Master of Science in Mathematics and Data Science

at University of Stirling United Kingdom

This Masters course is part of the St Andrews and Stirling Philosophy (SASP) Graduate Programme - which is Scotland's leading centre for graduate study in Philosophy, and one of the highest-ranked and largest philosophy schools in the United Kingdom. It also has an outstanding placement record for its graduates.

The course is primarily designed for recent philosophy graduates, and serves as a preparatory year for entry to postgraduate research by giving you a firm foundation of general understanding and skills in philosophy. Those skills will give you a sound basis for philosophical research.

The MLitt is a one-year taught course delivered mainly in St Andrews by staff from both universities. After gaining the MLitt, you may progress to a PhD at either Stirling or at St Andrews. Previous graduates have also gone on to leading institutions in the UK and abroad.

On this course, you’ll benefit from excellent teaching from authoritative and knowledgeable researchers in a wide range of areas, including the history of philosophy.

Are you fascinated by the creative possibilities of technology and software? Do you love solving complex problems as part of a team? If yes, software engineering could be the career for you. You’ll be in high demand for developing the systems that are the foundation and glue of our modern world, and that transform our experiences in communications, business, entertainment, gaming and healthcare.

Our degree will teach you creativity, logical analysis, problem-solving and how teamwork builds complex systems. You’ll study practice and techniques for real-world software design and associated programming technologies, gaining practical experience in software development.

According to the 2020 ScotlandIS Scottish Technology Industry survey, about 100,000 people are working in digital technologies professions. This is a growth of 9% since 2016. The growth has been strongest in web design and development, IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, programmers and software development professionals. Our graduates are highly sought-after. To help you build strong links with industry, we offer three-month summer placements and one-year placements with local SMEs and large corporates. Students also have the opportunity to engage with an international teaching environment through our exchange programmes.

Our English Language and Linguistics postgraduate degree gives you an excellent opportunity to study the complex workings of language and explore its central role in society. With the guidance of expert staff, you’ll explore how language works, how people use it, what people use it for, where it came from and how it changes.

You’ll learn to carry out independent research and engage with other researchers by writing, debating and delivering oral and written presentations. You’ll also play an active part in our regular Linguistics Reading Group meetings, which discuss articles on important and controversial linguistic topics.

The course also provides a grounding in theories and methods that are essential for a range of careers. You’ll graduate with an expert knowledge of contemporary linguistic theories and their application in a wider cultural context – including both generative and cognitive approaches to linguistic description, as well as the contexts in which these theories operate.

Studying a modern language opens up a world of opportunities, and a French degree from the University of Stirling is designed with your future firmly in mind.

We focus on giving you in-depth knowledge not only of the language, but also of the factors that are shaping France and the wider Francophone world today. This contemporary, all-encompassing approach means you’ll graduate with a true grasp of France’s place in the world and a deep understanding of the language’s ongoing evolution and reach. You’ll be qualified to apply this knowledge in a host of professional arenas – with former French graduates from Stirling having gone on to work in areas as diverse as journalism, teaching, law and translation. There’s no formula or limit to what you can do with a second language, and the opportunity to spend an extended period studying abroad will further broaden your horizons.

Another advantage of studying French at Stirling is the flexibility of our degree programme. You can combine French with one of many other courses to further enhance your employability and pursue specific career goals from the outset. From Marketing and Mathematics to Computing Science and Professional Education, our complementary subject choices are as unique as your ambitions.

Heritage is a global phenomenon with diverse economic, social, and political roles. It encompasses the surviving tangible and intangible traces of the past, but also the processes and practices that frame heritage in the present and produce particular kinds of futures.

The aim of this degree programme is to provide a critically informed interdisciplinary education in heritage. You may choose to specialise to take the broad programme without specialisation, or opt to specialise in a Cultural Heritage Studies pathway.

Shared core modules provide a foundation in current conceptual and theoretical debates about the nature of heritage and its importance in society, as well as practical issues relating to its conservation and management. Case studies, fieldtrips and input from heritage professionals introduce students to specific kinds of heritage and ‘real-world’ challenges, demands and opportunities.

Cutting-edge research training provides students with an excellent foundation for conducting independent research in the Dissertation, whilst vocational skills are embedded throughout the programme to produce competitive, work-ready graduates.

Our Psychological Research Methods course combines training in psychological theory with practical skills development - a modern approach to studying mind and behaviour preparing you for a future career in psychology. You’ll gain a thorough introduction to quantitative and qualitative research, the analysis and interpretation of data, and a critical, sceptical approach to psychological science.

The unique feature of this course is flexibility - you’re free to investigate a wide range of topics across the discipline while maintaining a high standard of training. This encourages an understanding of different methods and perspectives within the field of Psychology helping you make choices which will benefit your future career.

There are a number of degree pathways available:

• Child Development
• Cognition and Neuropsychology
• Evolutionary Psychology

Opportunities for practical hands-on skills development are built in, ranging from low-tech observational assessment to high-tech eye-tracking. You’ll carry out a work placement, typically in an external company, charity or third sector organisation. This provides you with a fantastic opportunity to develop relevant work-based employment skills, and to develop a network of contacts relevant to your future career goals. Students benefit hugely from this experience, combining skills and experience with personal and professional development.

You’ll be based in a dedicated MSc office, or within an appropriate research group, and allocated a peer mentor. You’ll also have an academic supervisor in Psychology who supports and guides your development, including your research dissertation project.

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.

The Master of Science in Historical Research is a one-year research preparation course intended to prepare postgraduates for a research-based career and enable specialisation in social and/or economic history.

The MSc is designed to:

• train historians in social research methods
• demonstrate your ability to undertake interdisciplinary research to doctoral level at Stirling; or other universities in Britain and overseas
• provide a foundation for applications to research councils (AHRC, ESRC) and doctoral training partnerships (including SGSAH) that fund PhD research
• specifically prepare graduates to apply to the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science for PhD studentship funding in social and economic history (see below under professional accreditation)
• enhance career prospects and career development

These aims are achieved through the completion of independent study modules, taught modules in applied social research, optional study modules appropriate to your field of study, and skills training conducted under supervision. You’ll be allocated an individual supervisor to direct your dissertation and plan your programme.

Our course prepares you for further research by:

• compulsory taught modules in project design, qualitative and quantitative data analysis
• directed independent study in the historiography of a research topic
• skills development in statistical and database packages
• self-directed skills training
• practical experience in applying research methods to interrogate primary sources and datasets in the dissertation
• developing written and verbal critical analysis

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is currently enjoying a period of great interest due largely to advances in data driven AI and machine learning. Technologies such as self-driving cars, intelligent assistants (like Alexa), and AI health care have made AI an increasingly everyday technology, and one that will revolutionise the way we live and work in the years to come.

Modern AI is concerned with giving computers human-like abilities such as sight, learning, conversation and creativity. AI is a popular topic to study because there is a growing jobs market for AI and Data Science skills and because it is an exciting new field of computing.

Our data driven MSc Artificial Intelligence course capitalises on the success of well-established postgraduate courses in Big Data and Data Science for Business preparing industry ready graduates sought after by AI companies.

What determines an animal’s resistance to disease? Why do many female animals exhibit ‘mate choice’? How can we help animals cope in hostile environments? On this course you’ll you study the enormous variety of animal life on earth and discover the answers to these and many other searching questions.

We explore related aspects of animal biology, including animal behaviour, ecology, evolution, cell biology and physiology, as well as applied aspects of animal conservation and management.