MSc in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity

We live in a period of exceptional rates of environmental change, including climate change, urban expansion, the spread of invasive species, and ocean acidification. These changes present an unprecedented challenge to biodiversity.

This MSc is designed to equip you to play a key role in developing solutions to this global change crisis. The programme will provide you with opportunities to critically evaluate and apply state of the art quantitative ecological and evolutionary methods, combined with practical field skills, and to tailor communications for a diversity of audiences, from scientists to government.

You will be based in the School of Biological Sciences, which ranked in the top 5 for the UK for research power (REF 2022). The School is part of the new Centre for Adapting to Changing Environments, composed of over 100 research groups.

Courses will draw on a breadth of case studies across different ecosystems, from long-term vertebrate studies to marine microbes. There will be an emphasis on practice, including fieldwork, statistics, and coding.

About us

We are one of the largest biology departments in the UK.

As the modern inheritors of our 400-year-old reputation for excellence, our staff and students contribute to a vibrant academic community whose visions are shaping tomorrow’s world.

The leading edge

The School of Biological Sciences is at the leading edge in teaching, research and innovation. Independent rankings such as the Times Higher Education consistently place us amongst the top 25 universities in the world for biological sciences.

Our learning and teaching environment

Our undergraduate students rate us highly for the quality of our education. Today’s students can study a wide range of topics, providing a strong grounding in fundamental biology with the flexibility to gain experience of the most recent research developments in biological and biomedical science in the later years of their degree programme. Several courses are taught jointly with other Schools to provide interdisciplinary opportunities to our students.

We offer 10 innovative Masters programmes, including distance learning and collaborative programmes with other research organisations which extend the breadth of topics our students can study.

Taught courses are supported by our BiologyTeaching Organisation with provides academic and pastoral support. Every student has a designated Personal Academic Tutor.

Our Research

Our students are taught by some of the world’s leading scientists. We are one of the top biology departments in the UK for the quality and impact of our research. More than half of our research activity was rated as ‘world-leading’ in quality and scope in the 2014 UK national research assessment, placing us third overall and second in the UK amongst university teaching departments.

Our research is focused around four main Themes. All of our Principal Investigators and their research teams contribute to one or more of these Themes.

Sustainability

The School of Biological Sciences is committed to contributing to social responsibility and sustainability at the University of Edinburgh. The School supports the participation of various teams in the University Sustainability Awards. The teams currently hold or are working towards a bronze or silver level Award.