Getting into a conservation career: the university route

Are you a passionate wildlife conservationist hoping to develop your experience and knowledge for a career through heading to university?

As compulsory education comes to an end, deciding where to take yourself next is an unnerving but exciting time. The saying ‘The world is your oyster’ is quite literally what a career in conservation can look like, though how you develop your career path can only be decided by you and will often involve a large number of steps and opportunities along the way. If you keep your interests and passion at the forefront of your decisions, the next step along the path will present itself.

For many, the initial step conservationists take is to gain an undergraduate degree in an environmentally-focused topic. This higher education qualification shows an individual’s independent efforts to gain further learning on a topic of their choice. After the completion of an undergraduate degree, it opens up entry-level jobs to graduates or the potential to progress onto a master’s or further. This is not the only route into a conservation career but if it one that suits you then here is some advice on finding your perfect degree!

Photo by Frances Budd

Keep the search broad to begin with
Whilst you are gathering information about the various courses available, aim to start searching for broader degree titles to catch all the potential results. For UK courses, a good resource to use is the UCAS search tool where you can put in key words such as ‘wildlife’ or ‘ecology’ to find courses from universities across the UK that offer relevant degrees. Starting with an initial search can bring up a multitude of potential opportunities, creating a list of the universities and courses can be a good way to keep a track of what you find and to then whittle down to the ones you’re most interested in and want to apply for!

Visit university open days
The course you select is only one part of your university experience. If you have the opportunity to attend an in-person or virtual open day this is a brilliant way to get a feel of the university as a whole. You may have the chance to speak with some members of staff or current students from the relevant department, networking from the get-go is a great way to maintain your interest by following up with those you meet.

Photo by Kathleen Farley

Consider the course structure
Based upon a combination of your preference and your previous performance in studies, choosing a course that is either exam or coursework-heavy could play in your favour. Many courses will be a mixture of the two so take a look at which is more heavily weighted. In more traditionally common degrees such as pure ‘zoology’ or ‘biological sciences’ there may be the potential to tailor your optional modules or your dissertation topic to your conservation interests. This can be a good option if you want to remain on the core science route for your qualification but with some practical conservation added in.

Explore other available opportunities
Another aspect of university life you can explore ahead of applying is what you could get involved with when you aren’t busy studying! Joining activity groups or societies are a brilliant way to meet like-minded people and become involved in interesting opportunities. A few examples to look for could be a local sub-aqua club, sustainability group, naturalist society, or a hiking club. Finding local volunteering/work experience opportunities in term time or over your holidays is beneficial to gain more practical conservation skills to back up your educational learning.

Photo by Benjamin Sadd

At Operation Wallacea we are always keen to support those who are interested in pursuing conservation, in a growing sector we welcome all those with passion and purpose. We also offer virtual resources such as our Careers in Conservation talk or our virtual internships where you can continue developing your skills as you decide your route. If you are joining us on an expedition, utilise the people who are on site with you to hear the different jobs that are out there and how they got to their current role. Following your expedition if you have decided to carry onto university, there are ways you can stay involved with Opwall such as becoming a Promotional Person or a Group Leader to share your experience of an expedition and where it has led you.

Welcome to the world of being a conservationist!

Title photo by Madeline O’Connor