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Studies & Degrees in Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity conservation is the applied science of keeping species, habitats and ecosystems from being lost. The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biological diversity as the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; it includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. Conservation studies how that variability is measured, why it declines and what can be done about it.

Programmes combine biology with field and data skills. Students learn to identify and survey plants and animals, to characterise habitats, to monitor populations, and to work with geographic information systems (GIS) and statistics. They also study the management side: protected areas, species recovery plans, ecosystem restoration, environmental law and work with the people who use the land or the sea. The master's degree in terrestrial biodiversity at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, for example, includes modules on basic GIS and on techniques for monitoring and analysing populations.

Qualifications and levels

Biodiversity conservation is mainly a postgraduate specialisation. The usual route is a first degree in biology, environmental sciences, forestry or a related field, followed by a master's degree and, for research careers, a doctorate.

  • Bachelor's level. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. Conservation is taught there as courses within biology and environmental sciences degrees.
  • Official master's degrees in Spain. They have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits and require a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Examples from schools in the directory: the Máster Universitario en Biodiversidad Terrestre y Conservación en Islas at the Universidad de La Laguna (90 ECTS, 1.5 years, on campus), which starts from the fact that habitats and species are disappearing especially fast on islands; the Máster Universitario en Biodiversidad Terrestre: Caracterización, Conservación y Gestión at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (90 ECTS over two academic years, 10 places); the master's degree in Áreas Protegidas, Recursos Naturales y Biodiversidad at the Universidad de Murcia (60 ECTS, one year, taught in Spanish, 25 places); and the Máster Universitario en Restauración de Ecosistemas (90 ECTS), a joint degree of the Universidad de Alcalá, the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. The Universidad de León offers a 60-ECTS online Máster Universitario en Ecología Aplicada y Análisis de Datos Ecológicos.
  • Research institutes. Some universities concentrate the subject in a dedicated centre, such as the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent.
  • Doctorate. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), zoologists and wildlife biologists typically need at least a master's degree for higher-level positions and a PhD for independent research positions.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 16 active schools for biodiversity conservation. Nine are in Spain; Canada, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, Bermuda, Australia, the United States and Sweden have one each. The Spanish schools include the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad de Alcalá, the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo, the Universitat de Barcelona, the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad de La Laguna on Tenerife, the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, the Universidad de León and ADEIT, the university-business foundation of the Universitat de València. Abroad the list includes McGill University, the University of Kent, Uppsala Universitet, Macquarie University, the University of California, Davis, Addis Ababa University and the ASU Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences.

Spanish master's degrees are taught mainly in Spanish. The Alcalá programme states that lectures are mostly in Spanish and to a lesser extent in English, and that students need enough English to follow those classes and the reading. Location matters more than in most subjects, because fieldwork takes place in the ecosystems nearby, such as the oceanic islands that the La Laguna programme focuses on.

Careers

Graduates work for public environmental agencies and protected areas, environmental consultancies, conservation organisations, botanical gardens, zoos and research centres. Typical tasks are species and habitat surveys, monitoring programmes, environmental impact studies, management plans and restoration projects.

Official figures are available for the United States. The BLS counts about 19,500 zoologists and wildlife biologists and about 27,700 conservation scientists in 2025, and projects employment in both groups to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. These are small occupations, and many posts are in government.

Frequently asked questions

What should I study first to work in biodiversity conservation?

Usually a bachelor's degree in biology, environmental sciences, forestry or a related field, followed by a specialised master's degree. The BLS notes that a bachelor's degree is typically needed for entry-level positions and a master's degree may be needed for higher-level jobs.

How long is a master's degree in biodiversity conservation in Spain?

Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Murcia programme has 60 ECTS in one year; those in La Laguna, Santiago de Compostela and Alcalá have 90 ECTS.

Can I study it in English in Spain?

The Spanish master's degrees cited here are taught mainly in Spanish; the Alcalá programme uses English to a lesser extent. Check the language requirement of each programme.

Can I study it online?

Most programmes are on campus because of the fieldwork. An exception among the schools listed is the online master's degree in applied ecology and ecological data analysis at the Universidad de León.