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MSc - Master of Science
University of Aberdeen
Full Time
SEP-25
12 months
Select a course option
MSc - Master of Science
University of Aberdeen
Full Time
SEP-25
12 months
MSc - Master of Science
University of Aberdeen
Part Time
SEP-25
24 months
Select a an exam type
This programme is designed to equip you with a range of contemporary ecological and transferable skills that will provide an invaluable basis for your career.
Our MSc programme provides flexibility to enable you to gain knowledge and skills to meet your career aspirations, whether in research or as a practising ecologist. You will have the opportunity to gain hands on experience of everything from field survey to chairing discussions, from statistics and modelling to report writing and from identifying important ecological questions to researching them and writing a scientific paper. Previous graduates have gone on to the top of their chosen profession in research, consultancy, conservation, policy, education and advocacy.
Throughout the programme you will receive core training in plant community ecology, animal population ecology, GIS and experimental design and analysis (which includes use of R). You can select from a broad range of optional courses allowing you to tailor your studies to your interests and career aspirations. Students wishing to gain research training may take advantage of our renowned advanced statistics course and join our informal ecology research group seminars throughout the year. Those interested in applied ecology may choose to study catchment management, marine spatial management and conservation management planning, amongst others. A key course for those aiming to work in consultancy is Environmental Impact Assessment. The opportunity to place your ecological study in a broader, interdisciplinary context is provided through a very popular course on ecology, conservation and society.
An important component of the programme is the individual research project which enables you to develop expertise and contacts in a topic of your own choosing. Preparation may begin as early in the year as you like. You can also participate in our popular week-long field research skills course held at our field centre in the stunning surroundings of Bettyhill on the north coast of Sutherland. This course will take place during the Easter period.
The programme focuses on providing training in state-of-the-art methods that will be invaluable both for careers in academic research and outside of academia, for example in ecological or environmental consultancy. The UK’s Natural Environment Research Council has published an analysis of the “most wanted” postgraduate and professional skills in the ecological and environmental sector. Our MSc programme has been specifically designed to provide you with these sought after skills so that you are highly competitive in whatever career you choose to follow.
In addition to acquiring discipline-specific skills, the course work activities within our programme are designed to provide you with ample opportunity to develop generic skills required by employers including critical thinking, problem-solving, team work, written and oral presentation, time management and interdisciplinarity.
Students should have a UK 2:1 honours degree (or international equivalent), in a biological, environmental or physical science, geography, or other relevant subject; applicants with a 2ii (or equivalent), particularly with some relevant experience, may also be considered. We also consider individuals with degrees in a wider range of disciplines who are clearly motivated by the programme and have some relevant experience.
Students living in
Domestic
£12,200 per year
Students from Domestic
This is the fee you pay if the University is in the same country that you live in (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
£12,200 per year
Students from Other UK
This is the fee you pay if the University is not in the same country that you live in (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
£27,000 per year
Students from EU
The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from somewhere in the EU.
£27,000 per year
Students from International
The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from a country outside the EU.
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