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Ecology and Conservation at Anglia Ruskin University - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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Anglia Ruskin University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Open days

7Jun
Anglia Ruskin University - Undergraduate Open Day - Cambridge
Undergraduate
7Jun
Anglia Ruskin University - Undergraduate Open Day - Chelmsford
Undergraduate
7Jun
ARU Peterborough - Undergraduate Open Day
Undergraduate

Course summary

Explore diverse biodiversity and its conservation in the field, on national and international field trips, and in our labs.

  • Our BSc Ecology and Conservation course was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ at CIEEM 2024 Awards within the Higher Education Programme of the Year category
  • Study in Cambridge – a hub of expertise and wildlife institutions' headquarters, and home to our £45m Science Centre.
  • Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs; designed, developed, and run with local employers such as the Wildlife Trust and Cambridge City Council, giving you exposure to ‘real life’ problem-solving.
  • Get hands-on using world-class equipment in our 200-seat SuperLab, as well as on residential field trips and day trips around the UK, with the added opportunity to study ecology in the tropics.
  • Study on a course developed in line with industry standards, with accreditation from the Royal Society of Biology and the Chartered Institute of Ecology & Environmental Management (CIEEM).
  • Gain valuable employment experience by applying for internships supporting research, or opt for our placement year with a range of exciting employers.
Our planet needs protecting. Gain a deep understanding of the concerns surrounding different environments and the specialist skills to tackle them on our Ecology and Conservation degree in Cambridge. As a conservation student at ARU, you’ll go on field trips in the UK and overseas, including opportunities to go to Europe and the tropics. As a graduate with practical, hands-on experience, you’ll be equipped to work in ecology or conservation with governments, environment agencies and research establishments. Individuals, organisations and governments around the world are increasingly concerned about the welfare of our planet and everything on it. This is true in every environment where many factors, including human behaviour, have left a large number of species at risk. Our course allows you to develop a deep understanding of concerns relating to the various environments in the world, and to look at ways of resolving those concerns. You’ll also learn about biodiversity locally and around the world, and explore conservation ecology, which aims to support, recover and maintain populations and their habitats. There are opportunities to attend residential field trips. Field trips that are a compulsory part of your course are covered by your fees. There are also optional field trips (either extra-curricular or an integral part of an optional module you select to take) that you would have to pay for. Cambridge is becoming a world centre for wildlife conservation, with Fauna and Flora International, Birdlife International and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre based here. Throughout our BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation degree, you’ll have opportunities to attend lectures in the city and visit specialist museums and libraries. Our students have undertaken final year projects, placements and summer internships with a range of organisations including (but certainly not limited to) Natural England, Shepreth Wildlife Park, Woburn Safari Park, wildlife trusts and the Cambridge Museum of Zoology. We also engage in Live Briefs with the Wildlife Trust, Therfield Heath and Cambridge City Council. There’s also the option to take a placement year as part of your degree. Similar courses you might study at our Cambridge campus are BSc (Hons) Zoology and BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour.

Modules

Year 1: Animal Physiology and Behaviour (30 credits) Introduction to Ecology and Conservation (30 credits) Principles of Biology (30 credits) Quantitative Techniques and Tools for Biologists (30 credits) Professional and Personal Development - Level 4 Year 2: Invertebrate Biology (15 credits) Principles of Genetics and Evolution (15 credits) Aquatic Biology and Conservation (15 credits) Ruskin Module (15 credits) Marine and Terrestrial Communities (15 credits) Biological Research Skills (15 credits) Field Skills in Biology (15 credits) GIS and Spatial Ecology (15 credits) Professional and Personal Development - Level 5 Year 3 Core Modules: Population Ecology and Wildlife Management (15 credits) Current Topics in Marine Biology (15 credits) Undergraduate Major Project (30 credits) Wildlife Conservation (15 credits) Sustainable Land Management (15 credits) Professional Field Ecology (15 credits) Year 3 Optional Modules: Behavioural Ecology (15 credits) Biogeography (15 credits) Tropical Ecology and Management (15 credits)

Assessment method

We’ll assess you regularly so that you can check your progress. We’ll use a range of methods, including exams, essays, practical reports, computer-based assessments, presentations, reviews of scientific papers and laboratory skills tests.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Royal Society of Biology
  • Ecology and Environmental Management, Chartered Institute of

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
C196
Institution code:
A60
Campus name:
Cambridge Campus
Campus code:
C

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

International applicants

We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/ecology-and-conservation

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
65%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

https://www.aru.ac.uk/student-life/preparing-for-study/help-with-finances/undergraduate https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/tuition-fees
Ecology and Conservation at Anglia Ruskin University - UCAS