Subject-specific career and course exploration resources

Here you’ll find career exploration resources specific to particular subject areas and careers. All resources are FREE. This list is not exhaustive, but instead a starting point. There are lots of other resources out there too. If your subject area isn’t listed here and you are struggling to find relevant online career exploration resources (see our general online resource list too), get in touch with us on leaps@ed.ac.uk and we’ll do our best to help!

Have you come across other useful online career and course exploration resources? Let us know your suggestions by emailing leaps@ed.ac.uk, and we can share here on this blog!

Art & Design

• ACES Edinburgh are hosting a weekly creative challenges on their Instagram.
• MetPublications: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has links to books and articles from the last 50 years (most are free!).
• Skillshare has lots of free courses led by artists.

Computing

• Practice coding with Code Academy (no need to pay for an account – go for the ‘Basic’ free version!), and programming with The Turtle System.

Economics

• ‘Who to trust?’ is a TED playlist of talks on ‘the economy of trust’, covering Uber, Airbnb and more.

Education

• Learn about key focus areas for Scottish education on the Education Scotland website, including the National Improvement Framework.
• Develop your understanding of Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, and find examples of specific initiatives and programmes to support learning.
• Teaching Scotland is the General Teaching Council for Scotland's magazine.

Engineering

• Nuffield offer Research Placements for S5 students interested in engineering and technology subjects! Applications are open now!
• engineering.com and iWantToStudyEngineering for Engineering stories, webinars, games and resources.
• Explore some of the disciplines of engineering: aeronautical engineering; civil engineering; chemical engineering; mechanical engineering; structural engineering.

English

• The Poetry Archive hosts recordings of poets reading their own work out loud.
• Writers Inspire is a collection of literature-related podcasts, videos and essays.
• A linguistics blog run by Cambridge graduates, focusing on linguistic misconceptions and current news stories.

Geography, Geology & Sustainable Development

• The Magazine and film archive from The Royal Geographical Society. The RGS also shares why you might considering studying Geography. See also The Geographer magazine from The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. 
• The British Geological Survey shares information and resources for those interested in Geology.
• Open Geography Education shares free access to Geography and Geology eTextbooks.
• Check out Citizen Science and Zooniverse. What is your ecological footprint?
• SeedMap is an online portal on seeds, biodiversity and food. 
• Learn about sustainability through games with Games4Sustainability. 
• Listen to some of these climate change podcasts.

History

• Cambridge History ‘Virtual Classroom’ hosts tips for working with historical sources, a variety of source exercises and sample lectures.
• BBC ‘A History of the World’ uses objects to tell a history of the world, with linked radio programmes.
• BBC You’re Dead to Me is a history podcast, with comedians and serious historians.
• Scran is an online learning service from Historic Environment Scotland.

Languages

• Have a go at reading newspapers, watching TV shows or listening to radio programmes in your language of choice!
• Transcript is a journal sharing books and literature from Europe and beyond, published in English, French and German translations.

Law

• Reach Edinburgh have created a bank of resources for students interested in studying Law.
• ‘Law in Action’ is Radio 4’s legal magazine programme.
• EACH OTHER focuses on increasing public knowledge of and support for human rights.

Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health Professions

• Reach Edinburgh have created a bank of resources for students interested in studying Medicine. Many are relevant for those interested in nursing and the allied health professions too!
• The Medical Schools Council have released re-assuring guidance on relevant experience to study Medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Observe GP is a free interactive video platform providing insights into the role of a GP and the wider primary care team. 
• THE CURE’s medical reporters take you on a journey to the frontiers of world health.
• ‘The Struggle of Mental Health’ TED series.
• Find out more about Allied Health Profession careers on the NHS Scotland website. 
• Queen Margaret Uni offer an exciting project for S5 students interested in the following subjects: Dietetics, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Paramedic Science, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Diagnostic Radiography, Therapeutic Radiography, and Speech & Language Therapy. Find out more about Step Into Health at QMU, and register your interest! They also have a great online guide on applying to Allied Health profession courses. 

Performing Arts

• BBC Radio 3’s ‘Composer of the Week’ is a guide to composers and their music.
• Friday Night Orchestra Club with Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
• National Theatre at home live stream a production every week. Also, have a look at Hampstead Theatre at home for new writing theatre work, streamed online for a week.
• Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at home: Music, acting, film-making, filming audition techniques and more.
• Frantic Assembly (Frantic Digital) are compiling resources and ‘create’ activities for people looking to use their creative / performance skills.
• WACI (Widening Access to the Creative Industries) shares online resources for Dance, Drama, Filmmaking, Music and Production.

Philosophy

• In Our Time, Philosophy: From Altruism to Wittgenstein, philosophers, theories and key themes. 
• Philosophy Bites: Podcasts of top philosophers interviewed on bite-sized topics. 
• Harvard University's 'Justice', with academic Michael Sandel. 
• Cosmic Skeptic, from an Oxford University Philosophy student.

Politics & International Relations

• The Week in Westminster: Political commentators from major newspapers look at what’s been going on in Westminster politics each week.
• OxPol: The Oxford University Politics Blog.
• EACH OTHER focuses on increasing public knowledge of and support for human rights.

Psychology

• Explore psychological disciplines and career options with the British Psychological Society.
• British Psychological Society’s Research Digest.
• News from the British Psychological Society.
• The Psychologist Magazine. 

Science & Maths

• Nuffield offer Research Placements for S5 students interested in science and maths subjects! Applications are open now!
• ScienceFriday Radio for podcasts, videos, articles and education resources.
• The Oxford Scientist Magazine is a student-led science magazine from Oxford University.
• Biologists, check out Science and Plants for Schools.
• Chemists, have a look at A Future in Chemistry and the Royal Society of Chemistry website.
• For Mathematicians, Numberphile, Underground Mathematics and +plus Magazine. You might also like Maths Week at Work, hearing from Maths graduates about how they use Maths in their jobs. Or, try this free online course introducing key concepts of Statistics, including how we encounter Stats in everyday life (the course is no longer live, but you can still access it by creating a free account).
• Physicists, you might like NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration, and Isaac Physics.
• Interested in biological, biomedical or animal sciences? The Science Insights work experience programme may be for you! Applications usually open in February.
• Also, check out the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Science Summer School!

Sociology

• The Sociology Show is a new podcast recently started under lockdown.
• A History of Ideas explores some big questions about how we live today, introducing some foundational ideas in social science and philosophy.
• Check out AllSociology's Instragram.

Veterinary Medicine and Vet Nursing

• Reach Edinburgh have created a bank of resources for students interested in studying Veterinary Medicine. Many are relevant for those hoping to work with animals and aspiring vet nurses too!