What kind of jobs can a degree in Wildlife Conservation get you?

I want to get involved with wildlife conservation/rehabilitation...… sure what degree to do?

• I am considering: BSc Ecology & Conservation/Zoology or Bachelor of Vet Tech..... would it be better to have the theoretical knowledge of conservation or would it be better to do vet tech which is more hands on experience? (It's pretty much vet nursing (but 'more advanced'... doesn't really focus on wildlife.. focusses on domestic & farm animals) Which would be a more advantageous degree to get involved with wildlife conservation & wildlife rehabilitation programmes? The way I see it, even if I did the BSc degree, some medical knowledge would be useful, so I might do a diploma in vet nursing part-time or something... Thanks

• Answer:

  It depends what you want to do really. Wildife conservation is very rarely 'hands on', a lot of it is actually desk work, having vet tech skills would be of rather limited use in that field even if you were to do research as scientists usually observe rather than interact/interfere. Rehabilitation on the other hand has limited significance to conservation. While the idea is not bad and may benefit the odd individual harmed by human intereference, the overall impact on populations and population recovery is usually very low. As such while knowledge of conservation, ecology and wildlife management would not go awry, a vet tech course would probably be more use. If you want to work with wildlife I would nevertherless suggest you do the Ecology and Conservation/Zoology course as it opens more opportunities to actually work with wild animals. As you said you could then do the diploma in vet nursing part time or gain experience at rehabilitation centres to guide you into that general direction of wildlife rehabilitation. I know there is a Uni in London offering Wild Animal Health but that is an MSc. course but it may be worth taking a look at as well: http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/ioz/wild_animal_health_msc.htm