Introduction

Our Conservation and Biodiversity Master's offers great flexibility, with a wide choice of topics across disciplines, enabling you to construct a programme that suits your individual interests and career ambitions in this increasingly important field.

You will have the opportunity to gain a solid foundation in the topics across theoretical issues such as wildlife population dynamics and conservation biology. You will learn how these are applied to real-world problems, such as managing habitats or dealing with wildlife-human conflicts. Additionally, you will gain and develop the key skills that are valued by employers such as problem-solving, report writing, data analysis and presentation skills.

Students on a part-time programme will need to commit at least one day a week to attending taught modules. This may be a whole day or could be two or three half-days. Having slight flexibility may be beneficial and will increase your module choice. Students also need to set aside around 15 hours a week for independent studies such as reading, coursework, and exam preparation. Extra consideration needs to be given to planning dissertations, which account for 50% of the marks. Some applicants may be able to undertake a project within their workplace with the agreement of an academic supervisor. For others, blocks of time may be needed to carry out the research, for example, in the field or laboratory.

Assessment

You will complete six taught modules delivered by world-leading researchers from our three internationally-renowned partner organisations: Lancaster Environment Centre, Rothamsted Research and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. This gives you the opportunity to interact with a wide range of expert specialists, including lake ecologists, political ecologists, food security biologists, earth observation geographers, social scientists and others, so that you can put your learning into a wider context.

Several modules include field trips to the beautiful and topographically varied countryside around Lancaster, and beyond. If you want to travel further afield, we have research projects and partners across the globe that provide exciting opportunities when it comes to selecting your dissertation project. This project forms a substantial part of your Master's degree. It will enhance your practical and analytical skills and give you the opportunity to apply your learning to a real-world challenge. This may involve doing a project with a government agency or conservation organisation through our award-winning Centre for Global Eco-innovation, which uses our excellent links with the environmental and conservation sectors.

Community

The Graduate School for the Environment is a community of high-achieving students, world-class environmental researchers, government scientists and enterprises working together to address today’s biggest environmental challenges. We harnesses the power of three of the world’s foremost research organisations to give students the best possible chance of enjoying productive, impactful and influential careers. Background reading and learning resources will be provided to allow you to complete pre and post-course learning in your own time.