Prepare to address critical global environmental challenges with a sought-after skillset spanning data science and ecology, including the application of artificial intelligence to urgent environmental problems.
Biodiversity and ecosystems underpin all human wellbeing and endeavours – from health and happiness to prosperity and security. Yet biodiversity is declining rapidly, with global and local extinctions, and widespread population declines. Meanwhile, land is increasingly under pressure to meet multiple requirements, including the production of sustainable energy, clean water, and healthy, sustainable food. The combined impacts of a growing human population, increasing production and consumption, and global climate change, present an enormous challenge for the management of natural resources and ecosystems.
Facing the twin global challenges of the climate and biodiversity crises, we urgently need to harness the most up-to-date technology to understand how our ecological systems and environmental resources can better be managed. This programme, the first of its kind to bridge both ecological science and data science, will equip you with a highly valued mix of knowledge, computational and statistical skills, artificial intelligence expertise, and practical experience of problem-solving approaches to monitoring and managing natural systems.
Learn from experts across UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research the Natural History Museum, and ZSL, and industry partners, build your network and prepare to join the next generation of data-savvy biologists addressing time-critical challenges across the natural world.
What you can look forward to
- The MSc Ecology & Data Science is primarily taught in UCL’s purpose-built People and Nature Lab at the new UCL East campus in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford in East London.
- Develop a rare and sought-after mix of expertise spanning ecology and data science, and build a specialist skillset covering sampling design and biodiversity monitoring methods, sensor design, statistical programming languages like R and Python, and the most up-to-date machine learning and AI tools, including deep learning and computer vision.
- Work with renowned UCL academics from genetics, evolution and environment, robotics, connected environments and geography.
- Gain real-world experience through collaborations with the Natural History Museum and the Zoological Society of London, and project opportunities with industry partners like Chirrup.ai, UKCEH, Biodiversify, East London Waterworks, Google and Microsoft.
- Build the programme around the aspects of ecology and data science that most interest you, with optional specialisms in areas like behavioural ecology, science communication and nature-friendly urban design.
- Gain hands-on experience of design and implementation through a week-long field project in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Where the course can take you
You’ll be well equipped to advance the work of government, NGOs, charities and environmentally-aware private sector organisations, or you could apply your expertise within tech or engineering where there’s an ecological agenda. If you’re keen to conduct more in-depth research, you could use it as a foundation to a PhD.
- You can find further detail on the UCL course page.
- Find information on fees, entry requirements and how to apply on the UCL website.