Masters Degrees (Ontology)

Semantic Technologies is a relatively new term that describes all areas concerned with using and developing software and methodologies for meaning-centred manipulation of information. The aim is to provide software and methodologies so that web resources, data in databases and raw data associated with programs can be processed and manipulated in a more intelligent way. This requires storing, understanding, manipulating and reasoning about the meaning of the data. Semantic technologies are increasingly being used in such varied applications as the semantic web, health care and biomedical domains, the life sciences, software/hardware industries and the automotive industry.

The Semantic Technologies pathway combines themes such as 'Data on the Web' with 'Ontology Engineering and Automated Reasoning'. These core offerings can be combined with any other theme. Good complementary themes are Data Engineering, Managing Data, Learning from Data, Security and Software Engineering.

Teaching and learning

Computational thinking is becoming increasingly pervasive and is informing our understanding of phenomena across a range of areas; from engineering and physical sciences, to business and society. This is reflected in the way the Manchester course is taught, with students able to choose from an extremely broad range of units that not only cover core computer science topics, but that draw on our interdisciplinary research strengths in areas such as Medical and Health Sciences, Life Sciences and Humanities.

Coursework and assessment

Lectures and seminars are supported by practical exercises that impart skills as well as knowledge. These skills are augmented through an MSc project that enables students to put into practice the techniques they have been taught throughout the course.

Facilities

-Newly refurbished computing labs furnished with modern desktop computers
-Access to world leading academic staff
-Collaborative working labs complete with specialist computing and audio visual equipment to support group working
-Over 300 Computers in the School dedicated exclusively for the use of our students
-An Advanced Interfaces Laboratory to explore real time collaborative working
-A Nanotechnology Centre for the fabrication of new generation electronic devices
-An e-Science Centre and Access Grid facility for world wide collaboration over the internet
-Access to a range of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)
-Specialist electronic system design and computer engineering tools

Career opportunities

Students following the Semantic Technologies pathway have all the career choices and options as described for general Advanced Computer Science.

In addition, students of this pathway are ideally placed to work in software companies or for healthcare providers who are using or developing Semantic Technologies.

We maintain close relationships with potential employers and run various activities throughout the year, including career fairs, guest lectures, and projects run jointly with partners from industry.

Accrediting organisations

This programme is CEng accredited and fulfils the educational requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer when presented with a CEng accredited Bachelors programme.

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This MA is an exciting and rare opportunity to study the most fascinating figures and themes in philosophy. We guide you through key philosophers in the European tradition, including Kant, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Foucault, treating along the way their ideas concerning such fundamental problems as the nature of time, the human, ethical or political practices, and history.

Philosophy in the ‘Continental’ (or ‘European’) tradition is the most widely influential branch of philosophical enquiry. Not only does it offer intriguing analyses of aspects of human life and our world, but it is required reading for the study of social, cultural, political, media, literary or art theory. The course begins historically, starting from Kant and German Idealism, and traces influences and reactions through the next two centuries. In addition, you will have the opportunity to take an optional module from Departments elsewhere in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The degree culminates in a major supervised research project.

This course will build on your previous studies of philosophy – or any of the related subjects just listed. It will be suitable for you whether you are studying just for the sake of interest, or as preparation for a PhD programme. You will be taught by internationally recognised scholars in the field (including David Webb and Douglas Burnham).

The degree runs by distance learning. Because it is online, you will find the fees very competitive, and of course you will save money also on travel. We provide a suite of internet-based resources for you to use (lectures, notes, questions to work on, readings, and millions of digitised pages from the Staffordshire University library), a discussion forum for you to exchange and debate ideas with your teachers and fellow students, virtual visiting speakers from around the world, and a team of leading academics to support you throughout your study.

Course content

Core modules will cover the following areas:
-Transcendence and the Body
-Phenomenology and Ontology
-Masters Dissertation

Option modules available:
-Contemporary Social Theory
-Culture and Identity
-Concepts in International History
-Contemporary International Relations Theory
-Knowledge and Politics

Graduate destinations

Because of its adaptability to your needs and interests, this MA award is suitable for all kinds of students. We welcome those studying simply out of an interest and passion for the subject, those looking to use their skills in teaching or further academic study at PhD, and those looking for a subject-based postgraduate course to enhance their career skills and prospects.

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This is an interdisciplinary social science training programme designed to prepare you for further research in the workplace or for MPhil/PhD study. The programme covers ontology, epistemology, quantitative and qualitative techniques, and advanced methods masterclasses. You also carry out an independent dissertation, putting into practice the methods and theoretical concepts you have been taught. The programme provides a particularly strong environment for theoretically informed, interdisciplinary and socially engaged research.

Our Department of Politics is a lively and distinguished centre of interdisciplinary research, with a strong reputation for the quality of our teaching. Some of the world’s most famous libraries are on our doorstep in Bloomsbury, central London, and you can walk down to Whitehall, where Parliament and the UK’s most influential and important think-tanks and centres of political research and analysis are located.

Our departmental building was once a key location for members of the Bloomsbury Group, so you could be studying in rooms that have hosted distinguished visitors, including T. S. Eliot, George Bernard Shaw and Maynard Keynes.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Rigorous training in a range of contemporary social research methods.
Excellent foundation for doctoral social research.
Interdisciplinary, theoretically informed and creative approach to research.
This programme draws on the expertise of research-active staff from the School of Social Sciences, History and Philosophy. You will be taught by experts in their fields about the methods they use to carry out their own research.
Birkbeck Library has an extensive teaching collection of books and journals in politics and sociology. It also has an impressive range of electronic resources, including bibliographic databases and over 17,000 electronic journals. Most of these resources can be accessed online 24 hours a day.
You can also take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including those of the Senate House Library, the British Library of Political and Economic Science (LSE Library) and the British Library.
The Department of Politics organises a lively programme of seminars and conferences.

Our research

Birkbeck is one of the world’s leading research-intensive institutions. Our cutting-edge scholarship informs public policy, achieves scientific advances, supports the economy, promotes culture and the arts, and makes a positive difference to society.

Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which placed Birkbeck 30th in the UK for research, with 73% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Politics at Birkbeck was ranked 17th in the UK.

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Module 1: PG Cert Module 1 – Research Design

Module 2: PG Cert Module 2 – Literature Review

Module 3: Critical Perspectives 1

This module will enable participants to develop a critical understanding of the contexts within which professional practice is situated and to relate them to a critical examination of the contexts of, and the implications for, their own professional practice.

The course content is organised around four inter-related themes:
- Policy
- Institutions
- Learning
- Professional identities

The four themes are explored within two over-arching frameworks:
- Processes of change
- Theories and evidence

Module 4: Critical Perspectives 2

This module aims to introduce students to an array of new techniques and emerging philosophies available for critical analysis of practice and interrogation of existing theoretical concepts that underpin them.

The module is grounded in theoretical and epistemological foundations of educational research. There are two key elements, related to i) national and international debates on the nature of inquiry, values and positions of researchers; and ii) diverse underpinning epistemologies, theories and methodologies.

i) This element concerns the nature of educational research as a diverse and evolving multi-disciplinary field of endeavour. It addresses questions of ontology, epistemology and theory, as well as concerns about the usefulness and relevance of educational research. This leads to consideration of national and international debates about the nature of evidence and evidence-based practice and tensions that relate to paradigmatic divisions. Questions are raised about the identities of researchers, their moral judgements and values, as well as those of their sponsors. Hence, issues of ethics and politics are introduced and ways forward are considered.

ii) This element considers positivist and interpretive world views that are linked to quantitative and qualitative research (empiricism, post-positivism, critical realism, critical theory, postmodernism and social constructivism). Ways of bridging these world views are debated and the potential impact of digital research on educational inquiry is considered.

Module 5: Pilot Study

This module will enable participants to practise the skills of advanced academic enquiry by
- Justifying the selection of an area worthy of study in a relevant area
- Applying their knowledge of the methodological, epistemological and ontological perspectives found in educational research
- Distinguishing between and critically evaluating different research paradigms and the methods and techniques associated with them and positioning their work within these debates
- Taking and justifying an ethical stance on the research process
- Disseminating the outcomes of research to a range of audiences

You will also be required to complete a Doctoral Thesis.

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Our Master's programmes seek to develop knowledge, creativity and originality in one package - you. Each programme is a framework to help you to develop:
a systematic understanding of knowledge;
a comprehensive understanding of techniques relevant to your area of study;
the key skills associated with critical awareness and evaluation.

As part of your development on the course, you will be increasingly expected to demonstrate that you can deal with complex issues in a systematic and creative manner and demonstrate self-direction and originality in problem solving.

Your studies on the course will cover:

Research Methods

This module will introduce methods of data collection and analysis when conducting empirical research. This research can take place in an organisational setting. Both in the private or the public sector. This module is essential preparation for the dissertation.

Enterprise Modelling

Cultivates skills and knowledge related to business, conceptual and software modelling. Example topics of study include different paradigms for modelling (including business services, processes and objects), techniques for modelling the business domain and business behaviour, the relationship between business modelling and software modelling and the use of the Unified Modelling Language (UML).

ERP Systems Theory and Practice

Examines the rationale, theories and practices around Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERP) and develops the knowledge required to understand the forces driving ERP design and implementation. Example topics of study include enterprise systems strategy and rationale, issues of organisational implementation and business services, processes and functions from an ERP perspective. The module provides an introduction to the SAP R/3 environment and the practice of business process integration in that environment.

ERP Systems Deployment and Configuration

Examines the implications of implementing ERP systems in organisations and develops the key skills necessary to deploy and configure ERP systems. Example topics of study include business process improvement alongside enterprise systems configuration and configuration management (including Master Data Management, business services, processes and functions). The module examines practical aspects of configuration in the context of the SAP R/3 environment.

Service-oriented Architecture

Examines the organisational impact of service-oriented approaches and the technologies necessary for the successful implementation of enterprise and web services. Example topics of study include issues in creating and managing a system landscape based on services, architectural approaches to service-orientation and web service technologies (including semantic web services). Practical aspects of web service implementation are examined in the context of integration via the SAP Netweaver environment.

Data Management and Business Intelligence

Develops the knowledge and skills necessary to support the development of business intelligence solutions in modern organisational environments. Example topics of study include issues in data/information/knowledge management, approaches to information integration and business analytics. Practical aspects of the subject are examined in the context of the SAP Netweaver and Business Warehouse environment.

Systems project management

Develops a critical awareness of the central issues and challenges in information systems project management. Example topics of study include traditional project management techniques and approaches, the relations between projects and business strategy, the role and assumptions underpinning traditional approaches and the ways in which the state-of-the-art can be improved.

Semantic Integration Frameworks

Helps you develop a critical and practical understanding of concepts, standards and frameworks supporting semantic system integration, with a particular emphasis on the Semantic Web – the web of the future. Example topics of study include ontologies and their uses, ontology management and integration, inferencing and reasoning for and in semantic integration, as well as semantic integration standards such as RDF and OWL.

Dissertation

In addition, provided that you have reached an acceptable standard in the assessments and examinations, you may then undertake a dissertation. Work on a dissertation for this course will normally involve an in-depth study in the area of distributed information systems and computing (eg, a state-of-the-art review together with appropriate software development) and provides you with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your expertise in this area to future employers or as a basis for future PhD study. Additionally, you can now work on an internship during your dissertation (see Special Features below).

Awards

A master's degree is awarded if you reach the necessary standard on the taught part of the course and submit a dissertation of the required standard. If you do not achieve the standard required, you may be awarded a postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certificate if eligible.

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Master in BIG DATA : Data Analytics, Data Science, Data Architecture”, accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, draws on the recognized excellence of our engineering school in business intelligence and has grown from the specializations in Decision Support, Business Intelligence and Business Analytics. The Master is primarily going to appeal to international students, "free movers" or those from our partner universities or for high-potential foreign engineers who are looking for an international career in the domain of Business Analytics.

This program leads to a Master degree and a Diplôma accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education and research.

Objectives

Business Intelligence and now Business Analytics have become key elements of all companies.

The objective of this Master is to train specialists in information systems and decision support, holding a large range of mathematic- and computer-based tools which would allow them to deal with real problems, analyzing their complexity and bringing efficient algorithmic and architectural solutions. Big Data is going to be the Next Big Thing over the coming 10 years.

The targeted applications concern optimization in the processing of large amounts of data (known as Big Data), logistics, industrial automation, but above all it’s the development of BI systems architecture. These applications have a role in most business domains: logistics, production, finance, marketing, client relation management.

The need for trained engineering specialists in these domains is growing constantly: recent studies show a large demand of training in these areas.

Distinctive points of this course

• The triple skill-set with architecture (BI), data mining and business resource optimization.
• This master will be run by a multidisciplinary group: statistics, data mining, operational research, architecture.
• The undertaking of interdisciplinary projects.
• The methods and techniques taught in this program come from cutting-edge domains in industry and research, such as: opinion mining, social networks and big data, optimization, resource allocation and BI systems architecture.
• The Master is closely backed up by research: several students are completing their end-of-studies project on themes from the [email protected] laboratory, followed and supported by members from the laboratory (PhD students and researcher teachers).
• The training on the tools used in industry dedicated to data mining, operational research and Business Intelligence gives the students a plus in their employability after completion.
• Industrial partnerships with companies very involved in Big Data have been developed:
• SAS via the academic program and a ‘chaire d’entreprise’ (business chair), allowing our students access to Business Intelligence modules such as Enterprise Miner (data mining) and SAS-OR (in operational research).

Practical information

The Master’s degree counts for 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) in total and lasts two years. The training lasts 1252 hours (611 hours in M1 and 641 hours in M2). The semesters are divided as follows:
• M1 courses take place from September until June and count for a total of 60 ECTS
• M2 courses take place from September until mid-April and count for a total of 42ECTS
• A five-month internship (in France) from mid- April until mid- September for 9 ECTS is required and a Master thesis for 9 ECTS.

Non-French speakers will be asked to participate to a one week intensive French course that precedes the start of the program and allows students to gain the linguistic knowledge necessary for daily interactions.

[[Organization ]]
M1 modules are taught from September to June (60 ECTS, 611 h)
• Data exploration
• Inferential Statistics (3 ECTS, 30h, 1 S*)
• Data Analysis (2 ECTS, 2h, 1 S)
• Mathematics for Computer science
• Partial Differential Equations and Finite Differences (3 ECTS, 30h, 1 S)
• Operational Research: Linear Optimization (2 ECTS, 20h, 1 S)
• Combinatory Optimization (2 ECTS, 18h, 1 S)
• Complexity theory (1 ECTS, 9h, 1 S)
• Simulation and Stochastic Process (3 ECTS, 30h, 2 S**)
• Introduction to Predictive Modelling (2ECTS, 21h, 2 S)
• Deterministic and Stochastic Optimization (3 ECTS, 30h, 2 S)
• Introduction to Data Mining (2 ECTS, 21h, 2 S)
• Software and Architecture
• Object-Oriented Modelling (OOM) with UML (3 ECTS, 30h, 1 S)
• Object-Oriented Design and Programming with Java (2 ECTS, 30h, 1 S)
• Relational Database: Modelling and Design (3ECTS, 30h, 1 S)
• PLSQL (2 ECTS, 21h, 2 S)
• Architecture and Network Programming (3 ECTS, 30h, 2 S)
• Parallel Programming (3 ECTS, 30h, 2 S)
• Engineering Science
• Signal and System (3 ECTS, 21 h, 1 S)
• Signal processing (3 ECTS, 30h, 1 S)

• Research Initiation
• Scientific Paper review (1 ECTS, 9h, 1 S)
• Final research project on BIG DATA (5 ECTS, 50h, 2 S)
• Project Management
• AGIL Methods & Transverse Project (2 ECTS, 21h, 2 S)
• Languages and workshops
• French and Foreign languages (6 ECTS, 61h, 1&2 S)
• Personal and Professional Project (1 ECTS, 15, 1 S)
*1 S= 1st semester, ** 2 S= 2nd semester

M2 Program: from September to September (60 ECTS, 641h)
M2 level is a collection of modules, giving in total 60 ECTS (42 ECTS for the modules taught from September to April, plus 9 ECTS for the internship and 9 ECTS for the Master thesis).

Computer technologies
• Web Services (3 ECTS, 24h, 1 S)
• NOSQL (2 ECTS, 20h, 1 S)
• Java EE (3 ECTS, 24, 1S)
Data exploration
• Semantic web and Ontology (2 ECTS, 20h, 1 S)
• Data mining: application (2 ECTS, 20h, 1S)
• Social Network Analysis (2ECTS, 18h, 1S)
• Collective intelligence: Web Mining and Multimedia indexation (2 ECTS, 20h, 2 S)
• Enterprise Miner SAS (2 ECTS, 20h, 2 S)
• Text Mining and natural language (2 ECTS, 20h, 2 S)
Operations Research
• Thorough operational research: modelling and business application (2 ECTS, 21h, 1 S)
• Game theory (1 ECTS, 10h, 1 S)
• Forecasting models (2 ECTS, 20h, 1 S)
• Constraint programming (2 ECTS, 20h, 2 S)
• Multi-objective and multi-criteria optimisation (2 ECTS, 20h, 2 S)
• SAS OR (2 ECTS, 20h, 2 S)
Research Initiation Initiative
• Scientific Paper review (1 ECTS, 10h, 1 S)
• Final research project on BIG DATA (2 ECTS, 39, 2 S)
BI Architecture
• BI Theory (2 ECTS, 20h, 2 S)
• BI Practice (2 ECTS, 20h, 2 S)
Languages and workshops (4 ECTS, 105h, 1&2 S)
• French as a Foreign language
• CV workshop
• Personal and Professional Project
Internship
• Internship (9 ECTS, 22 weeks minimum)
Thesis
• Master thesis (9 ECTS, 150h)

Teaching

Fourteen external teachers (lecturers from universities, teacher-researchers, professors etc.), supported by a piloting committee, will bring together the training given in Cergy.

All the classes will be taught in English, with the exception of:
• The class of FLE (French as a foreign language), where the objective is to teach the students how to understand and express themselves in French.
• Cultural Openness, where the objective is to enrich the students’ knowledge of French culture.
The EISTI offers an e-learning site to all its students, which complements everything the students will learn through their presence and participation in class:
• class documents, practical work and tutorials online
• questions and discussions between teachers and students, and among students
• a possibility of handing work in online

All Master’s students are equipped with a laptop for the duration of the program that remains the property of the EISTI.

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Explore the key management concepts, theories and models used in general coaching and mentoring. You will learn to critique and enhance your professional coaching skills through reflexive practice and action learning. You will also hone your understanding of coaching practice to develop your own personal coaching profile. You might already be a practising business coach seeking to enhance your coaching methodology and skills, an executive who wants to add coaching to your consultancy portfolio or a human resources director. You will learn to use your skillset and experience to act as a catalyst for positive change.Your supervisor will support you in developing your research skills and carrying out an evidence-based research project in your selected coaching field. Areas of coaching and mentoring you might choose to focus on include ontology, team, supervisory, developmental, existential, Gestalt or ethics.

Faculty of Business & Law website - http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/fbl/

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: twice as many of our staff - 220 - were entered into the research assessment for 2014 compared to the number entered in 2008.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/businesscoaching_ma

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

Holding an established coaching award will mean you areideally qualified to take advantage of the central role coaching now takes inmany organisations. You could work as an independent coach specialising in arange of disciplines such as organisational, lifestyle or executive fields tocreate a more meaningful professional environment, or you could promotepersonal engagement and growth from your role within your current company.

- Executive Coach
- Team or Organisational Coach
- Business Mentor & Consultant
- Human Resource Director

Careers advice:
The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

The course is aimed at practicing business coaches seeking to enhance their coaching methodology and skills, HR Directors and training consultants, those with line management responsibility, executives who wish to add coaching to their consultancy portfolio and aspiring coaches from related backgrounds, such as counselling, psychotherapy, teaching and business psychology.

The award has many benefits including full advanced standing and module exemption given to prior professional and academic coaching qualifications; assessment by professional 'personal' reflective assignment; assessments are directly applied to your working environment thereby enabling you to apply and crucially evaluate your coaching skills and improve your professional practice.

Professor Jeff Gold is a renowned expert in the field of Organisational Learning and is a founding member of the Northern Leadership Academy. He has published widely including key texts such as Leadership and Management Development, Strategies for Action, Human Resource Development and Human Resource Management.

Dr Nick Beech

"My time working with leaders has shown me that an effective coach can deepen their client’s understanding of self and that they can provide their client with the psychological tools to enrich their life. A great coach inspires those they work with and, through informed insight, can read the culture of a working environment and help to enrich it."

Nick was awarded National Teacher Fellow status as a result of his professional commitment and innovative approach to education. In addition to his academic experience, he holds a number of sports coaching qualifications and has worked in the armed forces and in the private and public sectors. Nick is also a practicing management coach and has led coaching development programmes for over 15 years.

Facilities

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- The Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl has impressive teaching spaces, auditoriums, conference facilities and an outstanding local reputation as a business hub. The Rose Bowl puts our students at the centre of a dynamic business community.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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Research profile

At the Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications (CISA) we enable computer systems to reproduce or complement human abilities, work with people, and support collaboration between humans. We conduct world-leading research in the foundations of Artificial Intelligence (knowledge representation and reasoning, emergence of meaning, theory and ontology change, creativity, mathematical proof) and in intelligent collaborative systems (multiagent systems, social computation, scientific collaboration platforms, web semantics and linked data).

Our research methods are inspired by developing formal models of knowledge, reasoning, and interaction that can be used to understand and automate aspects of human intelligence, but are also understandable and usable to the human designers and users of AI systems.

To achieve this, we combine theoretical research into computational models, architectures, and algorithms with a strong element of applied research. This has led to a strong track record in using our methods to address real-world problems in healthcare, scientific collaboration, social computing, emergency systems, transportation, engineering, aerospace and others.

You'll find a wide range of research areas within CISA conducted in the four research groups the Institute currently hosts:

• Agents and Multiagent Systems
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Planning & Activity Management
• Data-Intensive Research

CISA includes one of the most innovative collaborations between research and business - our Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute (AIAI). Through its resources and the engagement of CISA staff and students in consultancy, training and joint projects, we help companies and government agencies to apply newly researched techniques.

Training and support

You will carry out research work within a research group under the guidance of a supervisor. You may also attend taught courses that are relevant to your research topic, as prescribed by your supervisor. You will be expected to attend seminars and meetings of relevant research groups. Periodic reviews of progress are conducted to assist with research planning.

A programme of transferable skills courses facilitates broader professional development in a wide range of topics, from writing and presentation skills to entrepreneurship and career strategies.

The School of Informatics holds a Silver Athena SWAN award, in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The School is deploying a range of strategies to help female staff and students of all stages in their careers and we seek regular feedback from our research community on our performance.

Facilities

The award-winning Informatics Forum is an international research facility for computing and related areas. It houses more than 400 research staff and students, providing office, meeting and social spaces.

It also contains two robotics labs, an instrumented multimedia room, eye-tracking and motion capture systems, and a full recording studio amongst other research facilities. Its spectacular atrium plays host to many events, from industry showcases and student hackathons to major research conferences.

Nearby teaching facilities include computer and teaching labs with more than 250 machines, 24-hour access to IT facilities for students, and comprehensive support provided by dedicated computing staff.

Among our entrepreneurial initiatives is Informatics Ventures, set up in 2008 to support globally ambitious software companies in Scotland and nurture a technology cluster to rival Boston, Pittsburgh, Kyoto and Silicon Valley.

Career opportunities

While your research studies are a perfect route to a career in academia, your degree could also take you into the commercial world of applied intelligent systems.

Software developers and the users of automated planning systems are among those who rely on the insights of our research. NASA and animation company Pixar are just two of the organisations that have recently employed our graduates.

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This new and distinctive MRes aims to develop a systematic understanding and critical appreciation of alternative approaches, methodologies and paradigms of social science research. It will develop fully trained and competent social science researchers, who are able to understand and use research techniques appropriate to their subject area as well as being conversant with approaches used by other social scientists.

The programme has a substantial theoretical and quantitative core but also delivers complementary qualitative training. This will provide an essential foundation for any working researcher, whether they are going on to do a PhD or otherwise engaged in research. The training will enable students to think through how they can use their knowledge and skills of advanced quantitative methods in different contexts and apply them to a variety of problems; and, progressively, to identify their own needs for training.

The MRes joins a suite of interdisciplinary training programmes that are part of the Economics and Social Research Council South West Doctoral Training Partnership. It is a joint initiative between the Universities of Bath, Bristol and Exeter. The course is delivered collaboratively; each semester one core unit is taught intensively, with time spent at each location. This collaborative delivery means that the expertise of academics at each institution can be made available to students from all three universities, enhancing the training capacity of each.

Programme structure

1. Research Design Methods and Skills (15 credits, mandatory): delivered over intensive sessions at each institution (Bath, Bristol, Exeter).
The main topics to be covered include: ontology and epistemology in social research; varieties of approaches to research design from different backgrounds; question design and formulation; criteria for evaluating research and strategies to enhance research quality; critical evaluation of different methodologies; preparing research proposals and communicating research.

2. Mathematics and Programming Skills for Social Scientists (15 credits, mandatory): delivered over intensive sessions at each institution.
The main topics covered are programming statistical and graphical techniques using R; dynamic programming and coding using Python; multi-level modelling theory and application using MLwiN.

3. Introduction to Qualitative Research in the Social Sciences (20 credits, mandatory): delivered at the home institution.
This unit aims to provide a philosophical appreciation of the underpinnings of qualitative research methods, to develop a critical understanding of the potential of various qualitative methodologies and key epistemological and methodological problems raised in qualitative methodologies.

4. Optional units
An appropriate range of optional units is provided at each institution to ensure students can take a full suite at their home institution should they wish to. Optional units may include substantive subject units of interest, or further methods units. At Bristol these may include: Big Data and Society; Spatial Data Analysis; Spatial Regression Modelling and GIS in R; and Explanation, Causation and Longitudinal Analysis. Students can also take options from across the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, or from Bath and Exeter, subject to timetabling constraints.

5. Dissertation (60 credits, mandatory): An extended research project of between 10,000 and 15,000 words.

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This is an interdisciplinary social science training programme designed to prepare students for further research in the workplace or for MPhil/PhD study. The programme covers ontology, epistemology, quantitative and qualitative techniques, and advanced methods masterclasses alongside substantive courses in the area of criminology. All students also carry out an independent dissertation, putting into practice the methods and theoretical concepts they have been taught. The programme provides a particularly strong environment for theoretically informed, interdisciplinary and socially engaged research.

COURSE STRUCTURE

You take two compulsory modules, choose two option modules and write a 60-credit dissertation.

COMPULSORY MODULES

Intermediate Quantitative Social Research
Qualitative Social Research

INDICATIVE OPTION MODULES

Advanced Intellectual Property Law
Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
Crime and Control
Cultures of Human Rights
Equality and the Law
Film and Human Rights
Gender, Sexuality and Criminal Justice
Global Perspectives on Crime and Crime Control
Hate Crime
Healthcare and Human Rights
Human Rights in Britain
International Criminological Theory
International Rights of Minorities
Land, Law and Dispossession
Psychology of Law and Crime
Slavery, slaveries, enslavement : the Western experience
Social Justice
The International Economic Constitution
Youth Justice

DISSERTATION

Social Research Dissertation

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This is an interdisciplinary social science training programme designed to prepare students for further research in the workplace or for MPhil/PhD study. The programme covers ontology, epistemology, quantitative and qualitative techniques, and advanced methods masterclasses alongside substantive courses in the area of applied linguistics. All students also carry out an independent dissertation, putting into practice the methods and theoretical concepts they have been taught. The programme provides a particularly strong environment for theoretically informed, interdisciplinary and socially engaged research.

COURSE STRUCTURE

You take two compulsory modules, choose two option modules and write a 60-credit dissertation.

COMPULSORY MODULES

Intermediate Quantitative Social Research
Qualitative Social Research

INDICATIVE OPTION MODULES

Bilingualism
Corpus Linguistics
Introduction to Applied Linguistics
Language Teaching and Learning in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts
Language, Culture and Communication
Neurolinguistics (level 7)
Psycholinguistics (level 7)
Second Language Acquisition

DISSERTATION

Dissertation

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This is an interdisciplinary social science training programme designed to prepare students for further research in the workplace or for MPhil/PhD study. The programme covers ontology, epistemology, quantitative and qualitative techniques, and advanced methods masterclasses alongside substantive courses in the area of law and legal studies. All students also carry out an independent dissertation, putting into practice the methods and theoretical concepts they have been taught. The programme provides a particularly strong environment for theoretically informed, interdisciplinary and socially engaged research.

COURSE STRUCTURE

You take two compulsory modules, choose two option modules and write a 60-credit dissertation.

COMPULSORY MODULES

Intermediate Quantitative Social Research
Qualitative Social Research

INDICATIVE OPTION MODULES

Advanced Intellectual Property Law
Crime and Control
Cultures of Human Rights
Equality and the Law
Film and Human Rights
Futures: The Globalization of Human Rights
Gender, Sexuality and Criminal Justice
Global Perspectives on Crime and Crime Control
Hate Crime
Healthcare and Human Rights
Human Rights in Britain
International Rights of Minorities
Issues in International Law and Human Rights
Land, Law and Dispossession
Psychology of Law and Crime
Slavery, slaveries, enslavement : the Western experience
Social Justice
The History and Philosophy of Human Rights
The International Economic Constitution
Youth Justice

DISSERTATION

Social Research Dissertation

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This is an interdisciplinary social science training programme designed to prepare students for further research in the workplace or for MPhil/PhD study. The programme covers ontology, epistemology, quantitative and qualitative techniques, and advanced methods masterclasses alongside substantive courses in the area of gender and sexuality. All students also carry out an independent dissertation, putting into practice the methods and theoretical concepts they have been taught. The programme provides a particularly strong environment for theoretically informed, interdisciplinary and socially engaged research.

COURSE STRUCTURE

You take three compulsory modules, choose one option module and write a 60-credit dissertation.

COMPULSORY MODULES

Intermediate Quantitative Social Research
Qualitative Social Research
Theorising Gender

INDICATIVE OPTION MODULES

Africa in the European Imagination
Culture, Community, Identity
Disciplining Sex: Sexuality, Society and Nineteenth-Century Literary Culture
Gender and Development
Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Japanese Fiction
Madness and its Meanings
Men and Masculinities in Contemporary East Asia
Queer Histories/Queer Cultures

DISSERTATION

Social Research Dissertation

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This is an interdisciplinary social science training programme designed to prepare students for further research in the workplace or for MPhil/PhD study. The programme covers ontology, epistemology, quantitative and qualitative techniques, and advanced methods masterclasses alongside substantive courses in the area of psychosocial studies. All students also carry out an independent dissertation, putting into practice the methods and theoretical concepts they have been taught. The programme provides a particularly strong environment for theoretically informed, interdisciplinary and socially engaged research.

COURSE STRUCTURE

You take two compulsory modules, choose two option modules and write a 60-credit dissertation.

COMPULSORY MODULES

Intermediate Quantitative Social Research
Qualitative Social Research

INDICATIVE OPTION MODULES

Culture, Community, Identity
Education, Globalisation and Change
Education, Power and Resistances
Lacanian Psychoanalysis: Theory and Practice
Psychoanalysis and Culture
Psychoanalysis and History
Texts and Interpretation
Theories and Sites of the Psychosocial
Violence, Conflict, Genocide: Dilemmas of the Present
Visual Culture: Power and the Image

DISSERTATION

Social Research Dissertation

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