your own tourism or hospitality business, drawing on the entrepreneurial resources that are available through our Careers Service.

A Masters degree will also open up opportunities in academic roles or further study towards a PhD.

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About the course

This innovative Banking and Finance MSc programme with professional placement provides you with postgraduate training and experience designed to develop your career in the banking and financial services sector. You will gain a thorough understanding of this field through practical and theoretical application, addressing financial economics, the economics of banking, international financial markets, quantitative methods as well as financial regulation both nationally and internationally.

Graduates of the Banking and Finance Masters at Brunel will be able to pursue a wide range of careers in financial institutions, banking regulatory organisations and investment banks. Internationally, graduates of this Banking and Finance course are attractive candidates for their domestic regulators, central banks and private sector banks. In addition, many graduates will follow other career paths in the financial services sector and could undertake doctoral research.

Aims

You will be provided with a good balance between the four pillars of the programme:

Theories and debates about banking and financial regulation.
Broader financial theories and related issues.
Quantitative methodologies which are critical for economic and financial analysis.
Successful completion of a dissertation in this field.

On completion of this Banking and Finance postgraduate degree course:

You will be able to effectively manage a range of issues within banking and finance, such as recent banking regulations and successfully deal with matters arising in private banking.

You will develop the art of thinking through economic problems within structured frameworks and the course will encourage you to critically evaluate and deliver strategic solutions.

Course Content

The MSc consists of both compulsory and optional modules, a typical selection can be found below. Modules can vary from year to year, but these offer a good idea of what we teach.

Full-Time

Compulsory

Quantitative Methods for Finance and Economics
International Finance
Global Financial Markets
Banking
Bank Regulation and Macro-Prudential Policy
Banking and Finance Workshops
Dissertation

Optional

Foundations of Finance
Security Analysis and Funds Management
Financial Analysis
Business Finance

Part-time

Level 1

Essentials of Mathematics and Statistics
Banking
Quantitative Methods for Finance and Economics
Bank Regulation and Macro-Prudential Policy
Global Financial Markets

Level 2

International Finance
Banking and Finance Workshops
Dissertation

Students must choose two optional modules from the following:

Foundations of Finance
Security Analysis and Funds Management
Financial Analysis
Business Finance

The dissertation must be submitted in the spring term of the third year.

Special Features

The course is one of four specialist master's programmes developed by leading experts in the Economics and Finance Department at Brunel. As a postgraduate student here you will be part of a long standing and thriving environment for research and study with many advantages and benefits such as:

Outstanding academic expertise and research-led teaching
95% of our academics are nationally and internationally recognised for their work in economics and econometrics in the latest Research Assessment Exercise (2008).
As a result, you will benefit from up-to-the-minute research-led teaching by academic staff who regularly publish in international peer-reviewed journals, have an impact on international regulatory design and obtain significant research grants.

Professional training facilities
As a Banking and Finance Master's student, you will have access to a variety of professional databases used in business and the finance industry which include Datastream, Bloomberg, Bank Scope, Osiris, Reuters 3000 Xtra and Thomson One Banker.
We hold regular training sessions and external visits with Bloomberg, which will enhance your research and expose you to real-world factors that will be important in future banking related employment.

Postgraduate scholarships
Brunel offers a number of scholarships for UK, EU and international students.

Excellent links with leading organisations
We have excellent links with business and the finance industry, which will help you to network with organisations and get ahead in your career.

Industry talks, guest lectures and research seminars
A number of industry talks with professionals from the private sector will be invited to teach part of the Banking and Finance programme and will provide you with further practical experience.
There is a wide range of events on offer, such as guest lectures and research seminars to keep you up-to-date on the latest developments and help you build your contacts.

Teaching

The modules on the Banking and Finance postgraduate programme incorporate a diverse range of teaching methods which reflect the module learning outcomes and the demands of the subject material.

Effective learning is achieved through a combination of lectures, seminars, directed independent study, workshops, oral presentations, and varied assessment patterns.

Use of appropriate IT resources is expected (e.g. electronic resources to access data, and relevant software programmes used in research methods).

Dissertation research will give you the opportunity to integrate your knowledge of important themes, frameworks and research findings in banking and finance obtained via lectures, seminars, and workshops.

Students who successfully complete a professional placement will be invited to attend a tutorial day to give a presentation about their experience. An optional reflective journal during the placement may assist in preparation for the presentation and dissertation.

Assessment

All modules of this master's degree course are assessed by a combination of coursework and final examinations. Students who successfully complete the taught part of the course can proceed to the dissertation stage. MSc students who do not complete a placement are expected to work on their dissertation in the summer and to submit the final draft in mid-September.

Students who do complete a placement will work on their dissertation from September and submit in January.

Work Placements

All students who enrol on the full-time Banking and Finance MSc will have the opportunity to complete a placement. A placement can significantly improve your employability and expose you to real-world situations in the Banking and Finance industry, and importantly, allow you to network with industry professionals.

Students completing the work placement option will have a competitive edge in pursuing careers as high-level analysts, economists and managers in financial institutions, governments, financial regulators, business companies and central banks, as well as international organisations.

The placement option is available to full-time applicants and will last for 12-15 weeks during the summer of your course.

For students who complete the placement, their dissertation will be completed after the placement has finished. Students who do not find a placement will do their dissertation throughout the summer and submit in September.

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About the course

There is still a shortage of qualified engineering specialists in the oil and gas sector, with skilled professionals enjoying competitive salaries.

This programme trains specialist engineers in oilfield structural design, fabrication and installation. It is aimed both at engineering and physical science graduates who are interested in working in the oil and gas industry and practising professionals who wish to specialise in the design, analysis and construction of oil and gas installations.

Aims

With high demand for qualified oil and gas engineers, graduates enter a global job market and can expect exciting career prospects - a trend that looks likely to continue for years to come.

As the industry now seeks the rapid drilling and commissioning of new wells to meet energy demands, along with major investment in heavy oils and shale oil and gas, skilled engineers who can rapidly design and commission oilfield installations will be the backbone for growth in this industry. It is precisely this type of engineer that Brunel’s programme will develop.

A distinguishing feature of the course is its ambition to instil systems thinking, by treating structures and their operating environment holistically as a system – helping graduates develop the skills to address a wide range of complex engineering problems rapidly.

Course Content

The programme duration will be 12 months for full-time study, or 24 months for part-time.

The taught part of the programme will take place during the Autumn and Spring terms over 24 weeks. Students will be encouraged to start planning their dissertation at the beginning of the programme. During the Summer term, students will be expected to focus their effort on their dissertation project, researching the dissertation topic full-time. Part-time students will be allowed an extended period to execute their dissertation project in line with the overall programme duration. However, they will be expected to devote an equivalent of at least one day per week on their dissertation project.

This programme has been developed with extensive consultation with the industry. It will be delivered by Brunel staff members and by industrial specialists. The programme structure is shown below and comprises two parts:

Core modules: The taught part of the course (Part 1) worth 120 credits. This includes a set of compulsory modules that provides fundamentals of structural and process engineering, and focuses on providing an understanding of how to design oil and gas structures such as pipelines, offshore and onshore to withstand internal loading induced by complex internal flows of oil and gas and also external loads such as waves and wind. Throughout fundamental mathematical, computational, experimental, testing and inspection techniques as well as codes of practice are taken into account. Civil engineering and construction aspects are also taught.

Dissertation: Your dissertation project forms Part 2 of the programme and is worth 60 credits.

Full-time (12 months) MSc and PGDip modules include:

Petroleum Production Fundamentals
Applied Engineering Mathematics
Structural Materials
Structural Integrity and FEA
Multiphase Flow Fundamentals and Flow Assurance
Dynamics of Petroleum Structures
Design and Construction of Installations
Reliability Engineering and Risk Management

Term Three (MSc Only):

Dissertation
Students will conduct a major piece of research (c. 30,000 words) in an area of oil and gas engineering.

Delivery will take place in block mode teaching with each module requiring a week-long teaching schedule. Laboratory sessions will take place at specialist facilities in the week following the module delivery and will last for up to three days each.

Part-time (24 months) MSc and PGDip:

In the part-time mode, four taught modules are taken each year with the completion of the dissertation following in term three of the second year.

Full-time and part-time (12 and 24 months) PGCert:

Students must take the Design and Construction Installations and Petroleum Production Fundamentals modules and select any other two modules.

Work Placements

Brunel has a purpose built award-winning Professional Development Centre with over 30 staff, including specialist industry consultants. The Placement service includes CV writing, one-to-one guidance and mock interviews. Brunel was named ‘Best University Placement Service’ at the Rate My Placement Awards in 2012.

Teaching

Students are introduced to subject material, including key concepts, information and approaches, through a mixture of standard lectures and seminars, laboratory practicals, self-study and individual research reports. Supporting material is available online. The aim is to challenge students and inspire them to expand their own knowledge and understanding.

Preparation for work is achieved through the development of 'soft' skills such as communication, planning, management and team work.
In addition, guest speakers from industries will provide a valuable insight into the real world of the oil and gas sector.

Many elements of coursework involve, and reward, the use of initiative and imagination. Some of the projects may be linked with research in the College's research institutes.

Assessment

Each module is assessed either by formal examination, written assignments and laboratories or a combination of these. Cut-off dates for receipt of assignments are specified at the beginning of the academic year. Examinations are normally taken in December and May.

Special Features

Students will be able to access laboratory facilities at the recently formed NSIRC site which are extensive, modern and well equipped.

Although we recruit a large number of highly qualified students to our undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees each year, we don’t forget that you are an individual. From the beginning of your time here, you are allocated a personal tutor who will guide you through academic and pastoral issues.

The College is research intensive as our academics are actively involved in cutting-edge research. Much of this research is undertaken with collaborators outside the University, including leading oil and gas companies, construction companies, water utilities, and other leading industrial firms. We work with universities in China, Poland, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, Denmark and Japan. This research is fed directly into our courses, providing a challenging investigative culture and ensuring that you are exposed to up-to-date and relevant material throughout your time at Brunel.

We have excellent links with business and industry in the UK and overseas. This means:
Brunel degrees are designed to meet the needs of industry and the market-place;
The latest developments in the commercial world feed into your course;
You have greater opportunity at the dissertation stage of conducting a dissertation in industry;
We have more contacts to help you find a job when you graduate.

Accreditation

This course has been designed and developed in close consultation with industry and the Oil and Gas Engineering MSc is accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). We are seeking accreditation with the following professional bodies:

Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Institution of Chemical Engineers

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Overview

Are you a HR or management professional? Hoping to build on your HR skills and broaden your career prospects? Southampton Solent’s flexible personnel and development master’s degree provides the ideal route to advance your management career, expanding both your decision making skills and your core personnel and development competencies.

- A flexible study approach allows students to study around their job, with six classroom-based sessions held on Saturdays.
- Course tutors have extensive HR and industry experience, supporting students in translating knowledge into practical skills and real-life scenarios.
- Students can choose from a range of dissertation topics best suited to their professional interests.
- A one-year ‘top-up’ from the Postgraduate Diploma is available - http://www.solent.ac.uk/courses/2016/professional/pgd-personnel-and-development/course-details.aspx
- Former students are regularly invited to come in and share their study experiences and research.

The programme -

This higher-level course aims to help students develop the skills required to be an effective manager of people in changing employment conditions. Students will have the opportunity to explore a specific personnel issue in depth and develop both operationally and strategically. Through six weekend tuition sessions and online study, students are able to apply their studies to their current employment.

Students are guided as they write a dissertation and are encouraged to choose a topic that draws on their current working environment, enabling them to put knowledge gained into practice in a ‘real-world’ scenario.

The course is ideal for those involved in the management of people at a senior and strategic level and is particularly suited to HR professionals, middle and senior managers, and trade union officials.

The academic team has extensive and wide-ranging industry experience across the business and not-for-profit sectors. Their unique experience informs teaching and learning throughout the course.

Teaching, learning and assessment

The MA is classroom-based, with plenty of group discussion. You will be allocated a supervisor, with regular communication and meetings to support you during your studies.

Work experience -

You can choose a dissertation topic that draws on your current working environment and experience. This enables you to apply your skills and knowledge to real-world scenarios and situations.
Past students have covered a whole host of themes in their dissertations, such as work–life balance, employee wellbeing and engagement, leadership, bullying at work, talent management, HR and strategic HRM.

Assessment -

Assessment is via:
25 per cent research proposal – 3,500 words plus presentation, and
75 per cent dissertation – 20,000 words.

Attendance -

Early sessions: You’ll attend two consecutive Saturdays starting in the first week in October to learn about dissertation work and research methodologies.

Dissertation timescales: You will agree your dissertation topic with the course leader before the end of October. You are then matched with appropriate supervisors and begin work on your proposal.

Dissertation proposal: You will attend a session on the second Saturday in November and look at different methods of data collection and analysis, and completion of the dissertation proposal. You will submit your dissertation proposal in mid-December.

Presentation: A further session (on the second Saturday in December) gives students the chance to deliver a presentation on their research topic to their tutors and peers. Most students will gather their primary research data early in the New Year.

Write-up: A further session will be held shortly before the Easter break (second Saturday in February and third Saturday in March) to discuss any issues. You will submit the dissertation in late May.

Web-based learning -

Solent’s virtual learning environment provides quick online access to assignments, lecture notes, suggested reading and other course information.

Why Solent?

What do we offer?

From a vibrant city centre campus to our first class facilities, this is where you can find out why you should choose Solent.

Facilities - http://www.solent.ac.uk/about/facilities/facilities.aspx

City Living - http://www.solent.ac.uk/studying/southampton/livin