COURSE CURRICULUM

The MSc Conservation Education and Engagement at ARU Writtle provides students with a rich blend of theory and practice through lectures, group tutorials, workshops, seminars, and field-based activities. Making use of the university’s extensive farmed landscape and nearby conservation-protected areas, the course enables students to develop practical skills alongside theoretical understanding. A central feature of the program is the research project (dissertation), which allows students to carry out specialist investigative work tailored to their own interests in conservation and education. Assessment is varied, including exams, case studies, critical reviews of scientific papers, and project reports, ensuring students build strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Core modules cover a wide range of interdisciplinary topics, such as Environmental Ethics and Policy, Education Theory for Conservation Management, Research Methods, and Animal Resources and Wildlife Trade. Students also explore how conservation links to people through modules like Nature Benefits and Human Wellbeing, and Engagement Education and Behaviour Change, which focus on promoting sustainable attitudes. Professional Practice in Engagement and Education, along with Animal Protection and Habitat Conservation, provide further applied skills. Together, these modules prepare graduates to design effective conservation education initiatives, influence policy and practice, and make meaningful contributions to global sustainability.