Marine Ecology and Conservation
Entry requirements
A level
Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (64 UCAS tariff points)
Access to HE Diploma
Pass in a relevant subject/science, with science units at Merit (74 UCAS tariff points)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Including a relevant subject/science at H4 or above with Maths and English at S3 if no GCSE or equivalent (74 UCAS tariff points)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Including one in a relevant subject/science (72 UCAS tariff points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
In a relevant subject/science (64 UCAS tariff points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
In a relevant subject/science (80 UCAS tariff points)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
In a relevant subject/science (64 UCAS tariff points)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
In a relevant subject/science (80 UCAS tariff points)
Scottish Advanced Higher
In a relevant subject/science (74 UCAS tariff points)
T Level
Pass (C and above)
In a relevant subject/science (96 UCAS tariff points)
UCAS Tariff
Dependent on qualifications
About this course
**Why choose this degree?**
- Gain the skills and experience needed for a variety of career opportunities in this growing sector
- Enhance your learning with work placements such as coral research and shark conservation both in the UK and abroad
- Experience the industry in depth by visiting UK and international fish farms, coastal sites and research centres
- Develop wide-reaching skills and knowledge in biological science – from physiology to ecology and evolution
- Be taught by experts in unrivalled on-site facilities, including the 650m² purpose-built Aquatic Research and Conservation Centre (ARCC), the Salmonid Rearing and Trials Centre and our own mixed coarse fishery lake.
**What makes UCS special?**
University Centre Sparsholt is recognised worldwide for its expertise in providing education in fishery, aquaculture and marine studies. Our lecturing staff are known to be the **experts in the industry** and can often be found at conferences and industry forums discussing the latest techniques and their supporting research.
Students gain real industry experience on and off-site that is underpinned by the high level of technical lecture content to prepare them for a range of careers or progression to courses at Master’s level. Our industry contacts enable **great employment prospects**. Typically over 50% of our 3rd year students return from work placements to sit their final exams with jobs already secured for graduation.
**What will I learn?**
Marine ecology and conservation systems are studied in depth in this programme as you explore the impact of factors such as coastal developments, over-fishing, non-native species and worldwide climate change.
The course includes significant work experience in marine aquaculture, coastal fisheries, marine aquaria and research establishments both at home and abroad. Previous placements range from working in the **Cornish Seal Sanctuary** or for the **Manta Trust** in the UK, to **Natal Shark Board** in South Africa and Malta, whale and dolphin conservation in Tenerife, and **Coral Cay Conservation** in the Philippines.
**How will I be assessed?**
Assessment includes coursework (such as practical portfolios, laboratory reports, case studies and essay style assignments) plus formal exams. Research opportunities are also a feature, often enabling data collection within organisations such as the **Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority**.
**Where can I go from here?**
After completing this course, you can progress to the **BSc (Hons) Top-up in Marine Biology** at the University of Portsmouth for third year of study or enter the industry. Sparsholt students now work in national wildlife trusts and marine research
Modules
• LEVEL 4
• Introduction To Marine Ecology
• Principles in Aquatic Biology
• Marine Conservation Biology
• Industrial Experience
• Introduction To Marine Fisheries Management
• Academic Skills
• LEVEL 5
• Aquatic Ecology And Conservation
• Population And Ecology
• Marine Fish Farming (Optional)
• Aquarium Design and Husbandry (optional)
• Marine Organisms And Ecosystems
• Applied Industrial Research
• Industrial Development
Assessment methods
Assessment includes coursework (such as practical portfolios, laboratory reports, case studies and essay style assignments) plus formal exams. Research opportunities are also a feature, often enabling data collection within organisations such as the Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
If your household income is under £32,960 you could receive a bursary of up to £750 per annum. This can be used to help towards travel costs, books and equipment or anything else that will help you during your course.
Depending on the financial information disclosed in your Student Loan application, UCS may make an automatic bursary award based on specific criteria as set out in our Access and Participation Plan. If this is not the case you may still be able to apply for financial support to the UCS HE Hardship fund by completing a Bursary Application Form (available from end of |Term 1).
For more information please [email protected].
The Uni
University Centre Sparsholt
Aquaculture, Fisheries and Marine Ecology
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.
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.
Ecology and environmental biology
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
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.
Ecology and environmental biology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£19k
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.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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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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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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