BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation with a Year Abroad Bachelor's degree at the University of Kent
BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation with a Year Abroad at University of Kent. It prepares students for careers in ecology and conservation by covering natural science foundations in ecology, wildlife survey methods, rewilding, wildlife management, conservation biology, biogeography and conservation genetics.
About this course
Join the longest running undergraduate conservation course in the UK. Our degree equips future ecology and conservation professionals.Natural science areas of focus include ecology, wildlife survey methods, rewilding, wildlife management, conservation biology, biogeography, and conservation genetics, and include an emp From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation with a Year Abroad is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at the University of Kent, based in Canterbury. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Biosciences graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 20% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £26,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Environmental 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.
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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 90% (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.
Stage 1 6 modules
- Diversity of LifeCompulsory
Module details
Explore life in its many forms, from unicellular microbes and fungi to multicellular plants and animals. Learn how to use morphological and molecular traits to classify any species within the tree of life. Understand evolutionary history and processes that underlie phylogeny.
- Biodiversity and ConservationCompulsory
Module details
Introduces fundamental concepts that underpin understanding of biodiversity and conservation of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Investigate spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity, including how past geophysical processes have shaped biodiversity. Explore contemporary threats to biodiversity and methods conservationists use to protect and maintain biodiversity.
- The AnthropoceneCompulsory
Module details
Engage with issues and debates surrounding the Anthropocene including the speed, scope and scale of human activities on the earth as a system. Examine environmental, social, political, and cultural issues. Develop skills in data collection and analysis, accessing and critically reviewing literature, and presenting evidence in multiple formats.
- Principles in Ecology and BiogeographyCompulsory
Module details
Explore relationships between plants, animals and their environment (ecology) and geographical patterns of biological diversity around the world (biogeography). Examine how the physiology and reproductive biology of plants have shaped the variety of habitats, ecosystems and biomes. Get hands on with practical classes and field work to study essential concepts in population ecology, community ecology and island biogeography.
- Environmental SustainabilityCompulsory
Module details
Provides a comprehensive introduction to environmental sustainability, building on the planetary boundary concept to discuss the environmental limits that human beings can safely live within. Discuss key environmental challenges including climate change, food systems, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Examine case studies illustrating how human-environment relations are shaped by complex social, economic and political processes.
- Ecological Survey MethodsCompulsory
Module details
Introduces a range of standard field techniques and helps develop skills in collecting, analysing and presenting field data. Get experience in using ecological survey techniques including biodiversity monitoring and assessment methods. Undertake survey or monitoring projects in groups under supervision. Assess the biodiversity of an appropriate taxonomic group and carry out a range of surveys, analyse the data and write up results.
Stage 2 7 modules
- Applied Ecology and ConservationCompulsory
Module details
Discover the ways in which ecological science can be applied to solve conservation problems. Consider key ecological principles at the population, community and ecosystem levels, investigating how these principles can help guide management and policy decision-making. Examine how natural resources can be managed and exploited sustainably and how species and community conservation can be better incorporated into wider environmental management.
- Key Issues in Conservation ScienceCompulsory
Module details
Examines topics, debates and controversies shaping the field of conservation science. Critically evaluate topics including how to detect new threats to biodiversity, developing sustainable use strategies for over-exploited species, the pollinator crisis, the wildlife trade, the roles of zoos in conservation, conservation in the UK, hunting and defaunation, the impact of emerging infectious diseases, and the impacts of food production on biodiversity.
- Geographical Information Systems (GIS)Compulsory
Module details
Introduces the use of GIS as a means of solving spatial problems. Cover a range of methods for the collection, presentation and analysis of spatial data and hands-on training in the most commonly used GIS software. Learn major concepts of GIS including data sources and methods of data acquisition, how to create and transform maps, and more advanced GIS operations such as manipulation of spatial data, spatial analysis of vector and raster data, and remote sensing.
- Practical Data Analysis and InterpretationCompulsory
Module details
Provides a solid foundation in practical data analysis and interpretation through combined lecture/practicals using computer software. Cover types of data, descriptive statistics such as measures of central tendency, frequency distributions, the normal distribution, variance, inferential statistics including analysis of differences between groups, variable relationships, and variable associations. Focus on the practical application of statistics and their benefits and limitations.
- Animal Form and FunctionOptional
Module details
Comprehensively explore animal life across evolutionary history, focusing on key elements of functional anatomy and physiology. Through comparative physiology and the study of form and function, examine the diverse physiological systems found in various animal species. Gain insights into their adaptations and variations to changing environments over time.
- Environmental Policy and PracticeOptional
Module details
Examines the way in which conservation and environmental activities are implemented in practice and on-the-ground. Explore the relevant regulatory and voluntary principles that govern the conservation actions of businesses and governments alongside some of the more influential multilateral environmental policies. Use case studies to illustrate how scientific evidence is synthesised and integrated into policy and practice.
- Environment and DevelopmentOptional
Module details
Introduces key concepts in understanding the dynamic and complex relationship between development and environment.
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.
What you'll study
This degree is the longest running undergraduate conservation course in the UK, equipping you for professional ecology and conservation work. You'll usually begin with Earth Systems Science, Ecology Fundamentals and Environmental Data & GIS, building a foundation in how the planet works and how to analyse environmental information. In your second year, a course like this typically moves to Climate Change Science & Policy, Pollution & Environmental Management, and residential fieldwork. By year 3, you'll select from specialist options such as climate science, conservation, GIS and remote sensing, environmental policy, water and pollution, and fieldwork, whilst completing a dissertation based on independent research. Throughout, you'll develop practical field and analytical skills grounded in natural science areas of focus including ecology, wildlife survey methods, rewilding, wildlife management, conservation biology, biogeography and conservation genetics.
Who it's for
You're drawn to understanding how ecosystems function and passionate about protecting wildlife and habitats. You think like a scientist, comfortable with fieldwork, data collection and quantitative analysis, but you're motivated by real-world conservation outcomes, not just theory. You thrive when learning combines the laboratory with the field, and you're keen to develop practical skills in species surveying and ecological assessment. You're ready for a 4-year full-time commitment and see a year of study abroad as a chance to deepen your expertise in an unfamiliar ecological context.
Careers & job market
Across Environmental Science nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation. Of those working, 65% are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Starting salaries for this cohort range from £24,000 to £30,000; after five years, graduates earn between £26,350 and £37,200. These are national figures and not guaranteed individual outcomes; they reflect the labour market for your field.
University & format
BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation with a Year Abroad is a 4-year full-time degree at The University of Kent, a public university located in Canterbury. Taught in English, it leads to a nationally recognised UK bachelor's degree. The University holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
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.
- 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.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Year in industry. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
Entry & how to get in
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 | 85% |
| a previous degree | 5% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| an Access course | 5% |
| Other | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
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.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
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.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code CD15). 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.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at University of Kent →For students who normally live in England
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.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
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.
Careers & earnings
What Environmental 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 | £26,500 | £24,000 – £30,000 | 25 |
| 3 years after | £25,500 | £21,500 – £31,500 | 200 |
| 5 years after | £34,000 | £27,500 – £40,500 | 215 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in environmental 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 Environmental Science nationally
National figures for Environmental 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.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. 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 Environmental Science courses at the same study level.
Compared with 560 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.
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Skilled trades occupationsSOC 2020 5 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,241
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: 30; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Environmental Science graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How 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 Environmental 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
- Environmental consultancies
- Environment Agency
- Energy & utilities
- NGOs & local authorities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Environmental Science graduates.
Environmental Science Graduate Leadership Scheme, HybridEnvironment AgencyRemote Environmental Science Evaluator – AI Output QAObsidianRemote Environmental Science Evaluator (Contract)MercorAssistant Professor: Ecology & Environmental Science and AISONICOMStrategic Leader, Environmental ScienceUK Research and Innovation (UKRI)Assistant Professor: Ecology, Evolution & Environmental ScienceImperial College LondonIs 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 £26,500. 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 8.4 out of 10: NSS 83.1% · in work or study 80% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Kent
Geography, earth and environmental studies (social sciences) across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Canterbury
318 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Environmental Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Kent from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Kent; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. 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 Kent’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 Kent and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Kent
Environmental Science at other universities
BA (Hons) English Studies and Climate ChangeAberystwyth UniversityBSc (Hons) Environmental Earth Science (with integrated year in industry)Aberystwyth UniversityBSc (Hons) Environmental Earth Science (with integrated year studying abroad)Aberystwyth UniversityBSc (Hons) Environmental Earth ScienceAberystwyth UniversityCommon questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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