Undergraduate Study
Course Information
study ecology and graduate with a university degree
Ecology is the science of relationships, amongst organisms and between organisms and their environments. It is a vital science of the modern age because it underpins how best we can use and conserve the natural resources of the planet.
It is also concerned, at the largest scale, with the role of organisms as components of the ‘Life Support Systems’ of planet earth.
Ecology underpins sustainable development and as such it is becoming mainstream in policy development and planning. The Ecology degree at Stirling is designed to give a robust introduction to the science of sustainability, making it relevant to real-life situations and improving students’ employability prospects.
BSc (Hons) Ecology
UCAS Code C180Entrance Requirements
Year 1
Highers BBCC.
A-levels CCC or a combination of A2 and AS levels, VCE and VDA.
IB Diploma with a total of 26 points.
HNC or HND with Bs in Graded Units.
Access courses and other UK/EU and international qualifications are also welcomed.
Year 2
A-levels or Advanced Highers BBB including Biology or Human Biology and one of Geography, Geology or Environmental Science.
Some HNDs in related subjects will be considered on an individual basis with Bs in Graded Units.
General Entrance Requirements apply.
International students can study our Undergraduate Certificate if they do not possess the necessary entrance requirements to be admitted directly to the first year of an undergraduate degree programme.
Required Subjects
One of Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics at Higher (B), A-level (C), IB Higher Level at 4 or equivalent.
Other qualifications not mentioned above must include science-based subjects.
English Standard Grade (2), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent. Applicants with English Standard Grade (3) will also be considered, although alternative entry conditions may be made in this case.
Mathematics at Standard Grade (2), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent. HNC or HND in related subjects.
Mathematics at Standard Grade (3) is considered on an individual basis.
Modes of Study
Full-time (3 modules per semester).
Part-time (1 or 2 modules per semester).
Related Degrees
Biology; Conservation Biology & Management; Environmental Science; Marine Biology.
Rating
Teaching provision in Ecology has been assessed by the Scottish Funding Council and rated as ‘highly satisfactory’.
| contact us > > > |
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Professor Philip Wookey |
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Tel: + 44 (0) 1786 467804 |
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Email: philip.wookey@stir.ac.uk |
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Web: www.sbes.stir.ac.uk |
Degree Programme
The Ecology degree at Stirling is designed to give you a rigorous introduction to the science of ecology as well as providing training in essential field and laboratory techniques.
Semesters 1 - 4
In Years 1 and 2 you will take core modules in:
- Biological Sciences: Cell Biology, Physiology, Ecology, Biodiversity and Genes and Evolution or Introduction to Aquatic Environments
- Environmental Sciences: People and the Environment, Global Environmental Issues; The Biosphere; Earth and Landscape Evolution
- Practical Skills in the Natural Sciences and Quantitative Techniques
Semesters 5 - 6
In Year 3, you will take the following advanced modules:
- Animal Ecology
- Plant Ecology and Physiology
- Field and Laboratory Techniques
You will also take two or three modules from a wide range of options including: Animal Physiology, Microbiology, Environmental Policy & Management, Marine Biology, and the field class in Spain (see below).
Semesters 7 - 8
In your final year you will undertake an independent research project and attend the overseas field course in Switzerland (see below). You will also take between four and six advanced modules from a range of options which currently include:
- Conservation Biology
- Conservation Management
- Restoration Ecology
- Conservation Genetics
- Sustainable Development
- Agriculture in the 21st Century
- Reconstructing Quaternary Environments
- Paleoecology
- Immunology and Disease
- Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics
Fieldwork is an essential part of an ecologist’s training. Stirling’s campus location is an ideal base from which to make field excursions, whether to study lekking Black Grouse in the Highlands, the growth of trees on the sides of the Ochil Hills, or the distribution of animals in the Forth Estuary.
As well as fieldwork in Scotland, the Ecology (Hons) programme includes field courses to Switzerland and Spain (optional). Students attending the week-long field course in Spain stay near Almeria, one of the driest parts of Europe. Through a series of excursions and intensive field projects students are introduced to environmental processes in arid environments. The 10-day field course in ecology and animal biology takes place in the Alps of central Switzerland. You will learn techniques in identification, field sampling, experimental design, data analysis and presentation.
The remote field station is situated near several sites of significant conservation importance, including protected alpine moor and alpine forest, and historical reintroduction sites for Ibex and Lynx.
An extensive research project takes up one third of the final-year programme. A wide variety of project topics are available and these reflect the active research interests of academic staff in the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences. These include:
- The behavioural ecology of birds on the University campus
- Climate change and the altitudinal limits of native montane plant species
- The effects of habitat enhancement of stream invertebrate communities
- Assessment of wildlife-friendly farming initiatives on invertebrate abundance and bat foraging
Teaching and Assessment
Teaching is delivered in the form of formal lectures and practical classes, tutorials, seminars, computer-based learning and guided reading and research. Modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and examination, completed during semester. For many modules the marks awarded for coursework contribute 40 – 50 percent of the final grade but for some modules this is as high as 100 percent.
Career Opportunities
The Stirling Ecology degree is well-respected and our graduates have gone on to a range of jobs in academic and applied ecology, including roles as university and government researchers, nature reserve managers, policy makers and consultants with both environmental agencies and conservation bodies, natural history film makers and journalists. Graduates have also obtained posts unrelated to ecology. These include careers in management, the media, finance, law, computing, and the leisure industry.
The skills learned in the Ecology degree – such as the ability to gather, interpret, synthesise and present information in an interesting and original way – mean that you will be well-qualified to work in a broad spectrum of careers.
