BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation

at University of Stirling

Our BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation course places great emphasis on practical training, hands-on experience and preparation for a wide range of careers in conservation. Fieldwork is an essential and enjoyable part of this degree course.
 

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 on the Forth Estuary.
 

You will also have the choice of two overseas field trips, currently based in Portugal and Spain. Our inspiring 7-day field ecology and animal biology course in the CERES Field Centre in Aljezur, Portugal, introduces students to the process of designing, conducting and analysing your own scientific project. Students attending the 7-day field course in Spain stay near Almeria, one of the driest parts of Europe. Through a series of excursions and intensive field projects students will examine environmental processes in arid environments.
 

We are also trialling a virtual fieldtrip to Lope National Park in Gabon, where we have a long-term field base. In this module, students will be introduced to the real-time challenges of managing large protected areas, and cover ecological and socio-economic theories in tropical forest ecology and conservation.

Year 1 entry – Four-year honours
 

SQA Highers

• AABB - by the end of S5

• AABBB - by the end of S6
   

GCE A-levels

• BBB
   

IB Diploma

• 30 points
   

BTEC (Level 3)

• DDM
   

Widening access students

• Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.

• Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements.
   

Year 2 entry – Three-year honours
 

SQA Advanced Highers

• ABB – one sitting
   

GCE A-levels

• ABB
   

IB Diploma

• 35 points
   

Essential subjects

• To include one of Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Mathematics or Physics.

Direct Entry to 1st Year:
 

Year 12 Grade – cumulative score of 65% and above from the following state boards:
 

• CBSE

• ISC/ICSE

• Metro state boards (Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal)
   

• Students from other state boards will require Year 12 Grade – cumulative score of 75%.
   

  Advanced Entry to 2nd Year:
   

  Year 12 Grade – cumulative score of 75% and above from the following state boards:
   

• CBSE

• ISC/ICSE

• Advanced entry is possible on a range of courses. Student applications will be considered on a case by case basis.Please note that advanced entry options for students who have scored 35 in the International Baccalaureate or GCE A-Levels ABB in one sitting will also be considered on a case by case basis.
  
  Students who score 70% in English in Year 12 from the following exam boards won't be required to submit IELTS, if studied within the last 5 years of our course start date:
   

• CBSE
• ISC/ICSE
• Metro state boards (Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal)
   

• Students from other state boards will either need 80% in English if studied within 5 years of the course start date, or a UKVI SELT, IELTS Academic or PTE Academic, depending on the state board, taken within 2 years of our course start date.
  
  English language requirements
  
  If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
   

• IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with 5.5 in each skill

• Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) 169 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill

• Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) 180 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill

• Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill

• IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing

• IBT TOEFL Special Home Edition 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing

• Trinity ISE II Pass overall and Pass in each sub-skill, ISE III Pass overall and in all sub-skills, ISE IV Pass overall and in all sub-skills

• Aptis (4 skills) CEFR B2 overall and B2 in all sub-skills

• Duolingo 95 overall with a minimum of 90 in all sub-skills

• LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator -  Pass with minimum 33 in each sub-skill

• Metro state boards (Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal)

Academic year:	2022/23	2023/24
Overseas students (non-EU)	£18,800	£20,300

Overseas students (non-EU)
 

You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.

If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.

EU and overseas students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.

Many graduates progress to scientific careers in research or advisory roles in government agencies and non-governmental organisations. However, the skills learned in the Ecology and Conservation degree are fundamental to those required in a wide range of other careers. Our graduates have progressed to a range of jobs in academic and applied ecology and conservation positions such as:
 

• conservation advisor / ecologist with NGOs, government agencies and local authorities, or in industry

• scientific researchers at universities, research institutes or conservation NGOs

• ecological consultancy positions

• warden and ranger positions

• project and programme management conservation positions

• environmental education communications and marketing positions

• fundraising and development positions
   

We’ve strong links with research and conservation bodies in Scotland (e.g. NatureScot, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency), the rest of the UK and overseas (e.g. International Union for Conservation of Nature, European Environment Agency, Gabonese National Parks Service, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research).
 

We also have strong links various conservation non-government organisations, such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, British Trust for Ornithology, Bat Conservation Trust, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, wildlife trusts and environmental consultancies.