BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Outdoor Education

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If you want a sound science degree that also takes you teaching and guiding outdoor activities, this unique degree has been designed for you.

The University of Stirling is a superb place to study Environmental Science, with our history of innovation in environmental research and study. This course blends the academic elements of our Environmental Science degree with practical training in navigation and outdoor safety. You’ll learn how to design, lead and deliver outdoor programmes with environmental and ecological learning outcomes.

You’ll explore global environmental issues, contemporary environmental science, landscape evolution, and scientific techniques.

Our leading mountaineering instructors and outdoor specialists will teach you outdoor leadership, mountain skills and environmental education.You'll have the opportunity to gain the Mountain Leader Award, endorsed by the Mountain Training Association. This is a physically demanding course requiring a certain level of health, fitness and mobility.

This is a unique degree that offers a solid grounding in environmental science complemented with outdoor experience and leadership –balancing scientific training with broad career opportunities.

Daniel Souto, BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Outdoor Education

We blend lecture-based teaching, substantial field-based learning about the environment and practical training in navigation, mountain hazards and outdoor safety. We’ll also train you to design and deliver outdoor courses with environmental and ecological learning outcomes.

We’ve strong links with conservation and environmental management employers, giving you the opportunity to get hands-on experience working with industrial partners during your degree.

In the outdoor education components you’ll learn from some of the UK’s top mountaineering instructors and outdoor educators. The optional but included Summer Mountain Leader Award requires you to complete a minimum of 40 quality mountain days.

This degree requires a high level of health, fitness and mobility and a commitment to outdoor pursuits (in particular, mountain walking).

We’ve a proud history of innovation in Environmental Science. University of Stirling was one of the first universities to establish a degree course in Environmental Science in 1980 and we are still committed to training graduates with the skills valued by employers today. We offer the only Environmental Science MSci course in Scotland, which is accredited by the Institution for Environmental Sciences (IES).

What jobs can you get with an Environmental Science and Outdoor Education degree?

Our combined approach for this degree will allow you to enter a wide range of relevant careers, from outdoor instructor through to environmental consultant or ecologist. Graduates have found work as countryside rangers, guides and environmental science or geography educators (raising public awareness of environmental issues), and other careers specific to outdoor education.

In addition, students will be prepared for employment in the same professions as our standard Environmental Geography and Environmental Science graduates, such as education, conservation and the environment, science and technology, travel and related occupations, and sports and fitness.

Our course will give you the foundation for graduate entry to postgraduate taught and research degree courses in the environmental field.

This course is not designed to train you to become an outdoor instructor. However, you may wish to gain additional qualifications independently (e.g. SPA or BCU awards) or undertake a suitable postgraduate programme in outdoor education which would qualify you for this type of career.