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Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
Obtain the interdisciplinary research skills required to succeed in the fields of ecology, evolution and conservation.
Apply detailed understanding of the essential facts, concepts, principles, and theories relevant to your project specialisation and harness this knowledge to tackle outstanding issues
Join world leading academic research groups, along with potential opportunity to work with leading ecological and conservation organisations and research institutes
Apply your knowledge across two extended research projects
Course key facts
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Qualification
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MRes
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Duration
1 year, 2 years
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Start date
September 2025
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Study mode
Full-time, Part-time
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Fees
£15,500 Home
£34,250 Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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Silwood Park
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Course overview
Gain broad and interdisciplinary research training in ecology, evolution and conservation on this Master's course.
Available full-time or part-time, and taught by internationally recognised experts, this programme provides you with first-hand experience in conducting high-quality research.
You'll be taught by active researchers throughout the department and have the opportunity to join research groups as you develop your expertise in specific areas.
You'll build interdisciplinary skills and benefit from international connections and collaborations with leading institutions and organisations. Your science will have relevance to practical conservation.
MRes Living Planet programme
Our MRes Living Planet course will equip you to tackle the great environmental challenges facing the world, providing training on the transferrable research skills you’ll need to develop science-based understanding and interventions.
You may wish to consider if another stream is right for you according to your career aims and background:
- MRes Biosystematics
- MRes Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (this stream)
- MRes Living Planet with Computational Methods in Ecology and Evolution
- MRes Living Planet with Ecosystems and Environmental Change
MSc Living Planet course
We also offer an MSc in Living Planet course with the following streams:
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You’ll complete the following compulsory modules in the Autumn term, designed to give you the core skills needed to understand, interpret and conduct independent research. This training is conducted in field and computing environments and will introduce you to modern data collection and experimental methods, along with state-of-the-art techniques in data science, geographic information systems (GIS), genomics and bioinformatics, and data interpretation.
- Statistics in R
- Introduction to Ecological and Evolutionary Data Science
- Planning Research Projects
You’ll complete one of the following optional modules:
- Silwood Field Course and Basic Computing
- Biological Computing Bootcamp
You will conduct a long research project on almost any topic within the remit of ecology, evolution and conservation that can come under the broader area of environmental science.
Projects normally involve the collection of new data, and can be developed through the university, with national and international collaborators, with external institutions and companies, or be based on the application of science to practical conservation through working with conservation organisations and research institutes.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching and learning methods
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Research seminars
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Independent research projects
Balance of assessment
Key
- Lectures and practicals
- Research project
- 33% Lectures and practicals
- 67% Research project
Assessment methods
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Individual research project reports
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Practical assessments
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Oral presentations
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Oral exams
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
Application deadlines – Round 1 closes on Thursday 16 January 2025
We operate a staged admissions process with several application rounds throughout the year.
Apply by 23.59 (UK time) on the closing date of an application round, to ensure you receive a response on your application by the relevant decision date.
Application rounds
Round 1
- Apply by Thursday 16 January 2025
- Decision by Thursday 6 March 2025
Round 2
- Apply by Thursday 27 March 2025
- Decision by Thursday 1 May 2025
Round 3
- Apply by Thursday 15 May 2025
- Decision by Thursday 17 July 2025
If you are applying for a taught Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course:
- £80 for all taught Master's applications excluding those to the Imperial College Business School
- £100 for all MSc applications to the Imperial College Business School
- £150 for MBA applications to the Imperial College Business School
There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas or research courses, such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
When are applicants invited for an interview?
Applicants will be invited for an interview should their written application pass an initial review.
How long is the interview and what purpose does it serve?
This interview lasts about 10-20 minutes. It serves as an opportunity for a two-way conversation between the interviewer and the applicant to ask questions and probe further. There are several elements that are being explored, including the applicant's motivations, academic ambitions and their suitability for our courses.
When does it take place?
Interviews will usually be scheduled approximately 3-4 weeks after the application round deadline that you applied to, and we aim to inform applicants of the confirmed schedule approximately 1 week in advance.
How is the interview going to be conducted?
Regardless of whether you are in the UK or overseas, the interview will be conducted through an online meeting via Microsoft Teams.
Unless you are from an exempt nationality, you will need an ATAS certificate to obtain your visa and study this course.
Nationals from the following countries are exempt: Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, USA and EEA members.
Use this information when applying for an ATAS certificate to study this course:
- CAH code: CAH03-01-03
- Descriptor: ecology and environmental biology
- Supervisor name: Professor Daniel Davis
Get guidance and support for obtaining an ATAS certificate.
Tuition fees
Home fee
Full-time
£15,500
2 years, part-time
£7,750per year
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our , including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out .
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
For courses starting on or after 1 August 2024, the maximum amount is £12,471. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Overseas fee
Full-time
£34,250
2 years, part-time
£17,125per year
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
For courses starting on or after 1 August 2024, the maximum amount is £12,471. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
How will studying at Imperial help my career?
Be equipped with the necessary skills to proceed to a PhD and establish a career in academia.
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You will be well placed to pursue a research position with government and non-governmental organisations that seek to protect biodiversity.
Life Sciences graduates from Imperial are also highly sought after in a variety of employment sectors outside of academia.
Further links
Contact the department
Email: pgt.silwood@imperial.ac.uk
Course directors: Dr Richard Gill
Visit the Department of Life Sciences website.
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Request info
Find out more about studying at Imperial. Receive updates about life in our community, including event invites and download our latest Study guide.
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Events, tasters and talks
Meet us and find out more about studying at Imperial.
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications