Why study Master's degree in Applied Ecology?

The Master in Applied Ecology aims to provide the opportunity for students to:

• Learn to conceive, plan and carry to completion a substantial piece of original research under the supervision of a professional;
• Become familiar with contemporary knowledge and thinking in the field of applied ecology;
• Learn to communicate and participate in discussions on current controversial issues in ecology and the application of the science.

What kind of expertise will I gain?

• Ecological topics at scales from individuals to global systems.
• Human impacts due to harvesting, introduction of alien species, habitat destruction and fragmentation, population control, pollution and climatic changes.
• The application of ecological methodology such as study design, statistical modelling, ecological technologies and analysis of wildlife and habitat monitoring.

About the programme

The master programme in applied ecology will focus on the following main topics:

• The ecological effects of human impact in nature;
• The ecological effects of remedial actions;
• Sustainable utilisation of natural resources; and
• Wildlife- and habitat monitoring.

These topics will be taught during lectures, exercises in the field, computer sessions, seminars, collaborative work, presentations by students and discussions through courses:

1) Five compulsory courses (a total of 45 ECTS credits):

• Concepts in Ecology (7.5)
• Study design and statistical modelling (7.5)
• Human impacts on ecological systems (15)
• Current topics in applied ecology (7.5)
• Human dimensions in ecosystem management (7.5) 

2) Optional courses (a total of 15 ECTS credits) from this or other relevant master programmes in Norway or abroad.

• Tropical wildlife: Ecology, management and utilisation (7.5)
• Population monitoring using Capture Mark Recapture (2.5)
• Population monitoring using Distance sampling (2.5)
• Population monitoring using radiotracking (2.5)
• Analysis of spatial animal data (2.5)
• Advanced statistical modelling (2.5)
• Multivariate statistics in community ecology (2.5)
• Specialisation (7.5)

 3) The master thesis (60 ECTS credits)

Course descriptions

Each study year consists of four blocks, with block 1 starting in middle of August and block 4 ending in middle of June.

Admission requirements

To enter the programme, you are required to confirm the achievement of either:

• A Norwegian bachelor degree, or an education recognized as being equivalent to a Norwegian bachelor degree.
• An education recognized as three years of higher education in Norway.
• Education approved as equivalent to the above-mentioned degrees according to university law § 3-4

Note that bachelor degrees (3 years of study) from a number of countries are recognized only as 2 years of higher education in Norway. Among these are most South American countries, USA, Russia and a number of Asian and African countries like India and Nigeria. For more information on recognition criteria visit http://www.nokut.no/sw335.asp.

Your degree from higher education has to include the equivalent of at least 80 ECTS credits of the following subjects:

• Minimum 10 ECTS-credit equivalents in statistics;
• Minimum 10 ECTS-credit equivalents in ecology;
• Minimum 60 ECTS-credit equivalents in biology, zoology, botany, evolution, wildlife biology, environmental sciences, or other relevant topics.

The study may be limited to a certain number of students decided yearly. In this case the ranking of students will follow the average weighted (ECTS credits) marks from your degree in higher education.

 English language requirement
All non-native English speakers must provide official documentation of English language proficiency at the level of Norwegian upper secondary school/high school. English must have been the primary foreign language in at least seven years in primary, secondary and upper secondary school, alternatively an A-level exam in English. Applicants who do not fill these requirements, or are not sure that they do must take one of the following tests:

- TOEFL with a score of 500 (written), 170 (computer based), 60 (internet based)

- IELTS with a score of 5.0

No exceptions are made to this requirement. Scores lower than 500/170/60 (TOEFL) or 5.0 (IELTS) will not be accepted. The TOIC test will not accepted. If you are not sure that you fill the English requirements see GSU-list http://www.nokut.no/en/Foreign-education/General-recognition/Applicant/NOKUTs-administrative-procedure/GSU-list/

Further studies

A fulfilled master degree meets the requirements for PhD studies in Norway and other European countries.