MSc Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity and Conservation

at Queen Mary University of London

MSc Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity and Conservation at Queen Mary will give you the cross-disciplinary skills and knowledge you need to describe, understand and conserve biodiversity. The course will teach you plant and fungal identification skills, molecular systematics, evolutionary biology, as well as conservation policy, theory and practice.

You’ll be taught by world-leading experts, internationally recognised for their cutting-edge research in plant and fungal sciences. You’ll learn how to apply new technologies to answer fundamental questions about the diversity of plant and fungal life on Earth, how it evolved and how we can best conserve it.

In this programme you’ll visit conservation projects and experience rare exotic plants during a field trip to Madagascar. You’ll get an introduction to practical field work, including botanical surveys and flowering plant identification and how they can be applied to solving practical problems of conservation management as well as biodiversity research. It will be taught by botanists from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre (KMCC) in Antananarivo and local conservationists and researchers from collaborating institutions. Several site visits to conservation projects and some taught case studies will give an overview of conservation in Madagascar.

Structure

• Six compulsory taught modules
• Substantive six-month research project
   

UK
Degree requirements
A 2:1 or above at undergraduate level in Biology or a relevant natural sciences subject.

Applicants with a good 2:2 degree may be considered on an individual basis.

Student Visa Regulations

If you will require a Student visa to study in the UK, you must meet the minimum English Language requirements to meet the UKVI regulations.  The minimum IELTS requirement is 5.5 in all four skills (Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening).  However, many of our courses require higher grades.

Pre-sessional English Language Courses

If you fall slightly below our standard English language requirements, you may consider one of our Pre-sessional English courses.  Please note that you will require a UK government approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) for entry to our Thirteen week pre-sessional courses.  Currently, only IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic (UKVI), LanguageCert International ESOL SELT and Trinity College London, Integrated Skills in English (ISE) are accepted. The Pre-sessional English course requirements are published according to the academic department within which your chosen course of study is administere

Full-time study
September 2022 | 1 year

Home: £13,750
Overseas: £25,150
 

Unconditional deposit
Home: £1000

Overseas: £2000
 

This course gives you the knowledge and skills to undertake research in the fields of taxonomy, molecular systematics, ecology and evolution, or to engage in more applied conservation work. It’s ideal preparation for a PhD or a career in industry, academia, environmental consultancy or government agencies.

Graduates of this course go on to roles such as:

PHD Candidate at The James Hutton Institute 

• Botanical Horticulturalist at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 
• Plant Science Content Editor at Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International 
• PHSI Plant Health Import Inspector at Animal and Plant Health Agency
• You'll have access to our Careers and Enterprise service who'll be there to help you find the right opportunity for your next step.