Masters Degrees in Oxford, United Kingdom

On this master’s degree you will learn to understand accounting and financial information, analyse problems and participate in management decision making. In this intensive programme we cover financial accounting, management accounting and international finance. A Research Project allows you to develop a deeper knowledge in an area of interest.

You will develop the all-round capabilities needed to be a successful accounting or finance professional. These include research and analytical skills as well as team-working, problem solving and communication. The MSc Accounting and Finance is designed for those wishing to develop a career in the sector and applicants with prior accounting experience are welcome to apply.

Why choose this course?

• Employability: Graduates have gone on to work in prestigious organisations such as Deloitte and KPMG. Whether you are seeking a career in accounting, finance or a general business career, this programme will give you a deeper understanding of accounting and finance issues and more flexibility in your career choices. On the practical side our Careers Centre offers support in developing your CV and interview skills, and provides regularly updated job vacancy information.
• Professional accreditation and links: On completion of the course, you will be eligible to apply for up to seven exemptions from the exams of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a professional qualification recognised worldwide. We have a strong strategic relationship with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and have links with other professional accounting bodies and accounting firms.
• Teaching and learning: You will be taught in a supportive atmosphere with small interactive groups so you can learn from and bond with your classmates and lecturers. It is an intensive course, which has nearly twice the number of teaching hours of a typical accounting master’s degree and covers financial accounting, management accounting and international finance. Teaching staff have extensive professional experience and are able to provide practical insight and commercial understanding. Furthermore, prestigious guest speakers such as Professor George Magnus, Senior Economic Advisor to UBS and Financial Times Columnist, come and speak to you about the industry. We have a track record of excellence in teaching, learning and research and our business school received the top award from the Higher Education Funding council for England to become a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
• Student support: As a student you will be assigned to an Academic Adviser who will provide both academic and personal support. Student Support Co-ordinators provide guidance for your course and university-wide administrative issues. They organise a range of events to help you adjust to postgraduate study and are able to help you get advice about any issues you may have during your studies.
• Oxford Location: Oxford offers everything you could want as a student and more. As one of the world's great centres of learning, it is a bustling and stunning cosmopolitan city full of history and beautiful buildings. Located just over an hour from the hub of business life in London with easy access to international airports, you'll be at the heart of the UK's most successful economic region. 

Course content

The MSc Accounting and Finance is made up of four compulsory taught modules, one or two elective modules and a research project. You can view the course structure here.

Compulsory modules are as follows:

• Skills and Techniques for Accounting and Finance
• Managerial Accounting
• Financial Accounting
• Corporate Finance Concepts
• Financial Markets and Institutions
• Finance and Accounting Research Project

Elective modules - You can choose either one or two elective modules from a choice of:

• Financial Modelling
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility
• Audit and Assurance
• Finance in Context
• International Finance
• International Business In Practice: Study Trip (non-credit)
• Performance Management
• Financial Reporting

Teaching and learning

Much of the teaching takes place in interactive workshops. In addition, lectures, discussions, role-play exercises and seminars are linked with selected case studies and assessments to strengthen your practical analysis and decision-making skills.

Teaching staff from the Business School have in-depth knowledge of accounting practices and issues through practical experience or academic research. Visiting speakers from business and research bodies provide further input.

This is an intensive programme and you will have two taught classes each week for several modules.

Approach to assessment

Assessment will include a range of activities including examinations, case studies, reports, presentations and group projects.

Specialist facilities

We're investing over £30m to create modern teaching and learning facilities and creating a new home at Headington for the Business School.

Set to be complete in 2017, you'll see:

• The Business School brought together in a modern, professional environment
• 30 teaching rooms and a collaborative lecture theatre
• A new Main Hall with soundproof wall, perfect for teaching and events like graduations
• Social learning spaces and a cafe
• A new gateway into the Headington Campus.

Our library provides specialist business resources (both hard copy and via online access) to UK and overseas companies' annual reports, statistics on all aspects of business and management, a wide range of constantly updated key texts, and postgraduate MA, MBA, MSc and PhD theses.

Field trips

We offer an International Business in Practice Study Trip module. The purpose of this study trip is to give postgraduate students a hands-on, intensive experience with the ideas and practices of global business. The programme will include presentations from local management executives and experts. Students will have direct interaction with management executives and practices through site visits to major corporations and agencies.

This study trip is voluntary and all costs associated with the trip will need to be funded by you. It is not linked to university assessments in any way. If you successfully complete this module you will have the following non-credit bearing module recorded on your transcript: P58335 International Business in Practice: Study Trip.

Attendance pattern

Classes are timetabled throughout the week and not every week will be the same.

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Oxford Brookes University has a strong strategic relationship with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Studying this accounting master’s degree is excellent preparation for a career in accounting, or a related profession like auditing or finance.

You will develop the all-round capabilities needed to be a successful accounting professional. These include research and analytical skills as well as team-working, problem solving and communication. The MSc Accounting is designed for those wishing to begin a career in accountancy. It is not suitable for those who already have an undergraduate degree in Accounting.

Why choose this course?

• Employability: Graduates have gone on to work in prestigious organisations such as KPMG, PwC and Deloitte as we emphasise developing the all-round capabilities needed to be a successful accounting professional. On the practical side, our Careers Centre offers support in developing your CV and interview skills, and provide regularly updated job vacancy information.
• Professional accreditation and links: On completion of the course, you will be eligible to apply for up to seven exemptions from the exams of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a professional qualification recognised worldwide. Our staff maintain close links with professional bodies including ICAEW (The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales), ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants).
• Teaching and learning: You will be taught in small interactive groups so you can learn from and bond with your classmates and lecturers. It is an intensive programme which has nearly twice the number of teaching hours of a typical accounting master’s programme and covers financial accounting, management accounting and corporate finance. Teaching staff have extensive professional experience and are able to provide practical insight and commercial understanding. Furthermore, prestigious guest speakers such as Professor George Magnus, Senior Economic Advisor to UBS and Financial Times Columnist, come and speak to you about the industry. We have a track record of excellence in teaching, learning and research and our business school received the top award from the Higher Education Funding council for England to become a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
• Student support: As a student you will be assigned to an Academic Adviser who will provide both academic and personal support. Student Support Coordinators provide guidance for your course and university-wide administrative issues. They organise a range of events to help you adjust to postgraduate study and are able to help you get advice about any issues you may have during your studies.
• Oxford location:Oxford offers everything you could want as a student and more. As one of the world's great centres of learning, it is a bustling and stunning cosmopolitan city full of history and beautiful buildings. Located just over an hour from the hub of business life in London with easy access to international airports, you'll be at the heart of the UK's most successful economic region.

Course content

The MSc Accounting programme consists of four compulsory modules, up to two elective modules and the research project. You can view the course structure here.

The modules are as follows:

• Business Concepts and Skills 
• Managerial Accounting and Performance Management.
• Financial Accounting and Reporting 
• Corporate Finance Concepts
• Finance and Accounting Research Project

Elective modules - You can choose either one or two elective modules from a choice of:

• Audit and Assurance
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Finance in Context
• Financial Modelling
• International Business In Practice: Study Trip (Non-credit)
• International Finance.

As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, course content and module choices may change from those listed in the course entry.

Teaching and learning

Much of the teaching takes place in interactive workshops. In addition, lectures, discussions, role-play exercises and seminars are linked with selected case studies and assessments to strengthen your practical analysis and decision-making skills. You will develop your team-working skills through a structured group assignment. 

Teaching staff from the Business School have in-depth knowledge of accounting practices and issues through practical experience or academic research. Visiting speakers from business and research bodies provide further input.

This is an intensive programme and you will have two taught classes each week for several modules.

Approach to assessment

Assessment will include a range of activities including examinations, case studies, reports and a group presentation.

Specialist facilities

We're investing over £30m to create modern teaching and learning facilities and creating a new home at Headington for the Business School.

Set to be complete in 2017, you'll see:

• The Business School brought together in a modern, professional environment
• 30 teaching rooms and a collaborative lecture theatre
• A new Main Hall with soundproof wall, perfect for teaching and events like graduations
• Social learning spaces and a cafe
• A new gateway into the Headington Campus.

Our library provides specialist business resources (both hard copy and via online access) to UK and overseas companies' annual reports, statistics on all aspects of business and management, a wide range of constantly updated key texts, and postgraduate MA, MBA, MSc and PhD theses.

Field trips

We offer an International Business in Practice Study Trip module. The purpose of this study trip is to give postgraduate students a hands-on, intensive experience with the ideas and practices of global business. The programme will include presentations from local management executives and experts. Students will have direct interaction with management executives and practices through site visits to major corporations and agencies.

This study trip is voluntary and all costs associated with the trip will need to be funded by you. It is not linked to university assessments in any way. If you successfully complete this module you will have the following non-credit bearing module recorded on your transcript: P58335 International Business in Practice: Study Trip.

Attendance pattern

Classes are timetabled throughout the week and not every week will be the same.

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The Postgraduate Certificate in Acute Care of the Older Person with Frailty enables UK registered healthcare professionals to achieve professional development and experience in this specialist area.

You will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care relating to to the management of older patients with frailty who have complex care needs and are being cared for in an acute care environment.

Successful completion of this course allows you to exit with the Postgraduate Certificate in Acute Care of the Older Person with Frailty worth 60 CATS credits at Level 7.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying-at-brookes/courses/postgraduate/2015/postgraduate-certificate-in-acute-care-of-the-older-person-with-frailty/

Why choose this course?

- Practitioners are educated to develop a critical understanding of acute care of the older person with frailty and by applying evidence based practice, deliver the best outcome of care for the patient and their family.

- There is an emphasis on practice focused learning throughout, with learning and assessments being placed around practice and the workplace.

- Identifying the importance of developing practitioner skills for practice enables the transferability of the programme to direct service provision.

- Curriculum content is informed by relevant national and international research and evidence based literature to help you expand the breadth of your studies and develop a depth of critical analysis and evaluation of practice.

- Importance is placed on the experience of the individual within the educational process and your journey of lifelong learning from both a personal and professional perspective.

- Our lecturers are experienced in their specialist practice areas and maintain excellent practice links with those areas locally or across the region.

This course in detail

This postgraduate certificate consists of two compulsory modules, one single (20 credits at Level 7) and one double (40 credits at Level 7). Both modules are delivered face to face.

- Modules
P44004 Care of the Deteriorating or Acutely Unwell Adult (20 credits)
This single Level 7 practice related module provides you with the opportunity to develop a critical problem solving approach to the assessment and management of the deteriorating and acutely unwell adult.

P44009 Care of the Older Person with Frailty (40 credits)
This double level 7 practice module will provide you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of the complexity of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care relevant to the older person with frailty.

Please note: as our courses are reviewed regularly, the list of modules you choose from may vary from those shown here.

Teaching and learning

Teaching, learning and assessment strategy is student centred, patient-centred and practice-focused in its approach. Each module strikes a good balance between structured learning activities and private study. You will have plenty of opportunity to share and develop your existing skills, knowledge and experience. To make the most of the range of experience, skills and knowledge within the group, a variety of teaching and learning strategies will be employed.

Approach to assessment

You will be assessed in each of the modules. There is a mixture of assessment strategies chosen because of their appropriateness for an individual module and programme learning outcomes and content, the academic standard expected and the different styles of learning in the group. Assessments give you an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge as well as the critical and reflective analysis required for professional practice.

The assessments will also provide you with an opportunity to experience a range of postgraduate attributes that will prove valuable for your future career.

How this course helps you develop

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies include development of a range of core postgraduate attributes encouraging development of critical self-awareness and personal literacy, digital and information literacy and active citizenship within the context of both academic and research literacy.

Careers

Students who have completed similar postgraduate certificate courses at Oxford Brookes have been employed within their speciality both locally and nationally. This course enables you to work through the Agenda for Change grading bands to gain career progression as a practitioner in your field.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

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The Postgraduate Certificate in Adult Intensive Care Practice enables UK registered healthcare professionals to achieve professional development and gain experience in this specialist area.

You will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care, relevant to the management of critically ill patients with complex care needs being cared for in an intensive care environment.

Successful completion of this course allows you to exit with the Postgraduate Certificate in Adult Intensive Care Practice worth 60 CATS credits at Level 7.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying-at-brookes/courses/postgraduate/2015/postgraduate-certificate-in-adult-intensive-care-practice/

Why choose this course?

- Practitioners are educated to develop a critical understanding of adult intensive care practice and by applying evidence based practice, deliver the best outcome of care for the patient and their family.

- There is an emphasis on practice focused learning throughout, with learning and assessments being based around practice and the workplace.

- Identifying the importance of developing the skills of the practitioner for practice ensures the transferability of the programme to direct service provision.

- Curriculum content is informed by relevant national and international research and evidence based literature to help you to expand the breadth of your studies and develop a depth of critical analysis and evaluation of practice.

- Importance is placed on the individual's experience within the educational process and your journey of lifelong learning from both a personal and professional perspective.

- Our lecturers are experienced in their specialist practice areas and maintain excellent practice links with those areas locally or across the region.

This course in detail

This postgraduate certificate consists of two compulsory modules, one single (20 credits at Level 7) and one double (40 credits at Level 7). Both modules are delivered face to face.

- Modules
P44008 Adult Cardiorespiratory Intensive Care Practice (20 credits)
This level 7 single practice module will provide you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care relevant to critically ill patients with haemodynamic and respiratory compromise.

P44010 Dimensions of Adult Intensive care practice (40 credits)
This level 7 double practice module provides you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care. This relates directly to the management of critically ill patients with neurological, renal or gastrointestinal compromise and those with multiple traumatic injuries.

Teaching and learning

This programme's teaching, learning and assessment strategy reflects its student centred, patient-centred and practice-focused approach. Each module strikes a good balance between structured learning activities and private study. You will have opportunities for sharing existing and developing skills while increasing your knowledge and experience. A variety of teaching and learning strategies will be employed to make the most of the range of experience, skills and knowledge within the group.

Approach to assessment

You will be assessed in each of the modules. Assessment strategies are chosen because of their appropriateness for an individual module and programme learning outcomes and content, the academic standard expected and the different styles of learning present within the group. Assessments provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge as well as the critical and reflective analysis required for professional practice.

The assessments also enable you to experience a range of valuable postgraduate attributes relevant to your future career.

How this course helps you develop

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies focus on core postgraduate attributes encouraging development of critical self-awareness and personal literacy, digital and information literacy and active citizenship within the context of both academic and research literacy.

Careers

Students who have completed similar postgraduate certificate courses have been employed within their speciality both locally and nationally. This course enables you to work through the Agenda for Change grading bands to gain career progression within your adult intensive care practitioner field.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

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Adult Nursing is an exciting and rewarding career choice. It's one in which you can make a real and positive contribution to people with long and short-term health problems who are facing some of the most challenging experiences of their lives.

If you have a relevant bachelor's degree, this three-year pre-registration master's degree gives you the chance to undertake an Adult Nursing course leading to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The course is available part-time and full-time on both the Oxford and Swindon campuses.

If you are interested in this course, you should consider attending an Undergraduate Open Day.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/adult-nursing-pre-registration/

Why choose this course?

- We have a large and dedicated building in Oxford (Marston Road) and a campus in Swindon (Ferndale), equipped with state-of-the-art classroom and clinical skills simulation suites and resources.

- Throughout the course, you will benefit from an interprofessional approach to learning in which you will study with other health and social care students. This will help to prepare you for work in the current health care environment.

- Our courses are open to a wide range of health and social care professionals providing highly flexible continuing professional development (CPD) study opportunities with part-time, full-time and mixed-mode options (including opportunities for e-learning, blended and distance learning).

- We support multi and interprofessional learning and teaching, and many of our courses are either fully multiprofessional or offer excellent opportunities for shared learning.

- Our lecturers maintain excellent practice links in their specialist areas locally or across the region.

- Many of our lecturers have reputations for excellence and have established links with colleagues, organisations and institutions at national and international levels.

- We have a strong research profile, with experienced researchers working in established areas of cancer care, children and families, drug and alcohol, physical rehabilitation and enablement, and interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

- In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, 98% of our research in Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy was rated as internationally recognised, with 82% being world leading or internationally excellent.

- We are a student-centred institution that is fully committed to each individual achieving their potential. To support this, we offer a broad range of student support schemes to facilitate learning and development.

- We have an excellent track record of high levels of student satisfaction, low student attrition rates and high employability.

Teaching and learning

We teach a very wide range of pre-qualification and foundation courses including health and social care, nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy, osteopathy, operating department practice, paramedic emergency care, physiotherapy and social work. You will share your learning with these other health care students. This is a key component of the course as it is essential in developing your teamwork skills and your understanding of the other roles you will encounter in practice.

We offer a very friendly and supportive environment in which to learn; we consistently receive very high satisfaction ratings for our student support and learning resources in student surveys. We have excellent teaching facilities including classrooms and a lecture theatre, dedicated clinical skills suites and simulation resources, featuring a very well-equipped movement laboratory, a family of computerised simulation manikins (including a simman, simbaby and birthing mother), an extensive range of anatomy models and fully networked computer rooms.

We have excellent library resources, accessible both through the web and through a range of locally based facilities on university and NHS sites.

Information technology plays an important role in health care courses and an extensive range of learning resources can be accessed through ‘Brookes Virtual', an online repository of lectures, handouts, information and learning exercises.

Approach to assessment

You will be asked to produce a number of different types of written work throughout your study, including critical appraisals, reflective work and case studies. Some assignments will also require you to present work to faculty staff and peers.

Assessment of practice learning occurs both within the 'practice modules' - Professional Practice Experience (PPE) modules - and also in the 'practice-related' modules. All students have a Practice Assessment Document which contains a competency framework to assess practice.

As a postgraduate student with more highly developed academic skills and a self-directed approach, you are expected to work to produce material that is creative and original. You will be encouraged to try out the creative application of new or existing ideas or theory to address contemporary practice problems, health and social care policy or health and social care needs.

Careers

When you qualify there is a very wide range of specialist options and lifelong learning opportunities you can pursue, whether you choose to work in the NHS in hospital, or the community, or in the independent sector with private or voluntary organisations. UK-trained nurses are also highly valued throughout the world and there are many opportunities to work overseas.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses

Research highlights

We have a number of both promising and experienced researchers working in established areas including cancer care, children and families, drugs and alcohol, physical rehabilitation and enablement, and interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Over the past few years, these researchers have won external research and consultancy contracts including grants, fellowships and studentships for NHS staff. Our research staff collaborate with researchers from across Oxford Brookes University and from the Institute of Health Sciences at Oxford University, and with research teams from many other UK and international centres.

Our academic staff have extensive experience of NHS and general management at both senior and director level, with a significant record of research and publications. The currency of the course is also assured by the lecturers' close involvement in the health and social care sector.

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, 98% of our research in Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy was rated as internationally recognised, with 82% being world leading or internationally excellent. The University has been careful to nurture emerging research strengths, and the international standing achieved by subjects allied to health demonstrates significant progress since 2008.

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The MSc Advanced Nursing Practice will begin recruitment in January 2016.

The programme aims to prepare, support, and develop nurses who are employed in clinical roles with advanced practice, leadership, education, and research responsibilities.

Continuing developments in health care have resulted in the need for some professionals to have greater responsibility and accountability for developing service provision. This course offers opportunities for a wide range of health care professionals, including nurses and allied health professionals, to engage in continuing professional and postgraduate academic development. The course will extend your knowledge and practice skills, and challenge your understanding and beliefs with regard to health care.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/advanced-practice-clinical/

Why choose this course?

- Students have access to state-of-the-art clinical skills simulation suites and resources.

- We support multi and interprofessional learning and teaching, and many of our courses are either fully multiprofessional or offer excellent opportunities for shared learning.

- Our lecturers are experienced in their specialist practice areas and maintain excellent practice links with those areas locally or across the region.

- Many of our lecturers have reputations for excellence and have established links with colleagues, organisations and institutions at national and international levels.

- We have a strong research profile, with experienced researchers working in established areas of cancer care, children and families, drug and alcohol, physical rehabilitation and enablement, and interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

- In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, 98% of our research in Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy was rated as internationally recognised, with 82% being world leading or internationally excellent.

- We have an excellent track record of high levels of student satisfaction, low student attrition rates and high employability.

Teaching and learning

The course has a flexible modular structure. Learning activities include seminars, group discussions, action-learning circles, and skills practise. There is an emphasis on analysing real situations from practice as a basis for examining underlying theoretical issues.

All our courses adopt a student-centred approach to teaching and learning and are strongly focused on encouraging each individual to attain their full potential as lifelong learners. In a lively, challenging and supportive atmosphere you will be encouraged to share your learning with peers and colleagues, and to consider how you can contribute to the development of others. The strategies we use encourage self-reflection, the integration of theory and practice, and inter-professional collaboration.

Some modules are designed in a distance learning mode using IT resources, including the Brookes Virtual Learning Environment (an online repository of lectures, handouts, information and learning exercises). Most are delivered in a ‘blended learning’ framework combining attended taught sessions with online learning and resources.

Approach to assessment

Module assessment strategies vary throughout the programme. You will have opportunities to negotiate the specific content and nature of most module assessments with your tutors to ensure that your work combines academic study with challenges in current practice.

How this course helps you develop

Students on the post graduate programmes in advanced practice are invariably employed in senior clinical roles in healthcare. A number of past students have subsequently gained promotion to consultant or senior clinical management positions following their completion post graduate study in advanced practice.

Careers

Students on the post graduate programmes in advanced practice are invariably employed in senior clinical roles in healthcare. A number of past students have subsequently gained promotion to consultant or senior clinical management positions following their completion post graduate study in advanced practice.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research highlights

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, 98% of our research in Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy was rated as internationally recognised, with 82% being world leading or internationally excellent.

We have a number of both promising and senior, experienced researchers working in established areas including cancer care, children and families, drugs and alcohol, physical rehabilitation and enablement, and interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Over the past few years, these researchers have won external research and consultancy contracts including grants, fellowships and studentships for NHS staff. Our research staff collaborate with researchers from across Oxford Brookes University and from the Institute of Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, along with research teams from many other UK and international centres.

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The MSc in Advanced Practice (Clinical) aims to prepare, support and develop effective clinical leaders in health and social care who are employed in clinical roles with advanced practice, leadership, education and research responsibilities.

Continuing developments in health and social care have resulted in the need for some professionals to have greater responsibility and accountability for developing service provision. This course offers opportunities for a wide range of health and social care professionals, including nurses and allied health professionals, to engage in continuing professional and postgraduate academic development.

The course will extend your skills, knowledge and practice, and challenge your attitudes to health and social care.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying-at-brookes/courses/postgraduate/2015/advanced-practice-clinical/

Why choose this course?

- We have a large and dedicated building in Oxford (Marston Road) and a campus in Swindon (Ferndale), equipped with state-of-the-art classroom and clinical skills simulation suites and resources.

- Our courses are open to a wide range of health and social care professionals providing highly-flexible continuing professional development (CPD) study opportunities with part-time, full-time and mixed-mode options (including opportunities for e-learning, blended and distance learning).

- We support multi and interprofessional learning and teaching, and many of our courses are either fully multiprofessional or offer excellent opportunities for shared learning.

- Our lecturers are experienced in their specialist practice areas and maintain excellent practice links with those areas locally or across the region.

- Many of our lecturers have reputations for excellence and have established links with colleagues, organisations and institutions at national and international levels.

- We have a strong research profile, with experienced researchers working in established areas of cancer care, children and families, drug and alcohol, physical rehabilitation and enablement, and interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

- Oxford Brookes is rated internationally excellent across a broad range of subjects in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 70% of our research in Allied Health Professions and Studies was rated as being of international significance, of which 10% was rated as world-leading.

- Oxford Brookes is a student-centred institution that is fully committed to each individual achieving their potential. To support this, we offer a broad range of student support schemes to facilitate learning and development.

- We have an excellent track record of high levels of student satisfaction, low student attrition rates and high employability.

Teaching and learning

The course has a flexible modular structure. Learning activities include seminars, group discussion and action-learning circles. There is an emphasis on analysing real situations from practice as a basis for examining underlying theoretical issues. All our courses adopt a student-centred approach to teaching and learning and are strongly focused on encouraging each individual to attain their full potential as lifelong learners. In a lively, challenging and supportive atmosphere you will be encouraged to share your learning with peers and colleagues, and to consider how you can contribute to the development of others. The strategies we use encourage self-reflection, the integration of theory and practice, and interprofessional collaboration.

Some modules are designed in a distance learning mode using IT resources, including the Brookes Virtual Learning Environment (an online repository of lectures, handouts, information and learning exercises). Most are delivered in a ‘blended learning’ framework combining attended taught sessions with online learning and resources.

Approach to assessment

Assessment strategies are varied although largely based on coursework. You will have opportunities to negotiate the specific content and nature of most module assessments with your tutors to ensure that your work combines academic study with challenges in current practice. Assessed work and additional evidence are assembled in a portfolio to demonstrate your progression and achievement in relation to a set of advanced practice outcomes.

Careers

Students on the course are employed in senior clinical roles in healthcare; the majority are promoted to consultant or senior clinical management positions as a direct result of completing the course.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research highlights

We are very pleased with the results received in the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 70% of our research in Allied Health Professions and Studies was rated as being of international significance in the assessment of research, and of this, 10% was rated as world-leading.

We have a number of both promising and senior, experienced researchers working in established areas including cancer care, children and families, drugs and alcohol, physical rehabilitation and enablement, and interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Over the past few years, these researchers have won external research and consultancy contracts including grants, fellowships and studentships for NHS staff. Our research staff collaborate with researchers from across Oxford Brookes University and from the Institute of Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, along with research teams from many other UK and international centres.

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Oxford Brookes is one of very few UK universities where social and biological anthropology are taught alongside each other.

This course emphasises the holistic and comparative breadth of anthropology - studying humans from a variety of social, cultural, biological and evolutionary perspectives.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying-at-brookes/courses/postgraduate/2015/anthropology/

Why choose this course?

- We are one of the few universities in the UK to teach social and biological anthropology side by side

- You get opportunities to work alongside leading, research-active academics such as Professor Anna Nekaris, Professor Jeremy McClancy and Professor Kate Hill.

- There are excellent learning resources, both at Oxford Brookes and at Oxford’s museums and libraries including the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Science Library, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Museum of Natural History

- We have a dynamic community of research scholars undertaking internationally recognised and world-leading research

- The course flexibility in module choices enables students to follow their particular interests

- There is the option to join MSc students on a field trip to Apenhuel Primate Park in the Netherlands

- The Graduate Diploma in Anthropology enables graduates from other disciplines, and those with equivalent qualifications or work experience, to gain a qualification in anthropology at advanced undergraduate level.

Teaching and learning

We provide a broad range of learning experiences, including independent study, work in small groups, seminars and lectures.

We also use a wide range of assessment techniques, including essays, book reviews, class presentations, fieldwork reports and exams.

Field trips

You will be offered the opportunity to join MSc students on their annual trip to Apenhuel Primate Park in the Netherlands. The 3-day trip costs between £105 and £115, depending on numbers.

Careers

Many students choose the graduate diploma as a route to further study, continuing their education at master's and PhD level. However, anthropology graduates go on to a variety of careers including overseas development aid, environmental maintenance, education, eco-tourism, urban planning and the civil service.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research highlights

Professor Anna Nekaris has been awarded a prestigious Leverhulme Trust grant of over £200k to undertake research in to why and how the seemingly cute and cuddly slow loris is the only primate to produce a biological venom. Understanding the nature of slow loris venom should also have implications for the conservation of this seriously threatened primate, a popular but illegal pet that is widely traded on the black market.

An international team of scientists, including Professor Adrian Parker, have revealed that humans left Africa at least 50,000 years earlier than previously suggested and were, in fact, present in eastern Arabia as early as 125,000 years ago. The new study published in the journal Science reports findings from an eight-year archaeological excavation at a site called Jebel Faya in the United Arab Emirates. Palaeolithic stone tools found at the Jebel Faya were similar to tools produced by early modern humans in east Africa, but very different from those produced to the north, in the Levant and the mountains of Iran. This suggested early modern humans migrated into Arabia directly from Africa and not via the Nile Valley and the Near East as is usually suggested. The new findings will reinvigorate the debate about man’s origins and how we became a global species.

Professor Jeremy MacClancy's latest book Centralizing Fieldwork, critical perspectives in primatology, biological and social anthropology, was co-edited with Augustin Fuentes of Notre Dame University and is published by Berghahn.

Research areas and clusters

Research can be undertaken in the following areas:
- Anthropology of Art
- Anthropology of Food
- Anthropology of Work, and Play
- Anthropology of Gender
- Social Anthropology of Japan, South Asia and Europe
- Social Anthropology of Family, Class and Gender in Urban South Asia
- Basque studies
- Culture and landscapes
- Environmental archaeology and palaeo-anthropology
- Environmental anthropology
- Environmental reconstruction
- Human origins
- Human resource ecology
- Human–wildlife interaction and conservation
- Physical environmental processes and management
- Primate conservation
- Primatology
- Quaternary environmental change
- Urban and environmental studies.

Research centres:
- Europe Japan Research Centre
- Anthropology Centre for Conservation, Environment and Development.

Consultancy:
- Oxford Brookes Archaeology and Heritage (OBAH).

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Applied Human Nutrition is a practical, research driven masters course detailing the science behind the nutritional requirements of humans from pre-conception to old age.

Recently there has been a significant rise in diet-related illnesses around the globe, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. Poor nutrition is causing increasing public health problems in all sectors and ages, especially among the young and the elderly. On the other hand, in some areas of the world deficiency diseases and malnutrition are common.

A key focus of this course is examining the provision of food and nutrients to the body to facilitate optimum physical and mental development and maintenance of health throughout a lifetime. It also emphasises the specific problems of global nutrition and the public health implications.

The course is suited to graduates with a background in the biological sciences. Applications are encouraged from UK, EU and international students with an interest in acquiring expertise in nutrition, and from graduates who wish to pursue careers as nutritionists.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/applied-human-nutrition/

Why choose this course?

- High profile speakers from the food industry, government and research bodies regularly present at our nutrition seminar series, keeping students up-to-date with current thinking on nutrition, food and policy topics.

- You have opportunities to work with our Functional Food Centre, the UK's first research centre dedicated to functional foods, in undertaking your research project - involving you in some of the cutting edge research that helps the government and food industry develop new products with specific health and nutritional benefits.

- Our Functional Food Centre has excellent links with the food industry, giving students an opportunity to undertake their research project externally or to develop contacts for career progression.

- Our course is accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN), the largest learned society for nutrition in Europe. There is increasing recognition among employers, in industry and in the public sectors that registration with the AfN is a sign of quality, which could enhance graduate career prospects.

Teaching and learning

Teaching is organised on a module-credit basis, with each module involving approximately 200 hours of student input and approximately 36 hours of staff contact, normally delivered through three hours' teaching each week for 12 weeks. Learning methods include lectures, directed reading, workshops, seminars, practical and project work. The research project will be supervised on a one-to-one basis.

Each module is assessed individually, generally on the quality of written or design work, and to some extent on verbal presentations. Assessment methods may include essays, seminar papers, formal written examinations, in-class tests, project work, design and verbal presentations, workshops, simulations, and practical exercises.

Teaching staff are drawn primarily from the Department of Sport and Health Sciences, but will include visiting speakers from business and industry, local government, consultancies, research bodies and other universities.

The Functional Food Centre is an internationally-renowned research group consisting of visiting professors, fellows, research assistants and PhD students, who are all researching nutrition and food topics.

Specialist facilities

As one of the biggest European Centres for Glycaemic Index testing, the Functional Food Centre boasts impressive facilities including a dedicated product development kitchen and fully equipped sensory booths

How this course helps you develop

There are a number of networking opportunities with people from the nutrition profession through the Functional Food Centre's links with the food industry, public health bodies and other research institutes. In addition, students will benefit from the experience of meeting and listening to high-profile speakers from food companies, government and other universities who give key-note lectures.

Careers

Graduates pursue a range of nutrition-related careers, particularly in health promotion as food and health co-ordinators: in industry with food and drink manufacturers and retailers, medical food companies, food service providers and trade associations; in government and policy to improve the health of the population; and in research in universities, food companies or research institutes.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research areas and clusters

We have a number of research strengths and exciting projects currently underway that you can can get involved in during your research projects.Some of the areas of interest include:
- Glycaemic control and the development of low glycaemic index foods
- Female nutrition and the role of the menstrual cycle in energy regulation
- Appetite and satiety
- Childhood obesity and the factors influencing it
- Sensory testing of foods
- Weight management
- Management of type 2 diabetes with nutrition and physical activity
- Functional food ingredients and their effect on energy regulation
- Antioxidant properties of foods

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Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition at Oxford Brookes focuses on the role of nutrition in the optimisation of health and physical performance. Nutrition has profound effects on both human health and athletic performance and this course is based on the latest scientific research and contemporary practice. It is designed to fulfil the needs of students who want to work with a range of populations to improve their health, fitness or sporting performance. Applications are encouraged from graduates who have a background in either sport and exercise science or human nutrition.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/applied-sport-and-exercise-nutrition/

Why choose this course?

- Our research groups and consultancies have strong links with Oxfordshire hospitals, elite athletes and food organisations, allowing students to conduct internal and external research projects and develop potential career opportunities.

- We invite guest speakers from industry, other universities and research organisations to provide you with subject specialist knowledge.

- Our staff come from a wide range of sporting and nutrition backgrounds. Some are actively involved in coaching which means the course is based on the latest scientific research and contemporary practice.

- Small class sizes provide plenty of opportunities for in-depth discussions and practical application of the theory.

- We provide opportunities to work with university and local sports teams as well as individuals seeking personalised nutrition advice.

- Our staff conduct first-class research in sport, exercise and nutrition and bring it to the classroom.

Teaching and learning

Teaching is organised on a module-credit basis, with each module requiring approximately 36 hours of staff contact time and 200 hours of total student input in each 12-week semester.

The main theme of the teaching and learning aspect of this MSc is to encourage you to develop the necessary skills to understand and communicate advanced theoretical and research-based knowledge of nutrition to people who participate in sport and exercise. Learning methods reflect the wide variety of topics associated with applied sport and exercise nutrition and include lectures, directed reading, workshops, seminars, practical exercises, laboratory sessions and project work. The research project will be supervised on a one-to-one basis.

Student performance in each module is usually assessed by evaluation of the quality of written or design work, and verbal presentations. Assessment methods may include essays, seminar papers, formal written examinations, in-class tests, project case work, design and verbal presentations, workshops, simulations, and practical exercises.

Specialist facilities

- BASES-accredited Human Performance Laboratory.
- Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation Unit.
- Functional Food Centre.
- Specialist equipment including near-infrared spectroscopy, Qualysis motion capture system, online breath-by-breath analysis technologies and a BodPod.

Field trips

We encourage students to attend relevant industry and academic conferences to further their subject knowledge and take advantage of networking opportunities. When possible, we provide finanical support for students to attend conferences (subject to availability).

Careers

Many sports are becoming increasingly professional in their approach to training and nutrition. For example, many sports clubs now employ full-time nutrition consultants. Career prospects outside sport are perhaps even more exciting. The NHS offers an increasing number of opportunities for students with specialist training in exercise nutrition to support GP referral schemes and other healthy living programmes. The growing awareness of health within society, coupled with misunderstandings about the relationships between physical activity, nutrition and health has led to an increasing demand for graduates who can deliver evidence-based solutions and advice at all levels. Research or teaching within further or higher education also provide potential career opportunities.

Graduates progress to a diverse range of careers including exercise and lifestyle consultants based within hospitals and private practice. Various graduates have secured full time and part time work with professional sports teams as well as the Institutes of Sport in the UK. Graduates also progress to work in major international companies such as GlaxoSmithKline or are employed as industry consultants, dieticians and nutrition counsellors. Graduates have also successfully gained funded PhD positions.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research areas and clusters

- Immediate physiological and psychophysical exercise performed at different intensities.

- Effects of restricted fluid intake in people with MS on temperature control, energy levels, balance and cognitive and physical performance.

- Feasibility of supporting people with long-term neurological conditions to exercise in the community.

- Exploring exercise responses in children with physical disabilities with plans to explore delivery of community exercise and sports programmes.

- Exploring novel exercise delivery techniques for people who find it hard to move, including use of mental imagery.

- Effect of fluid and carbohydrate intake on rowing skill and performance.

- Relationship between levels of physical activity and blood levels of neuroactive proteins induced by exercise.

- Green tea effect on competitive cycling performance.

- Effective nutritional strategies for enhancing post-exercise rehydration.

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It is expected that applicants from the field of architecture will already possess an accredited graduate diploma or postgraduate degree in architecture (UK), a professional master's in architecture (US), or the international equivalent.

The MArch course is an experimentally minded design studio. You will be working with students from all over the world to generate design proposals that explore the edges of architectural thought.

There is an emphasis not only on the materials and techniques of construction but also elements such as air, heat, water, sound, smell and lights as materials too. This exploration will involve visits to factories and workshops where materials are manipulated in a variety of unusual ways, and also practical experimentation and testing in the studio environment.

This programme offers the opportunity to explore ideas in great detail, resulting in a thesis that might take the form of a video, set of drawings or physical model. The portfolio generated alongside the thesis will act as a curated record of your findings.

Why choose this course?

Oxford Brookes University is unusual in offering this design-based speculative research course in architecture that builds on its excellent reputation for architectural courses at postgraduate and undergraduate level. Brookes' School of Architecture is recognised as one of the country's leading schools and is consistently ranked by The Architects' Journal as one of the five best schools in the UK.
Students from the school figure regularly in national and international prizes and awards, and go on to work for many of the best-known practices in the country. We have an international reputation in research, in areas ranging from sustainable design to modular buildings and from design for well-being to vernacular architecture.

Staff in the school regularly secure research funding from the UK's research councils and the European Union as well as industry, with an annual research grant income averaging £1,000,000 in recent years. This research expertise feeds directly into the teaching programme at all levels, from undergraduate to PhD. The School of Architecture has dedicated studio space and postgraduate facilities.

This course in detail

The Advanced Architectural Design Modules (50+30 credits) represent the core of the learning experience. Project–based learning is used in a studio environment to individually and collectively explore architectural design problems. The design studio tutors will set the specific design problem and methodology employed. It is envisaged that several parallel studios may be established, numbers permitting, each led by separate studio tutors with different agendas, programmes and methodologies. However, the learning outcomes will be common. Initially, there will be only one studio which will be organised as follows:

The first semester is always a rigid organised fabric of reviews, workshops, tutorials and deadlines with students working both individually and in groups. Within this framework students engage in two strands of investigation: A. an in-depth research into the tectonic possibilities of a new material/s and B. the analysis of a real site with the aim of generating a series of questions that demand an architectural response. By the end of the semester each student is expected to present to a jury of invited critics a catalogue both conceptual and material, from which they will make a project, in a coherent manner using appropriate media. This jury provides formative feedback for students on their learning.

The first semester design studio is complimented by a series of challenging, group and individual based workshops, Urban Cultures, on drawing, model making and movie making, run by the tutors. Students are expected to engage in questioning and debate with the lecturers and are required to produce a series of responses in drawn and written forms, which contribute to their design portfolio, around a theme related to the lecture series.

Spread over the second semester there is a further series of lectures on Architecture and the City given by external academics and practitioners. Students are expected to engage in questioning and debate with the lecturers and are required to produce a series of responses in drawn and written forms to exercises set by the visiting lecturer. The results are to be bound into a book, which contributes to and supports their design portfolio, around a theme related to the lecture series.

The second semester design studio focuses on the architectural implications of bringing the two apparently dissimilar strands of the first semester’s investigation into surprising conjunctions. Students are asked to approach the possibilities created by these apparently disconnected procedures in an entirely logical way.
At this stage the studio places emphasis on the importance of developing students’ ability to demonstrate conceptual clarity, to locate their ideas in the spectrum of current and past architecture and to maintain a strong link between concept and product.

Students are also encouraged to explore a wide range of media and technique and to develop a rationale for selecting appropriate techniques for the representation of particular kinds of architectural ideas. Students are required to present their design projects to an invited group of invited critics close to the end of the semester.

This proves formative feedback for students. The final Module mark is generated from a portfolio-based assessment held at the end of the second semester involving a panel internal staff. This system will ensure a parity of marking when the module consists of multiple design studios.

Students also undertake a Research Methods Module in the second semester that prepares them for their dissertation project. A set of generic postgraduate school-wide lectures on research paradigms, methodology and research tools is followed by Masters specific seminars in which students develop a synopsis for their dissertation’. The module is assessed by means of a review of a relevant past Masters dissertation and a synopsis proposal.

The MArch programme concludes with the Dissertation Project in which individual students work with a supervisor on projects that have developed from the work of the design studio. Students are expected to produce original, relevant and valid projects. The dissertation can take a written or design based form. In the latter case a written commentary is expected as part of the dissertation submission. Students submit their dissertation projects at the end of the summer vacation and are expected to hold an exhibition of their work in the Department or elsewhere as agreed.

Students who have qualified for the award of MA are encouraged to apply to continue to the PhD degree programme in the School if they so wish. A Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Architectural Design can be gained by students who complete 120 credits but do not complete the full master's programme.

Teaching and learning

Studio research is complemented by a series of challenging talks by visiting academics and practitioners at every stage of the process as well as a consistent programme of individual discussions and workshops with your tutors.

You will work both in groups and individually, exploring a new kind of architecture. The methods of exploration include techniques primarily associated with the movie industry, such as the making of collages, optical composites, physical models and drawings both by hand and computer. The tutors act as guides to reveal areas of interest so that you develop an individual approach to the brief, the programme and the realisation of a project.

Teaching is heavily design-studio based, with project-based learning in a studio environment. Several parallel studies may operate, offering different methodologies but with common learning outcomes. The design studio will be complemented by a series of lectures, reviews, tutorials and site visits.

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Automotive industry design is undergoing a very swift and radical change and this course prepares automotive engineers to deal with this complex and fast development. Our applied approach to design, manufacture and testing of automotive products ensures that our graduates are ready for automotive industry, with excellent employability prospects. In addition, our location is in the heart of one of Europe's biggest concentrations of high-tech businesses and the UK motorsport valley. This offers unrivalled opportunities for students to collaborate with automotive industry and their supply chain. It keeps students abreast with the current developments in automotive technologies, production methods, processes and management techniques. Our teaching is centred around our state-of-the-art laboratories in a purpose-designed engineering building.

Why choose this course?

You will be taught in a purpose-designed engineering building, by staff with exceptional knowledge and expertise in their fields. Lecturers include world-leaders in research on sustainable vehicle engineering, and those with experience of designing and working with major automotive manufacturers such as TATA, MAN and BMW. Our visiting speakers from business and industry provide professional perspective, preparing you for an exciting career; for more information see our industrial lecture series schedule. We have close links with industry including the BMW MINI plant in Oxford, Porsche, Ford, MAN, MIRA and other national and international partners. Our research incorporates the latest developments within the sector with high profile visiting speakers contributing to our invited research lectures.

In REF 2014 57% of the department's research was judged to be of world leading quality or internationally excellent with 96% being internationally recognised. Regular visits to automotive industry and their supply chain provide students with opportunities to explore technical challenges and the latest technology - to get a flavour of the activities within our department see 2015 highlights. You will have the opportunity to join our acclaimed Formula Student team (OBR), mentored by our alumni and visiting lecturers from automotive and motorsport industry. You will put theory into practice by competing with the best universities from around the world. Find out more about Formula Student at Brookes by visiting the Oxford Brookes Racing website: https://obr.brookes.ac.uk/

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and The Institute of Engineering and Technology meeting the academic requirements for full Chartered Engineer status.

This course in detail

The course is structured around three periods: Semester 1 runs from September to December, Semester 2 from January to May, and the summer period completes the year until the beginning of September.

To qualify for a master's degree you must pass the compulsory modules, one of two alternative-compulsory modules and one optional module, along with the dissertation.

Compulsory modules
-Advanced Vehicle Dynamics
-Sustainable Engineering Technology.
-Advanced Engineering Management

Alternative-compulsory modules (you must pass at least one of these):
-Noise, Vibration and Harshness
-Vehicle Crash Engineering

Optional modules (you take one of these, unless you take both alternative-compulsory modules above):
-Advanced Vehicle Aerodynamics
-Engineering Reliability and Risk Management
-CAD/CAM
-Advanced Powertrain Engineering

The Dissertation (core, triple credit) is an individual project on a topic from automotive engineering, offering an opportunity to develop a high level of expertise in a particular area of automotive engineering, including use of industry-standard software and/or experimental work, the module will also provide you with research skills, planning techniques, project management. Whilst a wide range of industry-sponsored projects are available (e.g. MAN (Germany), VUHL (Mexico), McLaren (UK), AVL (Austria), Arctic Truck (Iceland) etc.), students are also able undertake their own projects in the UK and abroad, to work in close co-operation with a research, or commercial organisation.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the choice of modules available may differ from those described above.

Teaching and learning

Teaching staff are drawn primarily from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. Visiting speakers from business and industry provide further input.

Careers and professional development

Our graduates enjoy the very best employment opportunities, with hundreds of engineering students having gone onto successful careers in their chosen industry. Many of our students go on to work with leading automotive or motorsport companies in the UK and worldwide.

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This programme has been designed to meet the challenging demands of the modern learner and the rapidly evolving needs of the built environment sector in respect to the emergence of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a working practice, the MSc in Buiding Information Modelling and Management , through its intelligent use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), is designed to deliver a flexible and innovative programme of study.

The MSc is available both as a one year full-time programme, and in distance learning mode that is normally taken over two years (extendable up to 5 years). The course consists of four core modules plus research methods and a final dissertation. As each of these core modules is entirely self-contained students may enter the program in either September or January.

Prior to September 2016 entry, this programme was named Construction Project Management and BIM.

Why choose this course?

We use an ‘applied approach’ to teaching, and our students work on real-life or reality based problems as experienced within the construction sector and its associated industries, consultants and clients. You are also exposed to behavioural aspects of managing projects, which most construction project managers only experience when their careers are well-advanced. This provides a more interesting and engaging learning environment than the traditional ‘study and examination’ approach to learning.

This course in detail

There are two modes of delivery for the MSc Building Information Modelling and Management - full time on campus or distance learning. The course entry points are September and January.

Extensive online learning material is provided to all students via the virtual learning environment (VLE) - our own intranet site to which students have access at all times.

Module leaders can be contacted via the VLE, email, telephone and Skype.

Intensive study periods - all students attend four intensive study periods during their programme. These are normally around 3 days long. Students and staff enjoy the opportunity to share experiences and knowledge as well as renew friendships and make connections within the industry, and the open learning students get the chance to meet the staff face to face. The organisation and the collaborative nature of these intensive study periods is always praised by our students who particularly enjoy site visits, workshops and guest lectures from industry experts, that form the major features of the intensive study periods.

Field trips and site visits - there are a number of field trips and site visits which take place mainly during the intensive study periods. There is one European field trip during the MSc programme that takes place at the end of January each year - usually to the Netherlands. As well as bringing together full time and distance learning students, the aim is to integrate knowledge gained in the early part of the programme, to develop team skills and build relationships. The European field trip also exposes MSc students to project management practices outside of the UK and assess the ability of students to observe and report on the different approaches to project management in the UK and overseas.

Applied or problem based learning - in response to industry feedback we have made our postgraduate education more practical by using an 'applied' approach to learning, sometimes called 'problem based learning' or PBL. This approach encourages learning by allowing students to actively work through problems that are adapted from complex real situations. As these cross discipline boundaries and require research and collaboration, we use our links with industrial practitioners to help devise the problems we use in class. This leads to a more exciting and relevant student experience.

Teaching and learning

Teaching, learning and assessment methods are largely determined by the use of the applied learning approach which leads to a more challenging and industrially relevant course than the traditional lecture approach. Learning takes place through groups of students working through problems together. These are often adapted from real situations with much of the complexity and content intact, using published resources or reference to experts who are available to offer advice.

Full time mode: new material is delivered weekly with intermediate tutorial or seminar sessions. The intensive study weeks and a European field trip, when students in both modes of study come together, complement this delivery pattern.

Distance learning mode: the virtual learning environment (VLE) is the primary mode of delivery. Communication with open learning students is supplemented by email and telephone during the periods off campus.

Careers and professional development

Graduates of our postgraduate construction programmes have an outstanding employment record. Our graduates are recognised as having excellent levels of communication, presentation and problem-solving skills. Consequently, our students go on to be project managers right across the broad spectrum of the construction industries both locally and internationally.

Many of these companies visit the department annually to meet students for graduate positions as Assistant project managers whilst all of our distance learning students are employed full time by prominent companies in the sector.

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This course is run by the School of the Built Environment

This programme has been designed to meet the challenging demands of the modern learner and the rapidly evolving needs of the built environment sector in respect to the emergence of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a working practice, the MSc in Buiding Information Modelling and Management , through its intelligent use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), is designed to deliver a flexible and innovative programme of study.

The MSc is available both as a one year full-time programme, and in open-learning mode that is normally taken over two years (extendable up to 5 years). The course consists of four core modules plus research methods and a final dissertation. As each of these core modules is entirely self-contained students may enter the program in either September or January.

Prior to September 2016 entry, this programme was named Construction Project Management and BIM.

Why choose this course?

- We use an ‘applied approach’ to teaching, and our students work on real-life or reality based problems as experienced within the construction sector and its associated industries, consultants and clients.

- You are also exposed to behavioural aspects of managing projects, which most construction project managers only experience when their careers are well-advanced.

- This provides a more interesting and engaging learning environment than the traditional ‘study and examination’ approach to learning.

Teaching and learning

Teaching, learning and assessment methods are largely determined by the use of the applied learning approach which leads to a more challenging and industrially relevant course than the traditional lecture approach. Learning takes place through groups of students working through problems together. These are often adapted from real situations with much of the complexity and content intact, using published resources or reference to experts who are available to offer advice.

Full-time mode: new material is delivered weekly with intermediate tutorial or seminar sessions. The intensive study weeks and a European field trip, when students in both modes of study come together, complement this delivery pattern.

Open learning mode: the virtual learning environment (VLE) is the primary mode of delivery. Communication with open learning students is supplemented by email and telephone during the periods off campus.

Approach to assessment

Assessment is 100% coursework, which includes a great variety of types of work, including quizzes taken remotely on Moodle (Brookes online learning environment). Material can be downloaded from our virtual learning environment and closed discussions can take place. It also enables on campus and open learning students to remain in contact with each other.

Field trips

A European field trip is a compulsory element of the PGCert modules. It typically takes place over a five day period towards the end of January and is heavily subsidised by the department.

The aim of the field trip is to consolidate the knowledge gained in the early part of the course and to develop team and other relationships through exposing you to European project management practices and to assess their ability to observe and report on the different approaches to project management in the UK and in a European country.

The field trip normally consists of visits to prominent construction/engineering projects and sites, plus architectural attractions, both en route and at the destination. You are introduced to the development and planning practices at the destination, as well as having the opportunity to visit major complex projects.

About our students

The programme attracts students from diverse backgrounds and locations. They normally hold degrees in fields relating to built environment including civil engineering, construction, architecture and building, and have decided to contribute to the development of the built environment around us by effectively managing construction projects.

Our students come from as far afield as Nigeria, Russia and India, with backgrounds ranging from recently graduated at undergraduate level, to working with small local companies, to fully established managers in large international construction companies. This diverse group brings with them individual responses to the applied learning approach that is at the core of our course delivery.

Typically the open learning students are employed by a number of different organisations from the private and public sectors in different countries. They have the opportunity to share their experiences to gain better understanding of the industry, the range of challenges that construction project managers face, and therefore the breadth of skills that they need to develop to perform successfully.

Our full time students benefit from contact with the open learning students engaged in construction project management roles in a variety of built environment projects across many countries.

Careers

Graduates of our postgraduate construction programmes have an outstanding employment record. Our graduates are recognised as having excellent levels of communication, presentation and problem-solving skills. Consequently, our students go on to be project managers right across the broad spectrum of the construction industries both locally and internationally.

Many of these companies visit the department annually to meet students for graduate positions as Assistant project managers whilst all of our open-learning students are employed full-time by prominent companies in the sector.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research highlights

Many of our academic staff are involved in academic research and/or professional/commercial consultancy work. In the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), our Unit of Assessment (UoA 16) ranked 4th within the University in terms of its Grade Point Average (GPA). We hold the 11th position in terms of Research Impact and Power Rating (GPA x number of full-time equivalent staff submitted) among the 45 institutions that submitted to our unit of assessment.

Many members of staff are part of the Oxford Institute of Sustainable Development (OISD). This research and promotional organisation is noted for its work on sustainable technology in buildings and sustainable urban form among many on-going projects.

A recent HEFCE report into sustainable development in higher education in England suggests that the OISD is one of the key players in sustainable development research.

Research areas and clusters

Areas of interest include:
- sustainability, adaptation and resilience to climate change
- Building Information Modelling (BIM)
- collaborative supply networks for procurement and delivery of project
- building economics
- forecasting techniques
- risk management
- social networks in project environments
- managing complex projects
- management of knowledge and innovation as a source of competitive advantage
- adaptive re-use of existing buildings
- facilities management
- health and safety.

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This MSc Business Management (Corporate Social Responsibility) course is focused on your career development. With this master's degree accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) you will be ready for a successful international career with a commercial or not-for-profit organisation.

On this course you will learn to identify, analyse and evaluate a range of business related issues. You will develop suitable responses to these problems and be able to select the most appropriate course of action.

The specialism within this degree enables you to focus your studies within the area of corporate social responsibility. Focusing on the corporate social responsibility discipline will prepare you for a range of careers around the themes of sustainability and corporate governance. You will learn to ask underlying ethical questions about business and management, and you'll develop the tools to understand complex problems from a range of socially responsible perspectives. Studying the specialism means you will take corporate social responsibility modules during your MSc degree. Your final degree will be awarded as MSc Business Management (Corporate Social Responsibility).

Course content

Modules

On the MSc Business Management (Corporate Social Responsibility) course you will study the modules listed below, and then choose between completing a dissertation, a synoptic research project or work-based project. Please see the course structure chart.

• Research Methods
• Operations and Process Management
• Introduction to the Principles of Marketing
• Finance and Accounting for Business
• Global Strategic Management
• Developing Skills for Business Leadership
• Managing the Contemporary Organisation
• Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility
• Strategic Business Simulation (CSR focus)

Capstone Module Choice

You will choose one of the following capstone modules that best suits your academic interests or professional development requirements.

• Dissertation
• Synoptic Research Project
• Client Project

Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Accreditation

This course is dual accredited by CMI – a CMI accreditation means you have the option to graduate with your degree and gain a professional CMI qualification (Level 7 in Strategic Management and Leadership) and there’s no extra study involved. This accreditation is not only a hallmark of excellence, but also provides you with benefits. For example, student members can access online content, networking events, company visits, online seminars and mentoring.

Teaching and learning

Much of the teaching on the course takes the form of interactive workshops, but there are also lectures from staff and visiting speakers. Lectures, discussions, role-play exercises and seminars are linked with selected case studies and assessments to strengthen your practical analysis and decision-making skills. You will have the opportunity to develop your skills in working as part of a team through structured group assignments.

Teaching staff at the Business School are academic researchers and/or from an industry background with an in-depth practical experience of business and management issues. Visiting speakers from business, industry, consultancies and research bodies provide further input.

Approach to assessment

Each module is assessed individually, generally on the quality of written or visual presentation work, and to some extent on verbal presentations. Assessment methods may include reports, seminar papers, formal written examinations, in-class tests, project work, visual and verbal presentations, workshops, simulations, oral exams (viva) and practical exercises. The majority of assessments are based on individual assignments, but there is some assessed group work.

Specialist facilities

At Headington we have developed outstanding facilities. Our John Henry Brookes Building is the most significant project in the history of Oxford Brookes University. Set at the heart of our Headington campus, it has been designed for the future of higher education and has transformed the experiences of our students and the entire University community. Find out more about the John Henry Brookes Building.

We're investing over £30m to create modern teaching and learning facilities and creating a new home at Headington for the Business School.

Set to be complete in 2017, you'll see:

• The Business School brought together in a modern, professional environment
• 30 teaching rooms and a collaborative lecture theatre
• A new Main Hall with soundproof wall, perfect for teaching and events like graduations
• Social learning spaces and a cafe
• A new gateway into the Headington Campus.

Our library provides specialist business resources (both hard copy and via online access) to UK and overseas companies' annual reports, statistics on all aspects of business and management, a wide range of constantly updated key texts, and postgraduate MA, MBA, MSc and PhD theses.

Field trips

By listening to our students and recognising the need for practice-oriented business and management education, we have introduced new ways to engage with companies from the public and the non-profit sector. You will have the opportunity to visit various company sites organised through our extensive network of corporate contacts and the Chartered Management Institute. We also host a number of guest speakers throughout the year who bring their business and management experience and expertise to the classroom.

We offer an International Business in Practice Study Trip module. The purpose of this study trip is to give postgraduate students a hands-on, intensive experience with the ideas and practices of global business. The programme will include presentations from local management executives and experts. Students will have direct interaction with management executives and practices through site visits to major corporations and agencies.

This study trip is voluntary and all costs associated with the trip will need to be funded by you. It is not linked to university assessments in any way. If you successfully complete this module you will have the following non-credit bearing module recorded on your transcript: P58335 International Business in Practice: Study Trip.

Field trips are optional and incur a cost.

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