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The MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability is a 40 units programme. The programme can be completed full-time over one year or part-time over two years with a maximum candidature of two years for full-time students and four years for part-time students.

Students need to complete courses comprising two essential core courses (8 units) and elective courses amounting up to 20 units, and either one research project or internship course (12 units).

*For cross-faculty courses, please visit the respective website for more details on the course information.

CORE COURSES

BL5301 – Conservation Problems and Practice (4 units)
A broad introduction to global conservation issues (marine, terrestrial and freshwater) focusing on threats underlying the loss of species and habitats globally. This course aims to explore the economic, social and biological context of biodiversity loss and conservation. Major topics will include deforestation impacts and drivers such as mining, agribusiness, hydropower, wildlife trafficking, ecosystem services, human-wildlife conflict and climate change. Further, the course will include an emphasis on conservation practice and current approaches and strategies to tackling conservation problems.

BL5302 – Topics on Nature-based Climate Solutions (4 units)
Climate change has become the defining issue of the 21st century, with far-reaching implications for both natural and human systems. Nature-based climate solutions are an important part of global strategies to address climate change. This course covers current issues related to the impacts of climate change, the potential and limitations of nature-based climate solutions, and the co-benefits they deliver.

BL5199 – Research Project in Conservation and Nature-based Climate Solutions (12 units)
This is a project-based course for students taking the MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Nature-based Climate Solutions. Students will take this course or BL5299 (Internship in Conservation and Nature-based Climate Solutions). In this course, students will conduct research on topics related to conservation science, under the supervision of a faculty member and/or co-supervisors with our industry partners. Through this independent project, students will gain hands-on practical knowledge in solving conservation-science related problems using scientific techniques. The research project is concluded with a written report and an oral presentation.

BL5299 – Internship in Conservation and Nature-based Climate Solutions (12 units)
This is a project-based coursefor students taking the MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Nature-based Climate Solutions. Students will take this course or BL5199 (Research project in Conservation and Climate Solutions). In this course, students will engage in an internship project with our industry partners. Through this independent project, students will gain hands-on practical knowledge in solving conservation-science related problems using scientific techniques. The internship project is concluded with a written report and an oral presentation.

ELECTIVE COURSES

Please note that not all elective courses are offered every year. It would depend on the availability of the teaching staff and course demands. 

BL5210 – Biogeography and Global Change (4 units)
Biogeography, the study of where organisms live and why, is a multidisciplinary science central to evolutionary biology, conservation, and global change biology. It encompasses both historical and ecological factors and employs a wide range of methods. This course will introduce key concepts biogeographic concepts and their applications. Students will investigate a topic of their choosing and share the results in a short presentation. Topics covered vary depending on student background and interests and can encompass diverse ecosystems, taxa, geographic area, timespans, and analytical methods. Many projects address global or regional conservation issues and the impacts of climate change.

BL5217 – Population Genomics and Phylogenomics (4 units)
The course will examine how genome-wide datasets can be applied to questions relating to the evolutionary history of animal and plant lineages. Some of the major topics discussed will be
(1) genome-wide datasets used to entangle rapid radiations,
(2) genome-wide SNPs deployed to discover patterns of gene flow between neighbouring lineages,
(3) introgression and admixture across hybrid zones, and many more.

BL5218 – Directed Studies in Behavioural Ecology (4 units)
Behavioural ecology combines ideas from evolution, ecology and behaviour. This course is to expose students to some of the most important and technical advances in the field and provides them an opportunity to develop professional skills in reading, researching, discussing, presenting, and writing about a selection of contemporary topics in behavioural ecology. All the assignments are tailored to student-directed inquiry.

BL5230 – Biological Invasions (4 units)
Invasive alien species are a leading global threat to native biodiversity and ecosystem function. They can also have costly impacts on economies, and affect human health and well-being. This course aims to introduce the field of invasion biology and relevant topical and local issues through lectures, directed reading and discussion, and project work. Selected topics will include invasion pathways, prevention and management of biological invasions, invasive plants, urban invasive species, aquatic invasive species, and climate change and invasive species.

BL5233 – Data Analysis for Conservation Biology with R (4 units)
Analysis and modeling of environmental biology data are essential skills in environmental biology in general and ecological research in particular. The range of statistical and modeling techniques necessary to analyze real data and the complexities inherent to natural systems will be covered. The course will provide graduate students with the expertise to perform modeling and statistical inference on environmental biology datasets at a publishable standard. Topics covered include: generalized linear models, generalized additive models, generalized linear mixed-effects models, analysis of communities structure, time series and spatial statistics.

BL5234 – Quantitative Methods and Critical Thinking in Biology (4 units)
Quantitative methods are increasingly used in biology. This course focuses on quantitative methods including dynamical systems, individual-based models, and general quantitative reasoning. The course also strongly emphasises critically thinking about when and why to use quantitative methods in biology. Each topic will be taught in the context of a few relevant high-impact papers. Topics include biodiversity, cell biology, population genetics, evolutionary game theory, and circadian rhythms. For each topic, we will learn key quantitative methods, have a critical discussion about how the quantitative methods were applied in the papers, and discuss the real-world implications.

BL5238 – Infectious Disease Modelling (2 units)
Infectious disease modelling has a distinguished history going back to the 1700s and is becoming ever more relevant to human society. This course teaches core skills of infectious disease modelling, focusing on the mathematical analysis of dynamical systems and computer programming of individual-based models in R. The first half of the course will cover classic models, such as Bernoulli’s smallpox vaccination model from the 1700s, Ross’s malaria model from the early 1900s, and Kermack–McKendrick’s susceptible–infected–recovered (SIR) model. The second half of the course will focus on more-recent case studies of currently relevant diseases.

BL5311 – Freshwater Conservation (4 units)
Freshwater ecosystems are extremely important habitats, housing vast species diversity and providing potable water, energy (hydro-electric dams) and revenue (fisheries) for the global population. With impending threats of urban development, climate change, pollution and invasive species, freshwater conservation is vital to maintaining the health and function of these ecosystems. This course will include hands-on use of conservation tools, case studies of current freshwater conservation projects, designing biomonitoring for conservation outcomes and future challenges to freshwater conservation. Effective freshwater management approaches will also be covered with possible applications for understudied regions.

BL5312 – Natural History Collections and Conservation (4 units)
Can the dead save the Earth? Natural history collections, being crucial repositories of biological specimens, are indispensable for scientific research and public education. This course highlights the importance of research and display of natural history collections to biodiversity conservation, with emphasis on Southeast Asia, which is one of the most biotically threatened regions. Topics include the changing roles of natural history collections from the past to the future, and different aspects of specimen-based research—from the field to the museum shelves and public gallery, to the world beyond via applications in research (e.g., ecology, evolution, global change) and scientific communication.

BL5313 – Food Security and Sustainability (4 units)
The growing local and global population is increasing world food demand. As Singapore’s population is projected to reach 6.9 million by 2030, it faces significant food security challenges considering that most of its food supplies are imported. How will we feed our population under these challenges? This course covers the history of food security in Singapore and the Southeast Asian region, sustainability of current practices and challenges (growing threat of climate change, export bans, pandemics, impacts on biodiversity conservation) facing Singapore now and in the next 50 years. This course will include field trips to agrotechnology facilities and guest lectures.

BL5322 – Field Techniques in Biological Conservation (4 units)
Studies on biological systems encompasses biotic and abiotic components. Techniques to obtain data from these systems are extremely varied. This course offers insights into current techniques adopted by practitioners in the field of biological conservation and nature-based climate solutions. The course content is especially designed to provide an overview on the necessary tools to quantify abiotic parameters, organisms, interactions, and processes in natural and modified habitats. Field techniques are the crucial first steps in sound study designs to ensure robust datasets for later analyses and interpretation. Core concepts are shared during lectures sessions with hands-on opportunities during fieldtrips.

BL5323 – Spatial Modelling for Environmental Sustainability (4 units)
Spatial and social data management and analysis are essential to support environmental sustainability interventions. Information on carbon stocks distribution, biodiversity, land-use change and opportunity costs help devise, monitor and assess the effectiveness of conservation and nature-based climate solutions interventions. Environmental sustainability practitioners that are able to handle and analyse large quantities of spatial and social data generated by remote sensing and social media are in high demand, especially towards the monitoring and verification of carbon credits. To fill this demand gap, the course trains students in the integration of spatial and social modelling skills with an emphasis in geographic information systems and machine learning to answer environmental sustainability questions. Topics covered in the course include GIS, biodiversity modelling, remote sensing, deforestation modelling, boosted regression trees, deep learning, conservation planning and social  and behavioural science methods including discrete-choice modelling, the Q-method and structural equation modelling.

BL5324 – Ecological Perspectives on Global Change (4 units)
The ways that humans have shaped the biodiversity of this planet are complex, multi-faceted and heterogeneous. Efforts to protect biodiversity and ecosystems thus requires a critical understanding of how ecological processes are disrupted by anthropogenic impacts and its implications across various spatial and temporal scales. This course will cover the foundations of ecology and biodiversity theory, how human impacts are affecting ecological processes, and the downstream implications of these effects.

BL5331 – Sustainability Science (4 units)
This course will introduce environmental governance and policy frameworks relevant to the global context of biodiversity conservation. Major topics include governance in relation to climate change, and international conservation policy (CITES, CBD etc.), resource politics and transboundary environmental problems. The course will also focus on innovative solutions being applied to solve environmental issues and promote sustainability through an overview of corporate social responsibility, innovative approaches to sustainable financing and incentive- based approaches to conservation.

LSM4262 – Tropical Conservation Biology (4 units)
Conservation and the loss of biodiversity and natural ecosystems are currently regarded as one of the most pressing problems facing mankind. The course will highlight the impact of habitat loss on biodiversity and the basis for formulation of effective conservation management strategies. The course will also introduce students to the theory of current conservation biology as illustrated by applications in tropical areas, species conservation issues, ecological challenges, role of zoological gardens, legal challenges etc. Conservation of tropical biota, management of local and regional environmental problems, appreciation and consideration of the socio-economic issues will also be treated. Conservation priorities and developmental needs at the national level will also be discussed, with emphasis on Singapore and SE Asia. The course will have guest lecturers from overseas as well as managers and conservation-players from the local environment. It will also involve a special round-table discussion on specific conservation issues.

DE5269 – Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development (4 units)
The main aim of this course is to arrive at set of economic policies that would facilitate sustainable development. These policies are demonstrated at both microeconomic and macroeconomic levels. The distinguishing feature of this demonstration is the recognition of the laws of thermodynamics and ecological resilience. The microeconomic analysis will begin with a critical review of basic concepts pertaining to consumption, preferences, demand, production, costs and markets. The standard approaches to natural resource management would be then considered in the light of this critical review. The internalization of thermodynamic principles and other scientific paradigms into the analytic frameworks of microeconomics can prompt deviations from the standard approaches to resource management. The macroeconomic analysis begins with methods of environmental accounting, which recognizes nature as capital besides labour and manufactured capital. The validity of this perception will be tested by recourse to a simple macroeconomic framework, which explicitly regards all natural resources as an aggregate item of capital. The class will be guided towards the formulation and application of this macroeconomic framework for the analysis of sustainable development. The final section of the course concerns the assembly of various management policies that strive for sustainable development.

BL5102 – Environmental Science (4 units)
The course introduces the scientific basis for environmental management. It discusses the earth’s environmental dimensions of air, water and land, and the interaction between living and non-living components. Earth is considered as a system through which materials are continuously cycled. Impacts caused by natural or human influences affect the state of balance, leading to environmental problems, with human impacts causing more serious consequences to the environment and human society. The course covers the properties of air, water and land, ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem integrity and environmental capacity, pollution pathways and impacts, conservation science, integrated management approaches. The emphasis is to provide a sound understanding of the scientific basis for better environmental decision-making. Targeted Students – For students on the MSc in Environmental Management programme.  Research students and students from other graduate programmes in NUS may apply subject to suitability of candidate and availability of places.

GE5227 – Internet GIS (4 units)
This course provides state‐of‐the‐art training in Internet GIS technologies and spatial theories for mapping and comprehending activities in virtual space, real space, and the intersections of the two spaces. It sees Internet as an integral part of social life and provides students a venue to explore the implications of the digital transformations brought forth by the Internet. Major topics that will be covered include 1) web‐based GIS mapping, 2) Internet of Things, 3) social sensing and social web, and 4) social dynamics of the Internet.

FE5224 – Current Topics In Applied Risk Management (2 units)
The global financial crisis triggered a set of structural changes that continue to play out in market microstructure and market architecture. Practitioners, on both the buy-side and sell-side, are in the midst of responding to new regulations around bank capital, operational risk, supervision and other non-market factors. The backdrop is complicated further by apparent disinflation, greater potential for event risk, macro-prudential interventions and in places, negative interest rates. The risk management context is also coloured by innovation in ‘fintech’ and cyber-risk.

For existing students admitted from AY2020/2021

Full programme fees of S$45,000 (before 8% GST^# and miscellaneous student fees) will be effective from AY2021/2022 Semester 1 intake.

For new students admitted in AY2022/2023

Program Pathways – Students who have started on a selected pathway are not allowed to switch over to the other route.

A) Direct Admission Route 

B) ‘Stackable’ Route

Only SC/SPR students may be eligible to receive course fee subsidies for SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) funded courses.

* Only applicable for SSG funded courses, see Programme Structure.
^#GST rate will be increased from: (i) 7% to 8% with effect from 1 Jan 2023; and (ii) 8% to 9% with effect from 1 Jan 2024.

Important Information

• A non-refundable and non-transferable acceptance fee of S$5,000 (exclusive of GST) – which will be credited towards your tuition fees – is payable upon acceptance of offer. 
• Miscellaneous Student Fees is payable for every regular semester, subject to prevailing rates. For miscellaneous student fees, please refer to the website, here.  

All prices listed are in SGD.

For continuation of candidature, a student must obtain satisfactory progress during their candidature.

1. • Academic warnings will be issued to students if their GPA falls below 3.00 (but ≥2.50); and
   • Dismissal and/or refusal of readmission will be issued to students if their GPA falls below 2.50 for two consecutive semesters of study; or GPA below 3.00 (but ≥2.50) for three consecutive semesters of study.

To be awarded the MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Nature-based Climate Solutions, the student must successfully complete a programme of study consisting of at least 40 units with a minimum GPA of 3.00, which consist of the following:

1. • Two core courses (8 units)
   • Any five elective courses (20 units)
   • Any one research project or internship course (12 units)

For enquiries, please email us at mbcncs@nus.edu.sg