Marine Conservation and Sustainability MSc

Overview

Quality and ranking

Professional accreditation review and recognition of professional qualifications in Europe

Professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by professional bodies to ensure they meet the latest industry practices and regulatory standards. This keeps your degree rigorous, relevant, and highly valued by employers, providing a clear pathway into your chosen career.

If you are studying an accredited degree and considering a career in Europe after graduation, it is important to stay informed about international standards. The best resource for current information is the UK Government's guidance on recognition of UK professional qualifications in EU member states.

This official resource provides essential details on:

• whether your profession is regulated in another country.
• the specific steps you need to take to practice abroad.
• which organisations you should contact to begin the process.

What you'll learn

Develop the scientific and practical skills needed to understand and protect marine environments. Design ecological studies, collect field data, and analyse results using statistics and specialist software to inform real-world environmental decisions.

You'll explore how marine ecosystems function and how physical, biological, and human factors shape ocean health. You'll examine global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource management. You'll also build the knowledge to assess impacts and develop sustainable solutions.

You’ll gain experience using mapping and spatial tools, including GIS and satellite data, to monitor environmental change. You’ll strengthen your ability to interpret data, evaluate evidence, and communicate findings clearly for policy and conservation practice.

Research project

In your third semester, you’ll complete a four-month research project linked to one of our marine science research groups. Supported by a supervisor, you’ll work with a UK or international partner organisation on a project aligned to your interests and career goals. Together, you’ll co-develop a proposal, carry out the research, and produce a dissertation report. Previous projects have focussed on structural and functional integrity of ecosystems, biological and socio-economic drivers of ecosystem change and governance and management of resource use.

Modules

The module information on our course pages is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Marine Conservation and Sustainability MSc modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Quantitative Ecological Research Methods	20
Dissertation Project	80
Geographical Information systems and Remote Sensing	20
Sustainability of Human and Natural Systems	20
Understanding Marine Ecosystems	20
Marine dissertation project planning	20

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

You’ll learn through a combination of:

• lectures
• seminars
• practical sessions
• personal supervision
• independent study

You’ll split your time between the University’s city-centre campus, the Dove Marine Laboratory, and the Princess Royal research vessel.

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Case study
• Professional skills assessments
• Oral presentation
• Report
• Research proposal
• Research paper
• Written exercise

Student support

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• academic staff
• academic advisers and research supervisors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives
• peers

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff, who will be your academic adviser throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• groups
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

 

Our staff

View our Marine staff.

Your development

We have strong links with a wide network of national and international marine organisations. These partnerships have been fostered over decades of working with and in the marine sector.  

Our students have worked with a variety of organisations on their research projects.

• Major international consultancies: AMEC, ERM, Natural Power, Vatenfall
• National government agencies: Natural England, MMO, Environment Agency, Association of IFCAs, Cefas, Defra
• Local managers: Durham Heritage Coast, NIFCA, NEIFCA
• European projects: C-Scope
• Local niche consultancies: CTL Consult, Envision Mapping, Environment Systems
• Conservation NGOs: Oceana

Research skills

Join a welcoming marine science research community. You’ll develop your research skills with support from our post-doctoral scientists, technicians, and academic staff.

Our marine science research groups are part of extensive national and international networks. Recent partnerships and collaborations include: 

• Environment Agency
• Natural England
• Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority
• University of the West Indies (Barbados)
• National Oceanographic Centre Southampton (NOCS)
• University of Costa Rica
• North Sea Regional Advisory Council
• Haribon Foundation
• Oceana
• UK Hydrographic Office

Your future

You’ll graduate with both the research and professional skills needed for the next step in your career, whether that’s undertaking further study at PhD level or entering industry. You’ll engage with professionals from research, business and industry throughout the course. Previous graduates have gone on to roles such as:

• Scientific Fisheries Observer, Falkland Islands
• Head of Fisheries Management, Seafish
• Head of Environmental team, Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA)

Our Careers Service

Our expert Careers Service is here to help you take the next steps in your professional life. We will support you while you’re studying with us and for up to three years after you graduate.

You will have access to expert one-to-one advice and guidance through our campus careers centre and online, along with digital resources, workshops, networking opportunities, and careers and recruitment events.

We’ve been awarded 5 QS Stars for Student Employability (2025). Many of our degrees are shaped by strong links with national and international businesses. We are committed to helping you access real-world experience opportunities and develop key skills through paid work placements and internships.

Visit our Careers Service website

Facilities

Our location offers the perfect setting to study marine conservation and sustainability.

With the UK coastline on our doorstep, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get out of the classroom and gain hands-on experience.

Our outstanding Marine Science facilities include:

• the Dove Marine Laboratory on the coast with facilities that include:
  • deep water tanks, with a water depth of 3m
  • main aquarium for large-scale experiments
  • five experimental cabinets for smaller tank experiments
    
    
• the Blyth Marine Station and Research vessel, The Princess Royal - a catamaran that has an operational area around the North-East coast if England
  • it houses a floating laboratory with activities like oceanographic characterisation of river plumes to remote camera surveys of offshore habitats
    
    
• the on-campus Great North Museum with a wide range of important biological collections

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

Tuition fees for 2027 entry (per year)

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You may be eligible for a scholarship worth 25% off the international fee. Search our funding database. 

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

Search for funding and scholarships

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

How to apply

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