Editing University of Stirling (section)

===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>