Global Wildlife Health and Conservation (MSc)

This innovative programme aims to give you the knowledge, skills and practical training needed to work with wildlife, and places particular emphasis on wildlife health and conservation on a global scale.

Cutting-edge topics include animal capture and handling techniques; the assessment, stabilisation and transportation of injured animals; methods for improving the welfare of captive animals; concepts in behavioural ecology; endangered species breeding programmes; the reintroduction of captive populations to the wild; practical conservation strategies; and the management of protected areas. The curriculum also delivers a comprehensive introduction to wildlife disease ecology, surveillance and control.

The MSc is based at the Bristol Veterinary School in the village of Langford near the Mendip Hills in Somerset, providing convenient access to Exmoor National Park and the rich wildlife habitats of south-west England. Many small group workshops and practical sessions take place at Bristol Zoo, allowing you to gain hands-on experience of exotic animal care while working behind the scenes in a modern zoological garden.

A distinctive feature of this MSc is the large number of specialist lectures, workshops and seminars that are delivered by leading researchers, conservationists and wildlife veterinarians from outside the University. These provide valuable networking opportunities that will benefit you in your future career.

By the end of the course you will have gained the skills and knowledge to deal with a variety of practical situations that professional wildlife biologists face on a day-to-day basis.

The programme is split into two elements. A taught element from September to April provides training in eight core units. A research element from May to August gives you the opportunity to carry out an applied project on a wildlife topic of interest to you. You will undertake a literature review, collect and analyse data, and present your results as a written report suitable for publication. In previous years many of these projects have been carried out at Bristol Zoo, in Australia, or in collaboration with many organisations around the globe.

An upper second-class honours degree (or international equivalent) in a biological, veterinary or environmental science subject.

This programme has been carefully designed for those aspiring to a career in wildlife health, conservation and management. Potential employers include national parks, zoological gardens, animal rescue centres, wildlife hospitals, environmental NGOs, conservation charities and government agencies with statutory wildlife responsibilities, both in Britain and overseas.