Countryside, conservation and wildlife degree courses
Do you see yourself pursuing a career as an ecological consultant, a field ecologist, a bio-diversity officer, or perhaps a wildlife reserve or country park manager?
BSc (Hons) Wildlife and Countryside Management (Top Up)
Interested in roles such as a bio-diversity officer, an ecological surveyor, or a countryside manager? These are just some of the routes open to you after this course, designed with organisations directly involved in conservation.
Course Overview
Graduates have gone on to work at nationally-recognised organisations such as The Wildlife Trust, National Trust and The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group.
Studying both the big picture and the detail will help you become an effective manager of wildlife and the countryside, covering issues from ecosystem services to protected species surveys. This course brings together academic knowledge and research skills to inform sustainable management of wildlife and the countryside.
Entry requirements
Typical offers
- A Foundation Degree or a Merit level HND Award in a related subject.
- GCSE: no specific English and Mathematics requirements.
Further information
Read more general information about our entry requirements.
For any further help, please contact our admissions team:
- E-mail: admissions@rau.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)1285 889912
Teaching
Benefit from a course designed in partnership with Cirencester College, utilising the expertise and resources of both institutions; including use of the Cirencester College Animal Centre with more than 80 species.
You will study three core modules and complete a Research Project. You will also choose three elective modules, tailoring your degree to your interests.
You will learn through lectures, seminars, projects, visits and demonstrations. Modules are assessed through research projects, field reports, exams, presentations and case studies. You will have the option to undertake research in ecology and land-use in a contrasting environment on the seven to ten day Ecology Field Tour. If you choose this module, there will be a student contribution of up to £1000, and an institutional contribution of up to £1000. Previous destinations have included Costa Rica and Namibia.
Industry experience
Your learning will be directed by researchactive lecturers and industry experts. The course has been designed with input from employers and industry to maximise your employability prospects after graduation. You will practice key skills for employment in the wildlife and countryside sector such as protected species surveys, report writing, grant applications, legislative requirements and client liaison.
Timetables
Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and societies activities.
Modules
All full-time academic programmes at the RAU are constructed using a selection of modules, each of which requires engagement with a variety of learning activities. Successful completion of module assessments will result in the award of credits, and students are required to achieve a total of 120 credits. Part-time students are required to achieve a 60 credits per year over two years.
Each module represents a value of 15 credits or multiples thereof. Each 15-credit module represents a minimum of 150 hours of student learning, effort and assessment. To achieve the award of BSc Honours in Wildlife and Countryside Management, a student must achieve a minimum of 120 credits. For this BSc (Hons) Top Up course, your grade is calculated entirely on this course's modules.
The modules available for this course are as follows:
Core Modules
- 3015 Honours Research Project OR 3101 Work-based Research Project*
- 3092 Countryside Management
- 3222 Animal Ecology
- 3223 Ecological Consultancy
Plus THREE electives selected from:
- 3010 Game and Deer Management
- 3013 Sustainable Management of Soil and Water
- 3090 Forestry and Woodland Management
- 3093 Farmland Ecology
- 3102 Improving Personal Professional Practice*
- 3203 Natural Resource Management
- 3230 Ecology Field Tour
*If you’ve already secured employment, you may elect to follow the Improving Personal Professional Practice module and the Work-based Research Project, thus reducing the time required to attend campus-based modules
More details can be found in the Programme Specification (PDF)
Fees
Tuition fees cover the cost of a student’s academic studies. This usually includes teaching costs, registration and examination fees (not repeat or trailing modules, re-sit fees or coursework resubmission). Any costs associated with work placements will be the student's responsibility
- Re-sit examination fees or coursework re-submissions are £5 per credit (for a typical 15 credit module, this will total £75).
2019-20 Applicants
For the academic year 2019-20 the tuition fees for this course are:
| UK | EU | International | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | £9,250 per year | £9,250 per year | £10,000 per year |
For part-time study, please contact admissions@rau.ac.uk for further information.
Please also refer to the funding your time at university page.
Tuition fees may be subject to an inflationary increase each year as set out in our Access and Participation Plan 2019/20.
Scholarships
The University offers a wide range of generous fee waivers and bursaries. To find out more about the these, please visit the bursaries, awards and scholarships page.
Careers
Prospects
Our graduates have gone on to pursue careers with nationally-recognised organisations and in roles such as:
Conservation / biodiversity officer
Ecological consultant / surveyor
Reserve ranger
Agri-environment manager
Habitat and landscape project officer
Land restoration manager
93%* of our graduates are in employment or further study six months after leaving the RAU.
*2016/17 UK-based leavers studying a first degree, full time. Source: HESA
Apply now
Applications to study at the Royal Agricultural University must be made through the UCAS system. This applies to all undergraduate courses.
Applications need to be made by the UCAS deadline to ensure we are able to offer you a place on your first choice course.
If you would like to apply during UCAS Extra or Clearing, please check that we have places available.
Applicants wishing to study on a course on a part-time basis will need to apply directly to the RAU.
Please contact admissions@rau.ac.uk to discuss your requirements and obtain an application form.
