Victoria University of Wellington
Master of Conservation Biology – MConBio
Wellington, New Zealand
Master degree
DURATION
18 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: The Master of Conservation Biology (MConBio) at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is a one-year, 180-point professional Masters across 3 trimesters. You’ll study conservation, ecology, biodiversity and sustainability using theoretical and field-based methods in terrestrial and marine settings. Full-time workload is 40–45 hours a week; part-time is 20–23 hours. A four-week January field course (BIOL 424) visits conservation sites; applications close 15 October.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can work in conservation practice, biodiversity management, ecological research, environmental consultancy and protected-area management. Roles include conservation biologist, ecological consultant, field officer and advisor. Career opportunities include species recovery and habitat restoration.
Enhance your skills and knowledge and make a difference in the environment with the postgraduate study of conservation biology.
Human impact, loss of biodiversity and a growing awareness of environmental change make conservation biology more important every day.
Linking conservation, ecology, biodiversity and sustainability, the Master of Conservation Biology is a one-year, 180-point professional Master's. You'll get the scientific expertise you need to do conservation work in New Zealand and around the world.
Wellington is an international hot spot for biodiversity and studying with the School of Biological Sciences you'll learn from world leaders in conservation practice—internationally respected scientists whose work informs the management of New Zealand’s unique biota.
Using theoretical and field-based approaches in a range of terrestrial and marine environments, you’ll explore the processes of conservation biology. Examine internationally renowned examples of conservation best practices in action, and gain skills in experimental design, the collection and analysis of data and the presentation of research results.
You'll graduate with the expertise to make a valuable contribution to the conservation of the natural environment.
Duration and Workload
3 Trimesters, 1 year
If you are studying full-time, you can expect a workload of 40–45 hours a week for much of the year. Part-time students doing two courses per trimester must do around 20–23 hours of work a week. Make sure you take this into account if you are working.
You can estimate your workload by adding up the number of points you'll be doing. One point is roughly equal to 10–12 hours work.
January Field Course
One of your core courses is held in the field, visiting key conservation sites in New Zealand.
BIOL 424 New Zealand Conservation Practice involves travelling around the country to observe management practices and become familiar with the unique plants and animals of New Zealand. This four-week course is held in January each year. Applications close on 15 October.
How You'll Study
You'll study three core courses and 90 points worth of approved courses of your choice.
If you're starting in January, you'll begin with the four-week field course, BIOL 424. The course sits outside normal trimester dates with the timing changing from year to year to allow for tide times. The usual timing for the start of the course is in late January/early February and actual dates can be confirmed at least six months prior.
The July start of the programme includes the core course, BIOL 405 Biosecurity, which involves biosecurity management from both biological and legal perspectives.
While there is no thesis component to the MConBio, you can do small research projects through the elective BIOL 440. You'll need a supervisor for this course—talk to staff within the School of Biological Sciences about potential projects.
Study Abroad
Broaden your horizons with the student exchange programme, Wellington Global Exchange. Study towards your Wellington degree at one of 100 partner universities around the world. Talk to the programme manager if you're thinking about including an exchange in your programme of study.
