University ofUniversity Exeter Postgraduate Prospectus 2011 EXETER AND CORNWALL CAMPUSES Postgraduate Prospectus 2011 Prospectus Postgraduate www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate Contents 2 A LEADING RESEARCH INTENSIVE UNIVERSITY 4 Pioneering interdisciplinary research 8 The impact of our research 9 Developing PhD students for success INVESTING IN YOU 10 Scholarships and funding 14 International Exeter 18 Support during your studies 20 The building blocks for a successful career 23 Supporting you into the future 24 INVESTING IN YOUR UNIVERSITY 26 Outstanding study resources 28 EXCEPTIONAL LOCATIONS 30 Our campuses 32 Living in Exeter 35 Living in Cornwall PRACTICALITIES 38 Masters or PhD? 40 How to apply 42 Accommodation 45 Visiting us 46 Campus maps 50 Accounting and Finance 54 Arab and Islamic Studies 58 Archaeology MMES 61 Biosciences A 66 Business, Management and Leadership 70 Classics 72 Computer Science 75 Cornish Studies 77 Drama 81 Economics 84 Education 88 Engineering 91 English DEGREE PROGR DEGREE 95 Film Studies 99 Geography 103 History 107 Law 110 Maths 113 Medicine and Health 115 Mining, Minerals and Renewable Energy 119 Modern Languages 122 Physics 124 Politics and International Relations 129 Psychology 132 Sociology and Philosophy 135 Sport and Health Sciences 139 Theology and Religion 142 PROGRAMME INDEX Inside back cover KEY CONTACTS 2 | A leading research intensive university A leading research intensive university Ranked 12th overall and 10th for research quality in the Times Good University Guide 2011 Nearly 90 per cent of research internationally recognised (RAE 2008) £7 million worth of postgraduate scholarships, studentships and bursaries for 2011/2012 Successful and highly popular support programme for PhD students £300 million investment programme to create a university of world leading stature Over 150 taught postgraduate programmes and numerous research degree opportunities NUS Students’ Union of the Year 2010 “ The University of Exeter stands out from the crowd. The learning environment is superb. You can access cutting “ edge academic knowledge and skills, which project your intellectual capacities beyond an imaginable horizon. Geography Masters student, 2009/10 A leading research intensive university | 3 4 | A leading research intensive university PIONEERING INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH Research is at the heart of everything we significant growth in science and medicine will generate world class research into the do. The Research Assessment Exercise research capacity at the University and has causes and consequences of environmental (RAE 2008) ratings reflect this. Ninety-five allowed us to initiate a recruitment drive change (see p24). percent of our staff were submitted, all our for new academic posts in these and subjects were assessed as including world- associated areas. leading (4*) research and nearly 90 per cent COLLABORATION PROJECT WINS of our research was rated as internationally £500,000 FUNDING recognised. Sixteen of our 31 subjects were RESEARCH AT THE CORNWALL CaMPUS ranked in their respective top 10, with 27 in Exeter’s research success is not confined Academics from across the University have ▲ their respective top 20. to campuses in the cathedral city: the won a grant from the Engineering and Cornwall Campus provides the opportunity Physical Sciences Research Council to form the Our research strength is further reflected by Exeter Science Exchange (ESE). The project, the 2010/11 annual government grant for to study alongside outstanding researchers in an unrivalled environment. The campus supported by IBM UK Ltd and the South West teaching and research. We received £66 million Regional Development Agency, will enable the and experienced one of the biggest rises in the is now well established and attracts leading academics, including six independently funded creation of innovative collaboration networks country. The most significant element was in that will break down traditional barriers research funding, which has increased by 5.5 Research Fellowships from the Royal Society, NERC and the Leverhulme Trust. between disciplines as diverse as physics and per cent; the largest increase amongst research business. intensive UK universities. We have also been More than £50 million has been invested so successful in securing external funding for far, which generates £20 million a year for the These collaborations will link the rapidly students, such as a five year Block Grant Cornish economy. The Campus offers specialist expanding research base in engineering and Partnership of 119 postgraduate awards from research facilities and expertise, including physical sciences with excellent research the Arts and Humanities Research Council. the Camborne School of Mines’ world-class in life and environmental sciences and the analytical mineralogical suite; the Centre humanities, arts and social sciences. ESE will As part of our sustained commitment to consist of a physical and virtual space for the developing new talent and building research for Conservation and Ecology; the Energy Policy Research Group; and internationally trading of ideas across disciplines, with the capacity we continue to invest millions of result being intellectual profit and societal pounds annually in funding for both Masters recognised researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences. impact. The most promising ideas will then and research postgraduates. Our newly receive support to take forward applications launched Research and Knowledge Transfer The newest addition to the Cornwall Campus’ for research grants and joint PhD funding. Strategy includes a £210 million investment growing international research reputation is that will build on our RAE 2008 success to a £30 million pioneering Environment and consolidate our outstanding research and Sustainability Institute. Due to complete teaching in beacon areas. This represents in Summer 2012, this exciting development ▲ based on percentage of research categorised as 3* www.exeter.ac.uk/research and/or 4* (internationally recognised or world leading). A leading research intensive university | 5 SUBJECTS RATED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE TOP 20 (RAE 2008)▲ • Accounting and Finance • History • Arab and Islamic Studies • Hospital Based Clinical Subjects (Peninsula • Archaeology College of Medicine and Dentistry) • Business and Management • Italian • Classics and Ancient History • Hispanic and Latin American languages • Drama • Mathematics (Applied and Pure) • Economics • Physics • Education • Politics and International Relations • Engineering • Psychology • English • Russian • French • Sociology • Geography • Sport and Health Sciences • German • Theology • Health Services Research (Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry) ▲ subject areas which feature in their respective top 20 when compared to other UK universities based on the percentage of 4* (world leading) and/or percentage of 4* and 3* (internationally recognised) subjects. “ Interdisciplinary research is an engine to innovation and a hallmark of Exeter’s recent success. Our research “ bridges the gap between the arts, humanities, social sciences and pure sciences to tackle global challenges, such as food security and ageing, in a holistic way. Professor Nick Talbot, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Research and Knowledge Transfer ▲ based on percentage of research categorised as 3* and/or 4* (internationally recognised or world leading). 6 | A leading research intensive university RESEARCH EXCELLENCE ACROSS team attempting to conquer the rice blast We have a significant level of expertise in THE SCIENCES fungus, an organism that kills enough rice to functional materials within our College of feed 60 million people each year. Professor Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURES Stuart Townley is leading collaborative Sciences. Theme leader Professor David Wright We have established an enviable position at research into transgenerational effects and and his team are working on the development the forefront of climate change research. Our evolution, while Professor Declan Bates is of nanomaterials for next-generation memory links with the Met Office’s internationally- investigating biochemical networks with devices to replace memory sticks and hard- renowned Hadley Centre for Climate Research robust control theory. Professor Tamara drives. Exeter physicists are examining the combined with the work of our world leading Galloway is heading a project researching structure of certain types of butterfly wings academics, including theme leader Professor cardiovascular disease in association with the and beetle shells, whose complex structures Peter Cox and Met Office Professors David British Heart Foundation. interact with photons to produce very intense Stephenson and John Thuburn, provide the colours, leading to potential applications EXTRASOLAR PLANETS University with a unique position. ranging from military camouflage to paint Extrasolar planets are planets located and fashion. Our academic focus is to join the dots of outside our own solar system. This rapidly TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, PERSONALISED climate change, from prediction of patterns growing and increasingly competitive HEALTHCARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH and the analysis of effects on ecosystems research area has captured the public and health, to the development of technology imagination. Professor Isabelle Baraffe Health research at Exeter makes the most for mitigation, as well as the study of public leads our team of international experts, of our