Wildlife Conservation

Human impact is having a devastating effect on wildlife habitats and biodiversity. Equip yourself with the skills and specialist knowledge to safeguard wildlife and make a difference with our BSc (Hons) Wildlife Conservation degree.

We’ve designed a course that provides a broad understanding of wildlife, ecology and environmental problems threatening species, from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The curriculum blends general conservation, the physical environment and landscape, as well as offering opportunities for you to study the ecology and behaviour of animals in the wild.

Take your scientific knowledge and skills further
Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, our course provides you with a broad understanding of wildlife, biodiversity and conservation through the lens of biological sciences. Across three years of study - or four, if you choose to include an industry placement - you will advance your wildlife knowledge, covering specialist topics such as behavioural ecology, conservation biology, and geographical information systems.

We put fieldwork at the heart of your learning experience. You will experience field trips including day visits to local zoo, as well and residential trips in the UK and abroad, depending on which modules you choose. In recent years, students have taken part in residential trips to Cumbria, Scotland, Shropshire and Gambia. During your studies, you will also spend time in our advanced Bodmer laboratories, and you might have opportunities to engage with live research projects.

Get closer to industry
Focusing on real-world issues, you will balance theoretical learning with practical skill building, both in our laboratories on campus, and through UK and international field trips, which will provide you with real world experiences. We also regularly invite wildlife professionals and practitioners to share their knowledge through guest lectures.

During your studies, you will also have the option to include an industry placement between years two and three. Previous wildlife students have completed work placements both in the UK and overseas at organisations such as the Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project in Borneo, Serra dos Órgãos National Park in Brazil or closer to home at Blackpool Zoo or Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

You can also join our award-winning wildlife student society, where we can get involved with activities such as nature-spotting events, animal surveys, online talks, film screenings and many more social events to meet like-minded students.

Features
• Experience residential field trips opportunities
• Include an optional industry placement year in the UK or overseas
• Part-time study option available
• Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology

Year One:

• Introduction to Zoo Biology
• Biodiversity
• Global Distribution of Wildlife
• Field Biology
• Genes to Ecosystems
• Study Skills

Year Two:

• Conservation Biology
• Wildlife Behavioural Ecology
• Monitoring Environmental Change
• Ecology in Action
• Research Skills

Choose one option from:

• Ocean Challenges
• Primate Behaviour and Conservation
• University Wide Language Programme

Year Three:

• Environmental Geographical Information Systems
• Practical Ecology and Conservation
• Final Year Project and Professional Skills

Choose two options from the following:

• Animal Cognition and Social Complexity (Wildlife)
• Mitigating Climate Change
• Tropical Ecology and Conservation
• Bird Biology and Conservation
• University Wide Language Programme

Assessment strategies are designed to develop your skills for future employability and assessment success. We regularly provide you with feedback via written communication, online notes, and group activities.

Typical assessment combines coursework and examination, and this will vary depending on your level of study. We also use other formal, informal and continuous assessment methods that could include:

• Research projects
• Laboratory reports
• Essays
• Literature reviews
• Field notebooks
• Data analysis
• Presentations