Master of Science in Business Analytics

at University of Stirling United Kingdom

We’ve developed our BSc (Hons) Software Development with Cyber Security course with our business partners in the IT sector to help solve their skills shortages and address the industry’s needs. 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 computing graduates have an excellent track record in finding well-paid jobs because of our focus on in-depth practical expertise.

As you study, you’ll progress from the fundamentals of computer systems and software development to advanced knowledge of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Security. You’ll learn everything you need to become a highly employable and sought after software development graduate.

We deliver our BSc (Hons) Software Development with Cyber Security in partnership with Forth Valley College to combine the strengths from both sites. Classes for the first two years will be delivered at Forth Valley College’s campus in Falkirk. Classes for the last two years will be delivered at the University of Stirling campus. Our staff are active in research and work with industry to help the course evolve according to the needs of the ICT sector, both in Scotland and across the world.

We are here to help you prepare for a flourishing career in global business and offer you the option to specialise in International Business and Marketing or International Business and Entrepreneurship.

Throughout this Masters in International Business you’ll develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills within the context of trading across national boundaries. By the end of the course you’ll have an expansive knowledge of how organisations operate across economies, currencies and regulatory frameworks. You’ll also become an expert in engaging with stakeholders from different cultures and working effectively with a multi-location team.

If you want to start your own venture, to develop entrepreneurial capacity in an existing organisation or to work in an international marketing function one of our optional pathways will target your skills.

The course covers core business subjects such as accounting, people management and strategy, in the context of international regulatory frameworks and business practices. It also emphasises ethical, environmental and sustainability issues, which are increasingly important within the global business environment.

If you have aspirations of working in the heritage, conservation or tourism sectors, our dedicated Heritage and Tourism degree is the perfect starting point. This course is a fully integrated degree taught in conjunction with Forth Valley College. You'll spend the first two years studying at the college and the final two studying at the University of Stirling campus, whilst benefitting from dual registration and the full range of their combined resources and facilities.

The course is supported and shaped by leading organisations such as Historic Environment Scotland, VisitScotland and Scottish Canals, and delivered jointly by the University of Stirling and Forth Valley College. Your studies will reflect the importance of combining academic knowledge with a firm grasp of management and business. You’ll learn about heritage, tourism, history, exhibition design, sociology, marketing and environmental studies – as well as the challenges facing the management and promotion of historic and natural environments in Scotland and beyond.

Every aspect of the course is informed by the internationally-recognised expertise of our academic staff and their extensive networks with professional partners, helping to distinguish our programme from other heritage and tourism courses. You can be confident that everything you’re learning is rooted in the latest academic and applied industry thinking, and designed to prepare you for a career in the heritage and tourism sectors. You’ll also apply your skills in real-world settings while you study – further sharpening the skills you’ll put to use when you transition into the exciting professional world of heritage and tourism.

Social statistics and social research provide policymakers, academics and others with valuable insights into the behaviour of people. This Masters course will give you an understanding of social research, with a particular focus on quantitative methods and social statistics.

You’ll learn about social research methods and the theories behind them, while undertaking detailed training on a wide range of statistical methods. You’ll also gain a thorough knowledge of statistical software and learn a range of highly sought-after technical skills, including accessing, preparing, analysing and summarising complex quantitative datasets.

Modules cover core and advanced issues of social research design and techniques of statistical analysis. There are specialist modules that address important emerging areas in social statistics, covering data management,big data, and social network analysis. Students also choose one option module in another area of social research, for instance on qualitative data analysis or policy research.

Do you enjoy numbers the way others enjoy music, poetry or art? Do you enjoy using Mathematics to explain real-world phenomena and solve problems?

Mathematical training develops specific skills and broad analytical expertise, which are valued across all professions. There is also a particular demand for graduates who not only have quantitative skills, but also know how to use them.

This course delivers that sought-after combination – through our teaching style, and our focus on real-world applications of both mathematical and statistical techniques. For example, you’ll use the mathematics computing laboratories as an integral part of your learning process, making your study as much experimental as theoretical.

Our Computing Science and Mathematics division provides a stimulating and supportive learning environment, and we’ve a strong and active research group. Its primary interest is the application of mathematics to biology, economics and life sciences, and we offer combined Honours degrees in the relevant disciplines.

As you study, you’ll use evidence and real-world applications to challenge economic theories and models. This approach is combined with finance theory and practice to gain a deep understanding of, and the capacity to analyse, financial markets, investment potentials and risks.

Combining practical economics with finance prepares students for professional roles in:

• The finance and banking sector
• Central banks
• Treasury offices
• Different offices at national, supranational and local government level around the world

This interdisciplinary Masters degree is jointly taught by leading academics in media and social science research. You’ll gain both a theoretical and practical understanding of social science research methods, and learn how to apply these to the media and cultural industries. Covering social sciences and humanities approaches, our Masters will give you solid, extensive training in advanced media research methods. You’ll be encouraged to explore your own research interests, gain real-world experience of research and develop your own approach to research throughout the course.

The degree is primarily targeted at anyone needing research training before embarking on a higher research degree, such as a PhD. The course also offers an excellent grounding in social science methods, which are transferable to media research for industry, journalism, marketing and advertising research, production research and wider aspects of social research consultancy.

Enhancing your employability is one of our top priorities. That’s why all MRes students are given the opportunity for a research placement as part of our course where you can apply your learning to the real world.

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 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.

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.