Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Studies

at University of Stirling United Kingdom

Food from aquatic systems is essential for much of the world’s population. However, with wild catches of seafood declining in many places, aquaculture is playing an increasing role as an alternative source of high-quality, nutritious food - and as an employer. Controlling disease is important to the ongoing success of this industry.

Our Aquatic Pathobiology postgraduate degree gives you a unique opportunity to study the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of aquatic animal diseases in cultured organisms. You’ll study at the Institute of Aquaculture, one of the top institutions in this field. The Institute is internationally recognised for both research and teaching and has more than 70 staff and 80 postgraduate students. This Masters in Aquatic Pathobiology has been taught at the Institute for almost 40 years and is the only postgraduate degree of its kind in the world.

The course combines high-quality, practical work and field visits with class-based training in aquatic disease diagnosis and health management challenges drawn from real situations. You’ll also develop an understanding of the biology, husbandry and environment of farmed aquatic species.

The course can also be seen as preparation for anyone who plans to do a PhD in aquatic animal health or disease.

At the University of Stirling, our innovative Law courses give you an opportunity to study a range of subjects that reflect the importance of law in every area of society. We offer two BA (Hons) courses – in Law and Business Law –which can kick-start a career in the modern legal market, such as legal analyst roles or jobs in a host of business settings.

Throughout your course, you’ll be taught by leading academics who helped write the textbooks you’re studying. At Stirling, their expertise comes to you first-hand, and you’ll be part of a close-knit legal department dedicated to providing a rich, enjoyable student experience. From Contract and Criminal Law to International Human Rights and Private International Law, you’ll gain a firm grounding in essential subjects and enjoy the freedom to specialise in areas that interest you most. You can also broaden your career possibilities by combining Law with one of 11 other complementary courses that include Accountancy, Marketing and modern languages.

In addition, we make sure you graduate with the communication, organisational and personal skills prospective employers are looking for – qualities that you can refine further by spending a semester studying abroad or undertaking a work placement. Our graduates are working as everything from trainee solicitors to business development managers, highlighting the diverse opportunities a BA in Law from the University of Stirling opens up.

If you have aspirations of working in the heritage, conservation or tourism sectors, our dedicated Heritage and Tourism degree is the perfect starting point. This course is a fully integrated degree taught in conjunction with Forth Valley College. You'll spend the first two years studying at the college and the final two studying at the University of Stirling campus, whilst benefitting from dual registration and the full range of their combined resources and facilities.

The course is supported and shaped by leading organisations such as Historic Environment Scotland, VisitScotland and Scottish Canals, and delivered jointly by the University of Stirling and Forth Valley College. Your studies will reflect the importance of combining academic knowledge with a firm grasp of management and business. You’ll learn about heritage, tourism, history, exhibition design, sociology, marketing and environmental studies – as well as the challenges facing the management and promotion of historic and natural environments in Scotland and beyond.

Every aspect of the course is informed by the internationally-recognised expertise of our academic staff and their extensive networks with professional partners, helping to distinguish our programme from other heritage and tourism courses. You can be confident that everything you’re learning is rooted in the latest academic and applied industry thinking, and designed to prepare you for a career in the heritage and tourism sectors. You’ll also apply your skills in real-world settings while you study – further sharpening the skills you’ll put to use when you transition into the exciting professional world of heritage and tourism.

Our Masters degree will give you a solid grounding in the scientific principles that underpin Environmental Management. We cover topics including the ecological, economic, social, political and legal aspects of environmental management. We give comprehensive training in quantitative, theoretical, analytical and practical skills.

Environmental managers play a vital role in the protection and sustainable use of resources. You’ll learn to address issues such as adaptation to climate change, biodiversity and sustainable energy management. At the local level, Environmental Management focuses on conservation and protection of land and water resources and natural habitats.  

You’ll also benefit from employability skills training, a residential field skills course and the chance to carry out an environmental management related dissertation project which may include working collaboratively with a business.

Our Strategic Public Relations and Communication Management course gives you the chance to develop a critical appreciation of the role of public relations in contemporary societies, as well as key analytical, management and communication skills you'll need for a successful career in communications and public relations. You’ll gain a solid understanding of the theory behind public relations and communications, and have many opportunities to apply this theory to everyday communications and public relations practice, experience and phenomena.

By the end of your studies, you’ll have the necessary skills to work at managerial level in public relations. You’ll be able to analyse environments, issues, organisational cultures and relationships – as well as set objectives, and design and implement public relations and communication strategies.

We’re continually updating this well-established course in line with new advances in theory and practice, including how communication campaigns may successfully integrate digital media. Field trips and guest lectures offer opportunities to discuss strategic communication issues with leading practitioners. These also give you networking opportunities and an understanding of current best practice.

This course was established in 1988 and was the first degree in public relations in the UK and one of the first in Europe. Several prominent public relations academics and practitioners have completed their education at Stirling.

Retailers are having to adapt to a new competitive reality. Actions by governments and the consumer response to the Covid-19 crisis has required retailers to alter how they operate, resulting in a different retail experience.

Our Retail Marketing course provides a solid grounding in the principles of retail business, including store operations, marketing and consumer behaviour. You’ll have the opportunity to develop an understanding of human resource management, international business, logistics and merchandising. Our staff are high-profile academics with excellent international reputations, and our teaching reflects the very latest research and industry thinking. You’ll also benefit from our extensive contacts with leading retailers, which open the door to invaluable field trips and guest lectures.

The challenges of the rapidly-evolving retail sector mean companies covet skilled, knowledgeable managers who can put theory into practice. With a Retail Marketing degree from the University of Stirling, you could be the difference they’re looking for.

This intensive Masters Psychology conversion course is aimed at students who have a degree in another subject and would like to 'convert' to Psychology.

Our course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and sits at the cutting edge of inter-disciplinary scientific research. After introducing Psychology to you as a biological and social science, we will cover topics as diverse as brain functioning, child development, and social behaviour. You will also develop your research skills with our specifically designed modules in research methods. You will get hands-on experience designing and conducting experiments, working in high-end specialist labs and in our on-site kindergarten, the only such facility in the UK. You will develop a deep knowledge and understanding of mind and behaviour, coupled with excellent practical and transferable skills, all of which will offer you a wide and diverse choice of careers.

The course is delivered by what the British Psychological Society (BPS) commended as a proactive, approachable, and engaged programme team. The BPS also recognised not only our approach to teaching, which help students’ personal and professional development, but also our personalised system of student support and feedback, which helps to nurture a close-knit academic community.

Texts are all around us – from books and magazines to TV, email and the internet. The ability to analyse them and their often subtle meanings is a skill that can open doors in a wide range of professional fields.

English Studies at the University of Stirling offers you the perfect chance to dedicate yourself to reading and enjoying a range of great novels, plays and poems from across the world. Your own creative writing can form part of this degree, too – as we believe it aids your understanding of literary style and technique and develops your imagination. You’ll also have the opportunity to take a range of language-based courses which will inform your understanding and appreciation of literary texts. These are just some of the factors that make our BA a little different from other English courses.

You’ll study literary works from the medieval period to the present day, as well as learn about linguistics, creative writing and the history of the English language. Along the way, you’ll benefit from top-rated teaching, visits from outside experts and the annual staging of the Booker Prize Initiative on campus – giving you the opportunity to meet world-renowned contemporary authors and discuss their work.

People have an enormous impact on their environment through resource use, habitat loss and degradation, and climate change. Understanding how our actions impact the ecological balance across the planet has never been more important.

Our BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation course will teach you the science of ecology and conservation and provide practical training in field and laboratory techniques. You will understand how animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms interact with their environment, as well as the relationship between people and the rest of the biosphere. It will also provide you with a deep understanding of the complex relationships between environments and their inhabitants. You’ll learn about the policies and management strategies that aim to safeguard our biodiversity and the ecosystem services upon which humans depend.

Stirling is a superb place to study Ecology and Conservation. We’re near to diverse landscapes and can link up with more environmental and conservation organisations than anywhere else in the UK. Several organisations have offices on our campus, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, British Trust for Ornithology and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. We work closely with these and other organisations, including conservation charities and Government agencies in conducting research, arranging placements and field training for our students.

This is an integrated academic and professional course which develops the intellectual and practical skills necessary for professional practice as a social worker.

We promote an understanding of social work which is informed by social justice and human rights, a profession that acknowledges the links between 'public issues' and 'private troubles' and seeks to address both. We value social work practice that has prevention at its heart and recognises the importance of collective approaches, actively engaging with and learning from user movements.

Our course is taught by qualified social workers including world leaders in their research field, and academics who maintain close connections with practice. You'll experience inspirational contributions to teaching by people who have used social work services, as well as from practicing social workers.

You’ll enjoy the benefits of smaller class sizes with creative approaches to teaching and assessment as well as detailed feedback on your progress. On your practice placements, you’ll be supported and assessed by Practice Educators who are qualified or undertaking their Practice Educator training.