BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology and Management

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Our world is changing. Human interference in natural environments is rapidly increasing, along with growing competition for space and resources. If you’re planning a career in Conservation Biology and Management, the University of Stirling is the perfect place to develop your understanding of the world we live in, and help protect the planet.

This course will provide you with a deep understanding of the complex relationships between environments and their inhabitants. You’ll learn about the policies and management strategies that aim to safeguard our biodiversity and the ecosystem services upon which humans depend.

Stirling is a superb place to study. We’re near to diverse landscapes and can link up with more environmental and conservation organisations than anywhere else in the UK.

We place great emphasis on practical training, hands-on experience and preparation for a wide range of careers in conservation. Fieldwork is an essential and enjoyable part of this degree course. Stirling’s campus location is an ideal base from which to make field excursions, whether to study lekking Black Grouse in the Highlands, the growth of trees on the sides of the Ochil Hills, or the distribution of animals on the Forth Estuary. You will also have the choice of three overseas field trips, currently based in Portgual, Spain and Gabon. Our inspiring 7-day field ecology and animal biology course in the CERES Field Centre in Aljezur, Portugal, introduces students to the process of designing, conducting and analysing your own scientific project. Students attending the week-long field course in Spain stay near Almeria, one of the driest parts of Europe. Through a series of excursions and intensive field projects students will examine environmental processes in arid environments. Students visiting Lope National Park in Gabon will be introduced to the real-time challenges of managing large protected areas, and cover ecological and socio-economic theories in tropical forest ecology and conservation.

Doing this course at Stirling has really changed how I view the natural world. This course at Stirling is uniquely placed in that there are so many conservation-based organisations on our doorstep and, for those who are keen to get stuck in, there’s a world of things to get involved in.

Lorna Blackmore, BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology and Management

This degree will teach you the main issues in managing and conserving biodiversity at national and global scales. We place great emphasis on practical training and preparing students for a wide range of careers in conservation.

Semesters 1-4 cover core modules in foundation subjects, including: Ecology; Biodiversity; Cell Biology;Physiology; Environmental Sciences; alongside  practical field and laboratory skills.

Semesters 5-6 cover advanced modules in: Environmental Policy and Management plus up to five modules from a defined list of options, including a fieldtrip to Spain, and Population and Community Ecology.

You can choose to enroll on a three-week placement working with a relevant organisation in the summer between years 3 and 4.

In Semesters 7-8, you’ll work on a research project and can choose to go on the ecology fieldtrip, currently based at the CERES Field Centre in Aljiezur, Portugal. You can take up to six modules from a range of options including Habitat Management, Conservation Biology, Conservation Management and skills modules including advanced statistics using the software package R, and training in GIS mapping software.

Additional student costs are kept as low as possible, but include purchase of lab coat and some personal lab kit.

We subsidise costs for fieldtrips, but you’ll be required to make a financial contribution towards your travel, accommodation and subsistence for the Scottish field class in Year 2 and the optional field classes in Years 3 and 4.

There’s an active Conservation Volunteers group at the University, enabling you to develop and expand your experience of survey work and other practical skills.

What jobs can you get with a Conservation Biology and Management degree?

As a Conservation Biology and Management graduate, you’ll find jobs:

• as scientists and advisors for Government and related agencies
• working for environmental charities
• as environmental consultants
• as researchers in Universities, research institutes or NGOs
• teaching

There is high demand for well-qualified conservation graduates, and students completing a Conservation Biology and Management degree at Stirling work with a range of  employers.

We’ve strong links with research and conservation bodies in Scotland (e.g. Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency), the rest of the UK and overseas (e.g. International Union for Conservation of Nature, European Environment Agency, Gabonese National Parks Service, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research).

We also have strong links various conservation non-government organisations, such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, British Trust for Ornithology, Bat Conservation Trust, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, wildlife trusts and environmental consultancies.

This approach ensures that you’ll appreciate the transferable nature of a science degree and see how your learning can be applied to the real world. In employment terms, there is a demand for well-trained graduates from conservation and government agencies to plan sustainable management of resources for the benefit of future generations.

Other graduates may train as teachers or undertake further study.