BSc (Hons) Biology and Mathematics

Are you interested in any of the following? • The evolution of animal behaviour • Genetic engineering of crop plants • The fossil record • The response of plants and animals to climate change, or •The biological molecules that underpin respiration and development. If the answer is yes, you’ll have the opportunity to find out about them and more as a biologist at Stirling. Biologists study the immeasurable diversity of living organisms amongst which we live on planet earth. During a biology degree you will study organisms from bacteria to blue whales, investigating systems ranging from enzymes to ecosystems. Of all the biological sciences degrees, Biology has the greatest flexibility, and module choice increases as students progress through their degree. In year 4, our range of specialist half-modules allows students to specialise in an area of biology that they have become particularly interested. Training is provided in both laboratory and field skills. As well as the beautiful campus in which the University is situated, we have a wide range of superb landscapes and habitats on our doorstep, and make the most of these throughout the degree. Final-year projects are a challenging yet valuable part of our degrees, and some have been so good they were published. These are supervised by a member of staff in the School but may also be carried out in conjunction with an external organisation. Examples of recent titles include: • The role of the blood brain barrier in HIV infections • Searching for evidence of division of labour within flowers: characterisation of anther dimorphism in the genus Solanum • Competition between clonal fragments and seedlings in Mimulus guttatus • Ultraviolet light, skin collagen and ageing • Mechanisms of sperm storage and its use in seaweed flies • Fruit fly promiscuity: influences on female fitness. The programme includes a compulsory field class in Scotland in year 2, and optional field courses during year 4. (Students must pay most of the costs of their travel, accommodation, and subsistence for field courses.) During the field trips, students learn various techniques in field sampling, identification, experimental design, data analysis and presentation. A 10-day field course in ecology and animal biology takes place in the Cévennes in France, a rugged mountain landscape of exceptional natural beauty and tremendous biodiversity. A further optional field course in tropical conservation biology travels to Gabon in year 4, where the University of Stirling has a long history in the study and practice of conservation and management. Do you enjoy numbers the way others enjoy music, poetry or art? Mathematical training develops both specific skills and broad analytical expertise, which are valued across all professions; and there is a particular demand for graduates who not only have quantitative skills, but also know how to use them. Our courses deliver that sought-after combination – both through our teaching style and our focus on real-world applications of both mathematical and statistical techniques. For instance, you will use the mathematics computing laboratories as an integral part of your learning process, making your study as much experimental as theoretical. Our Mathematics and Statistics department provides a stimulating and supportive learning environment and we have a strong and active research group. Its major interest is the application of mathematics to biology, economics and life sciences, and we offer combined Honours degrees in the relevant disciplines.