Wildlife and conservation biology

Learn how to handle native animals, survey wildlife populations and conduct sustainability assessments. A career in wildlife and conservation biology will qualify you to contribute to the study and management of wildlife worldwide.

Get work-ready

Contribute to a better world for future generations by helping to conserve and preserve the world's precious animals. From day one you'll be immersed in nature, learning to handle native animals and interpret complex ecosystems while understanding how to best advise on the conservation of wildlife in Australia and overseas. Our courses are designed to adapt to industry trends and our partnerships, with high-profile organisations such as Zoos Victoria, mean you'll be well prepared for challenging work in the field upon graduation.

Undergraduate

Undergraduate (your first degree)

An undergraduate degree is generally completed between two to four years, depending on the pattern of study and any recognition of prior learning you may have. Associate degrees, bachelor and bachelor with honours are all undergraduate degrees.

Research

Higher Degrees by Research (supervised research)

Research degrees are research based master’s or PhD programs that focus on a single area of expertise. They provide students the opportunity to carry out highly specialised research under expert supervision.

Career opportunities

You'll be qualified for a career in wildlife conservation and management, or in environmental science. Opportunities exist to work with wildlife – including their habitats and threats, and the policies and strategies that guide management.

Graduates can obtain jobs in the private, government and not-for-profit sectors. Roles include:

wildlife officer
conservation officer
wildlife manager
park ranger
project officer

environmental consultant
research scientist
conservation biologist
wildlife biologist
landscape ecologist.

We spent six days in the Otways designing our field experiments, handling small mammals, camera trap setting and koala counting.

Cara Penton

Bachelor of Environmental Science (Wildlife and Conservation Biology)

Learn more about Cara's experiences

'Deakin honestly made my university years my best years from travelling from Africa to the Americas, to being surrounded by passionate and fun teachers and students in my course.

Wildlife Field Studies was my favorite. We spent six days in the Otways and it was a really fun way to complete an entire subject. I also had the opportunity to take a global work placement in South Africa monitoring lions, study overseas in Costa Rica whilst learning Spanish, undertake a research internship in Costa Rica studying Leaf Cutter Ants and go on a study tour to Borneo to see the orangutans.

Deakin has a great environment regardless of the course you are in and you won't regret it.'

Hands-on experience

The first of its kind in Victoria, this course features field-based experiences and regular practical classes as well as a professional work placement. The hands-on focus will give you the useful and real-world experience to graduate with a work-ready resume.

Go global and get a competitive edge

Imagine surveying wildlife in the Peruvian Amazon or experiencing turtle conservation in Costa Rica! Undertake a Global Environmental Placement or immerse yourself in the jungles of Borneo on our study tour to gain a global conservation experience.

Learn more about our global experiences

Research with us

How long will this earth last for? Is sustainability something you’re passionate about? Take on a higher degree by research today through our School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology or Centre for Regional and Rural Futures.

Learn more about researching with us