Program Overview

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With climate change challenging our conservation efforts, now is the time to play a role in the future of conservation by studying our MRes Wildlife Conservation course. We’re the only university in the UK offering a Masters of Research in close collaboration with a conservation organisation.

Studying this Masters of Research gives you the opportunity to complete a research project in a real and very critical cause; conserving wildlife and their supporting ecosystems. Our wildlife degree in research is designed to give you the professional and research skills to either study a PhD or become a conservation biologist.

During your studies, you’ll be based at the Science and Learning Centre at

Marwell Wildlife

where you’ll be considered part of the team. You’ll learn the foundations in advanced field research with access to their top of the range research equipment.

You’ll be able to apply your research skills to immediate use during a 10-day trip to Kenya, which is covered as part of the course fees. You’ll collect data and report your findings to stakeholders giving you real-life work experience of a conservation biologist working in Africa.

As part of this course you'll be given a choice of independent research projects to complete. This could take you from the local eco-systems in the UK, to the ranches of Kenya, or the mountains of Tunisia. The selection changes every year.

Students previous projects have looked at the following subjects:

conservation grazing and its effect on local biodiversity

re-introducing species, considering the effect of climate change

evolution of species behaviour whilst in captivity

management of large herbivores, considering socio-economic constraints

Our teaching staff are experts and the learning environment is open and inclusive, with a focus on self-reflection. This enables you to measure your own personal growth as a researcher during this transformational point in your wildlife conservation career.

Course lead

As a collaborative provision programme, this MRes has two programme leads - Dr Judith Lock, Principal Teaching Fellow in Ecology and Evolution within Biological Sciences, and Dr Heidi Mitchell at Marwell Wildlife.

Both have research expertise in behavioural ecology, conservation biology and their interface. They also share a focus in the future of conservation biology.