Applied Wildlife Conservation,MSc

Become a specialist wildlife conservation practitioner with practical skills, experience and knowledge to protect the world's most vulnerable species, habitats and ecosystems. Learn from our partnerships with major conservation organisations to prepare for a rewarding career.

MSc Applied Wildlife Conservation is not just theoretical. It's designed to give you practical experience of advanced contemporary techniques for conserving biodiversity in a rapidly changing world. Delivered in collaboration with the internationally renowned Bristol Zoological Society (BZS), the course is unique in the way it prepares you for practical conservation.

There's a pressing need for conservationists to create and work with emerging technologies. The course focuses on developing your innovation and entrepreneurial skills. You'll develop your practice in ecosystem and species conservation, communication and effecting behaviour change, ensuring you're able to maximise opportunities for biodiversity conservation.

Hands-on conservation experience

Teaching is delivered via a series of intense four-day, face-to-face teaching blocks, combined with online distance learning. You'll experience first-hand conservation in practice with fieldtrips to landmark conservation projects, including a four-day residential trip to the Knepp Wildland.

Teaching is split between BZS and UWE Bristol staff, with some additional content from other partner organisations, such as Natural England and the Wildlife Trusts. Most teaching blocks include at least one guest tutor from an outside organisation, and some assignments require you to network with local conservation managers.

You'll have the opportunity to network with practising conservationists and ecologists from a wide range of organisations. Interact with experts engaged in ground-breaking conservation projects across the globe. This gives you the opportunity to develop your professional network and hone your skills towards the job you want.

We're pleased to inform you that Bristol Zoological Society plans to expand as they move to their Bristol Zoo Project location in the next few years. This relocation will enable their team to develop future-facing wildlife conservation projects and education facilities. This puts UWE Bristol in the unique position of being co-creators of this state-of-the-art facility, providing exciting new opportunities for you as a wildlife conservation student.

Careers / Further study

The course has been developed with a wide range of stakeholders from the ecological consultancy and charity sectors. We use their feedback to ensure the skills you gain are the ones employers are looking for.

On completion of the course, you'll be well placed to seek work in national and international conservation organisations and ecological consultancies, government agencies or even to set up your own non-governmental organisation (NGO).

You may choose to continue your conservation research or go on to doctorate-level studies. The course also gives you the potential to become a chartered member of the Institute of Environmental Management.

Our award-winning Careers Service helps you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for internships, placements, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering and community activity plus support for entrepreneurial activity, and access to employer events.