MSc in Ecological Management and Conservation Biology
Belfast, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
31 Jul 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 27,600 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international fee
Key Summary
We are living through the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history, but this time it is driven by human activity. Wildlife populations have declined by 68% since 1970, while climate change is pushing the Earth beyond safe ecological limits. Ecosystems are facing unprecedented pressure from overexploitation, habitat degradation and destruction, climate change, invasive species, pollution, and emerging diseases.
However, you can be part of the solution. This MSc equips students with the knowledge, practical skills, and field experience needed to address these challenges and contribute to local and global solutions through ecological management, conservation, and environmental stewardship.
Course Highlights
Internationally Renowned Experts
You will be taught by internationally recognised researchers at the forefront of ecological management and conservation biology. Their expertise covers a broad range of taxa, from algae to mammals, and ecosystems from marine environments to terrestrial landscapes.
Industry Links
Benefit from the School's extensive network of partners across the conservation sector. Our internationally recognised ecologists maintain close links with government departments, environmental consultancies, research institutes, and conservation organisations working to protect and manage biodiversity. These connections provide opportunities for field-based learning, professional engagement, and insight into real-world conservation practice. Field trips include input from conservation charities, environmental consultants, zoological gardens, museums, nature reserve managers, and independent research institutes.
World-Class Facilities
Take advantage of exceptional teaching, research, and field facilities. The School of Biological Sciences is housed in a £38 million state-of-the-art building featuring purpose-built teaching and laboratory facilities that support both learning and research. You will also have access to outstanding field facilities, including the Queen’s Marine Laboratory (QML) at Portaferry, Strangford Lough—one of only three working marine laboratories in Europe.
Student Experience
Apply your learning to real-world conservation challenges through a class conservation biology group project focused on Ecological Impact Assessment. You will then choose between a professional work placement project embedded within business and industry, or a research project embedded within academia, allowing you to tailor the programme to your interests and career goals.
Career Development
Graduates of this programme pursue careers across the conservation and environmental sectors worldwide, working in ecological consultancy, conservation management, environmental policy, research, education, and environmental outreach to effect positive change. At the same time, the programme's broad combination of scientific, analytical, and communication skills opens opportunities beyond traditional conservation careers. Previous graduates have followed diverse career paths, including within the creative industries, with some using scientifically inspired artwork as an innovative approach to environmental outreach.
Application Information
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 31st July for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Application Portal against the programme application page.
Please note that a deposit will be required to guarantee a place on the course. Due to high demand, applications may not be considered if the course has reached its maximum class size and will be placed on a waiting list. Please see the deposit terms and conditions for more details.
Course Details
The MSc typically enrols up to 50 students and provides a comprehensive grounding in the theory and practice of conservation biology. The programme combines academic teaching with practical learning and covers a broad range of subjects, including:
- Animal Behaviour
- Biodiversity
- Conservation genomics
- Climate change
- Emerging diseases
- Environmental economics
- Environmental impact assessment
- Grassland management
- Invasion biology
- Marine conservation
- Soil biology
- Wildfire ecology
Semester 1 Modules
- Ecological Management and Conservation Biology (40 CATS): An introduction to, and review of, subject-specific material concerning the main threats to biodiversity worldwide, including habitat destruction and modification, invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change.
- Environmental Impact Assessment and Management (30 CATS): Students will be split up into small groups (3-5) and set a collaborative project requiring teamwork and partitioning of specific roles to evaluate environmental data pertinent to Ecological Management and Conservation Biology.
Semester 2 Modules
- Skills in Ecological Management (30 CATS): Students will learn to apply subject-specific skills in survey and experimental design, spatial analyses, numeracy, and oral presentations.
- Literature Review: Conservation Biology (20 CATS): Students will prepare a review of the peer-reviewed, scientifically published literature in the field related to the core subject area of their Work Placement Project or Research Project.
Semester 3 Modules
- Option 1: Professional Development and Work Placement (60 CATS): This module provides students with the opportunity to gain practical experience through a work placement, which typically begins at the end of the second semester. Most graduates of this programme go on to careers in the conservation, education, and government sectors, and placements are designed to support professional development in these and related fields. Placements may be undertaken either in person or remotely and can be hosted by environmental charities, environmental consultancies, NGOs, government departments, research institutes, zoological gardens, museums, educational organisations, media organisations, or other relevant bodies, with opportunities arranged by students with support from the School of Biological Sciences' Careers and Employability team.
- Option 2: Research Project: Ecological Management and Conservation Biology (60 CATS): Running from May to August, this module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent research project in an area of ecological management and conservation biology. Projects may involve survey or experimental design, data collection and analysis, and the interpretation of findings. Students will produce a dissertation in the style of a scientific research paper, with assessment based on both the research project (25%) and the dissertation (75%). The submission deadline is 17:00 on the final Friday of August each year.
What Else Will You Do?
Experience ecological management and conservation in action through weekly physical or virtual field trips to a wide range of sites and habitats. Visits include captive breeding facilities for endangered species, river corridors where invasive species are managed, ground-nesting bird conservation programmes, national nature reserves (including sand dunes, bogs, and species-rich grasslands), commercial industry sites, the Belfast Zoo, and the Mourne Mountains.
- Top 200 in the world for Biological Sciences (QS World Rankings 2026)
- 6th in the UK for Biological Sciences (Research Ranking) (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026)
- Joint 5th in the UK for Research Quality for Biological Sciences (Complete University Guide 2027)
- 9th in the UK for Ecology & Environmental Biology (Teaching on my Course) (NSS 2025)
- 9th in the UK for Biological Sciences (Graduate Prospects) (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026)
- Queen’s University Belfast is ranked 174th in the QS World University Rankings 2027
Students can tailor the programme to their career ambitions through one of two pathways. The Work Placement Project pathway provides practical industry experience and professional skills development, preparing students for careers across the world in conservation, ecological consultancy, environmental management, and related fields. The Research Project pathway develops advanced research skills and provides a strong foundation for doctoral study and research careers in the UK and internationally.
Reflecting the global nature of the conservation sector, the programme attracts students from across Ireland, Great Britain, and around the world, including China, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, the USA, and many other countries, creating an international learning environment with a global outlook and supporting career opportunities both locally and globally.
Employment after the Course
There are many employers interested in graduates of this programme, including environmental consultancies such as AECOM, global conservation charities such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), government agencies including Departments of Environment, Agriculture, and Fisheries, and local conservation organisations involved in fisheries management, stock assessment, habitat restoration, species conservation, and more!
Graduates may go on to work as site managers on nature reserves, environmental education officers, ecological consultants, or environmental scientists. Others work on environmental impact assessments for projects ranging from renewable energy developments, such as wind farms and marine turbines, to major infrastructure projects. The programme's broad combination of scientific, analytical, and communication skills can also open doors beyond traditional conservation careers. You may even follow in the footsteps of Queen's alumnus Jonathan Scott, the zoologist, wildlife photographer, and television presenter best known for the BBC's Big Cat Diary.
Previous graduates from this programme have gone on to roles including:
- Principal Environmental Consultant, Ayre Environmental Consulting
- Consultant Ecologist, AECOM
- Conservation Advisor, RSPB
- Scientific Officer, AFBI
- Scientific Officer, Northern Ireland Environment Agency
- Environmental Educator, UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere
- Outreach Officer, Bumblebee Conservation Trust
- Natural Resources Specialist, Equinox Environmental Consultation and Design (USA)
- AES Biodiversity Intern at Ulster Wildlife
- Ecologist at RPS Group
- Project Manager, ESGE (Munich)
- HSEQ Coordinator & Advisor, Remondis Australia
- Principal Town & Country Planning Consultant, TC Town Planning
- Network Development Manager, Sustrans
- Ecologist at Roughan & O'Donovan
- MCO Spatial NI, Ordnance Survey
- Raptor Monitoring Officer, Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group
- Lab Analyst at Fibertec Environmental Services, Michigan
- Ecologist at Neo Environmental Ltd
- Conservation Officer, The Irish Wildlife Trust
Future Ready Award for Extra-Curricular Skills
Alongside your degree programme, you can work towards Queen’s Future-Ready Award by taking part in placements, volunteering, clubs and societies, sports, and a wide range of other extracurricular activities.
The award recognises the academic, professional and personal skills you develop beyond the classroom. As a result, you graduate not only with a degree from a world-leading university, but also with practical experience, enhanced employability skills, and broader life experiences that help prepare you for future success. It's part of what makes studying at Queen's so special.