BSc (Hons) Animal Conservation Science

Program Overview

The BSc (Hons) Animal Conservation Science degree equips students with the knowledge and skills to address wildlife conservation challenges. Taught by experts in the Lake District, the program emphasizes practical experience, research, and career preparation in wildlife conservation, animal conservation, and related fields. Students benefit from small class sizes, access to diverse ecosystems, and opportunities for international field trips and research involvement.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The BSc (Hons) Animal Conservation Science degree is designed for students who are passionate about protecting animals and their habitats. It is taught by researchers with extensive expertise in wildlife conservation. The program is located in the Lake District, a UNESCO World Heritage site, providing access to a variety of ecosystems and charismatic wildlife, including ospreys, red and roe deer, otters, red squirrels, and Atlantic salmon.

Objectives:

The program aims to equip students with the knowledge, analytical skills, and practical experience necessary to address the loss of wildlife species and their habitats.

Description:

The program focuses on providing students with a strong understanding of the world's biodiversity, the interactions between wildlife and the environment, human influences on wildlife, and practical, laboratory, and analytical skills.

Outline:

Year One:

• Conservation Skills and Practice: Develops core scientific and practical skills necessary for a conservationist.
• Introduction to Conservation Biology: Provides a comprehensive grounding in conservation, including its history, organizations involved, legislation, policy, international agreements, strategies, and practice importance.
• Biodiversity 1: Introduces students to the range of biodiversity on the planet through lectures, field sessions, and practical experience in identifying major taxonomic groups.
• Biodiversity 2: Focuses on field and laboratory-based identification of various taxonomic groups, utilizing field guides and microscopes.
• Introduction to Ecology: Provides a broad understanding and knowledge of ecology and ecological processes, focusing on the study of interactions between organisms and their environments.
• Animal Biology: Offers a solid understanding of the cellular basis of animal physiology, including fundamental genetics and neurobiology, drawing on examples from both invertebrate and vertebrate animals.

Year Two:

• Biodiversity Monitoring: Builds on Year One skills to put knowledge and experience with biological monitoring techniques into practice.
• Evolution and Biogeography: Studies the history of the Earth, major extinction and diversification events, and how the distributions of plants and animals are influenced by natural and anthropogenic factors.
• Conservation Genetics: Provides a fundamental understanding of genetics and genetic diversity, applying this knowledge to ecological and conservation issues.
• Research Methods and Data Analysis: Introduces students to the scientific method, research design, data collection, and analytical skills necessary for an undergraduate honours dissertation project.
• Animal Behaviour: Introduces concepts associated with the science of animal behaviour and considers their application to animal welfare and conservation.
• Geographic Information Systems (Optional): Provides students with a sound understanding of the theory and application of GIS in the context of their field of study and potential future employment.
• Valuing the Environment (Optional): Explores concepts associated with valuing the environment, including natural capital, nature's contribution to people, and ecosystem services.
• Environmental Change Biology (Optional): Considers the impact of natural and anthropogenic change on biodiversity and biological communities, focusing on climate-induced changes.

Year Three:

• Dissertation: An independent in-depth research project into a topic related to animal conservation science and conservation biology, where students develop research skills and gain experience in project management and research dissemination.
• Behavioural Ecology: Introduces an evolutionary approach to understanding animal behaviour, exploring different types of behavior and seeking to explain their evolutionary basis and advantages for individual fitness.
• Applied Field Studies: Provides experience in collecting, analyzing, and reporting on a scientific data set, developing higher-level analytical skills in hypothesis testing and reporting.
• Wildlife Management: Applies knowledge of wildlife and conservation to real-life situations, providing in-depth knowledge of wildlife management techniques, emphasizing planning, administration, and funding for effective habitat, population, and species management.
• Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing (Optional): Provides skills and knowledge to plan and implement GIS and remote sensing projects to address issues in conservation and natural resource management.
• Contemporary Issues in Conservation (Optional): Considers the shifting ecological, political, social, and economic contexts and drivers of conservation, developing a critical approach to conservation practice.
• Conservation Strategies (Optional): Focuses on the integration of socio-ecological and economic perspectives to applied conservation strategies, exploring theoretical and practical themes with a focus on strategies that promote the conservation of biodiversity and sustainability.

Assessment:

The program uses a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Unseen examinations
• Open-book examinations and practical tests
• Laboratory and field reports
• Computer-based assessments
• Problem-solving
• Critical analysis of case studies and fieldwork problems
• Oral, audio-visual, and poster presentations
• Production of scientific papers
• Research plan
• Dissertations
• Peer and self-assessment
• Group work

Teaching:

Teaching is delivered at the Lake District Campus in Ambleside, through a combination of lectures, seminars, directed reading, and independent study, including individual project work. The program emphasizes practical experience through field practicals, laboratory work, and opportunities for fieldwork in the UK or abroad.

Careers:

The program provides students with the skills and knowledge to pursue careers in:

• Wildlife conservation
• Animal conservation
• Research
• Education
• Policy development
• Environmental management
• Government agencies
• Non-governmental organizations

Other:

• The program offers opportunities for students to get involved in conservation research.
• Students can participate in an international field trip to learn about wildlife conservation in less-developed countries.
• The university has strong links with wildlife conservation organizations, both in the UK and abroad, providing students with work placements, volunteering opportunities, and job prospects.
• The program is taught within a national park, providing easy access to diverse and distinctive habitats and ecosystems.
• The program emphasizes small class sizes, allowing for a personal approach to teaching and student support.
• Students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in species reintroduction.

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

• Tuition Fees
2024 - 2025 £9,250 - UK £13,575 - International
• Placement Year Fee
£1650 - Home £1950 - Overseas
• The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.
• Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year.
The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.