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The University of Cumbria · Undergraduate
BSc (Hons) Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (with integrated foundation year) Bachelor's degree at the University of Cumbria
BSc (Hons) Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (with integrated foundation year) at University of Cumbria covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.
BSc (Hons)
Award
4
Years
Full-time
Study mode
80%
in work/study (15m)
About this course
University Student Finance & Loans - University of Cumbria Block > Hero (Title, Image & Button) Stylesheet --> Block > Text (Title, Sub, Content & Video) Stylesheet --> Block > Big Image and Text Grid Stylesheet --> Block > Carousel blocks Stylesheet --> --> Block > Image & text Stylesheet --> --> Block > Image & text From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (with integrated foundation year) is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at the University of Cumbria, based in In Carlisle. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Biological and sport sciences graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Sport & Exercise Science, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
8.1
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Strong78
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent80
Moderate evidence Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Excellent85
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Essential University Skills 1
- Essential Biology
- Scientific Investigation
- Essential University Skills 2
- Environmental Sciences
- Dynamic Earth
Year 2 6 modules
- The Tree of Life
- Skills for Ecology and Wildlife Conservation
- Key Concepts in Conservation Science
- Essentials in Ecology
- Form and Function
- Earth Systems
Year 3 7 modules
- Research Design and Data Analysis
- Ecological Census Techniques
- Genetics and Evolution
- Geographical Information Systems
- Field Ecology and Wildlife Conservation
- Animal Behaviour and Ecology
- Marine and Freshwater Ecology
Year 4 7 modules
- Dissertation
- Ecosystem Management
- Environmental Philosophy, Policy and Practice
- Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing
- Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation
- Behavioural Research in Conservation
- Marine and Freshwater Conservation
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
Who it's for
This course suits students who want to develop expertise in ecology and wildlife conservation. You'll need to meet the university's entry requirements; recent accepted students typically held A-levels or equivalent qualifications, with a common UCAS tariff band of 96–111 points. The integrated foundation year means you can progress to honours-level study even if your prior qualifications don't quite meet standard entry criteria.
University & format
The University of Cumbria, based in Carlisle, offers this 4-year full-time Bachelor's degree taught in English. The course includes an integrated foundation year to strengthen your scientific grounding. Cumbria is a recognised UK degree-awarding body; its degrees are nationally recognised. The university holds a Silver rating for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Check the university's funding pages for bursaries and scholarships.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Application timelineWhat happens next
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Entry & how to get in
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent50% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 96 - 111 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check the University of Cumbria's official course page for the current offer.
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 50% |
| another higher-education qualification | 25% |
| Other | 20% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accessible entry
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Your UCAS points0
▾
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Add your grades to see where you land
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesBCCA-level equivalent admitted students held
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask University of Cumbria whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Homeup to £9,790 / yr
International£25,000 / yr
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Cumbria →For students who normally live in England
illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 4 years
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Funding matched to this course
All University of Cumbria funding →Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
StudyKit · free
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StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check
Careers & earnings
What Sport & Exercise Science graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £22,000 – £27,000 | 30 |
| 3 years after | £21,000 | £16,500 – £25,000 | 75 |
| 5 years after | £26,500 | £21,000 – £31,500 | 85 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
80%
in work or further study 15 months on
65%
in highly skilled work or study
85%
continue past their first year
75%
find their work meaningful
60%
say work fits their future plans
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in sport & exercise science · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Sport & Exercise Science nationally
Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£24,000
£22,000 – £30,000After 3 years LEO
£21,000
£19,125 – £27,000After 5 years LEO
£26,500
£23,375 – £33,000national rangethis course’s medianaxis £18,000 – £34,000
National figures for Sport & Exercise Science graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
80 of 100
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
75% working0% working and studying0% in further study65% in highly skilled work or study
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Sport & Exercise Science courses at the same study level.
This course £26,500Peer median £27,500Middle 50% £26,000–£30,000
33rd percentile
Compared with 915 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Natural and social science professionalsSOC 2020 211 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £44,243
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Conservation and environment professionalsSOC 2020 215 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,520
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 35; response rate: 70%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Sport & Exercise Science graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
90%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Sport & Exercise Science courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes62%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled80%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuationHow AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Sport & Exercise Science graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Sports clubs & NGBs
- Leisure providers
- Schools
- The NHS
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Sport & Exercise Science graduates.
Sport CoachAspire PeopleSport Science LeadBiolyz FlexCoBTEC Tech Awards Sept 22 - Sport - ExaminerPearsonEquine Vet: Independent Clinic for Leisure & Sport HorsesBritish Veterinary LGBT+Learning Mentor (PE/Sport)Prospero TeachingCasual Youth Worker: Sport, Community Growth & BelongingActive Herefordshire & WorcestershireLive from the StudySmarter job board · as of 2026-08-01.See all matching jobs
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
💷
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
📈
Where graduates go
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
🎯
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
⭐
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.1 out of 10: NSS 78.4% · in work or study 80% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Cumbria
All students9,065
International2.6%
Aged 25+63.7%
Biological and sport sciences across the UK
Students111,380
Aged 25+16.5%
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around In Carlisle - Fusehill Street
1,445 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Violent Crime 611Public Order 173Shoplifting 173Criminal Damage Arson 106Other Theft 85
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Sport & Exercise Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Cumbria from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £25,000 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Cumbria’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Cumbria and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Cumbria
BA (Hons) Outdoor LeadershipBA (Hons) · University of CumbriaBA (Hons) Outdoor Leadership (with integrated foundation year)BA (Hons) · University of CumbriaBA (Hons) Sport Coaching and Physical EducationBA (Hons) · University of CumbriaBA (Hons) Sport Coaching and Physical Education (with integrated foundation year)BA (Hons) · University of Cumbria
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
Entry is historically accessible, accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 96 - 111 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
What are the entry requirements?
Set by the University of Cumbria. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
What do graduates go on to do?
For Biological and sport sciences graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
What will it cost me?
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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