Gear up for a greener future
Interested in working in the environmental sector? Get ahead with this online course that’s underpinned by plenty of ecological theory.
Why choose this course with us?
- Learn at Cambridge, whatever your experience: this is an open-entry course
- Access Cambridge teaching in a flexible format: part-time and online
- Gain a credited, Cambridge award: boost your learning and career opportunities
- Join our peer-learning and Cambridge alumni communities: connection and support, for life
Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Course information
Course highlights
During this part-time online certificate course, you will:
- enhance your employability in the green sector
- develop key study and writing skills
Join us on this online course to explore the science of our efforts to conserve the natural world. We’ll apply key ecological principles to a diverse range of environments and consider how best to mitigate the impacts of human activity on natural populations and ecosystems.
As part of our learning community, you will:
- consider the universal ecological principles that underpin ecosystem functions and services
- understand the major local and global factors causing climate change and biodiversity loss
- critically evaluate the management and conservation strategies used to mitigate these changes
- draw on sound ecological theory to justify practical solutions to current issues
- explore the principles of experimental design as they apply to ecology
- learn good data handling and analysis practices
Course breakdown
The course will run from 9 October 2026 to 9 June 2027.
Each term's teaching usually takes place on Saturdays, with occasional sessions taking place on weekday evenings. Exact teaching dates and times will be confirmed in the course guide upon enrolment.
Michaelmas term: Fundamental Principles of Ecology and Conservation
- Unit 1 start date: 9 October 2026
- Unit 1 end date: 6 January 2027
Lent term: Handling Environmental data
- Unit 2 start date: week commencing 4 January 2027
- Unit 2 end date: 24 March 2027
Easter term: Conservation Management
- Unit 3 start date: week commencing 29 March 2027
- Unit 3 end date: 9 June 2027
After the course
You may develop your studies by taking further courses in the Biological Sciences. We aim to offer the following courses:
Entry requirements
There are no formal academic entry requirements for this course. It’s open to all learners who are interested in the subject.
English Language Requirements
Our courses are taught in English and require a good level of fluency. If English is not your first language, you’ll need to meet the requirements of one of the language proficiency tests below. You’ll need to complete your test and submit the results to our admissions team by 15 September 2026.
IELTS (Academic), IELTS for UKVI Academic, IELTS One Skill Retake
Overall score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in any component.
TOEFL iBT or TOEFL Home Edition
https://www.ets.org/toefl.html
Overall score of 92, with no element below 20.
(Please note that changes to TOEFL Internet Based Test and Home Edition mean that it will no longer be suitable for entry to Cambridge at Undergraduate level from 21 January 2026. Tests taken after this date will not be accepted.)
Cambridge English C2 Proficiency
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/proficiency/
Overall score of 176, with no element lower than 169.
As part of our open and inclusive learning environment, you can enjoy the world-class resources and expertise of the University of Cambridge wherever you are on your academic journey.
Our video-based teaching platforms offer a flexible way to access lectures, while our Virtual Learning Environment makes it easy to study and learn online and interact with your tutor and fellow students.
Our teaching methods include live and asynchronous lectures delivered by your regular tutors and guest speakers, as well as interactive and experiential learning activities. We will give you reading and writing assignments to complete outside of classroom sessions. You will demonstrate your learning using a range of assignments submitted during and at the end of each unit. There are more details about how this course is assessed in the course guide we will send you once you have enrolled.
Qualifications
This course is equivalent to half of the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree. It offers 60 CATS credits, which are recognised by higher education institutions and employers.
Hours of study
The award of academic credit is a means of quantifying and recognising learning and within the UK, one credit notionally represents 10 hours of learning. This course attracts 60 credits, so students should expect to need to study for approximately 600 hours in total to complete all units successfully. However, it is recognised that students study at different paces and use a variety of approaches, so this is a recommendation, rather than a hard-and-fast calculation.
SEEC Credit Level Descriptors for Higher Education (2021) here.
Fees
The total fee for this course is shown above in 'Course details'.
To help you manage your finances more comfortably, you can pay the fee in instalments. For more information on payment options, and how to secure your place, see how to pay.
Funding
We're dedicated to reducing and removing financial barriers to learning. Visit financial support before applying to find out what options may be available to help you in your studies. You can explore external funding and stay up to date on our concessions and bursaries.
We're committed to supporting you in your learning journey, and we offer a variety of support opportunities to meet individual needs. Visit student support to find out more about how we can help.
