MSc Conservation Leadership

Content

The modules listed are indicative of the course structure and subject to final UWE Bristol approval:

Year one

• Conservation Leadership in Practice (60 credits) - Experience working remotely within a conservation project team for six months, participating in strategy planning, stakeholder meetings, fundraising and decision-making.
• Conservation Business and Finance (30 credits) - Learn how to make your project financially viable and sustainable, critically review risks and issues that could impact project outcomes and manage key relationships to achieve your conservation targets.
• Conservation Communication and Marketing (30 credits) - Identify relevant stakeholders and apply different communication methods to engage with colleagues, sponsors and partners across various cultural and political contexts. Understand key issues around governance and ethics and learn best-practice working with vulnerable individuals and communities.
• Conservation Impact (30 credits) - Create meaningful outputs and conservation outcomes by mapping out a situation analysis and developing a Theory of Change. Design evidence-based, feasible objectives that allow you to measure your impact.
• Conservation Project Management (30 credits) - Develop, plan and coordinate a project through its different phases and learn how to best manage teams locally and remotely.

This course can be studied both full-time and part- time, providing a flexible approach that meets your needs.

If you study full time, you'll take all the modules in one year.

If you study part time, you'll take three 30-credit modules in your first year and the Conservation Communication and Marketing and Conservation Leadership in Practice modules in your second year.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

Learning and Teaching

Delivered by UWE Bristol and Bristol Zoological Society staff, this online course offers a rich learning experience. You'll get to study ex-situ conservation and manage national and international projects. You'll have opportunities to take part in interactive live seminars, workshops, watch recorded lectures, and undertake guided activities, all while having regular contact with the lecturing team.

You'll have the opportunity to become embedded within a strategic conservation project team, remotely shadowing a conservation project leader for six months. This hands-on experience will teach you to design and implement conservation initiatives effectively.

Activities may include project planning, report writing, communication strategy design, stakeholder engagement, community outreach, and the development of funding bids.

Optional in-person and hybrid social meetups will be available to connect with fellow students. You'll receive regular one-to-one guidance and feedback from our experienced academic team and applied conservation professionals.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Study time

This course can be studied both full-time and part-time, providing a flexible approach to meet your needs.

The course will take place over 12 months for full-time students and 24 months for part-time students.

Assessment

Our assessments will develop your problem-solving, finance, and staff management skills and are based on real-world scenarios. This means you'll be able to apply what you have learned to your professional career.

For example, you'll produce a communication strategy, a project plan, a business case and a case study analysis. You'll also develop communication skills which will enable you to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders in a conservation project.

During your conservation project placement, you'll experience project management first-hand. You'll develop a portfolio that will include all the materials you create or contribute to.

Your portfolio will help you to stand out when you enter the job market post-graduation or look to progress your career.

Learn more about our assessments.