Conservation Management of African Ecosystems MSc

The Conservation Management of African Ecosystems programme is a multidisciplinary programme aimed at students wishing to develop a career in conservation management in universities, government departments, parastatal conservation organisations, NGOs and other organisations. <br/><br/>This training aims to support the development of national conservation research and policy that is knowledge-based and built on cutting-edge methods and analysis. The programme has the option of working closely with our African partners, in particular the Nelson Mandela African Institution for Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania.<br/><br/>**WHY THIS PROGRAMME**<br/><br/>-Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology for the purpose of meeting, in part, the academic and experience requirement for the Membership and Chartered Biologist (CBiol).<br/><br/>-Gain insight into the principles of conservation management, biodiversity measurement, applied ecology, the TOP 100 UNIVERSITYhuman dimension of conservation<br/><br/>-Learn skills in the application of economic tools for conservation, conservation genetics and the epidemiology of diseases that threaten endangered species.<br/><br/>-Develop competence in study design, data analysis, scientific writing and communication skills in a quantitative and scientific context to enable independent research and publication of high quality outputs, as well as communicating to a broader range of audiences (e.g. for government policy making and public outreach).<br/><br/>-Experience training in a range of specialised skills, techniques, practices and analyses required for state-of-the-art research and management in conservation biology.<br/><br/>-Opportunities exist for in-depth study of a specific conservation management issue through a research project involving critical evaluation of the literature, collection and/or analysis of data, and interpretation of results in the context of conservation.<br/><br/>-Wide range of experience, expertise and long-term cooperation with partners in northern Tanzania offering students the opportunity to benefit from well-established teaching and support at the Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine at the University of Glasgow, and combining that with research work in one of the major conservation areas of Tanzania.<br/><br/>Main Campus Location<br/><br/>**PROGRAMME STRUCTURE**<br/><br/>The programme consists of five core courses which set a solid foundation in key research skills and spatial ecology in term 1.<br/><br/>The term 2 emphasis is on conservation management, including human dimensions of conservation, management of protected areas and conservation ecology.<br/>There are a number of optional courses in term 2 which can be selected from a wide portfolio at IBAHCM.<br/><br/>The taught programme is followed by a research project on a relevant topic selected by the student in consultation with staff at the Institute and will build on our strong links in Africa, in particular with Tanzania.<br/><br/>A total of 180 credits are required, with 30 flexible credits in the second term. <br/>See the accompanying detailed course descriptions found in the core and optional course links below.<br/><br/>Tanzanian students supported through Karimjee Conservation Scholarships will undertake a second year of field-based training in Tanzania based at NM‑AIST as part of the Karimjee Conservation Scholarship programme.<br/><br/>**Term 1: Core Courses** <br/>KEY RESEARCH SKILLS<br/>PROGRAMMING IN R<br/><br/>**Term 2: Core Courses** <br/>HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CONSERVATION<br/>PRINCIPLES OF CONSERVATION ECOLOGY<br/>PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT<br/><br/>**Term 2: Optional Courses** <br/>See course page.