New undergraduate course in Ecology and Conservation

This 60-credit undergraduate Certificate is aimed at people wanting to increase their employability to gain jobs in the environment sector. Max Bodmer, the Course Director, emphasises how the focus is going to be on the practical side of things mixed with theory.  

The first unit provides the theoretical underpinning needed to understand ecological theory and the principles of wildlife conservation. The second two units focus on data handling and data evaluation, which Max explains is a key skill that a lot of people in the environment sector need but aren't necessarily equipped with. It is about upskilling the data handling protocols. The final unit is much more about practical conservation on the ground: designing and delivering conservation projects and taking that ecological theory from the first unit to then applying it in a practical way. 

Why might this course be relevant to you? Maybe you are envisaging a career change and have potentially realised that you want to be involved in the climate change crisis, which is becoming a much more pressing issue at the moment. Perhaps you want to move from a career you are potentially fed up with and now want to make a difference and contribute. Max says: “It is a good introductory course from that perspective- no matter where you are coming from, it will give you the basic introductory skills that you need to pursue this route.” There is emphasis on data, so this will also be good for someone who has done a life sciences degree or background but is not confident in their data analysis and handling. Max says: “It will really help to reinforce those skills and give those practices. It would also appeal to amateur enthusiasts. There are a lot of wildlife groups who exist, and they are not formally trained- this is an opportunity for those individuals to get some formal training and formalize their knowledge.” 

The course will be delivered online. For the practical elements there will be formative assessments that will involve data collection- they will be flexible so no matter where the student is in the world, they can go out and collect whatever data they want to. It will be designed with a broad approach in mind so that anyone anywhere in the world is going to be able to access it. It is also designed so that there will be a lot of discussion about global environments- it is not a Eurocentric course, meaning it should be relevant to any student. 

At the Institute of Continuing Education, there is the chance to develop ecology skills and practical applications. Ecology courses can often remain theoretical- this course allows you to form the link between ecology and conservation. Max says: “My plan is to have several guest lectures from people working in the sector so it will still have an academic focus, but it will be much more tailored towards the practical applications as well. This will provide the opportunity to meet people working in the sector, which is key. You can network with people doing conservation.”