Ecology and Conservation
Ecology and conservation address one of the most urgent challenges of our era. The natural world is experiencing a biodiversity crisis unprecedented in human history, driven by habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, pollution, and overexploitation. Ecologists study the relationships between organisms and their environments, investigating the complex networks of interaction that sustain living systems, while conservation scientists translate that understanding into the strategies, policies, and management practices needed to protect species, habitats, and ecosystems.
At Keele this three-year full-time degree equips you with both the scientific knowledge and the practical skills needed for careers in ecology and conservation. You will explore how species, habitats, landscapes, and ecosystems are connected and how they respond to natural and human-induced change, developing expertise in ecological field survey, data analysis, habitat management, and conservation planning. The programme includes a sandwich year providing substantial professional experience in an ecological or conservation organisation, a year abroad for those wishing to engage with conservation in an international context, and work placement opportunities throughout.
Fieldwork is central to the programme, giving you practical competence in the methods that ecologists use to study and monitor living systems.
Graduates go on to careers as ecological consultants, conservation officers, habitat managers, research scientists, environmental advisers, and in roles with national parks, wildlife trusts, government agencies, and conservation charities. The profession is at the centre of the UK and global response to biodiversity loss, and demand for graduates with rigorous ecological training and practical fieldwork experience is growing. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in ecology, conservation biology, or environmental management, developing specialist expertise for research and senior professional roles.