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Wildlife Conservation and Ecology (including a Foundation Year)

University Centre Reaseheath

UCAS Code: D41C | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements


A minimum of 72 tariff points from A & AS levels (a Science subject is preferred)

A minimum of 72 tariff points

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MMP

in Applied Science or Animal Care/Management

A minimum of 72 tariff points

T Level

Pass (D or E)

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Animal management

Biodiversity conservation

Animal behaviour

Animal science

Animal physiology

Is your ambition to undertake meaningful conservation work to protect our wildlife and our environment for years to come?

This course includes a broad range of specialist modules and practical opportunities to gain the essential industry skills and knowledge, with which to effectively conserve species, habitats and biodiversity both in the UK and overseas.

Through your studies, you will address a range of topics such as wildlife ecology, conservation biology, evolution and adaptation, ecological survey skills and species identification and principles of ecological restoration.

Combined with dedicated practical work, using our campus laboratories, the wider Reaseheath estate and servicing our community conservation work, you will develop a broad range of transferable knowledge, skills and competencies for future application in the conservation science and ecology sectors.

The foundation year allows you to build your confidence and the skills and knowledge required to progress on to study the BSc (Hons) Wildlife Conservation and Ecology. This first year focuses on developing a broad underpinning knowledge in themes such as environmental science, animal husbandry and management, and animal biology. Once you have progressed onto your second year, you will develop essential knowledge and skills in wildlife conservation, ecology, evolution and biodiversity, with an emphasis on practical experience whilst in your third year, you will shift in emphasis to more academic and research-informed study, including themes in population management, ecological restoration, wildlife rehabilitation, and environmental impact and mitigation. A work placement within a relevant field of industry or an international field course is also available to study for academic credit at this level. Your final year will further develop your critical thinking skills and deepen your knowledge in areas of conservation and ecology, and will include a research dissertation on a topic of your interest.

**Course Features:**
* Surveying techniques

* Species identification

* Evolutionary biology

* Conservation biology and biodiversity

* Restoration ecology

* Environmental assessment and impact mitigation

* Access to a diverse rural green space across the campus

* Field course opportunities to South Africa, Costa Rica and South West UK

**Careers**
* Conservation science research

* Ecological/environmental consultancy

* Wildlife/conservation management

* Conservation charities

* Conservation ecotourism

* Conservation education

* Progress to MSc or PhD study

Modules

Foundation Year
• Academic Skills for the Animal Sciences
• Introduction to Environmental Science
• Introduction to Data Handling & Analysis
• Practical Skills in Animal Husbandry
• Scientific Principles in the Animal Sciences
• Animal Form and Function

Level 4
• Conservation Biology and Biodiversity
• Ecological Survey and Census Skills
• Conservation of British Habitats
• Introduction to Scientific Communication
• Evolution & Adaptation
• Wildlife Ecology

Level 5
• Research Methods
• Principles of Ecological Restoration
• Animal Ecophysiology
• Behavioural Ecology*1
• Technological Advancements in Conservation*1
• Ecological Assessment, Impact Mitigation & Enhancement*2
• Wildlife Health and Rehabilitation*2
• Experiential Learning*3
• Work Based Learning for the Land Based Industries*3
*Denotes optional modules. The number corresponds to the combination for selection.

Level 6
• Applied Issues in Wildlife Conservation
• Environmental Sustainability & Natural Resource Management
• Dissertation†
• Biology & Conservation of Mammals*1
• Biology & Conservation of Birds*1
• Biology & Conservation of Herpetofauna*1
• Conservation Education*2
• Applications of Animal Behaviour for Conservation*2
• Anthrozoology*2
*Denotes optional modules. The number corresponds to the combination for selection.

† Dissertation is a double-weighted module, worth 40 credits. Therefore, only five modules are selected for study at Level 6 (Year 3).

Assessment methods

Assessments are designed to encourage both academic skills and professional skills highly sought after in industry. Assessments include a combination of coursework and timed online assessments. Coursework may take many forms including: essays, reports, data processing, presentations, academic posters, seminar discussions, interviews, critical reviews, portfolios of evidence and practical competency assessments. The timed online assessments vary, depending on the nature of the module, but may take the form of multiple-choice papers, essays, practical assessments, data handling questions and short answer quizzes.
The balance of assessment by examination and assessment by coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by coursework is as follows:

Foundation Year
85% coursework
15% timed online assessments

Level 4
54.5% coursework
45.5% timed online assessments

Level 5
85% coursework
15% timed online assessments

Level 6
75% coursework
25% written/practical exams

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£8,250
per year
England
£8,250
per year
EU
£13,000
per year
International
£13,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£8,250
per year
Scotland
£8,250
per year
Wales
£8,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University Centre Reaseheath

Department:

Animal Science

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What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

63%
Animal management
100%
Biodiversity conservation

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Agriculture

Teaching and learning

69%
Staff make the subject interesting
74%
Staff are good at explaining things
69%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
52%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

55%
Library resources
69%
IT resources
64%
Course specific equipment and facilities
46%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Ecology and environmental biology

Teaching and learning

100%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
80%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
90%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

60%
Library resources
50%
IT resources
70%
Course specific equipment and facilities
50%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Animal behaviour

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Animal science

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Animal physiology

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

After graduation


We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Agriculture

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£17k

£17k

£16k

£16k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Animal science

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£17k

£17k

£16k

£16k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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