Wildlife Conservation (Professional Placement Year)

Explore conservation biology, ecology and human-wildlife interaction, and help develop ways to protect the natural world.

• Study the biology of animals, plants and ecosystems found in the UK and around the world.

• Learn in the field, laboratory and classroom using new technologies.

• Engage in creative interdisciplinary approaches to help tackle one of the world’s greatest challenges.

Our Wildlife Conservation degree will give you the opportunity to learn about the lives of wild animals and plants, and explore how you can help to overcome the challenges that they face.

You'll look at the rapidly developing field of conservation biology, including threats to biodiversity and opportunities for habitat management and creation. You'll learn about the biology and behaviour of animals, the importance of a variety of biomes, and the different flora and fauna that they support. You'll consider how we can use this understanding to aid their protection using interdisciplinary approaches.

The course is rooted in biology and will also cover the social issues related to wildlife conservation and the place of wildlife within our lives. You'll be encouraged to explore and develop brave and creative approaches to protecting the natural world including elements from the arts. Fieldwork will form an important part of your study, and you'll build experience and develop practical skills by interacting directly with nature.

Accreditation
This programme has been accredited by the Royal Society of Biology following an independent and rigorous assessment. Accredited degree programmes contain a solid academic foundation in biological knowledge and key skills, and prepare graduates to address the needs of employers.

The accreditation criteria require evidence that graduates from accredited programmes meet defined sets of learning outcomes, including subject knowledge, technical ability and transferable skills.

More about the Professional Placement Year
A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where you undertake a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between your second and final years of undergraduate study. You can engage in multiple placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) yourself, with support from the Careers team.

In year one, you'll study the fundamental concepts of biology, ecology, conservation and natural history. You'll learn key scientific, analytic, practical fieldwork and communication skills that you'll use throughout your degree and beyond.

Your second year introduces more applied content, and includes key research skills, animal behaviour, ecology, environmental management, and an independent project. You'll learn practical techniques, such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), both on campus and on a residential field course, and you will carry out small group projects. There will also be opportunities for multidisciplinary study including fields such as environmental philosophy, creative arts, geotechnologies and education.

Your third year is a Professional Placement Year.

In your final year, you'll learn how to put what you have learned into practice, with a focus on more specific skills needed for the workplace. The year will start with a choice between an international and UK field course which will bring together many of the things you have learned in the first two years. You'll conduct your own dissertation research project and explore how you can work with society to create change through a choice of optional modules. Opportunities for multidisciplinary study will continue, allowing you to take novel approaches to conservation tailored to your interests, for example marine biology, behavioural psychology and wildlife filmmaking.

The assessments will include written coursework, practical and field work, production of digital materials, creation of artistic work, presentations and some traditional exams. Coursework will typically include practical files, laboratory/field reports, essays and technical reports, as well as reflective blogs, filmed pieces, and resource creation.

Many assessments will allow you to choose the precise focus and tailor your studies around your own particular interests.