The University of Stirling

Stirling is in many respects the quintessential 1960s campus university. Located 3.5 miles from Stirling, the university is set amongst rolling hills and occupies a spacious, green campus, one of the highlights of which is a loch. Although the historic Airthrey Castle forms part of the campus, the majority of the university buildings date from its foundation in the 1960s and after. The university also has nursing campuses based in Inverness and Stornoway.

  

Background and History

The university was founded in 1967, and belongs to the Plate Glass family of universities. With a total student population of fewer than 12,000, Stirling is one of the United Kingdom's smaller institutions. That said, it has an impressive research output for a university of its size, and enjoys a solid reputation as an academic institution.

Location and Accessibility

Rail: The closest railway station to the campus is in fact Bridge of Allan, which is twenty-five minutes away. The walk from Stirling railway station takes forty minutes.

Road: Coming from the South or Edinburgh or Glasgow, follow the M9 until it ends, at junction 11. Take the exit for Bridge of Allan; this road will take you to the campus via the centre of Stirling. Once at the campus, drivers are required to obtain a visitor's permit for their vehicles.

Coach: Coach services operate from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen to Stirling.

Ease of access for disabled students: As a modern campus, the university's buildings tend to offer slightly better disabled access than the older buildings of Scotland's ancient universities. Stirling encourages students to contact its disability team to discuss individual needs.

What's on Offer

BA, BSc, BAcc, LLB, MA, MPhil, MLitt, MRes, MBA, PhD, EDd, PG Cert, PG Diploma

Entry Requirements

For Arts and Social Sciences: ABB-BBC at A Level, BBBB at Highers For Sciences: BBB-BBC at A Level, BBBB at Highers

University Accommodation

Stirling has enough on-campus accommodation for all of its first-year students, provided they apply before the end of August. The on-campus accommodation consists of both self-catered flats and halls of residence. The university also has a limited number of flats in Stirling itself.

PrivateAccommodation

The majority of second- and third-year prefer to live closer to the city. Stirling is a reasonably priced town, and a room in a shared flat or house can be found for as little as £70 per week.

Faculties and Departments

The University of Stirling is divided into six different academic schools: the School of Applied Social Science, the School of Arts and Humanities, Stirling Management School, the School of Natural Sciences, the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health and the School of Sport.

Academic Strengths and Research Profile

Aside from its position as one of the UK's leading institutions for sport, Stirling also makes notable contributions to research in the fields of nursing, education, philosophy, media and social policy.

 

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees vary depending on the course of study and whether you wish to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Fees for international students are also likely to be considerably higher than those for UK/EU students. For a full list of fees it is advisable to contact the university directly or visit their website.

  Financial Support

Stirling offers an attractive range of sports scholarships for talented athletes. Non-sports related bursaries and scholarships are more limited.

Academic Facilities

The main library, the Andrew Miller building, received an £11 million refit in 2010, making it one of Scotland's most state-of-the-art libraries. The university also has several computer labs spread across the campus.  

Other on-site Amenities

If you like sport, you'll love what Stirling has to offer. In addition to providing first-class facilities for sports such as football, rugby and tennis, the university also has its own nine-hole golf course! The student union offers a pretty comprehensive range of daytime and evening facilities, such as a coffee shop, a spacious bar and a couple of different venues for club nights. The MacRobert centre is also a big draw, providing cultural exhibitions and showing films. But unless you're not particularly fussed about a diverse range of entertainments, at some point you'll inevitably start to turn to the town and further afield for your fun.  

Medical and Social Care

The university has an on-campus medical clinic and dental surgery. Several different organisations offer various forms of advice and assistance. For example, the student union produces a guide on private accommodation, and the university has its own disability, money advice and counselling services, as well as a multi-faith centre.

 

What's on in the Area

Stirling is a pretty, if somewhat small town. Its spectacular castle draws in tourists from around the world, as do the Wallace Monument and nearby battlefield sites. Tourist attractions are all well and good, but for hip music venues, trendy bars and exotic restaurants, really students have to look to Edinburgh and Glasgow, both of which are less than an hour away by train.

Moving On

The university has a careers office that offers a wide range of services to prepare you for the world of work, such as job interview preparation sessions and tips on writing CVs. The university is also involved in the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, which aims to encourage students to set up their own business ventures.

Stirling used to be the home of a statue of Scottish hero William Wallace that was in fact more of a statue of Mel Gibson, based as it was on the actor's depiction of the great man in Braveheart. Sadly, however, it was taken down a few years ago. The university was given the title of Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence by the Scottish Government in 2008, and is widely regarded as being Scotland's best university in terms of sport. Several current Members of the Scottish Parliament have degrees from Stirling.

Is Stirling University the place for you?

Stirling is a great place to study if you like the idea of life in a close-knit community located in beautiful countryside. For some people, life on an out-of-town campus can either get isolating or claustrophobic, depending on whether they get sick of the distance from the real world or their fellow students first. If you have a hunch that you'd react in one of these ways, you should probably be looking at city-based universities, such as Glasgow, or campus universities that are a bit more integrated into bigger cities, such as Nottingham or Birmingham.