Ecology and Conservation MRes

Course structure

The Ecology and Conservation MRes is typically completed as a full-time, one-year degree.

The research project is central to the course and allows you to work at the forefront of the discipline as you advance your knowledge of research methods and ecological principles. You design your own project under the supervision of one or more members of the ecosystems and environmental management research group.

A taught module completes the core elements of the course, plus you'll choose option modules in topics that support your interests and career aspirations.

Syllabus

Core modules

• Research project
• Issues in Ecology and Conservation.

Options

• Advanced Taxonomy and Survey Skills
• Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• Applications in Geographic Information Systems
• Water Quality Analysis
• Microbiology, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Remediation
• Ecology and Conservation in Practice: Work Placement
• Environmental Impact Assessment 
• Case Studies in Environmental Assessment and Management.

Past projects

Projects undertake by our students have included:

• pollinator conservation and the value of domestic gardens
• social interactions of urban foxes in Brighton & Hove
• habitat use of the northern clade pool frog at their reintroduction site in Norfolk, UK.

• protozoan parasites of bivalve molluscs: appearance and spread of diseases among bivalve molluscs in relation to climate change
• the impact of dry heathland management techniques on vegetation composition and Coleoptera abundance, species richness and diversity.

Staff profile

Dr Inga Zeisset, course leader

“I completed my PhD on the molecular ecology of north European water frogs at the University of Sussex in 2001 and subsequently worked for over ten years as a postdoctoral researcher in the UK and Denmark before joining the University of Brighton in 2013 as a lecturer.

"My research mainly focuses on phylogeography and population genetics. Objectives of my research include developing an understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms generating population structure and how environmental change, such as habitat modification, degradation, loss and fragmentation, affects the genetic diversity and fitness of populations.

"The main research themes I am developing are wildlife conservation genetics, understanding species distributions, adaptive genetic variation and assessment of biodiversity using molecular tools.”

View the full staff profile for Dr Inga Zeisset.

Course team and their research interests

• Dr Maureen Berg Habitat ecology, restoration and management, and plant community dynamics
• Dr Corina Ciocan Aquatic toxicology, biological responses in marine organisms and biomedicine-harnessing marine life for new active compounds
• Dr Neil Crooks Ecology of marine and freshwater organisms
• Dr Angelo Pernetta Herpetology, population genetics and conservation
• Dr Anja Rott Ecological entomology, pollination ecology as well community ecology in regard to land management and conservation
• Dr Bryony Tolhurst Vertebrate ecology and applied behavioural ecology of mammals and birds in human modified landscapes
• Dr Rachel White Ornithology, ecology and conservation science.

Facilities

You have access to our labs and facilities to support your research, including: 

• DanioVision behavioural observation chamber 
• Molecular ecology lab with PCR facilities 
• Tissues culture lab 
• Soil analysis lab 
• Electron microscopy suite 
• Electro fishing equipment 
• Radio collars for mammal tracking 
• Specialist image analysis, and data analysis, software.

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visas and immigration advice

Course fees

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences are listed here.

• All students are provided with a laboratory coat, safety glasses and log book.
• A budget to cover laboratory consumables and equipment for your final year project is included in the fees for all students.
• Access to key subject journals and subject specific databases is provided, as well as a site licence for industry-standard chemical drawing software.
• Essential instruction booklets (laboratory handbooks) are provided, as is project poster printing and thesis binding. However, you should budget for books, printing and stationery for personal study.
• The school provides some financial support for social activities via the student societies and holds a free annual graduation party.
• Optional placements and day trips may include additional costs but this will vary depending on location of the placement.
• For our ecology and conservation courses there are compulsory field trips for which you should budget up to £200. There are also optional field trips for which you may choose to budget up to £2,700. You may also need to buy appropriate clothing for outdoor use.
• DBS checks for MPharm students are included in the fee.
• Costs for MPharm placement travel is reimbursed up to a specified amount depending on location of placement.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships, as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2021–22.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Maps