Taught at our Parkgate Road Campus in Chester, this is a research-focused Master's training course in Wildlife Behaviour and Conservation.
Robust scientific evidence is a critical tool for conservation scientists responding to the challenges of mitigating biodiversity loss. This course focuses on developing investigative research skills while addressing applied questions in wildlife behaviour and conservation.
The course provides a strong foundation, giving you the opportunity to develop a career in academic or applied wildlife science. Our lecturers work with a diverse range of study species, including mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates, both in the wild and ex situ. Members of the team are recognised as conservation specialists by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and manage two European Endangered Species Programmes.
Our lecturers work with a diverse range of study species, including mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates, both in the wild and ex situ. Members of the team are recognised as conservation specialists by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and manage two European Endangered Species Programmes.
Your project will contribute directly to one of our partnerships with national and international in situ and ex situ conservation programmes.
Your individual supervisor will guide your acquisition of professional skills and facilitate networking and engagement in your specialist field. Our proactive, diverse and expanding research community provides extensive opportunities for peer-learning and collaboration in conservation research.
A compulsory wildlife research methods taught module provides advanced training in core specialisations, including project design, field techniques, statistical analysis and geographical information systems.
You will select a further taught specialist module relevant to your research project, which may include conservation genetics, wildlife behaviour or wildlife health.
The individual research project is undertaken throughout the year and is the primary focus of this course.
Please note these projects will require a student contribution in addition to course fees of a maximum of £3000.
Teaching is delivered through lecturers, laboratory practicals, field trips and seminars supplemented by online materials such as discussion boards and analytical exercises.
You will contribute to research seminars, a journal club and tutorials.
Modules consist of 32 hours of taught activities and 168 hours of self study.
Taught modules are assessed through coursework assignments.
The dissertation projects consists of at least 1,400 hours' study to produce a paper suitable for peer review publication.
Students apply to specific projects which change on an annual basis, but in recent years studies have studied in Ghana, Cambodia, the Philippines, across Europe and in the UK.
If you are interested in this courses we have a number of opportunities to visit us and our campuses. To find out more about these options and to book a visit, please go to: https://www1.chester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-visit-opportunities
If you would like to know more about the University please request a prospectus at: http://prospectus.chester.ac.uk/form.php
This course offers a broad curriculum studying the relationships between human and natural components of the environment alongside developing the capacity to implement measures for analysing and managing environmental impacts of organisations.
Designed to produce graduates sufficiently equipped to play a leading role in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of environmental policy initiatives within the environmental industries, this course will enable you to develop essential knowledge and skills to progress into a professional career in environmental management, regulation or consultancy.
You will be engaged with a number of ideas drawn from law, economics and the social and physical sciences which are of relevance to the theory and practice of environmental assessment and management. Modules address existing and emerging challenges and explore contemporary management, technological and regulatory systems designed to reduce environmental risks.
A key feature of this course is applied learning and an emphasis on authentic, experimental problem based learning ensuring that you will benefit from experience as well as being supported in reviewing your own progress towards career goals.
For the MSc, the full-time and part-time routes comprise three 14-week trimesters or five 14-week trimesters, which you can take within one or three years respectively. There are two intakes per year allowing flexibility in regards to the time you wish to begin your study (September or January).
Within the full-time course, you will study four taught modules as well as completing a dissertation. Three modules are compulsory with two studied in trimester 1 and the remaining one in trimester 2. For the remaining module in trimester 2 you have an optional choice, see below for available choices.
For part-time students the taught components span two academic years each consisting of two trimesters between September and May. Year 1 involves the study of two core modules. Year 2 involves the study of one core and one optional module. During your third year of the course you will complete a dissertation.
Teaching is delivered through lectures, tutorials, case studies and workshops. Simulated business projects are utilised to develop practical, observational and analytical skills. In addition, you will take part in field work and site visits and will have many opportunities to discuss and exchange your own professional experiences with the course team and invited specialist speakers. You will work with an organisation and/or relevant stakeholder on a real project as part of a team thereby enhancing your network with external clients and developing your real world experience of environmental assessment and management, engaging with a range of research methods relevant to your field.
Research & Professional Practice (30 credits) - Project & Learning portfolio (100%)
Risk: Perception & Management (30 credits) - Literature review (30%); Case study portfolio (70%)
Techniques for Environmental Assessment and Management (30 credits) - Case study analysis (50%); Environmental Management Project (50%)
Environmental Investigation and Remediation (optional) (30 credits) - Coursework 1 (40%); Coursework 2 (60%)
Energy, Resources & Sustainability (30 credits) - Poster presentation (30%); Case Study Report (70%)
Dissertation (60 credits) - Research protocol (15%); dissertation (85%)
Many employment opportunities exist in this field including positions as environmental managers, environmental regulators and environmental consultants working in fields as diverse as contaminated land, planning and environmental impact assessment, environmental management in organisations, and waste, water and energy management.
Previous graduates of this course are working in energy companies at the forefront of environmental innovation (e.g. Uniper and EDF Energy), national and local environmental regulators (e.g. the Environment Agency and local authorities), environmental consultancies with an international dimension (e.g. Royal Haskoning, Scott Wilson, WS Atkins, Mouchel) and utilities companies (e.g. United Utilities, Viridor-Laing).
The course emphasises the development of professional skills and capabilities supplemented by practice-based learning opportunities. Your employability is developed through project work with external clients and through opportunities to work on a specific business problem for your dissertation. You will work in a team on a project with an external client organisation to develop your research and analytical skills and to enhance your employability profile. Recent projects include an analysis of the air quality benefits of trees in urban areas (City of Trees), evaluation and enhancement of environmental management procedures for a large multinational manufacturing company, analysis of energy management measures implemented in schools for a local authority and the assessment of environmental management options for a large national charitable organisation.
You are encouraged to undertake voluntary work for which assistance is provided. The programme has links with a range of volunteering organisations including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Groundwork organisations and the Bolton Community Development Partnership.
Full-time students also have the opportunity to work with a business on an environmental management project of relevance to the organisation as part of their dissertation. Past projects include work with E.ON UK, United Utilities, Groundwork and Manchester City Council on a range of projects including contaminated land investigation, feasibility studies of sustainable technologies for business and stakeholder perceptions of sustainable environmental practices.
After completion of this course, you may wish to specialise in a chosen subject area in one of the School’s two main research centres: Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre (EER) or Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
Explore advanced topics in computer science with this wide-ranging programme, which will equip you with the understanding and practical skills to succeed in a variety of careers.
Rooted in the established research strengths of the School of Computing, the programme will introduce topics like systems programming and algorithms before allowing you to specialise through your choice of modules.
You could look at emerging approaches to human interaction with computational systems, novel architectures such as clouds, or the rigorous engineering needed to develop cutting-edge applications such as large-scale data mining and social networks.
Building on your existing knowledge of computer science, you’ll develop the theoretical and practical skills required to design and implement larger, more complex systems using state-of-the-art technologies. You’ll even have the chance to work as an integral member of one of our research groups when you develop your main project.
Specialist facilities
You’ll benefit from world-class facilities to support your learning. State-of-the-art visualisation labs including a powerwall, a benchtop display with tracking system, WorldViz PPT optical tracking system and Intersense InertiaCube orientation tracker are all among the specialist facilities we have within the School of Computing.
We also have Ascension Flock of Birds tracking systems, three DOF and 6DOF Phantom force feedback devices, Twin Immersion Corp CyberGloves, a cloud computing testbed, rendering cluster and labs containing both Microsoft and Linux platforms among others. It’s an exciting environment in which to gain a range of skills and experience cutting-edge technology.
Core modules in Semester 1 will lay the foundations of the programme by giving you an understanding of the key topics of algorithms and systems programming.
From there you’ll have the chance to tailor your studies to suit your own preferences. You’ll choose from a wide range of optional modules on diverse topics such as cloud computing, image analysis, machine learning, semantic technologies and developing mobile apps.
Over the summer months you’ll also work on your research project. This gives you the chance to work as an integral part of one of our active research groups, focusing on a specialist topic in computer science and selecting the appropriate research methods.
Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the Advanced Computer Science module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings.
Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.
You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.
The professional project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.
Recent projects for MSc Advanced Computer Science students have included:
A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and can include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.
Computing is an essential component of nearly every daily activity, from the collection, transformation, analysis and dissemination of information in business, through to smart systems embedded in commodity devices, the image processing used in medical diagnosis and the middleware that underpins distributed technologies like cloud computing and the semantic web.
This programme will give you the practical skills to gain entry into many areas of applied computing, working as application developers, system designers and evaluators; but further, links between the taught modules and our research provide our students with added strengths in artificial intelligence, intelligent systems, distributed systems, and the analysis of complex data. As a result, you’ll be well prepared for a range of careers, as well as further research at PhD level.
Graduates have found success in a wide range of careers working as business analysts, software engineers, wed designers and developers, systems engineers, information analysts and app developers. Others have pursued roles in consultancy, finance, marketing and education, or set up their own businesses.
Developments in cloud computing technology are transforming the way we live and work. This programme will equip you with specialist knowledge in this fast-growing field and allow you to explore a range of advanced topics in computer science.
You’ll gain a foundation in topics like systems programming and algorithms, as well as specialist modules in advanced distributed systems – especially cloud techniques, technologies and applications.
Building on your existing knowledge of computer science, you’ll also choose from optional modules in topics across computer science. You could look at emerging approaches to human interaction with computational systems, data mining and functional programming among others.
The programme will give you the theoretical and practical skills required to design and implement larger, more complex systems using state-of-the-art technologies. You’ll even have the chance to work as an integral member of one of our research groups when you develop your main project.
Specialist facilities
You’ll benefit from world-class facilities to support your learning. State-of-the-art visualisation labs including a powerwall, a benchtop display with tracking system, WorldViz PPT optical tracking system and Intersense InertiaCube orientation tracker are all among the specialist facilities we have within the School of Computing.
We also have Ascension Flock of Birds tracking systems, three DOF and 6DOF Phantom force feedback devices, Twin Immersion Corp CyberGloves, a cloud computing testbed, rendering cluster and labs containing both Microsoft and Linux platforms among others. It’s an exciting environment in which to gain a range of skills and experience cutting-edge technology.
Core modules in Semester 1 will lay the foundations of the programme by giving you an understanding of the key topics of algorithms and systems programming. Throughout the year you’ll also take modules developing your understanding of cloud computing itself, from designing the high-level framework of a distributed system to big data and the “internet of things”.
From there you’ll have the chance to tailor your studies to suit your own preferences. You’ll choose from a wide range of optional modules on diverse topics such as image analysis, machine learning, semantic technologies and developing mobile apps.
Over the summer months you’ll also work on your research project. This gives you the chance to work as an integral part of one of our active research groups, focusing on a specialist topic in computer science and selecting the appropriate research methods.
Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the Advanced Computer Science (Cloud Computing) module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular contact with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings.
Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.
You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.
The professional project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.
Recent projects for MSc Advanced Computer Science (Cloud Computing) students have included:
A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and can include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer.
Computing is an essential component of nearly every daily activity, from the collection, transformation, analysis and dissemination of information in business, through to smart systems embedded in commodity devices, the image processing used in medical diagnosis and the middleware that underpins distributed technologies like cloud computing and the semantic web.
This programme will give you the practical skills to gain entry into many areas of applied computing, working as application developers, system designers and evaluators; but further, links between the taught modules and our research provide our students with added strengths in artificial intelligence, intelligent systems, distributed systems, and the analysis of complex data. As a result, you’ll be well prepared for a range of careers, as well as further research at PhD level.
Graduates have found success in a wide range of careers working as business analysts, software engineers, wed designers and developers, systems engineers, information analysts and app developers. Others have pursued roles in consultancy, finance, marketing and education, or set up their own businesses.
