Conservation and Sustainability Education PGCert

Program Overview

The Postgraduate Certificate in Conservation and Sustainability Education from Chester Zoo and the University of Chester equips educators with the skills to design, implement, and evaluate conservation and sustainability programs. Delivered online and live, the program emphasizes engagement, pedagogical methods, and the use of scientific evidence. It prepares graduates for careers in diverse settings, including zoos, wildlife trusts, and schools.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

In response to the wider conservation and sustainability agenda, including the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) education and the launch of the Department of Education sustainability and climate change strategy, Chester Zoo and the University of Chester have developed a collaborative Postgraduate Certificate in Conservation and Sustainability Education. This course will support those seeking a career in conservation and sustainability education to deliver initiatives and programmes that meet long-term goals and improve their organization’s impact in tackling global conservation and sustainability priorities. This online course makes use of the latest technologies to deliver an innovative and interactive learning experience that will allow you to connect with educators from across the globe whilst learning from the leading experts to develop your understanding of how to develop, implement and evaluate programmes. You will be joining a growing network of expert conservation and sustainability educators equipped with professional skills and a like-minded community who will support you and your professional development to become a force for change in our sector. We are passionate about using our individual expertise to champion the need for quality educators and are interested in you as individuals, not in the degree you hold. There is no expectation for you to have a science-based degree to apply for this course, and we welcome those with arts and humanities backgrounds.

Outline:

The Postgraduate Certificate in Conservation and Sustainability Education is delivered over one academic year and consists of three compulsory modules:

• An Introduction to Conservation and Sustainability Education Design: Planning for the Future: This module introduces programme design within the fields of conservation and sustainability education, exploring approaches to design and planning for different demographics.
It also covers overarching goals and outcomes in relation to global conservation threats, contextualizing threats for educational delivery.
• Module aims:
• Develop a critical understanding of the relationship between curriculum, current conservation goals, and sustainability measures on programme development.
• Provide an understanding of the elements required to design, develop, and produce conservation, climate, or sustainability education programmes for a range of needs and situations.
• Give an insight into how to contextualize current threats and link them to curriculum design.
• Provide potential planning tools that give a theoretical framework for planning a holistic conservation, climate, and/or sustainability education programme, including an understanding of success in the context of conservation education.
• Engagement in Conservation and Sustainability Education: This module examines barriers and benefits to learning in formal and informal settings, including online, onsite, and community-based settings.
It also develops critical awareness of drivers for engagement in conservation, sustainability, and climate change activities from both individual and organizational perspectives.
• Module aims:
• Critically explore the range of audiences and participants potentially involved in conservation education, considering the range of participant motivations and preparedness to be involved in conservation education.
• Critically examine barriers and challenges to learning in regards to engagement with conservation education from a variety of groups, and how these can be planned for and mitigated for.
• Review, analyze, and implement appropriate strategies to ensure a critically reflexive approach to engagement and understanding of wider organizational priorities.
• Conservation and Sustainability education methods: This module explores and critiques the range of pedagogical and andragogical methods used to promote connectedness to nature, climate change awareness, conservation, and sustainability.
It also determines and analyzes source material, quality, selection, and reliability of content that is robust and supported by scientific evidence.
• Module aims:
• Critically explore a wide range of tools and methods available to educators while also reviewing the efficacy of these for different environments.
• Cultivate a strategic understanding of the importance of activity design and selection, such as free choice learning within different scenarios in relation to learning impact.
• Critically review new technology being utilized within the sector and how aspects such as gamification and play can be utilized.
• Appraise and critically reflect on the importance of measuring programme outcomes on participants and cohorts in the context of both immediate and long-term conservation and sustainability goals.

Teaching:

The course will be delivered live and online to allow us to bring together like-minded people. Some online streams will also be subsequently available as a series of videos, which you will be able to access and view at any time for personal use only. There are three compulsory modules delivered annually. The course will run over two weekends per term and will require you to attend both Friday (twilight) and Saturday (all day) lectures, seminars, and workshops.

Careers:

Conservation and Sustainability Education happens in a vast and diverse range of settings, including zoos, national trust, wildlife trust, forestry commission, as well as schools in both formal and informal manners. This Postgraduate Certificate in Conservation and Sustainability in Education has been designed to meet the training and development needs outlined within the WAZA conservation education strategy (PDF).

Other:

The University of Chester has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance. Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work. We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

Home Students

• £2,835 per year (2024/25)

International/EU Students

• £14,750 per year (2024/25)

Additional Costs

• Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees.
This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees.
• If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

Bursaries and Funding

• The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.
• Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees & Finance section of our website.