Gain industry-relevant knowledge and practical skills with our hands-on MSc Ecological Survey Skills with Placement degree.

This course will provide all you need to work in the competitive consultancy and conservation sectors.

To achieve this, the School of Biological Sciences has teamed up with ecological consultants at RSK Group Ltd since 2011, and more recently with Aspect Ecology, to deliver a course that provides the skills and knowledge demanded by these industries. This programme was previously named MSc Species Identification and Survey Skills and has been renamed to better reflect learning outcomes.

It’s taught by experienced ecologists with visiting lecturers from our partner consultancies – many of whom are alumni from the programme. In fact, more than half of all credits on this programme are overseen by consultants, making this course unique in the UK.

You’ll participate in hands-on and field-based training with all your assessments being skills-based and fit-for-purpose, with no written examinations. You’ll gain a thorough grounding in the skills needed for ecological surveying and species identification, including specialised report-writing and hands-on activities such as species translocation. In addition to the taught component of your degree, you will be expected to take a six-month paid work placement with a leading ecological consultancy to apply your learning in the workplace. A bursary for this period is provided by the employer.