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Course overview

Biodiversity underpins a range of ecosystem services which support our social and economic health and well-being, yet the World is facing global crises of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

If you have a passion for wildlife conservation and want to make a difference to the quality of the environment we leave for future generations both in the UK and internationally this is the course for you. The programme is founded on the study of ecological science: the interactions between species, their physical environment and humans; and its application to the conservation and management of wildlife. Key aspects focus on the ecology of protected species, animal behaviour, practical habitat management, ecological assessment of planning projects, and managing the ecological impacts of population growth, food production, land management and the climate crisis. Students will also develop professional skills in species identification, field survey techniques, data management, and project management. These topics will be underpinned by a sound knowledge of how key international and national legislation applies to practical conservation of species and habitats at home and abroad.  

Each year of the programme includes fieldwork and there is a residential field course in every year. There are international field courses in the second and final year. The final year course is currently in South Africa, while the L5 course will be in Europe. These residential field courses are supplemented by a wide range of field trips to local sites to contextualise material introduced in lectures and seminars. The programme has a strong applied focus using standard industry techniques underpinned by science.    

Industry best practice has been driven by technological advances in remote sensing, eDNA, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and GIS. The application of these technologies is embedded in the course to promote the conservation of wildlife.  

The first two years of the course include an emphasis on professional development and employability. In their third year, all students undertake a work placement in the sector of at least 44 weeks. Students will have a wide range of exciting opportunities available to them. During the placement year students will have the support of the placement manager and a dedicated tutor. After successfully completing the placement students return to the university to rejoin their cohort for the final year of the degree.  

The university is situated in a rural location with easy access to the countryside of Cheshire and Shropshire, including the Meres and Mosses and the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The university also has its own estate of 400ha including a range of agricultural and semi-natural habitats. The estate and local sites are used in the course for site visits and practical exercises.  

This course is built on a long history of related courses, taught by staff with a wide range of academic and professional expertise.

How will I be taught?

The course comprises modules covering wildlife conservation and ecology themes along with cross-disciplinary subjects in fieldwork, personal development and project management. Each module is worth either 10 or 20 credits (although the final year research project is weighted at 40 credits) and each academic year of the course carries a weighting of 120 credits. 

Each module has a web page on our Virtual Learning Environment. Here tutors upload material such as presentations, videos, and links to key sources for independent study. Material used in face-to-face teaching is uploaded in advance of classes, so that students can prepare and subsequently follow up to reinforce their understanding. Many modules also include practical work in the university laboratory, on the university farm, or at locations (e.g. nature reserves) nearby. Each year includes at least one residential field course.

The second year of the course builds on the themes introduced in the first year. There are two optional modules (students must select one) and also an elective module. For the elective, students can pick a specialist module delivered by the wildlife conservation team or any other elective modules offered across the university.

The third year of the course is spent on placement with an employer. Students then return to re-join their peers for the final year of the course. A key aspect of the final year is the individual research project where students get to investigate a topic of personal interest. This might involve the collection, analysis and interpretation of data from ecological field survey, or a questionnaire, to answer research questions which they have developed with support of their project supervisor. There are two pairs of optional modules, including a module focussing on forestry that builds on the second year module on woodland management. Students select one optional module from each pair.

See module table for full details. 

Careers

Graduates will find a diversity of employment opportunities within the fields of ecological management, wildlife conservation, sustainable development and land management, including acting as ecological consultants and ecologists working to mitigate the impacts on wildlife of infrastructure projects, food production and climate change. Alongside these roles are opportunities with relevant organisations in the public and private sector. 

Accreditation

The BSc (Hons) Wildlife Conservation and Ecology will be accredited by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) reflecting its inclusion of the knowledge and skills that are critical to protecting our environment now and in the future. Accreditation ensures that the curriculum is aligned to best practice in the sector.   

This programme is pending accreditation by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). CIEEM is the leading ecology based chartered institute and is cited on job adverts as an expected membership. A course accredited by CIEEM gives employers confidence in the graduate’s skills and expertise both for national and international recruiters. Students also benefit from access to frequent publications and local continuing professional development activities allowing for networking and skill expansion.