Course summary

The Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership is a ground-breaking course that equips students with the applied leadership and management skills needed to create positive change in conservation. A unique feature of the course is its delivery by a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and nine leading conservation organisations, which together comprise the Cambridge Conservation Initiative. The Masters in Conservation Leadership is designed for applicants with at least three years of relevant professional experience and clear leadership potential. The curriculum of this 11-month, full-time degree combines taught modules with hands-on experiential learning through a group consultancy and an individual professional placement hosted by a conservation organisation. The course aims to train students to address the challenges of biodiversity conservation in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner. The goal is not only to develop conservationists with greater awareness of the complex drivers of biodiversity loss, but to develop the ability to act and lead effectively. This includes the development of applied conservation leadership skills across three levels; Leading Self (e.g. personal resilience, self-awareness, career planning), Leading People and Organisations (e.g. strategic planning, human resources, fundraising, project management) and Leading Systems (i.e. how to bring about change in the wider world through incentives, communication, governance and other tools). The course develops the leadership skills of its students by promoting their capacity to understand the links among the drivers of biodiversity loss, and to think innovatively about conservation solutions across organisational and political boundaries and economic sectors. All students also receive 1:1 professional mentoring from a senior conservation leader selected on the basis of their fit to the needs of each student. In particular, the programme will: Address the challenges of conservation in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner, focused on an understanding of the root causes of ecosystem change and biodiversity loss. Equip conservation leaders with the strategic skills that they need for effective action by their organisations. Offer professional management and leadership skills including strategic planning, finance and HR management/planning, innovation, and the management of change. Develop communication skills such as advocacy, lobbying and presentation, as an integral part of the learning programme. Provide participants with first-hand exposure to conservation leadership challenges in the real world by working in group consultancy and individual professional placements alongside conservation professionals. Provide participants with experiential learning through interaction with leaders in conservation organisations, businesses and governments across a wide range of sectors from around the world. The course is based in the David Attenborough Building, in which it has its own dedicated teaching space, offering students outstanding facilities and constant access to world-leading conservation practitioners and researchers. Graduates join the highly active University of Cambridge Conservation Leadership Alumni Network, comprising alumni from over 80 countries. Alumni receive ongoing support from the course team, and a fund is available to support alumni projects. Alumni are already making a global impact for conservation.