In this 16-week program, you’ll complete two core courses of theory and practice, a seminar course, and an independent research experience course.
Weeks 1 – 10
Conservation Seminar
CONS 400 (2 credits)
In this weekly seminar, students discuss current conservation literature and develop professional skills and conservation career-focused skills such as networking, fundraising, grant writing, written communication in various media, and data management.
Biodiversity Monitoring
CONS 404 (4 credits)
Students practice field techniques for surveying plants, insects, birds, fish, herpetofauna, and mammals. They also assess biodiversity and habitat quality in forest, grassland, and aquatic systems in order to develop and evaluate a monitoring plan for species or habitats of conservation concern.
Landscape and Macrosystems Ecology
CONS 405 (4 credits)
Students learn how to characterize landscape and ecosystem patterns and processes across spatial and temporal scales using remote sensing technology and networks of region-wide data collection. They also analyze patterns of global environmental change and propose sustainable landscape-level solutions for threatened species and habitats.
Weeks 11-16
Research in Conservation
CONS 496 (6 credits)
Students will pursue an independent research project under the guidance of a conservation mentor and produce a scholarly work to share with the professional conservation community.
Note: This course is designated as a Mason Core Capstone Experience course.
