The Certificate Program in Biodiversity Conservation and the Masters Program in Biodiversity Conservation at the University of Buenos Aires are applied academic initiatives to build the capacity of conservation managers and practitioners in Latin America and the Caribbean. A combination of academics at one of the region's most respected and largest universities and WCS practitioners from across the region make up a multidisciplinary faculty team seeking to prepare alumni for on the ground conservation initiatives with a long-lasting positive impact. After the programs' completion, alumni remain part of a cohesive group of conservation practitioners with long-term mentoring an