Certificate of Higher Education in Global Ecology and Wildlife Conservation via Distance Learning

No upfront fees - all eligible part-time, home students can now get a government-backed tuition fee loan, which is only repayable if you are earning more than £21,000 per annum. More information on tuition fee loans

Is this the course for me?

This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the principles which underpin contemporary ecological science, wildlife conservation and habitat management. The course is designed specifically for part-time students. It can be taken simply for pleasure or personal development, but also provides the opportunity to gain a valuable qualification that may help you on your way to building a career within wildlife and conservation organisations, or be a stepping stone to more advanced study.

• List of study modules on the course

Study

Students study at home by correspondence, supported by electronic communication and a course website. In addition to course notes students receive a number of core text books and DVDs and will have access to the university library, both on and off campus. Study includes desk based work and independent field exercises as well as compulsory one week residential field course at the end of the first year. The course consists of six compulsory modules, each of which is assessed by coursework.

Career relevance and employability

• By the conclusion of this course, students should be able to:
• Demonstrate an awareness of the main principles of ecology and explain them
• Demonstrate a capacity for critical scientific analysis in this area
• Describe current areas of advance in ecology
• Communicate in writing and orally, concepts and arguments in ecology
• Access scientific literature and demonstrate the capacity to analyse and critique evidence
• Apply a scientific approach to the solution of problems in ecology
• Design simple ecological investigations using scientific methods and principles
• Demonstrate a range of skills that are necessary for lifelong learning, including the use of information technology, the capacity to access a range of resource materials, effective time management and the ability to work in small groups.