Masters in Ecological Consultancy at Newcastle University: career prospects
The course is designed to equip graduates with the skills and knowledge to get jobs in the sector. The modules set up provide a broad range of skills needed by ecological consultants, including GIS, field surveying, data handling and analysis, legal aspects of the environmental sector, how to set up your own business and how to conduct an environmental impact assessment.
A major part of the degree is the 80 credit consultancy project, which is done with an industrial client. Each project is linked with a specific client, from large multinational firms, medium sized UK companies (e.g. Mott McDonald) to small consultancy companies (e.g. E3 Ecology, Denny Ecology) and NGOs (such as the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumberland Natural History Society). These projects enable students to interact with practicing ecologists and in the past these interactions have been successful in leading to a number of jobs with the respective clients.
What is the track record of jobs post graduation from this course?
In 2009/10 13 students graduated of which six were employed in the environmental sector within six months; three were employed as consultants, two as PhD students in the ecological field and one as a warden. We are currently gathering data from the 2010/11 cohort and will present this here shortly.
Will my individual requirements be met?
Whilst the modules are relatively prescriptive, the projects are tailored to the interests of individual students. For example, in 2011/12:
- one student wished to explore work with a multi-national company. She visited their offices in Edinburgh and analised data collected by the company
- a student with an interest in mountaineering obtained a grant to support his work and compiled a series of routes to support ‘green’ climbing
Other ecological projects
- surveyed birds around wind turbines in County Durham
- investigated the effectiveness of bat housing put up for mitigation following building works
- investigated the optimal places to re-introduce water voles into Kielder, after scientific analysis of their preferred home ranges in existing populated areas nearby
More statistics are available on the latest DLHE (Destination of Leavers from Higher Education) statistics site.