Why study conservation in environmental management at Stirling

Environmental management: A macro image with shallow depth of field of a group of futuristic flowers with petals made from solar panels and stem made from cables. Three Orange Forester butterflies are in mid flight amongst the flowers. Butterflies have blurred motion. Focus is on the flower on the right hand side.

In a series of blogs, we look at why you should develop your career in Environmental Management at Stirling. Here, we look at the specialised pathway of conservation in our MSc Environmental Management (Conservation) degree.

Our core MSc Environmental Management degree looks to the future of our planet by training graduates to play a vital role in the protection and sustainable use of resources. It’s a fascinating degree that can make a real difference. You’ll learn to address issues such as adaptation to climate change, biodiversity and sustainable energy management.

You can study our core Masters degree, the MSc Environmental Sciences, or opt to specialise in one of the following pathways:

  • MSc Environmental Management (Conservation)
  • MSc Environmental Management (Energy)
  • MSc Environmental Management (Informatics)

MSc Environmental Management (Conservation)

Our MSc Environmental Management (Conservation) degree is a specialised pathway within our core degree where we give you the knowledge and approach to make a real impact in conservation science and practice. This pathway focuses on giving you an understanding of the ecological, economic, political and legal frameworks for environmental conservation.

Graduates from this course become knowledgeable in the broad field of conservation science. You can learn our expertise and research strengths in environmental impact assessment, carbon trading, planning and impacts of wind, hydro and nuclear power.

Furthermore, you can also specialise in areas such as ecosystem services, environmental economics and application of geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing.

We’ll give you the knowledge needed for conservation science plus the skills required for collecting and analysing relevant data for sustainable decision-making. It means that you’ll have the right career skills for your future employment at national and international level.

You’ll benefit from a residential field skills course and have the chance to carry out an environmental management related dissertation project. This project may include working collaboratively with a business.

Hannah Limberger from England said her undergraduate degree in Environmental Conservation first got her hooked – “encouraging me to improve my understanding of the natural environment. I started looking at Masters courses and, at Stirling, I found a programme that would help develop my knowledge and provide me with the skills and experience required to fulfil my career goals.”

Hear more from the students who have taken our MSc Environmental Management degree course.

Who is this course for?

This course is relevant to both recent and mature graduates who are seeking a career in environmental management and conservation science. This can be either in governmental or non-governmental organisations.

So why Stirling for Environmental Management?

  • We have an history of developing innovating environmental management degrees.
  • We have a beautiful campus and live near amazing Scottish landscape. It’s a constant reminder of why our environmental degrees are so important.
  • At Stirling, we’ve always emphasised the importance of practical training and career skills. It’s why graduates from our Environmental Management course are quick to gain employment in the conservation and environmental sectors.
  • 85% overall student satisfaction for Environmental Management – Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2021
  • Take a residential field module and immediately begin to learn practical skills
  • Excellent laboratories and facilities including our Stirling Controlled Environment Facility
  • The University of Stirling is a hub for conservation activity in Scotland and internationally with a long tradition of working in Gabon, Central Africa.

Our research

60% of our research in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences was rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ according to the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014),

We specialise in human interactions with the environment. Conservation science and sustainability is one of our core strengths. We have leading researchers working on various aspects of evidence-based conservation, including:

  • population genetics of endangered species
  • habitat management and restoration
  • tropical community ecology and impacts of invasive species

Our areas of research include:

  • forest management (pine marten)
  • conservation conflict
  • the reintroduction of species (beavers)

We also work on a diverse range of study systems such as African and South American forests, bushmeat and local livelihoods across Africa.

The next step

Find out more about our MSc Environmental Management (Conservation) degree. Find out how to apply and how to register for an open day.

Why study energy in environmental management at Stirling

Why study informatics in environmental management at Stirling

Five reasons you should attend Postgraduate Open Day

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