Master of Science in Mathematics and Data Science

at University of Stirling United Kingdom

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.

This course will provide you with the core professional skills required for a rewarding career in digital media management and production. This interdisciplinary offering, bringing together Stirling’s internationally recognised strengths in media, film, and communication studies, is distinctive from competitors in offering you the unique opportunity to develop analytical, creative, and production skills; underpinned by important sociocultural understanding of human behaviour and communication in the digital context, and the complex factors influencing people’s behaviours.

Mathematics is about profound beauty, the rush-like excitement of the 'ah ha' moment and finding elegant solutions. It’s the relationship in patterns, systems, big data, technologies and science.

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 have a strong and active research group. Its primary interest is the application of mathematics to biology, economics and life sciences.

We also offer you the choice and flexibility to study Mathematics in combination with subjects such as Accountancy, Computing or Finance.

If you’re contemplating a future in the world of international politics, you’ll need to understand issues of power, alliances, conflict and peace on a global scale.

The University of Stirling will help you build a confident and well-rounded knowledge of all these issues and more – from the decision-making processes of influential organisations, through to the question of how international society is shaped. You’ll be learning in a research-led environment, where the latest political events are dissected by recognised experts. You’ll also benefit from our career-focused approach, which enables you to pick up the practical and analytical skills employers are looking for.

To further enhance your international outlook, you’ll have a chance to spend a semester abroad studying International Politics at one of our partner institutions. You can also combine International Politics with French or Spanish to add another valuable facet to everything you’re leaning.

Guest lecturers give you real insights into the professional applications of an International Politics degree. Our alumni include a former Secretary of State for Defence and Member of Parliament, and there really is no limit to where in the world a degree in International Politics can take you.

By aligning the course with the FRM curriculum, rigorous academic learning is coupled with practitioner-driven insight and certification. Through this combination, students are better prepared to succeed in the challenging field of risk management.

As you study you’ll acquire a broad knowledge of finance, financial theory and the practical methods used to analyse financial data. Further specialist knowledge and analytical skills are developed in financial risk management, including how to identify, measure and manage a broad range of financial risk types including operational risk, foreign exchange risk, liquidity risk and market risk.

You’ll have access to professional financial databases including Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters Eikon, Datastream and S&P Capital IQ. There’s also an opportunity to attend our series of guest lectures by professionals from the industry. All these features help to enhance employability, increase participation, improve learning, and play a part in a world-leading student experience.

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.

People have an enormous impact on their environment through resource use, habitat loss and degradation, and climate change. Understanding how our actions impact the ecological balance across the planet has never been more important.

Our BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation course will teach you the science of ecology and conservation and provide practical training in field and laboratory techniques. You will understand how animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms interact with their environment, as well as the relationship between people and the rest of the biosphere. It will also provide you with a deep understanding of the complex relationships between environments and their inhabitants. You’ll learn about the policies and management strategies that aim to safeguard our biodiversity and the ecosystem services upon which humans depend.

Stirling is a superb place to study Ecology and Conservation. We’re near to diverse landscapes and can link up with more environmental and conservation organisations than anywhere else in the UK. Several organisations have offices on our campus, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, British Trust for Ornithology and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. We work closely with these and other organisations, including conservation charities and Government agencies in conducting research, arranging placements and field training for our students.

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 Masters in Public Policy allows you to develop the conceptual, analytical and practical skills you’ll need to flourish in the world of policymaking. We prepare you for a career in vocations that make a contribution to the development or delivery of public policy.

This course is extremely flexible, and you can tailor it to fit your particular interests. Core modules on Policy Theory and Practice are combined with optional modules in Social Research and policy-relevant disciplines. If you want to pursue an interest in other policy-relevant disciplines, you can also combine a focus on policy and research with options in areas such as:

• Law
• Economics and behavioural science
• Strategic communications
• International politics

You can also use this degree as a pathway to pursue research to PhD level by taking three modules in Applied Social Research.

As part of the Masters course, you must complete a dissertation. You’ll also have the potential to gain practical experience by pursuing a placement with a relevant organisation (with our help) – allowing you to tailor your research to a policymaker or policy-influencer audience.

Religion spans history, influences cultures and plays a major role in shaping today’s political landscape. It’s a subject that remains in the news constantly – in contexts ranging from discussions about marriage and gender identity to concerns about immigration and terrorist attacks. With all this in mind, it has never been more important to explore the many facets of religion, and understand the term’s meaning in a range of cultural contexts.

Studying Religion at the University of Stirling gives you a chance to do all this. You’ll explore how the meaning of “Religion” differs around the world, and take a positive approach to considering how the term might be re-interpreted. Our teaching team is dedicated to carrying out cutting-edge research into religion, and they feed their findings back into new books and papers – as well as your coursework. Through your studies, you’ll develop a critically analytical mind, as well as the valuable ability to understand other people’s point-of-view and understanding of the world.

We are committed to equipping you with transferrable skills that will make you a valuable asset to a range of employers. Join us and benefit from a fresh, innovative approach to studying one of the world’s most foundational topics.