Biodiversity and Conservation MSc

Overview

Are you ready to make your impact on biodiversity?

The University of Leeds has twice been recognised by the European Union as a "centre of excellence" for biodiversity and conservation training.

We believe biodiversity can only be managed and conserved when it can be measured and interpreted properly. Our leading researchers are making an impact through their dedicated research within the field of ecology and conservation. Your learning will be heavily influenced by their world-leading research, which drives national and international policy agendas around environmental change and global sustainability.

This distinctive course concentrates on the biological principles underlying biodiversity, its assessment and management. You’ll learn to identify plants and animals, understand the ecological factors underlying biodiversity and conservation and gain key analytical and practical skills for a range of academic and professional careers. You’ll also gain valuable experience in biodiversity and conservation-related research.

This course is designed to prepare you for a career in conservation, or for further research at PhD level. If you’re already an established conservation professional, our modules provide additional skills to support you to progress in your employment.

Learning and teaching

Your learning will be heavily influenced by the University’s world-class research as well as our strong links with highly qualified professionals from industry, non-governmental organisations and charities. Thanks to these links, potential employers including Natural England, the National Trust, conservation bodies and commercial ecological consultancies, both local and national, contribute directly to teaching on a number of our modules. This provides key practical training and invaluable networking opportunities such as the five-day residential trip to the Yorkshire Dales with the National Trust.

You’ll experience a wide range of teaching methods including: formal lectures, interactive workshops, field trips, problem-solving, practical classes and demonstrations.

Assessment

We use a variety of assessment methods: practical work, data handling and problem solving exercises, group work, computer-based simulation, essays, posters and oral presentations.

Career opportunities

We take both your personal and your career development very seriously. We have a proactive Industrial Advisory Board who advises us on what they look for in graduates and on employability related skills within our courses.

Our graduates have gone on to a very varied range of biodiversity and conservation jobs and careers around the world. We know that the subject knowledge and training we provide is excellent, but we’re also trying to produce well-rounded graduates who have the skills, experience and confidence to succeed in a challenging job market.

The balance we create between theoretical and practical components in conservation offer you the opportunity to develop specialist and transferable skills on our degrees that go beyond a Masters and open up diverse opportunities when you graduate. As with many of our MSc and MRes graduates, you could go on to study for a PhD and enter a research career. You could also go on to a career in an applied ecology or conservation-related area. Potential employers look for academic qualifications in combination with practical skills and experience, and a relevant MSc course can give you the edge in a highly competitive field.

A bachelor degree with 2:1 (hons) in a relevant subject.