Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
SRUC’s history may be in Agriculture, but nowadays they offer a wide range of courses designed to support rural industries and life. These range from courses relating to food production (such as Agriculture and Poultry Studies), courses relating to the science that supports these agricultural industries (such as Applied Animal Science and Agricultural Bioscience), and the business and industry which relies on their resources (such as Rural Business Management). Other courses related to the way we interact with and support the environment around us (such as Horticulture and Garden Design, Environmental Management and Renewable Technology), and how we can use outdoor space and the countryside in our recreation and leisure time (such as Countryside Management, Sports Coaching, Equine Studies, Hospitality, and Golf).
At SRUC you are not only able to study undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses but also a full range of programmes at all levels from access courses and vocational studies through to PhDs. In many cases you can progress seamlessly through educational levels and qualifications. This makes them a comprehensive provider of land-based and rural education, whatever your academic starting point. Many courses offer part-time study opportunities as well as full-time, and they also deliver some courses by distance learning.
Take the example of Lindsay McLean. Lindsay began her academic journey as an HNC Countryside Management student at SRUC’s Oatridge Campus. After successfully completing the HNC, Lindsay had found and unlocked her potential, and switched to the SRUC Edinburgh Campus to join year two of a degree course. Lindsay completed her degree in Environmental Management with First Class Honours. Lindsay says: “I am now studying a PhD at Heriot-Watt University researching natural flood management and ecosystem services. As an Oatridge HNC student, I never imagined I would be doing a PhD 5 years later!”
SRUC is an unusual organisation. Like a University, they have expertise in the areas of Education and Research, but in addition they also offer unrivalled links with industry through the SAC Consultancy division, business services and professional training courses.
In addition to taught academic courses, SRUC offers professional training courses through their Training Services division. They provide a wide range of high quality training and skills development courses to meet the needs of the land-based workforce across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
SRUC offers taught courses in 6 campus locations across Scotland, and training courses and specialist research in many more. Campuses are located in: Aberdeen on the Craibstone Estate, Ayr at the Riverside Campus, Barony near Dumfries, Edinburgh at King’s Buildings, Elmwood in Cupar, Fife, and Oatridge in Broxburn, West Lothian.
Further information can be found on the SRUC web site at www.sruc.ac.uk/education.