Course summary

How effective are the world’s protected areas at saving our species and how can we improve them? How does conservation impact people? If these critical biodiversity questions and challenges inspire you, this course is for you. You’ll balance engaging online activities alongside intensive in-person work to learn the fundamentals of biodiversity conservation, how to manage, deliver and evaluate the impacts of conservation programmes, and deploy tools and frameworks to tackle complex conservation problems effectively, thoughtfully, and ethically. This course consists of two intensive in person 3-week periods at the Centre for Environmental Policy in South Kensington (one during the first and one during the second term), where students will benefit from seminars, practicals and fieldtrips. The rest of the course is delivered remotely and online, this offers students flexibility and a fantastic opportunity to interact and be taught by world leaders in conservation science and practice from all over the world. Fieldtrips and coursework will give you the opportunity to put your theoretical skills and knowledge into practice, whilst you will also get the chance to conduct an independent research project in an area of your interest in the UK or abroad. Part-time students complete their project in their second year. The course will help equip you with the skills to be a pioneer within the next generation of conservation scientists and practitioners, able to solve sustainability and environmental problems in a range of academic, research, governmental and non-governmental organisations.