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

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.”

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 Dawn Scott Consequences of anthropogenic change of the environment on mammalian communities, biodiversity and their ecology
• 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

International requirements

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

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.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2019–20.

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/EU 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.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. 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. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Moulsecoomb campus map