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The University of Edinburgh: Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health

Institution The University of Edinburgh View institution profile
Department School of Biomedical Sciences
Web https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying
Study type Taught

Summary

This programme will prepare you for a career in conservation, or help existing wildlife and conservation professionals to secure senior roles in specialist areas. Many of our graduates realise their ambitions to change careers, or to take a more active role in promoting the value of nature in their communities and workplaces. Others use this programme as a stepping stone to further study and research careers.

With ever-increasing environmental threats, it is vital that people fully appreciate the complex relationships between human populations, wildlife and the ecosystems in which they live. There is an increasing need for those in the field of conservation to employ a holistic approach to ecosystem management in a way that accommodates the needs of all species living within them. If you want to be part of a global network working to achieve these goals, this programme may be for you.

What will you learn?

-Postgraduate Certificate (1 year part-time, 2 years intermittent study)- In Year 1 of the programme you will study three core courses:

  • Evolution and Biodiversity

  • Ecosystem Health and Sustainability

  • Environmental Ethics and Governance

You will be encouraged to analyse in depth the many conflicts that can exist in the development and implementation of new technologies or strategies and to come to their own conclusions as to what is acceptable.

-Postgraduate Diploma- (2 years part-time, 4 years intermittent study)

In Year two you will choose six elective courses from the following:

  • Behavioural Flexibility

  • Climate Change: Policy and Practice

  • Connecting Environment and Society

  • Conservation and Conflict

  • Conservation Genetics

  • Conservation Psychology

  • Ecosystem Resilience and Extreme Events

  • Innovative Approaches to Health Challenges Across Disciplines

  • Introduction to Transboundary Diseases and their impact on trade and wildlife populations

  • Introduction to GIS and Spatial Data Analysis

  • Introduction to Wildlife Forensics

  • Invasive Non-native Species

  • Land Use and Food Security

  • Led by Locals: power and participation in conservation

  • Managing and Leading Conservation Projects

  • Science Communication and Engagement for Practice

  • Species Translocations

  • The Marine Environment

  • The Modern Zoo

  • The Use of Artificial Reproduction Technology (ARTs) in Threatened Species

  • Water and Sanitation

  • Wildlife, Animal Health and the Environment

  • Wildlife Trade

  • Zoonotic Disease

Elective course availability will be subject to student demand. Course availability and allocations for Year 2 will be finalised in consultation with students during the Certificate phase of the programme.

-Masters (3 years part-time, 6 years intermittent study)- In Year 3 you have the option to either complete a dissertation of 10000-15000 words or take the alternative route to Masters.

If you opt for the dissertation, you will be supported by your supervisor to develop a detailed proposal around a research topic that aligns with your interests.

If you take the alternative route you will take 30 additional credits of elective courses, and complete 30 credits working on an applied research project, where the output is intended to be a working document or resource developed to communicate with a specific audience. Examples include a business plan, a public engagement plan, a website, a lesson plan, etc. Regardless of the option taken, students often choose to work on topics relevant to their workplace, their community local conservation organisations, and aim to have genuine impact.

This programme is affiliated with the University's Global Academies.

MSc

Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert

Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

Professional Development Diploma

Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 22nd in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.

Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

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