Wildlife Conservation

Entry requirements

Undergraduate Degree
The minimum qualification for entry is a good first degree (2.2 Hons) in biological science, environmental science or related field. Applicants who do not meet the normal entry requirement but have a good first degree or professional experience will be considered on their individual merits in relation to the proposed programme. Professional experience, publications, written reports, CPD activities and other suitable evidence of accomplishment will be considered.

International requirements

Applicants will need a recognised English language qualification (IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each category) or Pearson score of 58-64 within 2 years prior to the programme start date (min. 51 in each component for UKVI Purposes).

Months of entry

September

Course content

Explore contemporary wildlife conservation and technology for conservation on this MSc at LJMU. Learn from world-leading experts on this hands-on course that utilises technology for solving global conservation challenges.

• Focuses on developing your research, practical and technological wildlife conservation skills
• Learn about protecting and preserving wild animals, plants and their natural habits to preserve their long-term survival
• Take part in a week-long international field course packed with hands-on skills training in areas like mapping, biodiversity monitoring techniques, and applications of innovative digital technologies for field surveying. You’ll also gain experience using the latest software packages, including ArcGIS, R and Distance
• Complete a Placement Project module, connecting you with potential employers and ensuring you graduate work-ready
• Learn from world-leading, reach-active experts in the field of wildlife conservation
• Benefit from world-class teaching and laboratory facilities (including drone technology, genetics and GIS facilities)
• National and international connections open up numerous opportunities

Wildlife conservation is an exciting field of study that has important implications for the way in which we manage our world. With an increasing global population, healthy and functioning ecosystems are vital for human health, wellbeing and success. We need wildlife for their ecosystem services, and conserving wildlife is becoming increasingly complex, with greater need to utilise digital technologies such as drones, camera traps and acoustic sensors. This Masters will provide you with advanced skills in using conservation technology for wildlife conservation monitoring and research. Additionally, you will gain specialist skills such as complex data handling and analysis; and academic skills such as grant writing, forming collaborations and effective communications.

You will take part in a week-long residential packed full of practical skills training, such as mapping, biodiversity monitoring techniques and applications of innovative digital technologies to surveying in the wild. Not only will you develop practical ecology field skills such as species identification and surveillance, you will also have access to cutting-edge technologies, such as drones, camera traps and acoustic sensors, to perform fundamental and applied research. Professional researchers and local experts will be on hand to guide your learning.

A postgraduate degree is highly recommended when considering a career in Wildlife Conservation, particularly as governments around the world are setting ambitious targets for tackling global conservation challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. As a result, there is demand for graduates that can demonstrate the necessary theoretical background, alongside practical skills for conservation practice. LJMU boasts world-class teaching and laboratory facilities (including state-of-the-art drone technology and GIS facilities), which you will be able to use during the course. You will have 24 hour computer access and access to specialist software. In addition, the LJMU library has an extensive collection of online and hard copy books, journals and internet resources related to the course.

Your lectures and seminars will be delivered by world experts in the field of wildlife conservation and conservation technology. The quality of research and teaching during the course mean that you will graduate with cutting-edge knowledge and access to a host of international professional networks. The Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology (RCEAP) conducts research at the frontiers of biological anthropology, catalysed by discovery-oriented field research. The Drone Research Group comprises experts in the design, development and use of drone systems for a wide array of scientific applications. You will have opportunities to network with external collaborators and stakeholders in the conservation sector.

Information for international students

Fees and funding

Please see the LJMU website for details.