Ecology & Environmental Monitoring (Dumfries Campus) MSc
The global biodiversity crisis and threats to global sustainable development have highlighted the need for specialists in species identification, population monitoring, and conservation. This Masters programme in Ecology & Environmental Monitoring will help you develop essential skills in species identification, taxonomy, and ecology, and to become a catalyst for effective conservation and the preservation of biodiversity across the globe.
- Academic contact: natalie.welden@glasgow.ac.uk
- Teaching start: September
- Dumfries campus
- MSc: 12 months full-time; 24 months part‑time
Why this programme
- In a world facing a biodiversity crisis driven by climate change, this programme equips you to make a difference. You'll develop vital skills in species identification, taxonomy and ecology to lead effective conservation, sustainable resource management and global biodiversity preservation efforts.
- Our programme aligns with international commitments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting the urgency of biodiversity preservation at national, regional, and local levels worldwide.
- Immerse yourself in hands-on fieldwork and lab exercises, taking advantage of our ideal Dumfries Campus location. Collaborate with experts from research, consultancy, conservation, and regulatory bodies, honing your core competencies in taxonomy, identification, and environmental monitoring.
- Our hands-on approach to developing your career-focussed field skills is complemented by research-led courses in ecological theory, plant and animal taxonomy, habitat monitoring, remote sensing, GIS, and more. You’ll leave us understanding what changes to our environment mean, for nature, for environmental management, and for us.
- Benefit from collaborations with specialists from related fields, including external academics and organisations like the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Forestry Scotland, ensuring your education is relevant and up-to-date.
- Join our diverse and close-knit community at the Dumfries Campus, offering access to picturesque surroundings, world-class teaching, and excellent placement opportunities. Explore the vibrant arts and cultural scene of Dumfries and enjoy outdoor activities in the scenic Scottish countryside.
Programme structure
This programme includes three compulsory courses as well as two optional courses, and either a work placement or dissertation in the summer of the academic year, following completion of the taught courses.
Core courses
- Taxonomy and population monitoring
- Ecology, Environment and Conservation
- Research Methods in Environmental Risk and Management
- Either Work Placement or Dissertation
Optional courses
- A Cultural History Of Animals
- Environmental Ethics and Behaviour Change
- Environmental Politics and Society
- Writing the Environment: Modern and Contemporary Nature Writing
- Reading the Environment: Old and New World Romanticisms
- Environmental Communication
- Responding to risks in terrestrial environments
- Responding to Risks in Aquatic Environments
- Theories, Practice and Policies in Environmental Risk and Management
Fieldwork: A Snapshot
In addition to undertaking a practical placement or hands-on dissertation, during your taught courses you can expect to be out in the field or in the laboratory on a regular basis. A typical year can look like this:
Semester 1
- Week 1: Practical lab skills for biological recorders
- Week 2: Survey design and data analysis: a hands-on exploration
- Week 3: Exploring the phytoplankton and macroalgae in aquatic habitats around the Solway Firth
- Weeks 4 and 5: Monitoring and mapping embryophyte assemblages in mixed woodland and upland settings
- Week 8 and 9: Tracking and Trapping
- Week 10: Bird surveys
Semester 2
- Field Trip One: Marine and Coastal Habitat Monitoring
- Field Trip Two: Freshwater and Terrestrial Monitoring
Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.
Career prospects
The skills developed during this programme are primarily relevant to:
- NGO's such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the British Ornithological Society, PlantLife, BugLife, Fisheries Trusts, and similar charitable and special interest groups both nationally and internationally
- Consultancies
- Regulatory Organisations such as SEPA, the Environment Agency, the Marine Monitoring Organisation and similar groups both nationally and internationally
- Legislators
- Research
- Handling and storage of environmental data, for example, the management of citizen science responses or recording schemes
This Ecology & Environmental Monitoring programme has been developed to address the issues of decreasing biodiversity, spatially uneven habitat monitoring, and the need for increased sustainability in the use of natural resources. The courses within this programme produce graduates with the essential skills in subjects including plant and animal taxonomy and identification, habitat monitoring, remote sensing, and GIS necessary to understand the functioning of the environment, identify and monitor the health of both species and habitats, and manage or limit the impacts of human activities.
Graduates will leave the programme with the skills required to answer key questions of relevance to these career paths (for example: "what species are present?", "has this species previously been recorded?", "how is current biodiversity changing?", "why is this the case?" and "how can we prevent this?") as well as to interpret this information to answer new questions (such as, "is my modelling accurate?", "can satellite data by used to identify ecosystem threats?" and "will this new management method prevent biodiversity loss?"), in addition to presenting this data for a range of audiences from academics to the general public.
Find out more about careers paths and opportunities.
Fees & funding
Tuition fees for 2025-26
MSc
UK
- Full-time fee: £11250
- Part-time fee: £1250 per 20 credits
International & EU
- Full-time fee: £25320
Deposits
International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2000 when an offer is made.
Deposits: terms & conditions
This programme requires some students to pay a deposit to secure their place.
If you are an international student, we will only issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) once the deposit has been paid.
Your offer letter will state:
- how to pay the deposit payment
- the deadline for paying the deposit
The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% handling fee will be deducted.
Deposits will be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- Where the University is unable to offer you a place.
- Where the applicant has personal circumstances such as illness, bereavement or other family situations that has prevented them coming to the UK. Medical or other proof may be requested.
- Applicant can prove that they have applied for a visa to attend the University of Glasgow, but the VISA has been refused. The applicant must have shown 'real intent' to study at the University of Glasgow but has been unable to obtain their visa.
- Applicant does not meet his / her conditions of offer: this may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide a language test which was taken after the date that the deposit was paid).
Deposits will not be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and credit it against the applicant’s account for securing their place for the following year of entry.
Refund requests must be made within 30 days of the programme start date stated on your offer letter.
Requests made after this date will be subject to discretion.
Additional fees
- Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
- Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
- Registration/exam only fee: £170
Funding opportunities
British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. They build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.
The British Council has established programmes to support Women and Girls in STEM around the world, designed with a lifecycle approach in mind, from inspiring young girls to stay in STEM to supporting women working in STEM fields reach positions of leadership and network with their peers in their region and the UK.
This year, kindly supported by the British Council, the University of Glasgow is delighted to announce 5 fully funded scholarships for female students fromthe countires listed below interested in pursuing master’s studies in the fields of Sustainable Energy, Climate Change and Health. Each of these scholarships covers full tuition fees, monthly stipend, a return economy class ticket and other costs such as IELTS exam fee, visa application, NHS surcharge and key study materials.
Please see British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM for more details.
Chevening Scholarship
Chevening Scholarships are the UK government's global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organisations. The scholarships are awarded to outstanding scholars with leadership potential. Awards are typically for a one year Master’s degree at universities across the UK. There are over 50,000 Chevening Alumni around the world who together comprise an influential and highly regarded global network.
For further information, please refer to the Chevening website.
Commonwealth Scholarship Schemes
Commonwealth Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are offered to citizens from low and middle income Commonwealth countries. The majority of Scholarships are funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.
EU Welcome Award - January 2025 Intake Only
The University of Glasgow continues to be committed to ensuring a strong relationship with our existing and future EU students, and supporting EU talent to make their home at the University of Glasgow.
We appreciate the challenging financial implications that have arisen for our European applicants, and are therefore delighted to offer the EU Welcome Award to new incoming EU students starting a postgraduate taught Masters programme for Academic Session 2024-25. The scholarship is awarded as a £5,000 tuition fee discount. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship.
Applicants that graduated from the University of Glasgow or completed a Study Abroad year, Exchange programme or International Summer School at the University of Glasgow, are eligible for the Alumni discount and this can be combined with the EU Welcome Award.
University of Glasgow African Excellence Award
The University of Glasgow African Excellence Award aims to support high achieving students from across Africa in their journey to become Future World Changers. We are looking for students who wish to undertake Masters level study, to further develop their knowledge and skills, in order to positively contribute to their community in the future.
The University is offering up to 15 scholarships for International students from Africa, starting a 1 year postgraduate taught Masters programme, in any discipline for academic session 2025/26. The scholarship is a full tuition fee waiver.
India Merit Award
The University of Glasgow is proud to announce a new India Merit award for January 2025 entry to acknowledge highly qualified Indian postgraduate taught offer holders. The scholarship is awarded as a £5,000 tuition fee discount. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship.
University of Glasgow Caribbean Excellence Award
The University of Glasgow Caribbean Excellence Award aims to support high achieving students from across the Caribbean in their journey to become Future World Changers. We are looking for students who wish to undertake Masters level study, to further develop their knowledge and skills, in order to positively contribute to their community in the future.
The University is offering up to 5 scholarships for International students from the Caribbean, starting a 1 year postgraduate taught Masters programme, in any discipline for academic session 2025/26. The scholarship is a full tuition fee waiver.
World Changers Glasgow Scholarship
The University of Glasgow is proud to announce the World Changers Glasgow Scholarship for September 2025 entry to acknowledge incredible applicants from India, Singapore, Nigeria, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Vietnam, Israel, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Yemen, Mexico, Brazil, Lebanon and Colombia. The scholarship is awarded as a £5,000 tuition fee discount and will automatically awarded to all eligible applicants.
Postgraduate Student Loan (Scotland and EU)
Eligible full-time and part-time students, undertaking an eligible postgraduate course, can apply for a tuition fee loan up to a maximum of £7,000 towards their course. Eligible full-time postgraduate students can apply for a living-cost loan of up to £4,500.
This support extends to online Masters or Postgraduate Diplomas, and not to the online Postgraduate Certificate courses.
For more information visit the SAAS website.
Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loans England only (PTFL)
If you’re an English student looking to study a taught Masters programme in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan. Students from England are able to apply for a non-means tested Postgraduate Master’s Loan of up to £11,570 to help with course fees and living costs. You have to repay your Postgraduate Master’s Loan at the same time as any other student loans you have. You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.
If you’re studying by distance learning, you can also apply.
Alumni Discount
In response to the current unprecedented economic climate, the University is offering a 20% discount on all Postgraduate Research and full Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni, commencing study in Academic session 2025/26. This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Study Abroad programme, International Summer School programme or the Erasmus Programme at the University of Glasgow. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes. This discount can be awarded alongside most University scholarships.
Postgraduate Loans for Welsh Students
If you are a Welsh student looking to study a postgraduate programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a Welsh University.
* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes
For more information visit Student Finance Wales
Postgraduate Access Scholarship
The University of Glasgow is pleased to be offering Postgraduate Access Scholarships to support Home students who could face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study at the University. Applications are particularly welcomed from applicants who met any of our widening participation criteria, or equivalent, at undergraduate level. The value of each scholarship is £4,000 and they are for students undertaking a one or two year Taught Masters programme. For two year Taught Masters programmes, the scholarship is available in year one only.
Global Leadership Scholarship
The University of Glasgow has several Global Leadership Scholarships available to International fee students starting a postgraduate taught Masters programme in any discipline for Academic Session 2025/2026. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fees discount.
Postgraduate Student Loan (NI)
If you are a Northern Irish student looking to study a taught Masters programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a University in Northern Ireland.
Northern Irish students are able to apply for non-means-tested tuition fee loans of up to £5,500, to help with the costs of funding.
For more information visit www.studentfinanceni.co.uk/types-of-finance/postgraduate .
* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes
Glasgow Excellence Award (UK)
The University of Glasgow has a total of 40 Glasgow Excellence Scholarships available to UK students entering any of the University’s Colleges.
HESPAL Scholarship
The University has worked in partnership with the British Council in a scheme to provide Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL), for the past decade.
Through the HESPAL scheme, we have been able to offer fee waivers to students from the Palestinian Territories, enhancing educational opportunities for deserving individuals.
Considering the current challenges and the significant obstacles faced by individuals impacted by the conflict in leaving the area, the University of Glasgow extends their support in the academic year 2025/2026 to offer up to 3 postgraduate taught scholarships and up to 2 postgraduate research scholarships.
This scholarship is offered as a full fee discount.
Sanctuary Scholarships
The University of Glasgow is offering up to 30 Sanctuary Scholarships for applicants to the University, who have been forced to travel to the UK for humanitarian reasons and are facing challenges in progressing onto Higher Education. The scholarship is open to prospective undergraduate and postgraduate taught students at the University of Glasgow applying for entry in September 2025/26. Please note that you must have applied to the University before submitting an application for this scholarship.
The scholarship will meet the cost of tuition fees for the duration of your programme, for applicants who are unable to access mainstream funding through Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) or Student Finance. The Sanctuary Scholarship also provides a £5,000 per year stipend, to assist with study costs. In addition, if the eligibility criteria for university accommodation is met, this will also be provided for the duration of your degree, if required. For more information on the accommodation criteria, please see the Accommodation Services section on the website.
Undergraduate students with refugee status (or equivalent) and access to funding, are eligible to apply for the scholarship and would receive the £5,000 stipend towards study costs only, if successful.
Postgraduate Taught Masters students with refugee status (or equivalent) and access to funding, are eligible to apply for the scholarship and would receive the £5,000 stipend towards study costs and a partial tuition fee waiver, to cover any shortfall not met by your Postgraduate Masters tuition fee loan.
The Dima Alhaj Scholarship
The Dima Alhaj Scholarship was set up in 2024 in memory of a University of Glasgow alumna. After graduating, Dima worked in Gaza with the World Health Organization as a patient administrator at the limb reconstruction centre, as part of the trauma and emergency team and was tragically killed in Gaza in November 2023. The Scholarship is open to a Palestinian National who is living in or has been forced to leave the State of Palestine due to humanitarian reasons. The chosen applicant may be domiciled in any country but must be a Palestinian National. The scholarship is open to prospective undergraduate and postgraduate taught applicants to the University of Glasgow applying for entry in September 2025/26.
The Clan Gregor Society Prize
The Clan Gregor Society is offering an award to new entrants to the University of Glasgow who descend from Clan Gregor. Prospective students will be asked to submit an application highlighting areas of consideration such as academic excellence and financial need. The award is open to both Undergraduate and Postgraduate applicants for 2024 entry.
The scholarships above are specific to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database
Entry requirements
2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in Biology, Ecology, Zoology, Environmental Science, Environmental Science and Sustainability, Environmental Management Nature Conservation, or Global Sustainable Development with at least 25% of credit bearing modules in Science at an average grade of Pass.
We may sometimes accept degrees at 2.2 Hons or non-UK equivalent.
Accepted modules
We normally accept the following modules to meet the credit bearing module requirement:
Science
- Science
We may also accept applicants with significant relevant work experience in addition to lower qualifications.
English language requirements
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)
- 6.5 with no subtests under 6.0
- IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Common equivalent English language qualifications for entry to this programme
TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)
- 90 overall with Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements, this includes TOEFL mybest.
Pearsons PTE Academic
- 59 with minimum 59 in all subtests
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)
- 176 overall, no subtest less than 169
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Oxford English Test
- 7 overall with no subtest less than 6
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
LanguageCert Academic SELT
- 70 overall with no subtest less than 60
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Password Skills Plus
- 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Trinity College Tests
- Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Distinction with Distinction in all sub-tests
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses
- Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.
Alternatives to English Language qualification
- Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
- Undergraduate 2+2 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.
Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:
- direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS)
- essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University
- flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.
For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:
We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:
- Heriot Watt
- Kingston Upon Thames
- Middlesex University
- Manchester University
- Reading University
- Edinburgh University
- ST Andrews University
- UCL
- Durham.
International students
We are proud of our diverse University community which attracts students and staff from over 140 different countries.
How to apply
To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.
Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.
Documents
As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:
- A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
- A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
- Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
- One reference letter on headed paper
- Evidence of your English language ability (if your first language is not English)
- Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
- A copy of the photo page of your passport (Non-EU students only)
You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.
You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.
For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, see how to apply for a postgraduate taught degree
Guidance notes for using the online application
These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form.
If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, see Application System Help.
- Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
- Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
- Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
- Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
- Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
- English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
- Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.
Reference: Please provide one reference. This should typically be an academic reference but in cases where this is not possible then a reference from a current employer may be accepted instead. Certain programmes, such as the MBA programme, may also accept an employer reference. If you already have a copy of a reference on letter headed paper then please upload this to your application. If you do not already have a reference to upload then please enter your referee’s name and contact details on the online application and we will contact your referee directly.
Application deadlines
September 2025
International & EU applicants
- 25 July 2025
UK applicants
- 22 August 2025
More information about this programme
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