Environmental Science and Politics

Want a career that changes the world? Environmental Science puts you on the front line of the planet’s biggest challenges, from climate change and pollution to biodiversity loss and the race for clean energy, food, and water.

The environmental consultancy market is booming. The UK environmental consulting market size is expected to reach £2.92 billion ($3.9 billion) by 2033 (IMARC Group).

Develop skills employers want

Our environmental science degree equips you with analytical, field and laboratory skills needed to tackle environmental challenges.

• Learn about the complex interactions between people and the environment.

• Explore the science behind the global geological, physical, chemical and biological processes that shape our natural environment.

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

• Gain practical skills to prepare you for laboratory and field-based careers.

• Get specialist training in environmental policy and management. Utilise the methods and applications in environmental science.

Gain an environmental science specialism

In years 3 and 4 you can opt to specialise in one of these areas:

• Environmental Science with Ecology and Biodiversity

• Environmental Science with Sustainable Environmental Management

• Environmental Science with Climate Change and Environmental Monitoring

Extensive hands-on fieldwork training

Our degree in environmental science gives you lots of opportunities to get practical experience.

We regularly use the wide range of habitants on our biodiverse campus. We also go to locations close to campus to investigate various species. Skills you'll gain include:

• environmental monitoring,

• fauna and flora identification,

• plant identification,

• landscape history and management.

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

• A 10-day field course to South Africa to develop your field research skills. You'll explore different physical and environmental processes and ecosystem functioning. You’ll also learn about managing international landscapes.

• A 7-day residential experience in the Scottish Highlands. It’s a unique opportunity 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 non-residential field-based modules. This focuses on day trips around the University.

Politics permeates every aspect of our lives – shaping our opinions, informing our decisions and helping us to understand what motivates people.

When you study Politics at the University of Stirling, you’ll increase your awareness of the different political systems, ideologies and policies that impact people’s lives regionally, nationally and globally. We’re ranked among the best universities for Politics in Scotland, and are highly regarded for our strong, research-led approach to teaching.

A Politics degree helps you develop the intellectual, communication and analytical skills employers are looking for. You’ll open the door to a wide range of career opportunities – from politics itself, to connected arenas such as commerce, civil service, journalism, law and teaching. There are also plenty of opportunities to broaden your horizons by studying abroad during your course, including through our Politics-specific partnership with the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Enhance your understanding of how the world works, and gain the skills you need to play your part in shaping it with a Politics degree from the University of Stirling.