Ecology and Wildlife Conservation

Ecology and Wildlife Conservation is a discipline dedicated to understanding the natural world and protecting it in the face of the most significant environmental challenges of our time: biodiversity loss and climate change. Ecology examines how organisms interact with each other and with their physical environments, how communities are structured, and how ecosystems function and respond to change. Wildlife conservation applies that ecological knowledge to the practical challenge of protecting species and habitats, working across the full range of scales from individual populations to entire landscapes.

At the University of Cumbria, this three-year, full-time degree is based at the Ambleside campus in the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, giving you access to exceptional fieldwork opportunities and a rich diversity of habitats and species in close proximity to your studies. You will engage with over 180 hours of hands-on practical field and laboratory work, developing ecological, digital, and transferable skills aligned with the real demands of conservation practice. Research-active lecturers and partnerships with conservation organisations ensure that your learning is grounded in current knowledge and professional realities.

Graduates are well placed for careers in nature conservation, wildlife management, national parks and protected areas, environmental consultancy, ecological survey and monitoring, government environmental agencies, and the growing range of organisations working on biodiversity recovery and land management. The combination of scientific rigour and practical fieldwork experience the degree provides is particularly valued by conservation employers. Postgraduate study in ecology, conservation biology, environmental management, or wildlife management provides routes to more specialised roles for those who wish to develop expert knowledge.