Conservation Biology Coursework MastersSpecial ReportWhere are they now? A survey <strong>of</strong> CB graduatesThirteen students began the MSc in Conservation Biology in January 2003; four from SouthAfrica, two from Uganda and one from each <strong>of</strong> Cameroon, Kenya, Botswana, the UK,Germany, Canada and the USA. What will become <strong>of</strong> them? Photo: Jane TurpieThe 10-year anniversary <strong>of</strong> the Conservation Biology programme saw a reviewprocess which included a survey <strong>of</strong> past graduates. Of the 109 graduands, 103 weresent a questionnaire by email to establish where they were working, what work theywere doing, how many had remained in conservation, whether they felt that thedegree prepared them adequately for their field <strong>of</strong> work, as well as to obtain feedbackon the course content and administration.Before presenting the results <strong>of</strong> the survey, it is worth highlighting the diversity <strong>of</strong>CB graduands. Just over half the students have come from South Africa, with thebalance split equally between the rest <strong>of</strong> Africa and elsewhere in the world. In terms <strong>of</strong>demography, they have been 58% male and 72% white.Of the 103 students canvassed, 81 responded to the survey (79% response rate),all but two <strong>of</strong> whom have jobs or are studying further.A gratifying 87% are involved in conservation activities. Most (70%) work in Africa,chiefly South Africa (54%), with 16% working elsewhere on the continent and 30%elsewhere in the world. Excluding students returning to existing jobs, 52% <strong>of</strong> studentsfound jobs immediately after graduating, and 42% found a job within 6 months <strong>of</strong>graduating. Only 14% <strong>of</strong> respondents did not consider that their CB degree had madethem more marketable.Graduates are fairly evenly spread across four main sectors <strong>of</strong> work: governmentand parastatals (26%), business and consultancies (22%), educational institutions(20%) and NGOs (19%). Most respondents (69%) are in jobs which require multitasking.The main areas <strong>of</strong> work are research, management, lecturing or teaching andconsulting. 27% <strong>of</strong> graduates deal with policy and legislation; only 2% are involvedwith tourism.A high 94% <strong>of</strong> respondents said that they would recommend the degree to futureconservation biologists. However <strong>of</strong> these, only 68% agreed that the degree preparedthem adequately for their intended career, with 12% giving a qualified ‘yes’. 16% feltthat the degree did not prepare them adequately for their intended field <strong>of</strong> work.Advantages <strong>of</strong> the course that were recognised included the wide range <strong>of</strong>conservation topics covered on the course, personal skills development, as well asinteracting with a diverse range <strong>of</strong> people. Many respondents commented favourablyzSpecial Report 33
on the interaction with a wide range <strong>of</strong> people, fellow studentsas well as staff and visiting lecturers, and the opportunities fornetworking, collaborating and job placements which thisprovided. Criticism centred around the difficulty in adapting'ideal world' academic training to a 'real world' situation.Suggestions were made to include components on projectmanagement, legislation and conventions and a greater focuson the issues <strong>of</strong> people and conservation.34 <strong>Percy</strong> <strong>FitzPatrick</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> Annual Report: July 2002 - June 2003
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