Course details

Summary

The Master of Wildlife Management (MWLM) degree is a three-semester 180-point postgraduate degree designed to train students with the skills necessary for employment in some aspect of wildlife or ecological management or research.

Other important goals of the course are to develop in students:

• an understanding of the ecological basis of conservation, harvest management and pest control.
• skills in handling, marking, observing and surveying wild animals.
• an appreciation of the practical realities of wildlife management from the administrative and legal points of view.
• a knowledge of the biology, ecology and behaviour of wild animals in New Zealand.
• skills in communicating about the management of, and scientific research of, ecological communities. Verbal presentations, debating, dealing with the media, popular science writing and scientific report writing are all emphasised and taught.

Papers

WILM 401 Principles of Wildlife Management

WILM 402 Techniques of Wildlife Management

WILM 501 Wildlife Management Research Placement

Papers worth at least 100 points from 400-level WILM, ZOOL, and other 400-level papers

Note: Every programme of study must include WILM 404 (or equivalent) if ZOOL 316 has not been passed previously, and must include WILM 406 if 300-level course work in Conservation Biology has not been taken previously.

Entry criteria

Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences), on the advice of the Head of Department of Zoology and the Director of the Wildlife Management programme.

Every applicant shall either

• have been admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Science, or equivalent, majoring in Zoology, Biology, or Ecology, and have achieved an average grade of at least B+ in the relevant 300-level papers, or

have alternative qualifications acceptable to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences).

English Language Requirements: IELTS - Score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); Internet-based TOEFL Score of 95 with a minimum writing score of 22.; Paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 587 (TWE 4.5); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); APIEL Advanced Placement International English Language Examination - Grade 4 or higher; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 64 with no communicative skills score below 57; University of Otago Foundation Studies Ltd: Completion of 'English for Postgraduate Academic Purposes' with a grade of C or higher.