Environmental Science and Outdoor Education

Environmental science and outdoor education careers are in high demand. This is due to climate change and sustainability initiatives. Environmental stewardship has entered the top 10 fastest growing skills (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025).

Our Environmental Science and Outdoor Education degree gives you a unique set of skills and knowledge. You’ll not only learn about environmental and ecological cal issues. You’ll also be ready for an active outdoors career.

Develop science skills employers need

• Gain analytical, lab and field skills needed to face environmental challenges.

• Explore the complex interactions between people and the environment.

• Understand the science that shapes our natural environment.

• Gain computational skills such as programming in R, data management. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing.

The scientific and digital skills you’ll gain match the needs of careers in environmental consultancy, conservation, sustainability and ecological monitoring.

Gain practical outdoor education training

Your learning in outdoor education is hands-on. You’ll:

• learn how to design, lead and deliver outdoor programmes with environmental and ecological learning outcomes,

• be immersed in outdoor learning on field trips to schools and outdoor education centres,

• plan and design outdoor activities to a range of learners from primary age children to adults.

A major part of the course is mountain or lowland outdoor leader training. Our leading mountaineering instructors and outdoor specialists will teach you:

• outdoor leadership,

• mountain skills,

• environmental education.

There’s also the option to gain the Mountain or Lowland Leader Award, endorsed by the Mountain Training Association.

This is a physically demanding degree. You need to have a good level of health, fitness and mobility.

We ensure the Environmental Science and Outdoor Education course is industry relevant by working with closely with:

• Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre

• Active Stirling

• Glenmore Lodge Outdoor Adventure Centre

Extensive hands-on environmental fieldwork training

Our degree in environmental science and outdoor education gives you lots of opportunities to get practical experience. We regularly use the wide range of habitats on our biodiverse campus for practical work and data collection.

Fieldwork skills you'll gain include:

• environmental monitoring,

• fauna and flora identification,

• experimental design for environmental surveys,

• landscape history and management.

The course also offers the choice of two residential field trips:

• South Africa (10 days). Explore different physical and environmental processes and ecosystem functioning. You’ll also learn about managing international landscapes.

• Scottish Highlands (7 days). A residential experience to study geological, geomorphological and environmental processes at work.

Travel, accommodation, and subsistence on residential field courses are not included in the course fees.

We know that residential field courses can be difficult for some students to attend. They can also have an environmental impact. To widen participation and reduce this impact, we offer a non-residential field-based module. This focuses on day trips around the University.

Get industry experience

A great way to get hands-on experience is to take our optional outdoor education placement module. Past students have completed placements with environmental charities, government agencies and industry partners including:

• Mountaineering Guides

• National Trust

• Scouts

• Active Stirling

• Loch Lomond National Park

• Jupiter Nature Reserve

• Scottish Wildlife Trust

• Green Space, Glasgow

https://www.stir.ac.uk/courses/ug/environmental-science-outdoor-education/#panel_1_3