2025/26 entry
MSc Wildlife Conservation
About this course
Explore contemporary wildlife conservation and technology for conservation on this MSc at LJMU. Learn from world-leading experts on this hands-on course that utilises technology for solving global conservation challenges.
- Learn from world-leading experts in the field of wildlife conservation and conservation technology
- Take part in a week-long residential packed full of practical skills training, such as mapping, biodiversity monitoring techniques and applications of innovative digital technologies to surveying in the wild (the cost of the trip is included in your course fees*)
- Benefit from world-class teaching and laboratory facilities (including drone technology, genetics and GIS facilities)
- Gain specialist skills such as complex data handling and analysis
- Develop academic skills such as grant writing, forming collaborations and effective communications
Wildlife conservation is an exciting field of study that has important implications for the way in which we manage our world. With an increasing global population, healthy and functioning ecosystems are vital for human health, wellbeing and success. We need wildlife for their ecosystem services, and conserving wildlife is becoming increasingly complex, with greater need to utilise digital technologies such as drones, camera traps and acoustic sensors. This Masters will provide you with advanced skills in using conservation technology for wildlife conservation monitoring and research. Additionally, you will gain specialist skills such as complex data handling and analysis; and academic skills such as grant writing, forming collaborations and effective communications.
You will take part in a week-long residential packed full of practical skills training, such as mapping, biodiversity monitoring techniques and applications of innovative digital technologies to surveying in the wild. Not only will you develop practical ecology field skills such as species identification and surveillance, you will also have access to cutting-edge technologies, such as drones, camera traps and acoustic sensors, to perform fundamental and applied research. Professional researchers and local experts will be on hand to guide your learning.
A postgraduate degree is highly recommended when considering a career in Wildlife Conservation, particularly as governments around the world are setting ambitious targets for tackling global conservation challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. As a result, there is demand for graduates that can demonstrate the necessary theoretical background, alongside practical skills for conservation practice. LJMU boasts world-class teaching and laboratory facilities (including state-of-the-art drone technology and GIS facilities), which you will be able to use during the course. You will have 24 hour computer access and access to specialist software. In addition, the LJMU library has an extensive collection of online and hard copy books, journals and internet resources related to the course.
Your lectures and seminars will be delivered by world experts in the field of wildlife conservation and conservation technology. The quality of research and teaching during the course mean that you will graduate with cutting-edge knowledge and access to a host of international professional networks. The Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology (RCEAP) conducts research at the frontiers of biological anthropology, catalysed by discovery-oriented field research. The Drone Research Group comprises experts in the design, development and use of drone systems for a wide array of scientific applications. You will have opportunities to network with external collaborators and stakeholders in the conservation sector.
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Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.
* Practical and field activities underpin all programmes in the school. PPE and access to specialist facilities are provided for all necessary practical work. Travel, accommodation and site costs are included in the course fees. You will be required to meet other potential costs, such as field clothing, visas and immunisations if required.
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
As a graduate from the programme you will be able to pursue a career working for national or international wildlife conservation NGOs, national or international environmental consultancy companies, and environmental government bodies. The course is also excellent preparation for conservation research and academia. Staff involved in the course have a wide range of international and national connections that can provide exciting opportunities for students during and after the programme.
The student experience
Discover life as a postgraduate student at LJMU.
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Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.
The academic staff leading this course conduct research in this area. Your programme leaders uphold a wide range of international and national connections that can provide exciting opportunities for you during and after the course. You will have the opportunity to conduct fieldwork at international sites and make career-long connections.
We will also encourage you to become members of the learned societies, such as Society of Wildlife Conservation.
Core modules
Dissertation
60 credits
The aim of this module is to enable you to conduct independent scientific research under the guidance of an academic tutor. It gives you the opportunity to make a major contribution in a chosen subject area through a supervised programme of individual study. It also allows you to demonstrate your ability to carry out scientific research and to present findings as a scientific report.
Applied Research Methods
20 credits
This module provides extensive training in generic research knowledge and statistical techniques for the Natural Sciences. It aims to provide you with a broad appreciation and application of research methods and methodology, including an understanding of the uses and limitations of different research methods. You will also learn how to design and execute a wildlife conservation project keeping in mind feasibility, ethics, data protection, and project logistics and funding.
Conservation Challenges
30 credits
This module will give you a thorough understanding of the major challenges to wildlife conservation. It enables you to critically evaluate published work and the practical skills to design and conduct your own research or wildlife conservation project.
Technology and Operations
40 credits
This module provides a comprehensive overview of different conservation technologies and their applications to wildlife conservation in terms of research and practice. Special emphasis is placed on drone technology, including conceptual understanding of drone applications, and practical skills in being able to specify, select, install and deploy sub-systems to fulfill the requirements of an application.
Conservation in Practice
30 credits
This module will give you a thorough understanding of research design, especially in the application of important tools and methods for data collection of wild animals. It aims to: help you understand and apply theoretical, practical, and analytical skills in primatological or other wildlife fieldwork; provide particular emphasis on how to census animals using line transects and build digital data-collection tools using open-access software; enable you to map the spatial distribution of findings for spatial analyses, present findings in a professional context, and employ these techniques in a field setting.
* Practical and field activities underpin all programmes in the school. PPE and access to specialist facilities are provided for all necessary practical work. There are no additional costs for any day field trips. This programme includes a core residential field trip, which may be in the UK or an international destination, subject to Covid-related national and international travel restrictions. Travel, accommodation and site costs are included in the course fees. You will be required to meet other potential costs, such as field clothing, visas and immunisations if required.
Placement Project
60 credits
The aim of this module is to enable you to conduct independent practical conservation work under the guidance of an academic tutor hosted by a conservation professional/practitioner. It gives you the opportunity to make a major contribution in a chosen subject area through a supervised programme of individual study. It also allows you to demonstrate your ability to carry out practical conservation skills and present survey findings in a report.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
You will have a number of hours per module per week of taught material and/or laboratory work. Teaching will take place throughout the week and can vary across semesters, dependent on which modules are running. Private study will cover both time spent studying at home or in the library, analysing data and completing directed tasks and coursework. Taught sessions will provide an orientation to the topic and opportunity for classroom discussion and debate. You will be expected to read widely using primary sources of reference material.
Teaching methods
There is a strong emphasis on practice-based learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, student-led discussion groups and fieldwork. Self-guided study is also a key requirement at MSc level. The week-long residential includes practical skills training, such as mapping, biodiversity monitoring techniques and applications of innovative digital technologies to surveying in the wild.
Applied learning
During your studies you will develop a hypotheses-driven study based on the latest wildlife conservation literature. Converting your idea for a study into a practical plan will involve: learning how to write a grant proposal (from funding experts), creating a budget, and thinking through the logistical issues of conducting research in challenging environments.
You will learn how to operate drone technology for wildlife conservation research and how to analyse the data obtained using these systems; providing you with a unique skillset.
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
Assessment methods on this course include: written, oral and practical assignments such as project reports and seminar presentations. Practical skills will be assessed via the dissertation and oral presentations.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Dr Danielle Hinchcliffe (Gilroy)
Programme Leader
Dr Hinchcliffe has a PhD in Molecular Ecology from the University of East Anglia and a Masters in Biology from the University of Sheffield. Alongside her Lecturer role at LJMU, she is a member of the School Diversity and Equality committee and an Associate Editor for Ecological Solutions and Evidence – the British Ecological Society Journal. Dr Hinchcliffe is a Senior Teaching Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and freelance ecology consultancy surveyor. Her research background is conservation biology, using both molecular and ecological tools to investigate key evolutionary questions that apply to real-world conservation. She is interested in how populations adapt in the face of environmental challenges; and being able to use this information to evidence key decision-making concerning species management and long-term conservation initiatives.
I am deeply passionate about providing students with transformative opportunities and helping individuals realise their potential. By creating inspiring and engaging research-led learning environments, I enjoy showing how teaching concepts can be applied to real-world conservation and literally save species from extinction
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School facilities
What you can expect from your School
This programme is based in the City Campus. Here you will find world-class teaching and laboratory facilities (including state-of-the-art drone, genetics and GIS facilities) which you will be able to use during the course. You will also have 24 hour computer access and access to specialist software. In addition, the LJMU library has an extensive collection of online and hard copy book, journal and internet resources related to studying Wildlife Conservation.
Entry requirements
You will need:
International requirements
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Other international requirements
The minimum qualification for entry is a good first degree (2.2 Hons) in biological science, environmental science or related field. Applicants who do not meet the normal entry requirement but have a good first degree or professional experience will be considered on their individual merits in relation to the proposed programme. Professional experience, publications, written reports, CPD activities and other suitable evidence of accomplishment will be considered. Applicants will need a recognised English language qualification (IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each category) or Pearson score of 58-64 within 2 years prior to the programme start date (min. 51 in each component for UKVI Purposes).
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
To study this programme you must be motivated towards and have a passion for conservation (as evidenced by engagements in local or international conservation activities, nature clubs or campaigns, for example).
You must also show that you are independent, creative, can think outside the box, are practical and interested in technology, - such as cameras, recorders and drone technology.
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.