Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Sports Studies

at University of Stirling United Kingdom

Health psychology is the study of psychological and behavioural processes in health, illness, and healthcare. It is concerned with understanding how psychological, behavioural, and cultural factors contribute to physical health and illness.

Health Psychologists promote healthier lifestyles. They try to find ways to encourage people to improve their health and also to improve the healthcare system as a whole. For example, helping people to lose weight or stop smoking, or advising doctors on better ways to communicate with their patients.

You’ll learn to use your knowledge of psychology to promote general wellbeing and understand physical illness. We will teach you the skills needed to help people deal with the psychological and emotional aspects of health and illness, and to support people who are chronically ill.

Our MSc Health Psychology has a strong experiential focus and emphasises the application of health psychology to real world settings. The course includes contributions from healthcare practitioners. You will carry out a brief placement in a healthcare setting, which can include the NHS, third sector (charities) or industry, and you’ll usually arrange this placement yourself with support from the course team. You are encouraged to carry out research in healthcare contexts where possible.

With our Business Computing course, you’ll examine how critical computers are to business and learn how you can create computing solutions to support a range of business needs. As part of your studies, you’ll develop basic knowledge of designing and building software systems and grow a broad base of skills through a combination of theory and practice.

The skills you’ll learn will be highly valued by employers - whether in the software industry itself, or in a wider and more strategic context developing IT solutions for any business.

We’ll help you build strong links with industry, and, during Year 3, there are opportunities to take part in either a three-month summer placement or a one-year placement. You’ll also have the opportunity to study abroad through our exchange programmes.

Our MSc Criminology course establishes clear connections between conceptual theories of crime and justice, and applied examples of how they affect contemporary societies. The course has an international focus that goes beyond UK or Scottish borders, making it appealing for a diverse student cohort.

The course content encourages the pursuit of innovative and socially just responses to the problem of crime, from crimes in the street or at home, to crimes of the powerful, crimes across borders, the much newer phenomenon of online crime, and the drug problem. Throughout the course, there's an emphasis on the need for a strong critical understanding of how research is framed, used and developed, which is delivered via modules in data analysis and research design, as well as criminological and socio-legal research methods. You’ll have the opportunity to explore concepts of criminal justice, the social contexts of crime, and a variety of criminological theoretical perspectives as well as applied insights.

With elective modules in specialist subjects you can acquire and develop a range of skills which will significantly enhance your confidence in criminology and your employability. Subjects include:

• Rehabilitation and criminal justice work
• Drug policy and interventions
• Criminalisation, social control and human rights

Do you enjoy numbers the way others enjoy music, poetry or art? Do you enjoy using Mathematics to explain real-world phenomena and solve problems?

Mathematical training develops specific skills and broad analytical expertise, which are valued across all professions. There is also a particular demand for graduates who not only have quantitative skills, but also know how to use them.

This course delivers that sought-after combination – through our teaching style, and our focus on real-world applications of both mathematical and statistical techniques. For example, you’ll use the mathematics computing laboratories as an integral part of your learning process, making your study as much experimental as theoretical.

Our Computing Science and Mathematics division provides a stimulating and supportive learning environment, and we’ve a strong and active research group. Its primary interest is the application of mathematics to biology, economics and life sciences, and we offer combined Honours degrees in the relevant disciplines.

This is the only Human Rights and Diplomacy programme in the world taught in partnership with the leading training body of the United Nations: the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

This is an interdisciplinary course that combines Law, Philosophy and Politics of human rights.

You’ll learn about the practice and theory of human rights laws and politics, the UN human rights institutions, their history and their philosophical foundations. You’ll be taught by top human rights researchers and will be given practical training from experienced UN personnel in negotiating draft documents, and learning how to make a difference.

The course includes a 5-day study visit to Geneva for all students, to observe the Human Rights Council in session. Additionally, for the final three months of the course, if your profile is strong enough then you’ll have the opportunity to apply for a highly desirable internship, or else to pursue projects with human rights organisations or to tackle a traditional dissertation.

Cell Biology is key to understanding how organisms develop, how they respond to their environment and how the diseased state differs from the healthy state.

Recent advances in cell biology are enabling cell biologists to:

• understand the basis of diseases in humans, animals and plants
• develop novel treatments and therapies for diseases
• explore the processes associated with ageing
• improve the quality and quantity of important food crops
• develop novel and sustainable fuels
• assess the impacts of environmental changes on biological systems

Our course offers you unique and flexible interdisciplinary training from staff whose knowledge is constantly refreshed by their active research work.

As you study, you will develop a thorough understanding of Cell Biology that will give you the choice to progress to more advanced and specialised topics. You will be given the support and encouragement to develop your passion and ideas for your research project where previous Stirling students have excelled in producing high-quality work. We will also make sure you will have the skills and work-placement experience to kick-start your career in Cell Biology.

Bringing together theory and practice, our Film and Media course draws from the University of Stirling’s legacy as a pioneer in Film and Media research and teaching.

This course not only ensures you’re well-versed in theoretical and critical aspects of the subject area, but also have the opportunity to become fully trained in practicalities such as audio production, video editing, screenwriting and more. Our emphasis on all-round training means you’ll graduate ready to follow in the footsteps of previous Stirling students who have forged successful careers in a range of media roles – from broadcasting and publishing, to advertising and public relations.

You’ll study in a stimulating environment marked by world-class teaching and invaluable opportunities to be part of our campus television, filmmaking and radio stations. There are also regular visits from members of our professional advisory board – who are experts able to bring crucial insights from the front-line of industry directly to you.

If you’re planning a career in accountancy or the financial sector, studying at the University of Stirling is the perfect starting point. Stirling ranks among the top 20 institutions to study Accountancy and Finance in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022), boasting top class teaching and multiple industry accreditation.

Studying Accountancy and Finance gives you the capability to prepare, present and interpret financial information for a wide range of organisations, and the skills you learn will enable investors, lenders, management and others to make key decisions based on financial details. Our combined Accountancy and Finance course includes content specifically geared towards entering the banking and investment industries.   

The ideal path to a career in accountancy combines a university degree with recognised professional qualifications. The BAcc Hons Accountancy and Finance at Stirling has been created with this in mind, and successful completion of the course will result in many professional bodies giving you significant exemptions from their exams.

From a basic understanding of how to analyse financial statements, through to an in-depth knowledge of economics, taxation and reporting, our Accountancy and Finance degree covers everything you’ll need to know to join the thousands of Stirling graduates who have successfully transitioned from this course into the professional world.

Our Investment Analysis students have successfully competed in the prestigious CFA Institute Research Challenge, winning a place in the UK Final in ten out of twelve years. The competition is considered the “investment Olympics” for university students, and requires participants to assume the role of investment analysts and produce a report on a publicly traded company with a buy, hold or sell recommendation. The opportunity to be a part of our CFA Institute Research Challenge team gives you a unique opportunity to test your knowledge in a 'real-world' scenario.

On this Masters course you’ll:

• Study the use of qualitative and quantitative techniques to value investments
• Develop and evaluate portfolio management strategies
• Cultivate the ability to extract essential information from financial reports
• Understand risk management tools
• Assess macroeconomic and market trends
• Analyse financial data relating to investments
• Tearn about the techniques used to value investments and investment portfolios
• Understand the importance of investment regulation and ethics

You’ll get the opportunity to specialise in particular areas with the selection of relevant modules and in your research project. Areas of potential specialisation include:

• Ecosystem services
• Environmental economics
• Conservation conflicts
• Habitat and biodiversity management
• Application of geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing

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.

This course is relevant to both recent and mature graduates who are seeking a career in environmental management and conservation science, either in governmental or non-governmental organisations. Graduates from this course are knowledgeable in the broad field of conservation science. They have skills in collecting and analysing relevant data for sustainable decision-making, as well as transferable skills relevant to future employment at national and international level.