About

In the Master Programme in Biology - Ecology and Conservation at Uppsala University, you can choose among theoretical courses relating to plants, animals and microorganisms and their interactions, and there are also vocational courses that are intended for future work with nature conservation within companies, authorities and other organisations. You can become a sought after practitioner with a stable theoretical base.

As ecology deals with the interactions among organisms and their relations to the environment and is a meeting point for many biological fields of competence, this specialisation is to a large degree interdisciplinary. To understand the distribution and abundance of species it is essential to include courses in evolutionary biology. 

Nature conservation includes the preservation of genetic variation, and studies in genetics are crucial for many ecological issues. Both theoretical and applied discussions on biodiversity and species coexistence patterns require skills in species identification, and for some fields of ecology knowledge in earth sciences and chemistry are important.

Career

With the combinations of suitable courses and choice of thesis work you will get a good basis for a future professional life within nature conservation. The place of work could be authorities at the local, regional or national level, as well as non-governmental organisations and private consultancies (a large part of conservation work is performed by such agencies). 

International work, for example within conservation organisations, is also an option. Your achieved solid theoretical knowledge will make you able to solve applied problems in ecology and conservation. Our focus in presentation techniques (writing reports, giving oral presentations and ample opportunities for discussions with fellow students and peers) is important for your future career.