Editing University of Stirling (section)

==Academic profile==

===Teaching===
Most Scottish degree programmes are designed to include four years of study with the intention of providing a broad and flexible education. Stirling has offered four-year, modular degree programmes since the university was first founded. In the 1960s and 1970s [[Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme]]s, which create flexible pathways for students to acquire qualifications, were predominantly used in the US with the UK system operating on a disciplinary progression model. Initially, Stirling's modular approach, and its inherent flexibility, was seen as novel in the UK, but through time, more institutions moved to a semester basis and today almost all universities operate in this way.

Teaching at Stirling is delivered on a two-[[semester]] basis with the academic year beginning in mid-September and the first semester ending in mid-December. The second semester runs from the beginning of January to the end of May each year. At undergraduate level, three modules are taken in the first semester and three in the second. The basic module of study at Stirling is assigned 20 Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scqf.co.uk/|title=Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework|website=www.scqf.co.uk|access-date=15 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430221953/http://scqf.co.uk/|archive-date=30 April 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> (SCQF) credit points. Ordinary degrees have a minimum credit total of 360 points.

The university offers a wide range of [[undergraduate education|undergraduate]] and [[postgraduate education|postgraduate]] courses covering the [[liberal arts]], [[natural science]], [[management school]] and health science.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stir.ac.uk/postgraduate/programme-information/|title=Postgraduate Courses – Taught degrees – University of Stirling|website=www.stir.ac.uk|access-date=2 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307154252/https://www.stir.ac.uk/postgraduate/programme-information/|archive-date=7 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Stirling achieved a 5 Star Excellence Award for Teaching by QS Stars in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-stirling|title=University of Stirling|website=Top Universities|access-date=2 March 2016}}</ref>

===Research===
Stirling is an interdisciplinary research-intensive University with a range of research activity focused on Health and Wellbeing; Culture and Society; Environment; Enterprise and the Economy; and Sport. The Research Excellence Framework also rated almost three-quarters of research activity either world-leading or internationally excellent.

The university is home to some specialist research centres:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stir.ac.uk/arts-humanities/research/areas/ |title=Research Areas:Research Centres |publisher=University of Stirling |access-date=6 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009131346/http://www.stir.ac.uk/arts-humanities/research/areas/ |archive-date=9 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Centre for Environment, Heritage and Policy
* Stirling Media Research Institute (SMRI)
* Stirling Centre for Scottish Studies.
* Dementia Services Development Centre
* Centre for Gender and Feminist Studies
* Centre for Transnational Legal Methods
* Stirling Environment and Energy Network
* Centre of Postcolonial Studies
* Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication
* Contemporary Portuguese Political History Research Centre
* Stirling Centre for Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies
* Centre for Policy, Conflict and Co-Operation 
* Scottish Law and Innovation Network (SCOTLIN)
Stirling has a research publications database, STORRE, which is a source of free, full-text access research outputs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://storre.stir.ac.uk|title=Home|website=storre.stir.ac.uk|access-date=2 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229130217/http://storre.stir.ac.uk/|archive-date=29 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Business links ===

The university has major industrial research links through Stirling University Innovation Park. This large science park was founded in 1993 and is located adjacent to the main university campus. It is home to around 50 companies engaging in various forms of [[research and development]].<ref name="Stirling University Innovation Park">{{cite web|url=http://www.suip.co.uk/AboutSUIP.aspx|title=About Us|publisher=Stirling University Innovation Park|access-date=5 April 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223181826/http://www.suip.co.uk/AboutSUIP.aspx|archive-date=23 February 2007}}</ref> During the 1990s the university built a stand-alone Management Centre on the campus. This developed over time into a Conference Centre with residential accommodation. In 2015, the Management Centre was rebranded the Stirling Court Hotel.

===Reputation and rankings===
{{Infobox UK university rankings
| ARWU_N = 
| ARWU_W = 801–900
| QS_N = 50
| QS_W = 452=
| THE_N = 47
| THE_W = 401–500
| LINE_1 = 0
| Complete = 53
| The_Guardian = 94
| Times/Sunday_Times = 63
}}
Stirling is a mid-ranked,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings|title=Top UK University League Tables and Rankings 2017|website=www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk|access-date=28 April 2016}}</ref> [[List of UK universities by date of foundation|pre-1992]] UK university with a reputation for high teaching quality<ref name="auto"/> and socially relevant research. It is among the top 50 universities in the world that are under 50 years old – 2nd in the UK and 46th in the world,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-young-universities-world-2017|title=Best young universities in the world 2017|date=5 April 2017|work=Times Higher Education (THE)|access-date=5 April 2017|language=en}}</ref> according to the [[Times Higher Education World University Rankings]], and among the top 40 in the UK in the Complete University Guide.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/stirling//|title=University of Stirling 39th in UK|newspaper=Guardian|access-date=14 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911181953/http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/stirling/|archive-date=11 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The university is ranked 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for graduate employability according to the [[Higher Education Statistics Agency]], with more than 96% of graduates in employment, or further study, within six months of graduating.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/07-07-2016/employment-of-leavers|title=UK Performance Indicators in Higher Education 2014/15: Employment of leavers|date=7 July 2016|website=HESA|access-date=30 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331032221/https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/07-07-2016/employment-of-leavers|archive-date=31 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2016 the University of Stirling achieved 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings in five categories – "Teaching", "Employability", "Facilities", "Inclusiveness" and "Internationalisation".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-stirling#wur|title=University of Stirling|website=Top Universities|access-date=2 March 2016}}</ref> In The Complete University Guide 2017, Stirling was ranked 1st in the UK for Social Work, 2nd in Scotland for Communication and Media Studies, and 2nd in Scotland for Marketing.<ref name="auto"/>

The University of Stirling was ranked 5th in Scotland and 40th in the UK for research intensity in the 2014 assessment of research in the UK, the [[Research Excellence Framework]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/REF%2001%202014%20-%20full%20document.pdf|title=Research Excellence Framework 2014 The results|date=December 2014|website=ResearchExcellenceFramework|access-date=7 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100623/http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/REF%2001%202014%20-%20full%20document.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The university was one of the twenty institutions to be awarded a Queen's Anniversary prize in 2014 – the prize for Higher and Further Education for ground-breaking research, recognising work led by the Institute of Social Marketing into the effects of tobacco, alcohol and food marketing on the health of young people.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=http://www.royalanniversarytrust.org.uk/news/winners-announced-2013|title=Winners of the Queen's Anniversary Prizes announced|website=www.royalanniversarytrust.org.uk|date=3 March 2014|access-date=2 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306042450/http://royalanniversarytrust.org.uk/news/winners-announced-2013|archive-date=6 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> In March 2016, the University of Stirling Management School was accredited by the [[Association of MBAs]] (AMBA) for its MBA and MBM programmes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mbaworld.com/business-schools/business-school-search/business-school-detail?s=Udh5wEtnWtXGqP+RBpFoFrwGPqsf3K1pz8yAOWL8wTLtZ6tXMBYWtQ==|title=Business school detail – Association of MBAs|website=Association of MBAs|language=en|access-date=6 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202232/https://www.mbaworld.com/business-schools/business-school-search/business-school-detail?s=Udh5wEtnWtXGqP+RBpFoFrwGPqsf3K1pz8yAOWL8wTLtZ6tXMBYWtQ==|archive-date=17 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>