Venues

Old Aberdeen Campus

Content

First Year: All Conservation Biology students take eight courses normally including Ecology and Environmental Science, Organismal Biology, Sustainable Land Management, and a tutorial course in Biological Sciences. This leaves a choice of four further courses which contribute to enhanced study; options include subjects such as Global Worlds, Global Challenges, The Natural Environment Through Geological Time and new interdisciplinary courses. Students take a one-week field course on Plant Ecology at Bettyhill, Sutherland.

Second Year: All students study Skills for Life Sciences. There is a dedicated Conservation Biology course in second year, as well as compulsory courses on Community Ecology and Plant Diversity and a field course run by the Zoology Department. Options include courses in Plant Science, Soil Science, Zoology, Ocean Biology and Geography.

Third Year (Junior Honours): All students take a course in Experimental Design and Analysis. Other core elements of the third year include Population Ecology, Plant Biogeography and Ecosystem Processes. These are followed by a wide choice of courses in Tropical Ecology and Conservation, Marine and Aquatic Ecology and other more applied subjects.

Fourth Year (Senior Honours): A semi-independent project takes up a substantial part of the Honours year, this is often carried out in conjunction with a conservation agency. Students also attend courses on Nature Conservation in Britain and on Environmental Pollution, prepare an extended essay and contribute to a discussion programme on Topics in Nature Conservation. One further course is chosen from a list of options. A residential team-building course and a careers programme form part of a graduate skills module.

Entry Requirements

2026 entry requirements:

Standard entry:
4 Highers at BBBB including 2 maths or science subjects plus English, Maths and Chemistry or Physics at National 5.

For second year entry you would require the above plus 2 Advanced Highers at AB including Biology.

Widening access entry:
3 Highers at BBC including 2 maths or science subjects plus English, Maths and Chemistry or Physics at National 5.

1 Foundation Apprenticeship is accepted in place of a non-essential Higher.