Conservation Biology
New Zealand tuatara and its prey, weta.
On this page:
- Honours Degree
- Postgraduate Diploma
- Masters Degrees
- Postgraduate Certificate
- PhD Degree
- Research Projects
- Academic Staff
- Contact Information
Bachelor of Science with Honours - BSc(Hons) in Conservation Biology
Prerequisites
- 60 points from approved BIOL courses 300-399
- STAT 193
Honours candidates must have previously completed a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree with an average grade of B+ or higher in their 300 level courses.
Course Requirements
- BIOL 420
- 60 points from BIOL 403, 422-426, ERES 525 in an approved combination
- CONB 489 - research project
Note: one of BIOL 403, 422-427 may be substituted with other 400 level science courses, with approval from the Head of School.
Postgraduate Diploma of Science (PGDipSc) in Conservation Biology
This is a one year postgraduate qualification for students wanting a coursework qualification or for those not admitted to BSc(Hons) or MSc Part 1.
Prerequisites
Postgraduate diploma candidates must have previously completed a Bachelor's degree.
Course Requirements
- BIOL 420
- 90 points from BIOL 403, 422-427, ERES 525
Masters Courses
The School of Biological Sciences offers two options for Masters in Conservation Biology:
-
Master of Science – a Masters by thesis taking two years
-
Master of Conservation Biology – a ‘taught’ Masters taking one year
Master of Science – MSc in Conservation Biology (by thesis)
A Masters by thesis consists of two parts and is normally completed in two calendar years. Part I involves three courses of 30 points each and a research preparation course. Part II is a full time research project, leading to a thesis.
Prerequisites
- 60 points from approved BIOL courses 300-399
- STAT 193
Masters candidates must have previously completed a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree with an average grade of B+ or higher in their 300 level courses. Prospective students must also agree a thesis topic with a supervisor before enrolment in the programme.
Course Requirements
Part 1
- BIOL 420, 580
- 60 points from BIOL 403, 422-427, ERES 525 in an approved combination
- CONB 489 - research project
Note: one of BIOL 403, 422-424, 427, ERES 525 may be substituted for another 400-level science course, with approval from the Head of School.
Part 2
- CONB 591 – thesis
Master of Conservation Biology – (MConBio) taught Masters
The MConBio is a one year professional degree, with no thesis component.
It is taught at both Victoria University of Wellington and at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Students may begin their studies at either university depending on their preferred start date. The Victoria University programme runs from January to June and the programme at the University of New South Wales runs from July to December.
Visit the course website for more information.
Prerequisites
Masters candidates must have previously completed a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, or another relevant qualification, with approval from the Associate Dean (Students). An average grade of B+ or higher is required in the 300 level courses.
The deadline for application is Oct 15th in the year preceding the Victoria University component.
Course Requirements
Part 1 - January - June at Victoria University
- BIOL 420
- BIOL 424
- 30 points from BIOL 422-427, ENVI 505, ERES 525 or another approved course
Part 2 - University of New South Wales, July–December
- A course of study to complement Part 1
Postgraduate Certificate in New Zealand Conservation
Prerequisites
Candidates should have previously completed a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, or another relevant qualification, with approval from the Associate Dean (Students).
Course Requirements
Students complete Part 1 of the Master of Conservation Biology course at Victoria University from January to June. The programme consists of:
- BIOL 420
- BIOL 424
- 30 points from BIOL 422–427, ENVI 505, ERES 525 or another approved course
PhD in Conservation Biology
The PhD is the highest degree offered by the School of Biological Sciences. It is a research degree culminating in a thesis and usually takes three to four years of full time study to complete.
For more information on how to enrol in a PhD go to the Faculty of Graduate Research website.
Research Projects
Find out about available research projects in this area.
Academic Staff
The following staff work in this research area:
Ben Bell
Kevin Burns
Stephen Hartley
Phil Lester
Wayne Linklater
Nicky Nelson
Heiko Wittmer
Contact Information
Visit the Master of Conservation Biology website
For more information, please contact: Dr Nicky Nelson
Download the Postgraduate Prospectus.