The Master in Conservation Biology, specialization Ecology, Monitoring and Management of Ecosystems aims at providing a critical and conceptually-based understanding of structure, functioning, monitoring, and management of ecosystems submitted to various natural and anthropogenic pressures, in the framework of biodiversity conservation. Half of the second year is devoted to a personal Master thesis project.
The Master is a two-year course. In the first year, the course design is based upon the idea that biodiversity conservation must be based on a multi-level knowledge approach, mixing key disciplines in ecology, and including recent technical advances in numerical ecology, molecular ecology, wildlife monitoring and ecosystem management. The course content is rooted in our established strengths in functional ecology (ecosystem structure and function, population and community ecology), paleoecology (long-term evolution of ecosystems), ecotoxicology (fate and effects of pollutants), epidemiology (transmission of zoonotic pathogens), conservation biology (status and threats of patrimonial animal and plant species), numerical ecology, ecological modelling and research design. The master degree program is further enriched by input from professional conservationists and managers, with the aim to put courses in the broader context of project management and decision making procedures.
The specific course objectives are to develop abilities to:
Teaching consists of lectures, seminars, class tutorials and practical training in the field and in the laboratory, which provide in-depth exploration of key issues. The teaching philosophy is to stimulate discussion and debate between academic staff and students to identify and explore theory, methods and practices in an academic space that encourages a critical dialogue.
Field courses allow students to apply in the field the methods and ideas presented in the classroom. Each year, they will attend one week-long fieldtrip and several field courses. One of these field courses (in the framework of the teaching unit “Conservation Biology and Ecosystem Management”) allows them to test a hypothesis dealing with the potential impact of anthropogenic disturbances on plant or animal populations or communities, in the context of the various activities taking place in the Jura Mountains, known for their outstanding landscapes, typical ecosystems (e.g. peatbogs, wood-pastures) and patrimonial species (e.g. boreal lynx). Other field courses address the assessment and the management of ecosystems, and the monitoring of plant and animal wildlife.
Students must pass the examinations taken during the first year (i.e. obtain 60 ECTS) in order to proceed without further selection into the second year.
The second year is mainly devoted to the thesis project within a research team or a professional structure (NGOs, consultancy companies, governmental agencies…) with the support of an academic supervisor, specialist of the related research domain. Half of this second year is devoted to researching and writing a thesis of about 12,000 words. The research topic will be devised at the end of the first year. The thesis accounts for half the marks for the second year.
The aim of the course is to train future scientific leaders in functional ecology, ecotoxicology and epidemiology as well as future managers and policy officers in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. In that respect, the course combines functional ecology and conservation biology as two major disciplines with some other relevant topics – paleoecology, ecotoxicology, epidemiology, ethics and deontology, epistemology, environmental regulation and socioeconomics of conservation, structure and management of environmental organizations, in addition to the hard science of biodiversity.
The Master’s Alumni Office helps alumni keep in touch with each other and organises alumni events.
Available spots: 16 in M1 and M2
Students already registered in a French university apply online on eCandidat. All information available on ttp://http://www.nature-conservation-ubfc.com/emme/en/.
Non-registered students should rather look at http://www.univ-fcomte.fr/pages/fr/menu1/accueil-international-131.html
Candidacy file:
Application examination:
Examination by the recruitment committee of the Master EDGE
After a first examination of all complete files by the recruitment committee, some candidates may be called for an interview with some members of the recruitment committee.
Selection criteria:
To meet the general entrance requirements for programme studies at the Master’s level, you must have graduated from an accredited university with a degree equivalent to at least a Swedish Bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS). Please note that you must provide adequate supporting documentation in the form of diplomas or official transcripts specifying all courses completed, including any transferred credits from previous schools, both in the original language and translated into English or French.
Specific requirements:
Specific entrance requirements consist of previous university studies within the following subjects: biology, ecology, and statistics.
English requirement
In order to be eligible, the English language entry requirement corresponds to English studies at upper secondary (high school) level in France.
Up to five fellowship grants (800 € per month, during up to 10 months) will be awarded each year to high quality foreign students, with a particular attention to applications coming from Mediterranean countries and Caribbean island nations and territories.
The AIV Master is a 2-year international program designed to help students prepare their career in science and to find their way in research. At AIV, we believe that the future of Biology-related disciplines lies in the interaction with the other sciences - Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering and so on. We teach students to speak a common language of science, and to interact with experts from different fields in order to tackle research questions with a multifaceted, comprehensive approach.
It is hosted in the Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity (CRI) of Paris, an international environment that fuels creativity and openness, both in Science and in Education.
You will study of Life Sciences with an innovative, interdisciplinary approach based on the convergence of Biology, Physics, Computer Science and many other disciplines, to answer research questions in a more comprehensive way.
You will gain substantial, meaningful research experience thanks to our program, rich in internships (4 over the course of the 2 years).
You will be trained by prominent researchers from different backgrounds, who experience innovative teaching methods.
You will work in an international environment that promotes teamwork and collaborations. You will build long-lasting ties with prominent researchers and fellow students from all over the world.
Do you want to be trained in Systems and Synthetic Biology? Do you want to build the skills you need to achieve your PhD? Do you want to help us building an open and collaborative scientific community and be part of something unique and special? If the answer to any of these question is yes, apply now!
Our students learn both hard and soft skills fundamental to be scientists, while gathering a significant amount of research experience in labs, start-ups or companies. The Master is designed to adjust around the student's needs for building his or her desired portfolio of experience. It is also possible to integrate the program with courses from the other two AIRE tracks, Learning and Digital Sciences.
The first year of the AIV Master is designed to teach you primarily Systems, Synthetic and Computational Biology. The first semester is entirely devoted to full-time courses, in which students will also familiarize with the main tools that will help them study Life Sciences in an interdisciplinary way (Mathematical modelling, Physics, Statistics). After the core courses of the first semester, you will have the chance of learning through research with a 6-months internship in the lab of your choice. You can also choose to participate in the iGEM competition, an international competition in Synthetic Biology.
The second year of the Master is designed to emphasizes training in scientific reasoning, critical analysis and project development. It includes a rotation of three 3-months research internships in labs of your choice, to give you the opportunity to taste different aspects of science, be trained in different disciplines and topics, and to let you build your own set of skills for whatever you choose to undertake after the end of your Master. Students joining directly in Master 2 have also the opportunity of following some courses of their choice from Master 1.
The AIV Master is design to adapt to the career choices of the student; although most of our students (70%) decide to continue their studies with a PhD in academia, others prefer to work in the private sector. About 80% of our students find an employment within 3 months from their graduation.
Here is the timeline for the application to AIV:
Please note that you won’t need a cover letter as you’ll be asked to fill in a specific form giving us more info about who you are, your background and your training plan through our Master Program.
Over a second phase and if your application is selected, we’ll have an interview which can be set up through Skype if you’re currently abroad. The final admission results will be broadcasted over the course of July 2018.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us by email: [email protected], or call us on + 33 1 76 53 11 27.
Our courses in detail: https://cri-paris.org/master-aiv/aiv-general-program/
FAQ: http://cri-paris.org/master-aiv/faq/
People: http://cri-paris.org/master-aiv/people/
Visit the AIV Master page on the Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity website for more details!
https://cri-paris.org/master-aiv/
