Modules

Full-time

In term one you will take two core modules that cover (i) the fundamental aspects of ecological theory, survey design and sampling, sensing and sensor technology and their ecological applications; (ii) experimental design, field techniques, data collection, visualisation, management, and analysis. You will also be able to develop your interdisciplinary skills by choosing one optional module (BIOS0035: Foundations of Citizen Science or BIOS0036: Social Prescribing and Community Wellbeing) or, subject to timetabling, a Bloomsbury-based module (BIOS0027: Biodiversity Generation and Maintenance; BIOL0048: Behavioural Ecology for the Anthropocene or BIOS0021: Science Communications for Biologists).

In term two, you will develop and integrate applied skills across a range of activities delivered from three modules. You will explore the use, design, and deployment of different sensing systems and become familiar with different types of hardware and their modalities. Then you will progress your computational and analytical skills using environmental data, including that collected from the sensors you have deployed in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and apply different techniques and analyses to explore, understand, and develop insights from your results. Finally, you will bring your hardware and analytical skills together as you work in teams to address a real-world biodiversity and/or environmental problem and develop its solution.

Term three is dedicated to your research project. With academic support from experts in the field, you will develop an original question with UCL academics and/or in collaboration with industry partners, which in order to answer, you will draw upon your learning and experience from terms one and two. Depending on the project, it may be possible to develop your research question directly from the work you complete on the module BIOS0033: Nature-Smart Challenge. Furthermore, weekly tutor-facilitated, student-led workshops will provide the platform for you to discuss the central themes in conducting research across ecology and data science topics, and explore and resolve challenges faced in your own research-project work in collaboration with your peers.

If your research project is fully or jointly supervised by a partner you will be expected to spend research time at partner premises (e.g. NHM = South Kensington, ZSL = Regent’s Park). Similarly, if your research project is supervised by a member of academic staff based at Bloomsbury, you will need to spend time at this campus.

Part-time

Year one:
In term one you will take one core module (BIOS0003: Foundations in Ecology and Ecological Monitoring), that covers the fundamental aspects of ecological theory, survey design and sampling, sensing and sensor technology and their ecological applications. You will also be able to develop your interdisciplinary skills by choosing one optional module (BIOS0035: Foundations of Citizen Science or BIOS0036: Social Prescribing and Community Wellbeing) or, subject to timetabling, a Bloomsbury-based module (BIOS0027: Biodiversity Generation and Maintenance; BIOL0048: Behavioural Ecology for the Anthropocene or BIOS0021: Science Communications for Biologists).

In term two you will take one core module (BIOS0031: Technology for Nature) in which you will develop applied skills and explore the use, design, and deployment of different sensing systems and become familiar with different types of hardware and their modalities as you deploy sensors in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Term three is dedicated to your research project. With academic support from experts in the field, you will develop an original question with UCL academics and/or in collaboration with industry partners, which in order to answer, you will draw upon your learning and experience from terms one and two and attend a series of tutor-facilitated, student-led workshops that will provide the platform for you to discuss the central themes in conducting research across ecology and data science topics, and explore and resolve challenges faced in your own research-project work in collaboration with your peers.

Year two:
In term one you will take one core module, BIOS0002: Computational Methods in Biodiversity Research, that will introduce you to experimental design, field techniques, data collection, visualisation, management, and analysis.

In term two, you will develop and integrate applied skills from Year 1’s ‘Technology for Nature’ module across a range of activities delivered from two further modules (BIOS0032: AI for the Environment, BIOS0033: Nature-Smart Challenge). You will first in ‘Al for the Environment’ progress your computational and analytical skills using environmental data, including that collected from sensors deployed in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and apply different techniques and analyses to explore, understand, and develop insights from your results. Finally, in ‘Nature-Smart Challenge’, you will bring your hardware and analytical skills together as you work in teams to address a real-world biodiversity and/or environmental problem and develop its solution.

Term three is again dedicated to your research project. With academic support, you will further explore your original question with UCL academics and/or in collaboration with industry partners, drawing upon your learning and experience from year’s one and two. A further selection of tutor-facilitated, student-led workshops will provide the platform for you to discuss, explore and resolve challenges faced in your own research-project work in collaboration with your peers.

For both years one and two, if your research project is fully or jointly supervised by a partner you will be expected to spend research time at partner premises (e.g. NHM = South Kensington, ZSL = Regent’s Park). Similarly, if your research project is supervised by a member of academic staff based at Bloomsbury, you will need to spend time at this campus.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits in total. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Ecology and Data Science.