We have designed this comprehensive 10-module course to give you foundation knowledge of ecological principles and it covers a range of useful topics needed for ecology careers including consultancy and conservation. You will be guided to further reading and, where relevant, will get suitable web links to explore. At the end of each module are quiz questions for you to complete.

Course Outline:

• Module 1 What is Ecology?
• Module 2 Diversity and Classification
• Module 3 Abiotic Interactions and World Ecosystems
• Module 4 Biotic Interactions and Behavioural Ecology
• Module 5 Evolution and Genetics
• Module 6 Population Ecology
• Module 7 Habitats and Communities
• Module 8 Species and Habitat Conservation
• Module 9 History of the British Countryside
• Module 10 Surveying and Habitat Management

“I absolutely loved this course and am looking forward to doing some further courses soon!”

“Just to say thank you for the brilliant course. Enjoyed doing it and learnt a great deal. Feel I have now got a foot in the door of Ecology.”

“Just thought I’d drop you a line to say how useful and interesting this course is!“

“Very good introductory course to learn general ecology ready for Certificate course”

“The course content was excellent and the topics covered were very informative. Anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of ecology would benefit immensely from taking this course. I would highly recommend it!”

“A thought provoking and enjoyable course.”

“The course has been thoroughly informative and engaging, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.”

“Thoroughly enjoyed this course, found it interesting and informative throughout; and have booked up for another. The quality and pace of the information is excellent, and Sue is always on hand for assistance or feedback. Highly recommended if you want do more than just read a book, but aren’t needing a full-time course.”

Other Details:

Who is the course aimed at?

• People who want to pursue a career in ecological consultancy or conservation.
• People who want a better understanding of ecological principles.
• People interested in a career in ecology who have a degree in a non-relevant subject (e.g. Geography).
• People who have a relevant degree but have not studied recently and need a refresher course.

Course format: The 10 self-study modules will be available straight away once you have booked so you can work through these in your own time.  To further enhance your knowledge and learning experience there will be some directed reading for each module (it is essential you complete this to ensure you get the most out of the course), as well as some quiz questions so that you can test yourself. At the end there will be a short quiz and if you get over 70% you will receive a Certificate.

Time commitment: There are 10 self-study modules and we advise students to allow 2-4 hours per week to complete each module and to read around the subject.

Learning outcomes: By the end of the course you will have an awareness of the scientific principles in ecology including biotic and abiotic factors affecting individuals and communities, genetics, speciation, population ecology, communities, ecosystems, conservation, landscape history in the UK, site surveying and habitat management for specific species. You will gain a wider knowledge on the subject that will help equip you for jobs in the conservation and ecology sectors.

Core text: Mackenzie, A., Ball, S. and Virdee, S.R. 2001 Instant Notes – Ecology, Bios
We strongly recommend that you purchase this as soon as you enrol.

How to book: You can book on-line here. Once you have booked, we will e-mail you to confirm that your booking has been received and you will then be able to start the course.

Booking for another person?

If you are purchasing a course/s on behalf of another person, please follow these steps to ensure they can access their course/s:

1. Create a student account using the student’s (whoever will be taking the course) details and contact information or use their existing student account.
2. Including the correct billing address and information for the payment method that was used.
3. Leave us a note in the ‘additional information’ box to let us know it was purchased with another person’s debit/credit card.
4. Make sure to pass on the Username and Password to the student so they can get started on learning. All their course materials will be available on their account.

Booking for multiple people?

If you are purchasing courses on behalf of multiple other people, follow these steps to ensure they can access their course/s:

1. Create a student account under your own details and add the correct number of courses for all the students you are purchasing for. (Example: If three people need to take Mammal ID, add it to basket three times).
2. Ask each student (person who you have purchased the course for) to create their own student account on our website with their own details.
3. Once purchased, contact us directly to let us know the Names, student account Usernames and Email Addresses for each student you have bought for.
4. We will contact each of them directly with directions on how to purchase the course free of charge once it has been paid for already.

If you have any problems with this process, please get in touch – [email protected] or 03301653024