MSc Conservation

Overview

The MSc Conservation at UCL is widely recognised as the leading course for aspiring nature conservation professionals. This highly successful degree programme saw its first students graduate in 1960, and more than 75% of its graduates have gone on to secure posts related to conservation.

The MSc Conservation is strongly interdisciplinary and engages with environmental, social and policy dimensions. It has a vocational orientation, with residential field-classes providing first-hand experience of practical conservation challenges. The programme is unique not only on account of its long history and the resulting extent of its alumni network, but also due to the active involvement of nature conservation professionals in the delivery of course material.

At the same time, the programme provides the scientific rigour needed for evidence-based analysis and understanding of the natural environment. The MSc provides an excellent preparation for employment with the full range of public sector and voluntary conservation organisations, environmental consultancies, and in academia.

Aims

MSc Conservation was established as a vocational degree in 1959 by UCL’s Departments of Botany, Zoology and Geography in collaboration with the Nature Conservancy. It has kept it's vocational focus providing an ideal training for students intending to embark on a career in conservation, but also in scientific research. The programme focusses on principles (conservation biology and ethics), policy (socio-economics, law and governance) and practice of conservation in relation to the following inter-related driving forces:

• Globalisation
• Demographic trends
• Introduced species
• Climate change
• Habitat degradation
• Loss of biodiversity

The evolving nature of these aspects raises a number of key questions, which are addressed as emerging themes in many of the modules:

1. What is the appropriate balance between top-down and bottom-up approaches?

2. Should nature reserves be managed or remain as wilderness ?

3. How can conservation priorities be reconciled with global environmental changes?

What are the appropriate balances between:

4. Conservation of protected areas versus conservation of the wider landscape?

5. Conservation of representative habitats/particular species versus conservation of ecosystem functioning?

Against this background, the programme has several more specific aims:

• To engage with current thinking about ecological concepts and ideas and their application.
• To acquire an understanding of the practices of institutions engaged in conservation.
• To acquire knowledge of the ecology and management of ecosystems.
• To develop an understanding of the planning and regulatory framework relevant to conservation.
• To appreciate the implications of different approaches to implementing conservation polices.

Students taking the MSc will thus:

• develop an understanding of contemporary debates in ecology, conservation ideas and practices through critical review of research.
• engage with debates on key conservation issues in discussions and seminars held with conservation professionals.
• develop identification skills of a range of taxa during field projects.
• gain insights into biological and physical processes operating in a variety of ecosystems.
• develop an understanding of methods to evaluate conservation importance of sites and ecosystems.
• acquire transferable skills in project design, management, report production and presentation through the conduct of independent projects and presentations. - complete an independent study based on the collection and analysis of primary data that demonstrates advanced knowledge and application of research skills and has practical relevance to conservation.

Why UCL?

More than 75% of graduates from the course are known to have gained a post in the conservation sector or in conservation-related research. Many potential employers have themselves graduated from the course over the last 50 years. Overall, the record of graduate employment shows that the course equips students very well for the following areas (% for years 1999-2008 with a total of 185 graduates):

Other employment, mostly outside the conservation sector, was secured by 6% of the MSc Conservation graduates, whereas the job destination of a further 17% is currently unknown to us.

By way of illustration, the following lists indicate the initial and where known also subsequent posts secured by graduates in recent years.

Examples of initial student destinations in recent years

• IUCN: Intern, Freshwater Biodiversity Unit
• United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC): Intern, developing rare species (crocodile) database
• Natural England: Government and Conservation Adviser
• London Borough of Redbridge: Conservation Park Ranger
• Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council: Biodiversity Project Officer
• PhD at Cambridge University: Development of algal biofuels
• Zoological Society of London: Development and Events Coordinator
• Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London: Intern – Sampled Red List Index
• Kew Gardens: Intern, Sample Red List Index Project
• RSPB: Communications Officer, North Kent
• Council for World Mission: Programme Assistant, project to promote economic and ecological justice in small communities
• Waste Watch NGO: recycling advisor {trainee paramedic, London Ambulance Service}
• Thomson Ecology: Consultant Field Ecologist, conducting reptile surveys and mitigation projects {PhD at the University of Canterbury, NZ: impacts of intensive agriculture on ecosystem functioning}
• Environmental planning consultancy, Ironside Farrar: Environmental scientist
• Biology Teacher
• Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR): Internship, Project Research Assistant {consultant to CIFOR: Project Research Officer}
• DEFRA: Project Support Officer, Environmental Permitting Programme {Marine Case Officer – Marine and Fisheries Agency / DEFRA: Policy Advisor, Marine & Freshwater Biodiversity Division}
• Environment Agency: Planning Technical Assistant
• Norfolk County Council: Environmental Information Support Officer
• Wildlife Protection Society of India: Projects Manager
• Hellenic National Cadastre: database assistant on public/private land claims project {Consultancy agency OIKOM - Ecologist}
• PhD at UCL: Coastal and estuarine habitat dynamics
• PhD at the University of Reading: Ecology of the Mauritius Kestrel
• ECOMAR (Brazilian marine conservation NGO): Executive Director
• Royal Forestry Society: Woodland education and conservation officer
• Environmental consultant, Dubai - EIAs for marine oil and gas projects
• Broadview Energy Ltd: assistant project manager on wind farm projects
• JFA Ltd, London: Consultant Ecologist

• Birmingham and Black CountryWildlife Trust: Project Officer, Living Landscapes Programme {Land Use Consultants: Graduate Ecologist}
• London Wildlife Trust: Design for Biodiversity Officer
• Scandinavian Bear Project, Sweden: Research Assistant {County Administrative Board, Norrbotten, Sweden: Carnivore Manager, management of Saamí reindeer owners}
• Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London: research intern, camera trap data
• Zoological Society of London: Intern, coastal national park project, Madagascar
• Botanic Gardens, Kew: botanical horticulturalist
• Blue Ventures, Madagascar: Science Intern, Marine Conservation Project Coordination {Blue Ventures: Research Development Manager}
• Sustainability Consultants ‘Beyond Green’: Administrator {Energy Savings Trust: Team Assistant, Communities Advice Team}
• PGCE
  
  

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Structure (subject to final confirmation)

All students take three core conservation modules in the first term and choose a further four modules from a range of options in the second term. Additionally, students undertake a piece of original research leading to a dissertation of up to 12,000 words with the support of an academic supervisor.

The following modules will be available for 2012/13. Please note these may still be subject to change.

COMPULSORY MODULES (Term One)

OPTIONAL MODULES (Term Two)

Staff

Lecturing staff include:

• Jan Axmacher
• Helene Burningham
• Sophie des Clers
• Mat Disney
• Jon French
• Peter Jones
• Anson Mackay
• Sam Randalls
• Carl Sayer
• Julian Thompson

Fees

Fees for full time UK/EU students for 2012-13 are £7,750. Fees for full time overseas students for 2012-13 are £15,500. Please, note that there are additional costs associated with residential fieldclasses. These expenses (accommodation and transport) for term 1 core modules are expected to be approximately £1,000. Choice modules in term 2 with a residential fieldclass component (for example the Changing Landscapes-modules) also incur additional costs.

For further information on UCL scholarships, please visit http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/scholarships/

Other sources of funding

For information on scholarships available at UCL please click here.

Other sources from which UK MSc Conservation students have received funds:

• Laurence Attwell Charity: Skinner's Hall, 8 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2SP
• The Ian Karten Charitable Trust: The Mill House, Newark Lane, Ripley, Surrey GU23 6DP
• The Mercers' Company: Educational Grants Secretary, The Mercers' Company, Mercers' Hall, Ironmonger Lane, London EC2V 8HE
• The Richard Newitt Fund: The Correspondent, The Richard Newitt Fund, Trustee Department, The Lawn, Speen, Newbury, Berks. RG13 1QN
• The Radley Trust: Philip Radley, The Radley Trust, 53 Sherlock Close, Cambridge CB3 0HP
• The Percy Sladen Memorial Fund: The Linnean Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 0LQ
• The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust: 1 York Street, Baker Street, London W1H 1PZ

Apply

Potential applicants are expected to have a first or upper second-class Honours degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. Environmental Science, Geography or Biology) from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applications with relevant professional experience in conservation or environmental management will also be considered.

To apply, please contact the Graduate Admissions Secretary (masters@geog.ucl.ac.uk) to request a Graduate Application Pack.

Application materials may also be downloaded at www.ucl.ac.uk/admission/graduate-study/application-admission/

Academic enquiries may be addressed to conservation@geog.ucl.ac.uk

Applications for 2012-13 admission closes on Friday August 3rd. We cannot accept any applications after this date. Applicants who require a student visa should do their utmost to submit the programme application form before 31st July to ensure that there is enough time to process all the necessary paperwork.

A Geography Graduate Open Day is taking place on Wednesday 8th February 2012. For further information and to book a place please email linda.fuller@ucl.ac.uk

Further Information

A short brochure can be downloaded here.		A more detailed course handbook can be downloaded here.

Dissertation

Apart from forming an essential part of the degree with a contribution of 36% to the overall degree result, the dissertation can provide students with a variety of benefits. These might include the acquisition of new skills, the establishment of key contacts / employment opportunities in the conservation community, or the publication of dissertation results in scientific journals as a great starting point for a research career. It is important that these potential benefits are carefully considered during the planning stages of the dissertation.

Generally, dissertations can be classified into the following three categories:

• Self-designed project. Many students design and initiate their own project. A good project of this type demonstrates considerable self-initiative, but allows greatest flexibility in relation to topic and approach. Most potential dissertation projects of this kind will need some development and focusing, and UCL staff will constructively critique proposals as a means of ensuring that they are workable and appropriately focused.
• Project aligned to staff research. Staff teaching the MSc in Conservation will often propose potential MSc Conservation dissertation ideas aligned to their own research programmes. This type of project is more likely to lead to a published paper, and the work will be clearly manageable as an individual project. By undertaking work that is generally part of a larger overall effort, students are likely to acquire new skills and be able to go into considerable depth in their study. There may be some financial support available for these projects.
• Commissioned project. Each year numerous MSc dissertation projects are offered as commissions from conservation agencies, conservation NGOs or relevant research groups. These have the advantage of giving students experience of a real-world situation and the satisfaction of knowing that a good report will be put to use by the commissioning agency. Work will be likely to provide a sound guide to a future employer. There may also be some financial support for such projects. In following this route, it is important to note that a report is distinctly different both in style and format from an MSc dissertation, and a strong scientific grounding of the thesis needs to be ensured. In effect, two separate, distinctly different documents – the dissertation and a report – might have to be produced.

In all cases, we expect students to demonstrate initiative in developing their projects, and routine studies following an established methodology will need to be accompanied by a substantial section in the dissertation evolving from the student’s own, independent ideas. During the first week of the summer term, students are required to present their dissertation proposals to staff and fellow students in order to gain feedback and aid in the development of their proposal. This proposal presentation is examined and counts 10% towards the overall dissertation mark.

Finally, it is critical that the dissertation findings can be discussed in terms of their implications for nature conservation, ie projects which are pure ecology or pure social studies which do not support the development of nature conservation approaches are not appropriate for the MSc Conservation.

The following list of recent dissertation titles illustrates the range of issues researched:

The value of pond management for biodiversity conservation

• Mapping of peatlands using kite aerial photography
• The development process of a participatory management plan in an environmental protection area situated within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
• The invasion of two garden plants into ancient woodland
• A least cost model for lion Panthera leo movement
• Perceived effectiveness of domestic dogs and other livestock husbandry tools in mitigating human-cheetah conflicts in the Salama-Kiu region, Kenya
• The impact of artificial lighting on the commuting and foraging behaviour of the Soprano Pipistrelle pygmaeus at the WWT London Wetland Centre
• Evaluation of group definitions in population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Western Greece
• Conservation, biodiversity and community: how do successful community groups do it?
• Alienated or empowered? A critical analysis of the relationship between an understanding of environmental law and grass-roots conservation in London
• A study of possible environmental factors in the spread of invasive species of lowland heath and possible management and restoration techniques
• An assessment of the health of the lake Naivasha RAMSAR site with special consideration of the population and breeding dynamics of the African Fish Eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer
• Quelling urban invasions: Genista monsessulana and Delairea ororata control in San Francisco natural areas
• One size fits all management: the effect of Common standards monitoring on Lepidoptera of calcareous grassland SSSIs
• Impacts of the invasive crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, on the native freshwater assemblage of the River Melewa, Kenya
• Modelling the distributions of wetland birds of Madagascar: Implications for conservation and management
• Impact of Bti mosquito treatments on foraging and breeding success of house martins (Delichon urbicum) in Camargue, France
• A study of naturally regenerated calcareous grasslands on former arable land in the Cotswolds
• Investigation into how indigenous bushmeat hunting effects the recruitment of Atelid dispersed tree species in a terra firme habitat in Amazonian Ecuador
• Habitat requirements of the water vole, Arvicola terrestris: a case study of the Beverley Brook, Richmond, UK
• Planning and biodiversity conservation: mitigation for habitat loss of calcareous grasslands, Northamptonshire
• The influence of ecological factors on groups of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Cardigan Bay, Wales
• Analysis of breeding Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) numbers at Walthamstow reservoirs SSSI: Implications for common standards monitoring methodology and site management

• Vegetation Patterns and Anthropogenic Effects in Al-Reem Biosphere Reserve in Qatar
• Transfers down the CITES Appendices: to what extent can these be used as a criterion of conservation success?
• Changes in Psittaciform Red List Status and their Effect on the international Caged Bird trade
• Natural Resource use in Ribeira Valley, Brazil: Analysis of a Community-Based Conservation programme
• Impacts of pheasane releasing on carabid and other epigeal invertebrate assemblages and diversity in broadleaved deciduous woodland
• Public attitudes towards nature conservation in Malta
• An Assessment of the by-catch impacts in the Maltese longline fisherie
• Impacts of recreational disturbance on the ecological functioning of Rdum tal-Madonna SPA/SAC, Malta
• Public attitudes towards nature conservation in Malta
• An Assessment of the by-catch impacts in the Maltese longline fisherie
• Biodiversity in open and shaded ponds: implications for conservation and management
• A sustainable future for our seas? An analysis of issues related to the decision at Lyme Bay and implications for the forthcoming Marine Bill
• Study of the cattle grazing trial in Richmond Park
• An assessment of the Ballaugh Curragh Ramsar population
• Dispersal patterns of Balanus glandula and the scientific basis for PA network design. "The old barnacle and the sea".
• Discussion of the concept of "Good Ecological Status" in the Eyebrook Stream, Leicestershire, through an interpretation of historical landuse practices within the Eyebrook Catchment
• Fifty years of crocodile surveys in Africa: a review of the surveys and population trends
• An Investigation into habitat requirements and ecology of the Small Red-Eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum, Charpentier) in South-East England
• Developing a wider countryside common insects monitoring method for volunteers
• Ecological impacts of deer browsing on ground flora at Roudsea Wood & Mosses NNR, Cumbria
• The potential to restore a plantation on an ancient woodland site to native woodland at Roudsea NNR, Cumbria
• The effects of invasion and clearance of sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides on a dune ecosystem; a case study at Merthyr Mawr Warren, South Wales
• Novel methods for estimating Yelkouan Shearwater population size: an evaluation
• Assessing reintroduction success of a water vole (Arvicola terrestris) population and the potential for nearby river restoration
• A study of chalk grassland regeneration following scrub removal on the Devils Dyke Estate, Sussex
• Post natal dispersal of jeuvenile molymawks: implications for their conservation

• Bats in Greater London: A revisit to London’s Bat Feeding Area Survey
• The influence of morphological evolution on coastal dune plant species composition and succession
• Benefits beyond Boundaries. Sanjay Gandhi National Park: A Case Study
• Implications of larval dispersal distances for rare/scarce marine invertebrates in the UK for the design of an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas (MPAs)
• Habitat Association of the Critically Endangered Djibouti Francolin (Francolinus ochropectus) in the Forêt du Day, Djibouti
• Greenspaces in the London Borough of Enfield: Use of Electronic Devices in Habitat Surveys and the Consideration of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
• Beech woodland fragmentation and factors affecting the persistence of rarities
• A rapid assessment of the avifauna of Isla Del Rey, Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama
• Marine Protected Areas and Local Ecological Knowledge within Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches to Marine Conservation in Brazil
• Integrating Gender and Livelihoods in a Biodiversity Conservation Project: A Case Study of the invisible stakeholders in the Okavango Delta Panhandle
• Biodiversity of ground beetles in river floodplains: implications for river restoration and conservation
• Factors influencing the distribution and diversity of aquatic macrophytes in selected regions of the Okavango Delta, Botswana
• An assessment of the Herpetofaunal biological diversity of the Hydrological Reserve on Isla Del Ray, Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama
• An analysis of the perspectives involved in a Community instigated Proposal for a No-take zone in Lamlash, Isle of Arran
• No Room on the Ark: Elephants and the Ethics of Captive Breeding
• The potential impacts of the 'Biodiversity Duty' on local authority functions in London
• Public perceptions of greenspaces in Barnett
• The distribution, composition and diversity of diatome assemblages in relation to environmental factors in the Okavango Delta; special reference to diatoms use in conservation and monitoring

• Using Remote Digital Camera Traps to Determine Large Mammal Use of Wildlife Corridors, Habitat Patches and Pinch Points in Bow Valley, Albeta, Canada
• Ecological Connectance of River - Floodplain Systems in Lowland England: Implications for River Restoration and Riparaian Ecosystem Conservation
• Distribution of Commonly Sighted Cetaceans in the Moray Firth, NE Scotland, and Implications for Management as a Marine SAC
• Changes in the Ground Flora at Monks Wood NNR, Cambridgeshire: A Study of the Impact of Management and Deer Grazing on the Ground Vegetation
• The Impacts of Rodent Control, Primarily that of the Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) on Water Voles (Arvicola terrestris)
• Mapping plant populations employing GIS and other IT support
• First Stages of Implementation of a Community - Based Conservation Process in Northwest Madagascar: Challenges, Opportunities and the Role of NGOs
• Diet and Population Survey of the African Golden Cat Profelis aurata in the Lopé National Park, Gabon
• Which Nature do People Want Nearby? A Qualitative Study of Residents' Perceptions of Nauturalistic Greenspace on two Inner city London Social Housing Estates
• Hydrological Connectance of River-Floodplain Systems on the River Bure and River Glaven, Norfolk: The Implications for River Restoration
• Native Amphibian Conservation in England
• Public Perceptions, Knowledge, and Attitudes in Relation to the Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and its Management in England
• Female Brown Bear Ursus arctos use of Anthropogenic Food Source: A Study From South-Central Sweden
• Sustainable Development and Nature Conservation: Implementation in Policy and Practice in the Wildlife Trusts
• Olive Ridley (Lepiochelys olivacea) arribadas at Ostional: Density Dependence, Hatching Rates and Implications for the Future