Program Overview

Our world is changing. Human interference in natural environments is rapidly increasing, along with growing competition for space and resources. If you’re planning a career in Conservation Biology and Management, the University of Stirling is the perfect place to develop your understanding of the world we live in, and help protect the planet.

This course will provide you with a deep understanding of the complex relationships between environments and their inhabitants. You’ll learn about the policies and management strategies that aim to safeguard our biodiversity and the ecosystem services upon which humans depend.

Stirling is a superb place to study. We’re near to diverse landscapes and can link up with more environmental and conservation organisations than anywhere else in the UK.

We place great emphasis on practical training, hands-on experience and preparation for a wide range of careers in conservation. Fieldwork is an essential and enjoyable part of this degree course. Stirling’s campus location is an ideal base from which to make field excursions, whether to study lekking Black Grouse in the Highlands, the growth of trees on the sides of the Ochil Hills, or the distribution of animals on the Forth Estuary. You will also have the choice of three overseas field trips, currently based in Portgual, Spain and Gabon. Our inspiring 7-day field ecology and animal biology course in the CERES Field Centre in Aljezur, Portugal, introduces students to the process of designing, conducting and analysing your own scientific project. Students attending the week-long field course in Spain stay near Almeria, one of the driest parts of Europe. Through a series of excursions and intensive field projects students will examine environmental processes in arid environments. Students visiting Lope National Park in Gabon will be introduced to the real-time challenges of managing large protected areas, and cover ecological and socio-economic theories in tropical forest ecology and conservation.