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BSc Ecology & Wildlife Conservation with Foundation Year
About this course
Ecology and wildlife conservation addresses some of the most urgent challenges facing the planet. The discipline studies the relationships between organisms and their environments, examining how populations, communities, and ecosystems function and how they respond to natural and human-driven change. Conservation applies that ecological understanding to protect and restore biodiversity, working with governments, landowners, NGOs, and communities to prevent the loss of species and habitats that sustains life on Earth. The University of Reading offers this four-year full-time programme, which includes a foundation year for students who may not yet have the specific scientific background required for direct entry to the main degree. The foundation year builds the biological and environmental knowledge needed to engage fully with the ecological and conservation content that follows. Reading is well positioned for this programme, with access to diverse habitats in the surrounding landscape and strong research connections in ecology, conservation biology, and environmental management. You will study population ecology, community dynamics, biogeography, conservation genetics, habitat management, species monitoring, environmental legislation, and fieldwork methods. The programme develops your ability to design ecological investigations, collect and analyse data, and communicate findings to scientific and non-specialist audiences. Field skills are integral, and you will undertake practical work in different ecological settings. Graduates in ecology and wildlife conservation go on to work for conservation charities, government agencies, environmental consultancies, national parks, wildlife trusts, and international conservation organisations. Roles in ecological surveying, species management, habitat restoration, policy, and education are all common pathways. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study to develop specialist expertise in areas such as conservation genetics, tropical ecology, or environmental management.
Syllabus & Modules
Typical curriculumStudent Satisfaction
National Student Survey - 15 respondents (88% response rate)
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