MSc Behavioural Science

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Gain advanced insights into behavioural theory and how to apply it to business and management on our pioneering Masters course in Behavioural Science

Behavioural Science
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Key facts

  • Award Masters / MSc, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma
  • Start date September 2023, September 2024
  • Application notes For students who need a visa: we are closed for September 2023 entry. Applications for 2024-25 entry will open in September 2023.
  • Duration MSc full-time: 12 months, MSc part-time: 24 months
  • Mode of study full time, part time
  • Delivery on campus

Overview

Looking to work at the cutting edge? Our pioneering Masters in Behavioural Science for Management will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the theory and practice of behavioural science and behavioural economics, and how this can be applied to predict the decisions of consumers, firms, citizens and regulators.

What we offer

We'll teach you how to apply behavioural science in practice. Our recent students have worked on projects with Siemens, Tesco, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Volunteer Scotland, and Iceland’s Cancer Detection Clinic. 
 
Our course motivates you to apply behavioural science to answer some of the biggest questions facing society – for example, ‘how can we improve people’s wellbeing?’, ‘how can we help people save more for the future?’, and ‘how can we foster more effective environmental behaviours?’. In addition, each year we award the Keep Scotland Beautiful Prize for Best Research in Behavioural Science relating to the Environment. 
 
We have a regular series of seminars and events where students have an opportunity to chat to leading practitioners and researchers. Each year we host a conference focusing on an aspect of Behavioural Science. In the past these have focused on the ethics of behavioural science, behavioural science and health, and behavioural science in workplace. We regularly invite world leading experts to talk at these events e.g., Aisling Ni Chonaire, Senior Analyst at the Behavioural Insights Team and graduate of the Masters course. We also aim to host a yearly reunion event (typically in April) which brings back to Stirling students and staff from the past 8 years. 
 
Our teaching staff are world-leading researchers, having published in top journals in management, economics, psychology, medicine, risk, and science generally. We are also experienced at academic-industry collaborations and have written and taught extensively on the ethics and unanticipated consequences of nudging. 
 
Our assignments challenge you to apply behavioural science in practice – you will design your own experiment, write policy briefs, and learn to moderate a Behavioural Challenge Workshop.

 

Industry demand for skills in behavioural science

Demand for managers with behavioural science knowledge is growing in many different industries. With our MSc Behavioural Science for Management you’ll be fully equipped to break new ground in industries such as:

  • Marketing and market research: Key skills needed in marketing and market research include the ability to apply behavioural theory and methods to understand product pricings, promotion, and consumer perceptions. Part of this involves understanding the characteristics of customers, so that they can be grouped and targeted in customised ways.
  • Human resources: Organisations need leaders with skills in development and design, resourcing and talent development as well as employee engagement within the HR environment.
  • Survey research: High-quality survey data is always needed by governments, state agencies, and businesses. Companies delivering this service seek sophisticated survey operations skills, including knowledge of data collection modes, survey design, survey completion behaviour, formatting, quality control, and distribution.
  • Business: Business and management careers now place increasing value on the capacity to apply behavioural insights to business challenges and to gather evidence using experimental methods.
  • Policy: Governments now have behavioural insight teams which draw on insights from the growing body of academic research in the fields of behavioural science and psychology.

Developing business leaders of the future

Postgraduate education at the University of Stirling Management School goes beyond text books and lecture rooms, we also focus on your personal and professional development. Our teaching and assignments will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in a variety of occupations.

Our unique Flying Start Leadership Programme equips you with the awareness, knowledge and techniques essential for building a successful career. These range from practical skills, like effective public speaking, to developing ways to work under pressure in difficult situations such as conflict management. Find out more about Flying Start.

Top reasons to study with us

Course objectives

This course will help you to develop key skills and gain practical experience in Behavioural Science including:

  • Core training in areas of psychological science most relevant to business and policy
  • In-depth knowledge of the key concepts of behavioural economics
  • How behavioural science can be applied to business and policy questions
  • Sound understanding of growing areas such as experimental approaches to business and policy questions and strategies to enable behaviour change
  • Approachable yet detailed statistical and methodological training 
  • The design and analysis of surveys and survey data
  • Using advanced experimental and empirical techniques
  • Presenting research confidently
  • Conducting independent research projects that test hypotheses in applied settings

Research overview

Our behavioural science students benefit from the vibrant research culture within the Stirling Behavioural Science Centre with a regular programme of visiting speakers (over 100 in the past three years), leading academics and policy and industry professionals. The centre holds grants from the EU Commission, SIRE, ESRC and Templeton foundation and aims to become a leading research centre in Behavioural Science in Europe.

In REF 2021, 80% of our research impact in Business and Management Studies was classed as world leading or internationally excellent.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A minimum of a second class honours degree or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.

Other routes of entry

If you don't currently meet our academic requirements, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need to progress onto some of our courses. Explore INTO University of Stirling to see the pathway and pre-masters routes available.

International entry requirements

View the entry requirements for your country.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:

  • IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill 
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) 169 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill
  • Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) 180 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill
  • Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill
  • IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing
  • IBT TOEFL Special Home Edition Test 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing
  • Trinity ISE II Pass overall with a Pass in each sub-skill, ISE III Pass overall and in all sub-skills, ISE IV Pass overall and in all sub-skills
  • Aptis (4 skills) CEFR B2 overall and B2 in all sub-skills
  • LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator - High Pass overall with minimum 25 in each sub-skill

Last updated: 23 August 2022

For more information on ways that you can meet our English language requirements, including options to waive the requirement, please read our information on English language requirements.

Pre-sessional English language courses

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.

Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.

Course details

Learn from the experts

You’ll benefit from the vibrant research community within our Behavioural Science Centre, where there’s a regular programme of visiting speakers, leading academics, and policy and industry professionals. There’s also the opportunity work closely with course staff who have published in leading peer-reviewed outlets on:

  • Forecasting
  • Risk and how to communicate it
  • Altruism
  • Donating behaviour
  • Survey design
  • Selective Attention
  • Priming, including Mortality Salience
  • The optimal design of nudges
  • The ethics of nudging
  • The replication crisis in the social sciences

And have applied their research to an extensive set of areas including:

  • health
  • the environment
  • finance
  • food safety
  • employment and HR
  • insurance markets
  • culture and entertainment industries

The full-time MSc Behavioural Science for Management consists of two 15-week semesters of taught modules and a three-month dissertation period.

 

Modules

The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the current academic year (September 2022). Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.

Course Details

Teaching

Teaching is carried out through lectures, seminars, guest speakers, article discussion groups, and presentations. There’s a regular programme of visiting speakers, leading academics and policy and industry professionals at Stirling’s Behaviour Research Centre.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed by combination of exams and coursework, including written assignments and presentations. The final assessment on the course involves a dissertation.

Course director

Professor David Comerford, Course Director

msc-behaviouralscience@stir.ac.uk
+44 (0)1786 467356

Fees and funding

Fees and costs

  2022/23 2023/24
Students from the UK£8,200£8,700
Students from the Republic of Ireland£8,200£8,700
Overseas (non-EU) students£19,145£19,645
European Union students£19,145£19,645

Students from the UK

Course fees

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

If you need to extend your period of study or repeat study, you will be liable for additional fees.

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Students from the Republic of Ireland

Course fees

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

If you need to extend your period of study or repeat study, you will be liable for additional fees.

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

European Union students

EU Postgraduate Scholarship

Eligible EU students will automatically receive our EU Postgraduate Scholarship, which provides a 40% fee discount on full-time, on-campus postgraduate degrees at the University of Stirling.

Course fees

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

If you need to extend your period of study, you will be liable for additional fees.

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Overseas students (non-EU)

We offer a range of funding options for overseas students.

Course fees

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Postgraduate tuition fee loans

This course is eligible for a postgraduate tuition fee loan from one of the UK’s governments. See the section, below, for more details.

Additional costs

There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.

Scholarships and funding

Postgraduate tuition fee loans

Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £11,500 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs.

English students can apply for a loan of up to £12,167 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.

Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,770 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.

Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £5,500 from Student Finance NI.

If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.

Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.

Cost of living

If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.

European Union and overseas students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.

Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling

Payment options

We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay

After you graduate

100% of Behavioural Science for Management students felt the course had enhanced their employability

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2021

The MSc Behavioural Science for Management is designed to help you pursue a career in business in areas such as:

  • implementation of public policy
  • regulation and policy development
  • survey research
  • advertising
  • consumer and social marketing
  • human resource management

Our unique Flying Start Leadership Programme equips you with the awareness, knowledge and techniques essential for building a successful career and the course also provides an excellent entry point if you’re considering progressing to PhD research in this area. 

When you graduate you’ll be ready and able to contribute innovative solutions to many businesses, governments and society. The specialist knowledge you’ll gain will be invaluable in building a long-term career. You’ll have the skills and understanding to:

  • carry out complex statistics, design behavioural experiments and implement behavioural research methods
  • integrate the knowledge and understanding gained throughout the course and use this to tackle substantive issues in business and policy
  • use your knowledge of complex conceptual, design and statistical issues to understand, critically evaluate and apply insights from emerging research in behavioural economics and related disciplines

Testimonial quotes

I’m employed in a PR company applying Behavioural Science to communications for a wide vary of clients. I’m applying direct learnings from the MSc and the experience I gained from the course was invaluable in helping me to pursue my chosen career.

Amy Hume, MSc Behavioural Science

Employability skills

Throughout the course you’ll also develop a set of core skills in areas that are in demand by employers, including:

  • Written and oral communication skills, including presenting arguments clearly and concisely.
  • Analysis and problem-solving.
  • Thinking imaginatively and creatively.
  • Using and interpreting statistics. 
  • Working under pressure, managing your time and meeting deadlines.
  • Researching relevant material.
  • Taking initiative and developing ideas independently.

What our students said

Linda Karlsdottir
MSc Behavioural Science
I already got a job as a behavioural scientist ... I could not be working there if I had not done my course.
Read Linda's story
Silvia Cottone
MSc Behavioural Science
The dissertation was the most exciting part because you had your own projects and you had to carry them out all by yourself with the support of the supervisor.
Read Silvia's story
Rowan Tunnicliffe
United Kingdom
MSc Behavioural Science for Management
The course was taught in a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere; and because the group was relatively small, it meant that everyone’s view was heard and nobody was left behind. The content was also really interesting and relevant to a real world context.
Read Rowan's story

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MSc Behavioural Science (apply for September 2022)

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