Biodiversity Conservation (Taught)

Understand and tackle the global biodiversity crisis with field courses, stakeholder engagement, and expert tuition from world-leading ecologists. Learn the latest fundamental science behind the conservation of biodiversity alongside practical skills in data analysis, GIS, project management, and grant writing. Study in Scotland's biodiversity hotspot with access to the Cairngorms National Park, coastal environments, and key conservation sites. Prepare for careers in conservation agencies, NGOs, government, consultancy, or academic research at an institution ranked globally for sustainability.

Earth's ecosystems are in crisis with biodiversity suffering from anthropogenic climate change. Can we live sustainably alongside wolves and other large predators? How do we balance our need for food, land, and power with the need to preserve biodiversity? Do we know which conservation efforts will work and which will fail?

Explore answers to critical conservation questions through field courses, stakeholder engagement, and expert tuition from our world-leading ecologists and environmental scientists. This interdisciplinary programme takes a holistic and ambitious approach to limiting and reversing biodiversity loss.

Students will develop practical skills in field monitoring techniques, rewilding and restoration ecology, ecological data analysis using R and GIS, project management, and grant writing. The programme includes placement opportunities with carefully selected NGO and industry partners, plus hands-on field work in the Cairngorms National Park and coastal environments.

Aberdeen's unique location provides access to a biodiversity hotspot featuring beavers, golden eagles, dolphins, otters, pine martens, red squirrels, and seals. The university ranks 37th globally for sustainability and has over 60 years of experience teaching ecological science.

Course Modules

Classes are predominantly delivered in-person with recordings available online. The programme features extensive field work including day-long trips to key biodiversity locations and a residential field course in the Cairngorms National Park.

Students work directly with conservation organisations through placement opportunities and engage with industry experts through guest lectures and workshops. The independent research project involves direct data collection and analysis with training from active research groups.

Teaching combines theoretical foundations with practical application, emphasising hands-on learning in real conservation contexts. Small class sizes ensure personalized attention and mentoring from world-leading academics in ecology and environmental science.

The programme uses continuous assessment with no traditional exams. Assessment methods include conservation project reports, data analysis assignments, field work assessments, independent research manuscripts, and professional skills portfolios covering project management, grant writing, and policy communication.