Wildlife Conservation and Countryside Management

Wildlife conservation and countryside management brings together the scientific understanding of natural systems with the practical skills needed to protect and manage them. Biodiversity loss, habitat fragmentation, invasive species and the effects of climate change are among the defining challenges of our time, and addressing them requires people who combine ecological knowledge with the ability to manage land, engage with communities and navigate policy and regulation. This is a degree for people who want to work outside, in direct contact with the environments they are trying to protect.

At the Royal Agricultural University, the two-year full-time programme develops your understanding of ecology, habitat management, wildlife biology and conservation practice. You will study the principles of population dynamics, landscape ecology, species identification and ecological survey methods, alongside the management techniques used to restore and maintain habitats for wildlife. Countryside management brings in the practical dimensions of land use, including the legal frameworks that govern protected areas, the economics of rural land management, and the relationships between conservation, agriculture, forestry and recreation.

Extensive fieldwork is central to the degree, giving you hands-on experience in a range of natural and semi-natural environments.

The Royal Agricultural University's Cirencester campus is set within the Cotswolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty with diverse farmland, woodland and wetland habitats, providing an excellent outdoor learning environment. The university's agricultural heritage also means you will understand how conservation connects with the farming and land management sector.

Graduates work in conservation organisations, national parks, environmental consultancies, local authorities, wildlife trusts, government agencies and estate management. Countryside ranger, ecological surveyor, conservation manager and habitat restoration officer are among the roles graduates enter. Postgraduate study in conservation science, ecology or environmental management is also a common route for those who want to develop research expertise.