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Sociolinguistics as a field of study is concerned with the structures of modern society and how these have been shaped by multilingualism and variations in regional or local dialects and accents.

The course thus looks at historical and cultural impacts on the development of language over the course of time, where particular emphasis is given to looking at modern tools of mass communication (such as the media) and studying their role in influencing language use. Students taking this course will gain insight into the variations of language based on distinguishing social factors such as gender, age, social class and origins, and the variation of tone and vocabulary according the nature of interaction (formal or informal). In order to situate the study of sociolinguistics in a post-modern context, modules will also explore the ways globalisation has impacted (and continues to impact) languages throughout the world, as well as how some languages have gained prominence while others are in sharp decline.

As a knowledge area, sociolinguistics overlaps into other fields of study including sociology, psychology, history, and literature: students should thus ideally have a broad interest in the social sciences and humanities. Early modules will provide an introduction to modern sociolinguistic research on language, and training in wider social research methods.

By studying sociolingustics, students will develop a solid knowledge basis in the nature and origins of the English language and its variations across world regions; processes of language acquisition in children and how these processes differ to those applied when learning a second language at a later stage in life; and the fundamental nature of communication in the modern world. Sociolinguists frequently go on to employ their acquired skills as language teachers, speech therapists, or in international relations.
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Social work is a profession that aims to provide primary assistance to families and individuals overcome serious problems or difficulties through the giving of care, support, guidance, counselling, and protection. Social work takes a solution-oriented approach and strives to offer service users the best solutions to their problems in any given scenario. As such, social workers interact with vulnerable communities or persons and provide support in dealing with problems that are frequently of a sensitive or personal nature, while also fostering important links with other services such as the police, the NHS and schools. This course provides aspiring social workers with a crucial knowledge basis in understanding the fundamental principles of social work in relation to both practice and ethics. Students studying for this degree will gradually acquire the skills and competencies needed to become effective practitioners, and by doing so they will gain insight into the processes of human development that can impact behaviour in later life, with particular reference to the influences of environment and childhood on human development. The Social Work degree teaches the importance of forming relationships with service users in the interest of understanding their situations and identifying solutions to problems; it also provides students with the necessary insight into the many structural disadvantages that affect individuals and communities. Emphasis is placed on learning both in theory and through practice: as such, students are encouraged to undertake placements in social care settings. Social work is a challenging vocation and students taking this course should have a strong personal commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable in society, coupled with a resilient and compassionate nature.

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Social Policy is a branch of sociology which looks at government intervention in the economy and in society in order to reduce social problems such as poverty, homelessness, crime, poor health and other areas. It examines social divisions based on distinguishing factors such as gender, race, ethnicity and class and demonstrates the role of these divisions in perpetuating social inequalities through discriminatory practices.

Students will be introduced to the wide range of political ideologies that govern the nature of social policies, ranging from social democracies in Scandinavian countries which favour extensive social policy programmes funded through progressive taxation systems, to systems of liberal democracy such as in the United States where limited government intervention is preferred. As such, students will grasp the varying importance attributed to social policy in regulating the negative externalities of a free market economy in different countries.

Modules will focus on different areas of social policy including welfare policy as a whole; health policy; pension policy; crime policy; and other areas. Students can focus on areas of particular interest in addition to taking the core modules. Those taking this course can expect to expand their understanding of government policy and its role in regulating social outcomes; learn of the historical post-war context in which many nation-wide social policy schemes were devised; and gain insight into the institutional and inherited structures that shape policy-making today. Social Policy graduates have frequently gone on to pursue careers in the public sector, in journalism, or in social research.

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Scandinavian Studies offers the opportunity to study the languages and cultures of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Typically, students choose an area of specialisation out of these country options while still gaining a thorough overview of the languages, histories and cultures of the other Scandinavian countries and societies throughout the course. As a geographical region and whose literature and culture dates back to the Middle Ages, Scandinavia is situated at the north-western borders of Europe and thus constitutes one of the UK’s closest neighbours. Despite this geographical relationship and subsequent historical interactions between Scandinavian countries and the rest of Europe, their cultural, social and political institutions are vastly different from those of other European nations.

This field of study allows students to study these countries and languages in a small, personal and interactive learning environment, which will facilitate acquisition of language skills through active learning. Language training is given by native Scandinavian speakers, and students can expect to develop their language skills to a level of fluency in their chosen specialisation: additionally, as students gain understanding and knowledge of their chosen language, they will inevitably develop their understanding of similar Scandinavian dialects.

Students are encouraged to visit the Scandinavian country they are studying, as well as spending a year of study abroad. As a region with a wealth of literature attributed to it, students will critically read and analyse a range of Scandinavian writings as a core part of the course. Graduates of Scandinavian Studies have a range of career opportunities available to them as language graduates, with the additional factor that fluency in a Scandinavian language remains a relatively rare skill.

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As a nation with a varied and tumultuous history, Russia has a long-standing reputation of being a mysterious land characterised by development through mass industrialisation, a Marxist style revolution, and isolationism. Since the fall of Communism Russia’s role in world has dramatically changed as the nation has fostered economic, diplomatic and political links with the rest of the world, and Russian graduates today are able to acquire a range of valuable skills that are increasingly in demand.

Students taking this course are offered the opportunity to learn the Russian language in all its complexities, while also being invited to understand and explore the rich history and culture of this Eastern nation. Some of the specialist modules on offer give insight into Russian philosophy, literature, or specific historical periods.

Language teaching is delivered by native speakers with language classes tailored to suit the level of the class, with appropriate classes offered for students with no prior knowledge of Russian, as well as classes for those with some knowledge. Beginners are typically given intensive language training, where they are given an overview of grammar and sentence structure, as well as being given an introduction to oral communication in Russian.

At the end of the initial year, students will have developed their basic skills in grammar, translation, writing and speaking; subsequent modules focus on spoken fluency and honing essay-writing skills. As a core element of the course and of the student’s learning process, Russian students spend one year of their course abroad where they are encouraged to undertake work or study, while they immerse themselves in the local culture.

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This course would be ideal for students considering the realm of real estate; purchase negotiations, residential surveys and technical work are just a few aspects of such a career choice.

The BSc (Hons) Rural Property Management is catered to at Harper Adams University College, Newport, UK. The campus includes a 500 ha commercial farm and provides great resources for the students. The University’s curriculum is known to specialise in agribusiness, engineering and land-based studies.
This degree follows in the footstep of the original, popular HND/FdSc REALM course. Students who attain an average of 60% in year may be offered a transfer into the second year of the BSc REALM course. The opportunity also exists for graduates with 2.1 degrees to register on the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) accredited MSc REALM course. This would take them through to the APC (Assessment of Professional Competence and full professional membership of the RICS (MRICS)
Undergraduates gain many advantages to studying here, not least in the way of experiencing a placement with a large firm, relevant to their chosen area of work; building repair, maintenance supervision, residential lettings and telecommunications to name a few. It is at this stage that students may register for RICS Assessment of Technical Competency (ATC).

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The world of robotics has all the technical elements of computer science, cybernetics and engineering.

The 3 year, FT BSc in Robotics (UCAS code H671) carries accreditations from the same professional bodies mentioned above. For information on modules and credits (http://www.reading.ac.uk/progspecs/pdf11/UFROBOTS11.pdf) for this course, search the university website. Entrance offers for this degree will be made on the basis of the applicant possessing:

1. 3 A-level subjects including maths and a science with a score of BBB.
2. International Baccalaureate with 30 overall points including a 5.6 score in maths and a science, both at higher level

A Deferred Entry option is available.

The BSc Robotics with Industrial Year concentrates on the machine aspects of cybernetics and the ensuing control issues. Over the next few years, students will learn how to design, build and control challenging robots. The lecturers have worked with NASA and there are first-rate facilities in the Advance Robotics Laboratory.

With added support from blue-chip companies, the learning environment at Reading is one of the finest in the country.

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Renaissance studies offer students interested in this influential period of history the opportunity to understand, on a more fundamental level, the changes that took place during the Renaissance, and how these changes resounded across disciplines. The Renaissance is widely understood to be a cultural movement that has its origins in Florence in the late 14th century, and lasted well into the 17th century. During this time, it spread across most of Europe and influenced philosophers, artists and historians alike.

Accordingly, this course offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the Renaissance, drawing on Classics, Art, Art History, Religious Studies, Literature and Philosophy. Students are taught an essential historical overview in their core modules, while the course allows for specialisation in an area of their choice following completion of the first year of study: for example, students may choose to focus largely on Renaissance Art, or Literature, according to their personal interests.

In some cases, students can also take a relevant language unit (such as Latin or Italian) which will provide an additional complement and context to their study. The course considers the shift in popular perspective and culture during the Renaissance, and examines the spread of the movement across Europe over time.

Students will examine notions such as Humanism, shifts in understanding of the role and purpose of artistic and scientific endeavours, and theological changes as a result of the Renaissance in Northern Europe. Those taking this course will be taught skills of critical analysis through examination of documents and sources of varying natures, and will better grasp the implications of this movement on the early modernisation of Europe.

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Religious Studies is the study of religious practices and traditions in different faiths, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. This field of study is concerned with the analysis of the role of religions in past and contemporary societies, and how their influences have shaped the world as we know it today. Students taking this course will study religious texts in depth – this will allow them to critically assess the dimensions of history, gender, philosophy, morals, ethics and politics that transcend religious discourse and tradition.

Core modules equip students with knowledge of Biblical Studies (the Old and New Testament); the history of Christianity and Theology (from early periods to modern times); Indian religions (Buddhism and Hinduism); and other basic areas. Subsequently, students are encouraged to specialise in a religious area of their interest and pursue in-depth study.

In order to carry out research in Religious Studies, students are taught a multidisciplinary approach to data collection and analysis, drawing on methodological reasoning and techniques used in historical, documentary and textual, theological and archaeological research. Students wishing to take lessons in a relevant language are often also able to do so (in Latin, Greek, Arabic, Sanskrit and so forth). The aim of this course is to provide students with a critical mindset and use their analytical skills to assess the importance of religion in both Eastern and Western cultures.

In an increasingly multi-cultural and multi-religious society, Religious Studies graduates are valued for their ability to engage with, and understand, other cultures, as well as the many transferable skills they gain throughout the course.

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The course of studies required to qualify as a quantity surveyor would be best suited to a person who is methodical, accurate and disciplined; it is a position that requires a responsible, professional attitude.

If a student’s character reflects the attributes above, perhaps they should consider studying for the Quantity Surveying MSc/Diploma/Certificate. Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland offer this course at their School of the Built Environment (http://www.sbe.hw.ac.uk/). This is considered to be one of the finest institutions for students in this particular field and enables students to gain internationally recognised qualifications.

The School is a partner university to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and is therefore accredited by this body. Tutors builds upon students’ previous academic progress and experience by adding the specific components required to meet the demands of a rapidly developing realm of surveying.
As far as the MSc goes, students will study 8 courses as well as the research dissertation. If they apply for the Diploma Programme, they only take the 8 courses (http://www.postgraduate.hw.ac.uk/course/270/). The foundation to the course follows the principles used in quantity surveying and financial management industrial sectors. Successful graduates on the MSc may complete their RICS membership by undertaking an Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). This will then afford them full chartered status.