MSc Conservation and Biodiversity
Duration 12 months full-time
Entry requirementsApplications are considered individually on merit. Normally an Upper Second Class Honours degree or above (or equivalent) in a science subject is required. Applicants from non-science backgrounds will also be considered, provided that the first degree contained some empirical component, or if applicants have had extensive work experience in ecology and conservation. All international students whose first language is not English will need to satisfy our English Language requirements; for further information see the Postgraduate Prospectus at: www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate
Fees (2009/10) UK/EU students: £6,500; International students: £12,250. Both UK/EU and international fees include costs of all field trips including the overseas field course.
Funding opportunities Generous bursaries are available each year from the School. There are also opportunities for University Full-Fee Masters Scholarships. Visit www.exeter.ac.uk/biosciences/postgraduate for further information.
Apply online at www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate
Programme information
- Programme specifically designed for masters level in consultation with multiple external agencies, ensuring excellent and relevant training that maximises graduate employability
- Modules target both research and practical conservation skills
- Excellent employment record with over 80 per cent sectoral employment within one year of graduation
- Contact with external agencies and organisations throughout the programme to further enhance your training
- World class Biosciences research reflected in over 1,000 peer-reviewed papers since 2001 including 48 in Nature, Science or Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA
- Excellent research facilities including state-of-the-art biochemical and genetics labs, with a full range of microscopy
- High quality research supervision to develop and nurture the scientific potential of all graduates
This one-year full-time Masters programme is taught at our Cornwall Campus by the Centre for Ecology and Conservation; the fastest growing institute of its kind in the UK. It boasts a significant research component, with substantial fieldwork opportunities including a field course in Africa. A distinctive and integral feature of our MSc is the high degree of input from conservationists in collaborating governmental and non-governmental organisations. This participation takes a variety of forms, such as guest lectures, field visits and specific training courses, but can also include providing research projects in their organisations. Collaborating organisations include Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Game Conservancy Trust, Marine Conservation Society, MarineLife, Natural England, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and a number of independent consultants.
The programme is already yielding employment dividends, with our alumni moving into careers such as ecological consultancy, government conservation in the UK and overseas, non-governmental organisation (NGO) conservation in the UK (Bat Conservancy Trust, RSPB, Wildlife Trusts) and overseas and fully-funded PhD positions in ecology and conservation.
Core modules
- Research Project (90 credits)
- Professional Skills Development (15 credits)
- Quantitative Biology (15 credits)
Option modules
You select an additional 60 credits from:
- Africa Field Course (30 credits)
- Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (15 credits)
- Preparing for Ecological Consultancy (15 credits)
- Terrestrial Biodiversity and Conservation (15 credits)
