The MSc Applied Ecology and Conservation provides a flexible course structure suitable for students who wish to acquire the skills necessary for a range of careers in conservation and applied ecology. The programme aims to provide you with interdisciplinary training forming an ideal platform either for continuation to doctoral research or for direct access into conservation related employment.
The course starts with a field course. You will take a combination of taught modules and you will also work on an individual research project, often overseas. In addition to core modules in ecological survey methods, current issues in conservation, research skills for ecologists and statistics, you will be able to choose from a broad range of optional modules, including Geographical Information Systems (GIS), practical conservation and work placement, restoration ecology, conservation genetics, biodiversity conservation and human society and understanding global environmental change.
Conservation biologists and ecologists in the Schools of Biological and Environmental Sciences and leading conservation organisations conduct most of the teaching, however the faculty staff in the School of Development Studies also add important expertise in human development and sustainability issues.
In addition to in-depth exposure to global conservation issues the course provides training in a range of transferable skills and will provide you with an opportunity to establish valuable contacts with potential employers through short and long term work experience and research interaction with a range of national and international conservation organisations.
Examples of some recent research projects conducted by students on this MSc course include:
The vulnerability of birds to climate change (with Birdlife International)
Mandrills in Gabon: current status and threats (with the Wildlife Conservation Society)
Microhabitat and dietary preferences of Telfair’s skink on Round Island: implications for translocation (with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation)
Nest-site selection and poaching in Yellow-headed Amazon parrots (with the World Land Trust)
Crab as indicators of habitat quality (with Nature Seychelles)
“I found the MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation to be an excellent course to help develop my career. The diverse range of modules allows anyone to mould the course to their interests, while the core classes ensure a sound grounding in the whole process of planning, fundraising for, and running a research project.”
Joe Hawes Former student
Dr. Diana Bell
90% of research activity classified as internationally leading, excellent, or recognised in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
Teaching of the highest quality; rated “Excellent” in the most recent Teaching Quality Assessment.
Consistently ranked in the top five for overall student satisfaction amongst mainstream English universities (UK National Student Survey).
Research and teaching supported by an impressive array of cutting edge in house facilities and a range of well equipped modern laboratories.
Part of the Norwich Research Park, a major international centre for plant, microbial, food and health science.
This is a practical module spanning the autumn semester and half of the spring semester. It covers a wide variety of methods for surveying and censussing plants, animals, and habitats. It includes a comparison of methods and use of statistics. This is a compulsory module of the MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation. The lectures and workshops will cover: reasons for censussing, assumptions of sampling techniques, mark-release-recapture, distance sampling and other techniques for monitoring different taxa and habitats, diagnosing declines, and project planning.
The aim is to give students an in-depth knowledge of current topics in fields relating to conservation. Students will learn to critically examine hot issues in conservation biology, develop an in-depth understanding of a range of techniques and approaches employed in the study of conservation and understand, assess and report on scientific presentations given by high-profile scientists. Each week there is a 3 hour seminar. Some will be lead by faculty, others by outside speakers who are experts in their fields, others will be student-led. At the end of the course students will attend the "Rebellion" - 2 days of talks on ecology and conservation. This is a compulsory module of the MSc in AEC.
This is a compulsory module of the MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation. Multivariate statistics used in advanced ecological analyses are covered in this module. These include General Linear Models, Analysis of Variance, Logistic Regression, and Principal Components Analysis. Students will learn how to run these tests using the statistical package SPSS and how to critique, interpret, and present the results. Previous knowledge of basic statistics is necessary (e.g. BIO M519 or equivalent).
This is an introduction for some students and a refresher for others. Simple tests for trends (correlation, regression) and for differences (Chi-square, t-tests, ANOVAs) are introduced using a friendly statistical package (SPSSx for Windows). The link between statistics and experimental design is stressed. Students studying on the Master of Science degree programme in Applied Ecology and Conservation MUST undertake this module if they have no previous statistical experience.
Option A Study (20 credits)
Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:
This is an inter-disciplinary module focusing on the interaction between ecology, biodiversity and human societies. It examines the human drivers of biodiversity loss, the importance of biodiversity to human society, conflicts between human society and conservation and how these can be resolved, and institutions for biodiversity conservation and environmental management. It is designed for students of Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Environmental Geography and International Development. This inter-disciplinary module does not require previous detailed knowledge of ecological mechanisms: where a simple understanding of key ecological processes is important, this will be reviewed and taught in class. Key principles, issues and theory are covered in lectures by UEA faculty. These are supported by case studies from external speakers working in conservation, environmental and resource management agencies and NGOs. The module will comprise two core lectures plus one workshop / seminar / outside speaker each week. Co-taught with ENV-3A17. TO TAKE THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT HAVE PREVIOUSLY TAKEN ENV-3A17 OR EQUIVALENT
This module covers current knowledge of molecular technology as applied to ecological and evolutionary studies, and the principles and procedures underlying current molecular and analytical tools. It will also address how to determine the most suitable molecular tool to use when answering a given question in ecology and/or evolution, and how to read and interpret molecular data in ecological or evolutionary terms.
Modelling is a crucial methodology for answering many kinds of ecological questions and complement experimentation and field observations. The aim of this module is to introduce the use of modelling techniques to answer ecological questions. This module will provide an introduction to building ecological models using a combination of taught classes and project work. After completion of this module students will: understand the basic principles and approaches to ecological modelling and its potential applications; acquire the numerical skills required to develop quantitative ecological models; be able to develop basic quantitative models to answer ecological questions; learn to formulate hypotheses, write a project proposal and develop verbal and written communication and team working skills. This module is primarily reserved for those students studying on the European MSc in Applied Ecology but can also accommodate limited number of students from other programmes.
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are computer programs for the capture, management, analysis and display of spatially referenced data. They are now increasingly widely used in ecology and environmental management, both in the organisation and analysis of pre-existing data sets and for analysis of data collected during fieldwork. This module aims to introduce their basic principles, capabilities, applications and limitations. Only basic familiarity with a PC is required and there will be weekly practical classes using the ArcGIS software. The main emphasis will be on imparting an understanding of what a GIS is, the strengths and weaknesses of such systems, and their practical use in research contexts (including MSc dissertations).
This module entails 5 days of unpaid work placement in various international, national or local conservation organisations and ecological consultancies. The days may be carried out with more than one organisation, need not be consecutive and may be spread across both semesters. Students can receive help from faculty in setting up placements but will be responsible for their transportation to and from the workplace.
In this module, the causes of habitat degradation and practical solutions for habitat enhancement, restoration and creation are examined using real case studies. Particular emphasis will be placed on reviewing methods and outcomes of restoration of aquatic habitats, including fens, shallow eutrophic lakes and rivers, although terrestrial habitats such as lowland heathland, beaches and dunes, and woodland will also be considered. 3 field trips to local habitats will give first-hand experience of restoration in action, usually to include Suffolk sandlings heathland, the Broads, and the beaches and dunes near Sizewell Power Station on the east coast.
This is the second year of your taught Masters programme
Compulsory Study (90 credits)
Students must study the following modules for 90 credits:
A full-time research project that runs from mid March to early August. This entails an extensive, original and quantitative investigation on a conservation or applied ecology topic carried out in the field or laboratory, or may involve analysis of existing data. The project may be undertaken in the Schools of BIO or ENV, or with an international, national or local conservation agency. Projects are supervised by faculty. The research project is written up as a dissertation with a submission deadline in early August.
The aim of this module is to provide training in research skills relevant to ecologists and conservation biologists as well as providing a range of general transferable skills. Skills taught include presentation skills, information gathering and organisational skills, grant-writing, interview techniques and writing a C.V. This is a compulsory module of the MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation.
Option A Study (10 credits)
Students will select 10 credits from the following modules:
This module covers current knowledge of molecular technology as applied to ecological and evolutionary studies, and the principles and procedures underlying current molecular and analytical tools. It will also address how to determine the most suitable molecular tool to use when answering a given question in ecology and/or evolution, and how to read and interpret molecular data in ecological or evolutionary terms.
Modelling is a crucial methodology for answering many kinds of ecological questions and complement experimentation and field observations. The aim of this module is to introduce the use of modelling techniques to answer ecological questions. This module will provide an introduction to building ecological models using a combination of taught classes and project work. After completion of this module students will: understand the basic principles and approaches to ecological modelling and its potential applications; acquire the numerical skills required to develop quantitative ecological models; be able to develop basic quantitative models to answer ecological questions; learn to formulate hypotheses, write a project proposal and develop verbal and written communication and team working skills. This module is primarily reserved for those students studying on the European MSc in Applied Ecology but can also accommodate limited number of students from other programmes.
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are computer programs for the capture, management, analysis and display of spatially referenced data. They are now increasingly widely used in ecology and environmental management, both in the organisation and analysis of pre-existing data sets and for analysis of data collected during fieldwork. This module aims to introduce their basic principles, capabilities, applications and limitations. Only basic familiarity with a PC is required and there will be weekly practical classes using the ArcGIS software. The main emphasis will be on imparting an understanding of what a GIS is, the strengths and weaknesses of such systems, and their practical use in research contexts (including MSc dissertations).
This module entails 5 days of unpaid work placement in various international, national or local conservation organisations and ecological consultancies. The days may be carried out with more than one organisation, need not be consecutive and may be spread across both semesters. Students can receive help from faculty in setting up placements but will be responsible for their transportation to and from the workplace.
In this module, the causes of habitat degradation and practical solutions for habitat enhancement, restoration and creation are examined using real case studies. Particular emphasis will be placed on reviewing methods and outcomes of restoration of aquatic habitats, including fens, shallow eutrophic lakes and rivers, although terrestrial habitats such as lowland heathland, beaches and dunes, and woodland will also be considered. 3 field trips to local habitats will give first-hand experience of restoration in action, usually to include Suffolk sandlings heathland, the Broads, and the beaches and dunes near Sizewell Power Station on the east coast.
Disclaimer
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.
Entry Requirements
Degree Subject:
Biology-related subject plus evidence of additional conservation experience. First degrees in geography or environmental management are also accepted if these contain a strong ecological component.
Degree Classification:
Good first degree (minimum 2.1 or equivalent)
Alternative Qualifications:
Non-scientists wanting to retrain may take the one year Diploma in Ecology and enter the MSc Applied Ecology & Conservation the following year.
Students for whom English is a Foreign language
We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:
IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
TOEFL: Internet-based score of 88 (minimum 18 in listening, 21 speaking, 19 writing and 20 reading)
PTE (Pearson): 62 (minimum 55 in all components)
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
Other tests such as TOEIC and the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English are also accepted by the university. Please check with the Admissions Office for further details including the scores or grades required.
INTO UEA and INTO UEA London run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk (INTO UEA Norwich) or pseuealondon@into.uk.com (INTO UEA London).
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees 2013/14
UK/EU £7,000
International £15,400
Funding
International applicants applying to this course can be considered for one full fees Commonwealth Scholarship, one Faculty of Science half fees scholarship or up to four £1000 scholarships. The deadline for the Commonwealth Scholarship is 15th March 2013 and for all other scholarships the deadline is 1st April 2013.
Commonwealth Scholarship Students applying for the Commonwealth Scholarship are not required to submit an essay. All eligible candidates to whom the school has made an offer are automatically considered for nomination. The successful candidate and a reserve will be notified by 31st March 2013. If you have not been contacted by this date then unfortunately you have been unsuccessful. The appropriate application forms will be sent to the successful student.
Faculty of Science Scholarships Students wishing to apply should submit an essay. You may choose a Biologist of your choice and answer the following question in 1000 words: 'What are the major contributions of (your chosen Biologist) to biology'? Essays should be emailed to the Admissions Office. Please ensure you include your full name, the course you have applied to, and your applicant number in your email.
For more information please contact the Biology Postgraduate Admissions Office (bio.pgt.admiss@uea.ac.uk).
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
The MSc Applied Ecology and Conservation provides a flexible course structure suitable for students who wish to acquire the skills necessary for a range of careers in conservation and applied ecology. The programme aims to provide you with interdisciplinary training forming an ideal platform either for continuation to doctoral research or for direct access into conservation related employment.