Program Overview

MPhil in Conservation Leadership

The Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership is a ground-breaking course that equips students with the applied leadership and management skills needed to create positive change in conservation. A unique feature of the course is its delivery by a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and ten leading conservation organisations, which together comprise the Cambridge Conservation Initiative.

Course Overview

The Masters in Conservation Leadership is designed for applicants with at least three years of relevant professional experience and clear leadership potential. The curriculum of this 11-month, full-time degree combines taught modules with hands-on experiential learning through a group consultancy and an individual professional placement hosted by a conservation organisation.

Programme Aims

The programme aims to:

• develop the ability of its students to think creatively about conservation problems and solutions across disciplinary, organisational and political boundaries and economic sectors;
• foster and develop the leadership potential of its students by promoting their capacity to understand the links among the drivers of biodiversity loss and, by developing their confidence and maturity of judgement, to lead the implementation of conservation more effectively than hitherto.

Programme Objectives

In particular, the programme will:

• Address the challenges of conservation in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner, focused on an understanding of the root causes of ecosystem change and biodiversity loss.
• Equip conservation leaders with the strategic skills that they need for effective action by their organisations.
• Offer professional management and leadership skills including strategic planning, finance and HR management/planning, innovation, and the management of change.
• Develop communication skills such as advocacy, lobbying and presentation, as an integral part of the learning programme.
• Provide participants with first-hand exposure to conservation leadership challenges in the real world by working in group consultancy and individual professional placements alongside conservation professionals.
• Provide participants with experiential learning through interaction with leaders in conservation organisations, businesses and governments across a wide range of sectors from around the world.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the 11 months, students taking the MPhil in Conservation Leadership will be expected to have:

• Applied conservation leadership skills across three levels; Leading Self, Leading People and Organisations, and Leading Systems.
• Communication skills required by conservation leaders, including oral presentation skills, face-to-face networking and advocacy skills and broadcast media interview skills.
• The ability to innovate to create novel approaches for effective conservation outcomes.
• Understanding of various theories of leadership relevant to conservation and how to apply them.
• Familiarity with debates across the social and natural sciences concerning the root causes of ecosystem change and biodiversity decline and alternative proposals for addressing these causes.
• Knowledge of the structure and function of contemporary conservation and alternative conservation tools and approaches.
• The ability to apply theoretical insights to create practical solutions to specific conservation problems in a real-world context.
• The ability to distinguish between different scientific perspectives that inform policy debates, and to exercise judgement in the interpretation of conflicting evidence.
• The ability to synthesise information from across a range of academic disciplines, and to summarise this in a manner that is accessible to different audiences.
• The ability to manage time and work to deadlines, both individually and in a team.
• The ability to plan, execute and manage a project, both individually and in a team.
• Hands-on experience of putting the learning outcomes listed above into practice through real-world projects hosted by conservation organisations.

Continuing to PhD

Students wishing to continue to a PhD in Geography or other cognate subjects must reapply for admission to a PhD before the end of their MPhil and via the University admissions process, taking the funding and application deadlines into consideration.

Key Information

• Duration: 11 months full-time
• Study Mode: Taught
• Degree: Master of Philosophy
• Department: Department of Geography
• Dates and deadlines:
  • Applications open: September 3, 2025
  • Application deadline: December 3, 2025
  • Course Starts: October 1, 2026
• Funding Deadlines:
  • Course Funding Deadline: December 3, 2025
  • Gates Cambridge US round only: October 15, 2025

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