Environmental Biology, MSci (Hons)

This integrated master's course is designed for those passionate about environmental protection, wildlife conservation, and ecology. It explores human impacts on the natural environment, focusing on threats like climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species. Students will study ecology, conservation, animal behaviour, botany, sustainability, and environmental protection, while developing advanced skills in research, analytics, and communication through practical fieldwork, such as bat surveys and habitat assessments. Taught by active researchers and ecologists, the program includes opportunities for industry placements and studying abroad to gain global perspectives.Core modules in the first year introduce ecology, biodiversity, evolution, and behaviour through lectures, labs, and field visits. In subsequent years, students build practical skills via non-residential field courses, choose optional modules like plant ecology, and undertake original research projects. The fourth year focuses on independent research and advanced project coordination.

Core modules in your first year introduce the principles of ecology and biodiversity. You'll learn about evolution and behaviour. Studying how natural selection has shaped how organisms interact with their environment. Learning through lectures, lab sessions and field visits. In year two you'll gain more practical fieldwork skills as part of a non-residential field course. The Ecology module teaches you how interactions between species can drive co-evolutionary processes. In the second year and third years, you have lots of optional modules. You can choose to study plant evolution and ecology in The Green Planet module.  In your third year the research project enables you to use your skills to work on a piece of original research. This can be lab, field or literature based. You will design the study, collect and analyse data. Optional modules include Conservation, Evolutionary Ecology and the Arctic Ecology Field Course. The additional fourth year enables you to graduate with an integrated masters level qualification. You'll carry out an independent piece of research, and have modules to support this. You'll develop further skills in the co-ordination and communication of research projects.