Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Ecology and Conservation

at University of Stirling United Kingdom

Our postgraduate degree in Management and English Language Teaching is for current and prospective English language teachers who see themselves as potential managers of language teaching departments or schools. This Masters course is one of only a few such degrees in the UK.

During this Masters course, you’ll learn the key knowledge and skills needed to be a professional teacher of English as a foreign language. In addition, you’ll develop the competencies to manage in a multicultural working environment, through modules taught by the internationally renowned University of Stirling Management School.

Economics is the study of how people interact with others and their surroundings, and here at Stirling we look at Economics in a rich and varied way: from artificial intelligence in the labour market to addressing climate change, and from behavioural economic insights in decision making to tackling global poverty and inequality. An Economics degree from Stirling empowers you with sharp analytical tools, from experts in their field, with an ever-present emphasis on intellectual curiosity.

Our introductory teaching is delivered in a revolutionary new way of learning Economics through our commitment to the CORE Project – “Economics for a Changing World”. In using real-world data to answer real-world questions from the very beginning of your studies, you will understand global issues with historical and philosophical context.

• We focus on real-world theory instead of textbook-simple theory, which is rigorously challenged with data and evidence.
• Our specialisms of environmental economics, behavioural economics, and public policy analysis are embedded throughout the course.
• The internationally-renowned Behavioural Science Centre within the Economics Division contributes two modules in behavioural and experimental economics to our degree.
• Strategic thinking is one of the central pillars of the course, and you will be introduced to decision and game theory as part of this through a bespoke module in year three.
• The course includes a dissertation, which arms students with cutting-edge research methods, and challenges you to produce publication-quality research. The best pieces are published in our in-house journal, the Stirling Student Economic Review.
• We foster a strong staff/student community, emphasising collaboration and ensuring you’re a name and not a number from the outset.

Our expert staff will give you an insight into professional practices through their cutting-edge research, teaching practice, and links to industry. You’re also free to combine your studies with one of eight other courses, sharpening your focus on a specific area that complements your growing knowledge of economics.

Our MSc Digital Banking and Finance course is suitable for everyone, whether you already have related qualifications or experience, or want to change the direction of your career. The course is fully accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute, the oldest and largest UK professional body for bankers, making our course one of very few UK courses in banking and finance to offer this level of recognition.

As the world moves away from physical cash, replaced by cryptocurrencies, and physical banking is replaced by online banking and finance, our course focuses upon how technology and digital infrastructure is changing the way banks do business. You will learn how FinTech is changing bank management and finance, and how cryptocurrencies will change the way banking and finance operates.

You will acquire the analytical skills and the critical knowledge in this changing environment which will enable you to further your career in the new digital banking and financial sector. The course offers you practical business led knowledge and you can expect to see leading banking and finance experts from the sector in the classroom offering you the most contemporary industry thinking.

Attracting students from all over the world, this unique course is designed to meet the sport sector’s need for well-qualified managers who can combine management and financial skills with a specialist knowledge of sport and its unique institutional nature. You’ll learn how to apply your insights to the inherent challenges of sport management – from conducting research into event planning, to advising organisations on the impact of policy changes.

The course is taught by leading experts in the subject, whose research helps to ensure you’re being taught about the most up-to-date industry trends. You’ll also have invaluable opportunities to undertake a period of professional practice with a sporting organisation, either virtually or in person, and be involved in organising a sports event with our industry partners. By the time you graduate, you’ll be well equipped to turn your passion for sport into your profession.

Our Masters degree in Gender Studies examines the history, context and development of key debates around gender, sexuality and identity, exploring commonalities and differences in the ways they have played out in a range of contemporary, historical and global cultures.

Developed by specialists who are passionately engaged with gender, feminist and queer issues, the strength of our programme lies in its interdisciplinary curriculum which branches across multiple fields ranging from: film, media and literary studies, sociology, history, philosophy, curation and politics.  

Through core modules like Understanding Gender, Researching Gender and Key Feminist Thinkers, you’ll explore a range of theoretical and methodological approaches for studying gender. You’ll also delve into the ways in which academic debate informs, is shaped by and is at times distanced from how gender actually ‘works’ in true situations.

The course places the application of learning to real-world contexts at the heart of its teaching. You’ll have the opportunity to apply your learning on a research placement. The course team has established links with potential placement providers from the third sector, as well as with a number of organisations who are committed to gender equality as part of their work in arts, culture and sport.

Our Sociology and Social Policy course will let you understand the way society works and the processes and outcomes of social welfare. You’ll explore social differentiation and contemporary social issues, as well as looking at historical and theoretical perspectives on welfare. You’ll also be introduced to the development of social theory and get lots of practical experience in methods of social research and analysis.

The field of Data Science has seen rapid growth in recent years, with vast amounts of data now being generated by major companies and service providers.

Yet, there is a recognised shortage of qualified analysts, both in the UK and globally, to make the most of this data and to meet the demands of industry. In particular, the demand is for graduates who can both manage the data (the computing skills), and analyse the data to extract patterns, build models and make predictions (the mathematics skills). It is only with these analytical skills can the full value of data be extracted.

Launching in 2018, our MSc is one of the first courses to link these two key areas, making it uniquely positioned to help you meet this demand. The course focusses on the application rather than pure theory of mathematics and is assessed primarily through coursework, developing those skills which are in high demand by the data industry.

The course will provide you with a strong foundation in the mathematical analysis of data-driven systems and help you develop your computing skills, from programming Python and R, to advanced techniques including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, to applying the techniques you learn on a large scale. You will learn the techniques used to approach data and build models using computational analysis and understand the mathematics underpinning these techniques.

Big data is increasingly important in today’s commercial landscape. As a data scientist specialising in big data, you’ll help companies make sense of large amounts of structured and unstructured data, providing rapid insights that enable them to make better, quicker decisions.

The MSc Big Data is a taught advanced Masters degree covering the technology of Big Data and the science of data analytics. You’ll gain practical skills in big data technology, advanced analytics and industrial and scientific applications.

The course will teach you how to collect, manage and analyse big, fast moving data for science or commerce. You’ll learn skills in cutting-edge technology such as Data Analytics, R, Hadoop, NoSQL and Machine Learning. At the same time, you’ll delve into important maths and computing theory, and learn the advanced computational techniques you need to develop your career in data science.

Our MSc has been developed in partnership with global and local companies who employ data scientists. Since the course was launched in 2012 we have developed a great relationship with employers who are looking for the skills that we teach.

Choose our Criminology and Sociology degree and you’ll benefit from studying two closely related disciplines; with training both in criminology and the theory and methods of applied social science. Learn how to ‘think like a criminologist’ and apply criminology to the context of modern life, social diversity and inequalities in society. Criminologists are interested in how activities are defined as criminal, explanations for crime and social reactions to crime.

You’ll explore fascinating questions surrounding the criminal justice system, the social contexts of crime, and the relationship between behaviour and punishment. Why and how do people break the law? How can the criminal justice system define this, and how do we police, prosecute and punish people?

Our Criminology and Sociology course reflects the latest developments in social research and is taught by experts in their fields.

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.