MSc Conservation Leadership

Content

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

Year one

• 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 Leadership in Practice (60 credits) - Experience working within a conservation project team for six months, participating in strategy planning, stakeholder meetings, fundraising and decision-making.
• 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, enabling students to fit their studies around their work commitments. 

This structure is for full-time students only. Part-time students study the same modules but the delivery pattern will be different. 

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, this course offers exceptional learning facilities for experiencing behind-the-scenes wildlife conservation. This includes ex-situ conservation and national and international conservation project management. The course offers a wide-ranging curriculum taught through lectures, seminars, workshops and work-based experiences.

Unlike most other MSc courses, you'll have the opportunity to become embedded within a strategic conservation project team, where you'll  shadow an established conservation project leader for six months. During this time, you'll become an integral part of the team, learning how to effectively design and carry out conservation initiatives.

Activities you may be involved with include but aren't limited to: project planning, report writing, communication strategy design, stakeholder engagement, community outreach and developing funding bids.

You'll receive one-to-one guidance and feedback throughout from our experienced academic team and personal tutors, as well as applied conservation professionals.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Study time

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

Teaching is shared between UWE Bristol and Bristol Zoological Society staff and will include in-person teaching and practical learning.

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 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 assessments.