Ecology and Conservation with a Foundation Year
Ecology and conservation is a science at the heart of one of the most urgent challenges of our time, understanding how ecosystems function, how species interact and how the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth can be protected in the face of habitat loss, climate change, pollution and overexploitation. Ecology investigates the relationships between organisms and their environments at every scale, from the interactions between individual organisms to the functioning of global ecosystems. Conservation applies that knowledge to the practical challenge of protecting and restoring biodiversity, managing land and water in ways that sustain natural systems, and designing policies that reconcile human needs with the health of the natural world.
The University of East Anglia offers this four-year full-time programme, which includes a foundation year designed to build the scientific and academic skills students need before progressing into the full degree. UEA's location in East Anglia, one of the most ecologically rich and also one of the most agriculturally modified landscapes in the UK, gives the programme a distinctive and immediate relevance. The Broads, the North Sea coast, RSPB reserves and significant farmland bird monitoring programmes are all within reach.
The typical entry tariff for this programme is around 136 UCAS points.
You will study the principles of ecology, including population dynamics, community ecology and ecosystem processes, alongside wildlife conservation, habitat management, environmental policy and the practical field skills needed to survey, monitor and manage biodiversity. The programme develops your ability to collect and analyse ecological data, design field studies, write scientifically and communicate conservation arguments to a range of audiences. UEA's School of Environmental Sciences has a strong research profile in ecology, conservation science and environmental biology.
Graduates of ecology and conservation programmes work for wildlife trusts, conservation charities, national parks, government bodies including Natural England and the Environment Agency, environmental consultancies, and international conservation organisations. Field survey, habitat management, species monitoring, conservation planning and environmental impact assessment are all common professional activities. Research careers in ecology and conservation biology are well supported by postgraduate opportunities.
Further study at master's or doctoral level in ecology, conservation science, environmental management or biodiversity is a natural next step for those who wish to develop research or specialist practice.