Wildlife Conservation and Ecology

Is your ambition to undertake meaningful conservation work to protect our wildlife and our environment for years to come?

This course includes a broad range of specialist modules and practical opportunities to gain the essential industry skills and knowledge, with which to effectively conserve species, habitats and biodiversity both in the UK and overseas.

Through your studies, you will address a range of topics such as wildlife ecology, conservation biology, evolution and adaptation, ecological survey skills and species identification and principles of ecological restoration.

Combined with dedicated practical work, using our campus laboratories, the wider Reaseheath estate and servicing our community conservation work, you will develop a broad range of transferable knowledge, skills and competencies for future application in the conservation science and ecology sectors.

In your first year, you will develop essential knowledge and skills in wildlife conservation, ecology, evolution and biodiversity, with an emphasis on practical experience whilst in your second year, you will shift in emphasis to more academic and research-informed study, including themes in population management, ecological restoration, wildlife rehabilitation, and environmental impact and mitigation. A work placement within a relevant field of industry or an international field course is also available to study for academic credit at this level. Your final year will further develop your critical thinking skills and deepen your knowledge in areas of conservation and ecology, and will include a research dissertation on a topic of your interest.

Course Features:

• Surveying techniques

• Species identification

• Evolutionary biology

• Conservation biology and biodiversity

• Restoration ecology

• Environmental assessment and impact mitigation

• Access to a diverse rural green space across the campus

• Field course opportunities to South Africa, Costa Rica and South West UK

Career Options:

• Conservation science research

• Ecological/environmental consultancy

• Wildlife/conservation management

• Conservation charities

• Conservation ecotourism

• Conservation education

• Progress to MSc or PhD study

Level 4
• Conservation Biology and Biodiversity
• Ecological Survey and Census Skills
• Conservation of British Habitats
• Introduction to Scientific Communication
• Evolution & Adaptation
• Wildlife Ecology

Level 5
• Research Methods
• Principles of Ecological Restoration
• Animal Ecophysiology
• Behavioural Ecology1
• Technological Advancements in Conservation1
• Ecological Assessment, Impact Mitigation & Enhancement2
• Wildlife Health and Rehabilitation2
• Experiential Learning3
• Work Based Learning for the Land Based Industries3
*Denotes optional modules. The number corresponds to the combination for selection.

Level 6
• Applied Issues in Wildlife Conservation
• Environmental Sustainability & Natural Resource Management
• Dissertation†
• Biology & Conservation of Mammals1
• Biology & Conservation of Birds1
• Biology & Conservation of Herpetofauna1
• Conservation Education2
• Applications of Animal Behaviour for Conservation2
• Anthrozoology2
*Denotes optional modules. The number corresponds to the combination for selection.

† Dissertation is a double-weighted module, worth 40 credits. Therefore, only five modules are selected for study at Level 6.

Assessments are designed to encourage both academic skills and professional skills highly sought after in industry. Assessments include a combination of coursework and timed online assessments. Coursework may take many forms including essays, reports, data processing, presentations, academic posters, seminar discussions, interviews, critical reviews, portfolios of evidence The timed online assessments vary, depending on the nature of the module, but may take the form of multiple-choice papers, essays, practical assessments, data handling questions and short answer quizzes.

The balance of assessment by timed online assessment and assessment by coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by coursework is as follows:

Year 1
54.5% coursework
45.5% practical or timed online assessments

Year 2
85% coursework
15% practical or timed online assessments

Year 3
75% coursework
25% practical or timed online assessments