Telephone: 01786 473171 Website: http://www.stir.ac.uk
Fax: - E-mail: -
Applications: UCAS Students: Total full-time 6300. Male/female ratio 1:1. First degree students 5600 (300 from overseas; 850 mature on entry). Postgraduates 700.
Staff: 420 (95 research). Student enquiries: Student Recruitment & Admissions Office (tel 01786 467046, fax 01786 466800, e-mail recruitment@stir.ac.uk).
Broad study areas: Natural sciences; management, finance & business law; education; arts; languages; social sciences. Accommodation: 80% of first years housed.
In brief: Traditional research-led university. Location: Central Scotland. UCAS points on entry: 19.1.
Background: Founded: 1967. Site: 360-acre site 2 miles north-east of Stirling. Access: A9; buses from Stirling direct to campus. Special features: Semester system (2 semesters of 15 weeks each); continuous assessment policy. Concurrent education (teacher training) courses. Awarding body: Stirling University. Main undergraduate awards: BA, BSc, BAcc. Length of courses: 4 years (honours); 3 years (general). Library & information services: 500,000 volumes, 2400 periodicals, 1000 study places; reference collection. Computerised catalogue and issue system. Specialist collections: Rare 19th-century books; government publications. Annual expenditure on information provision, £100 per (FTE) student. Converged library and IT services. 400 computers with access to library and internet (open 24 hours/day); ratio workstations to students 1:15. Staffed IT helpdesk for system and software problems; 2 workshops for new students (2 hour) on eg Windows, e-mail; credit-based IT skills courses for students of any discipline. Study abroad: Up to 20% of students spend a period abroad in their third year. Formal exchange links with 100+ universities/colleges across Europe. Wide and increasing number of European-orientated course options. Careers: Information and advice. 4 careers advisers. Student support: Doctor, dentist, chaplains, counsellors and academic advisers on site; other services available locally. Limited residential facilities for married and disabled students. Amenities: Bookshop on campus, chaplaincy centre, students' association with shop and travel service; bank, supermarket, chemist, post office; MacRobert Arts Centre (including cinema/theatre); good facilities for disabled students (wheelchair routes, paraplegic toilets). Sporting facilities: Gannochy sports centre with wide range of indoor and outdoor sports; swimming pool, golf course and indoor tennis centre all on campus.
Accommodation: 80% of first years in university accommodation, 60% of all students. 2150 self-catering places on campus at £40-£45 per week; contracts term time or longer. More accommodation available off campus. Students typically live in privately owned accommodation for 1-2 years: average rents £150-£160 per month. 20% of first degree students live at home.
Hardship funds: Government access funds.
Tuition fees: Scottish and EU students pay no fees during course; other UK home students up to £1075 pa for first degrees; overseas students £6098 (classroom), £8045 (lab).
Student view: On the Airthrey Estate, it's backed by a massive hill, surrounded by woods and has a lake (sorry, loch) in the middle; easy to see why it's called one of Europe's most beautiful campuses. There are affiliated campuses in Falkirk, Inverness and the Isle of Lewis. It has an extremely active union with a wide variety of clubs and societies to cater for the 90 nationalities that form the university's population; also houses the campus radio station. Sports facilities were excellent even before the Scottish National Tennis Centre opened. Students have a flexibility in course choice that is hard to better elsewhere. Necessities can be bought on campus; most leave weekly shopping until they visit the town centre. Plenty of pubs and restaurants, and if you're bored with the town you can easily travel to Glasgow or Edinburgh for the day.
Student life: Housing: Breezeblock halls/wooden chalets; moving towards market rents. Noticeboards, housing lists help those living off campus. Drink: 5 bars, including an ale house; good selection lagers and beers (from £1.45 a pint), plenty of promos. Eats: Food, incl veggie, in SA eateries excellent value, especially in bistro (meal £1.50-£3.25 on campus). Westerton also good, from £5+. Nightlife: Active ents scene (good enough to keep most students on campus); bands incl Electrasy. Student club Shankes-Bop Shop (Lyndon Saunders). Locals: Reasonably friendly. Sports: Excellent sports facilities on campus. Plenty sports clubs. Hardship funds: Access fund available to students. Travel: Exchange programme 3rd year. Campus travel shop. Jobs: Union bars; holiday work on campus/town (shops tend not to employ students unless they can guarantee availability for long period). Best features: Campus atmosphere. More info? Contact SU President on tel 01786 467166, fax 01786 457190, e-mail susa-president@stir.ac.uk.
Alumni: Tommy Sheridan, Dr John Reid MP, Stewart Hepburn, Mike Connarty MP,