Conservation and Rural Development - MSc

The MSc in Conservation and Rural Development explores the issues underlying the conservation-rural development debate and offers practical and methodological tools for working at the interface between conservation and rural development.

Overview

The relationship between conservation and rural development can best be described as an uneasy alliance: on the one hand there is substantial common ground between them in terms of preventing environmental degradation, but on the other, they are often in direct conflict. This pathway explores the issues underlying the conservation/rural development debate and offers practical and methodological tools for working at the interface between the two.

The programme is relevant to the work of national management and scientific authorities, international and national NGOs, consultancy firms and contractors, international agencies and donors.

Teaching and assessment

Assessment is carried out primarily through coursework with written examinations for some modules. The research dissertation is written up in the format of a paper for publication.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

• produce postgraduates equipped to play leading roles in the field of international conservation and biodiversity management
• develop new areas of teaching in response to the advance of scholarship and practice
• provide you with opportunities to gain a interdisciplinary perspective on conservation issues through collaborative exchange between DICE and the wider University
• develop your competence in applying theoretical and methodological skills to the implementation of conservation practice and biodiversity management

Careers

The School has a very good record for postgraduate employment and academic continuation. DICE programmes combine academic theory with practical field experience to develop graduates who are highly employable within government, NGOs and the private sector.