Program Overview

MSc Wildlife Conservation

The MSc Wildlife Conservation programme is designed to equip students with the skills needed to tackle today's urgent conservation challenges. The programme covers cutting-edge conservation theory, data analysis, biodiversity monitoring, and the socio-political frameworks crucial to tackling global issues like poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and conservation economics.

Course Overview

• The programme is taught by environmental experts and world-leading scientists from the Biological Science and Environmental Sciences.
• Students will gain a deeper understanding of how wildlife conservation operates within human communities, the challenges this creates, and the impact of these social dynamics.
• The programme includes a two-week international field trip to Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Module Options

• Wildlife Conservation Project: A desk/archive-based, data analysis, lab or field project and written project report on a subject agreed between the student and staff in a field relevant to wildlife conservation.
• Global Conservation: This module will give students an understanding of how conservation operates from a global to a national scale, including the roles of international bodies, legal and advisory frameworks, and NGOs.
• Research Skills in Environmental Sciences: This module will provide students with the key skills required to assess and integrate contemporary literature and to analyse and interpret complex data to become an independent researcher.
• Biodiversity and Assessment: This module will address the various methods used for making assessments of populations and communities of organisms and of habitats for conservation work.
• Ecology for Conservation: This module will deal with ecological principles at both the population and community level.
• People and Conservation: This module will introduce a series of important topics associated with conservation and society, including a consideration of how successful conservation programmes can be designed in collaboration with local people rather than in conflict with them.
• Biodiversity and Conservation Field Course: South Africa: This module will be taught as a two-week field course based in the Kruger National Park in South Africa and taught with researchers from South African National Parks (SANParks) and allied organisations.

Entry Requirements

• A 2:1 from a relevant bachelor's degree.
• The programme is designed for graduates who have studied a subject that is relevant to this course.
• Conservation is a multidisciplinary field, and a wide range of undergraduate degrees will be considered, including biology, zoology, ecology, environmental science, and geography.

Fees and Funding

• The cost of a Masters course typically reflects a combination of factors such as the level of expertise offered, access to specialist facilities, industry engagement, and academic support.
• UK students can take out a Masters Loan to help with tuition fees and living costs.
• The University of Hull offers a number of awards, bursaries, and scholarships for eligible students.

Future Prospects

• There is a global need for well-trained conservation professionals who are able not only to understand the underlying ecological and management principles of conservation but also to work in the socio-political environment that all conservation work is embedded in.
• Graduates from this programme could work in a range of careers such as a Conservation Scientist, Ecologist, Wildlife Biologist, Environmental Consultant, Habitat Restoration Specialist, Academic Researcher, and moving beyond the sector, in many business, governmental, or NGO roles.

Facilities

• The University of Hull has a range of facilities, including the Brynmor Jones Library, teaching labs, the Hardy Aquarium, and the Hardy Molecular Lab.
• The 7-storey library is home to over 1 million books, extensive digital resources, and stunning panoramic views of the city from the 7th floor.