With the increasing pressures on the marine environment, both in the South Pacific region and worldwide, experts in the conservation and management of marine organisms and ecosystems are in high demand.
As a world-leader in marine conservation, New Zealand is a great place to develop your expertise in the field. Its unique and lengthy coastline is home to an abundance of marine organisms—from the tiny phytoplankton to the endangered New Zealand sea lion.
Study with our School of Biological Sciences, a leader in marine biology research, and learn how to make a positive impact on these valuable ecosystems around the world. Examine marine conservation issues and practice in New Zealand, Australia, the South Pacific, and the wider Indo-Pacific region. What you learn from these examples can be applied worldwide.
Earth and Marine Sciences at Te Herenga Waka are ranked in the top 150 in the world in the 2023 QS World Rankings by Subject.
Fill in the form to find out more about your study options in our Wellington Faculty of Science Postgraduate Handbook.
Download the handbookApply the theory you learn by going into the field to study different marine environments and ecosystems as part of the course field trips during the year, both in New Zealand and abroad.
Gain practical experience in the collection, analysis, and communication of data related to marine conservation and learn what life is like as a real marine conservationist.
The nature of marine conservation means that field work is a central component of this programme and we have field trips to Australia, Indonesia, Fiordland, and Hawke’s Bay.
James Bell
Programme Director, Marine Biology and Programme Manager, Conservation Biology
Marine Conservation can be studied through two qualifications. The Master of Marine Conservation (MMarCon) is a taught Master's with no thesis component and is the only taught Marine Conservation Master's degree in New Zealand.
Or you can choose to study the Postgraduate Certificate in Marine Conservation (PGCertMarCon), a shorter qualification for those who want to expand their expertise into a new area of interest.
Postgraduate study at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington will help you build valuable relationships and networks with peers, University staff, and future colleagues. You'll have opportunities to attend events, workshops, social functions, and seminars.
The Postgraduate Students' Association can give you information and provides a voice for you on campus.
Live and study in New Zealand's creative, compact and vibrant capital, the perfect place to base your studies. Central to a range of temperate marine environments, including rocky shores, estuaries, fiords, and sea mounts, Wellington is also close to two marine reserves—Kapiti and Taputeranga.
You'll gain skills and knowledge in a wide range of areas within the conservation and management of marine organisms and ecosystems, in both temperate and tropical climates. You might find work at Crown Research Institutes, in private research institutes, or with national government agencies managing marine conservation and fisheries.
Other organisations you may work with include regional authorities such as city, regional and district councils, consultancy firms carrying out contract marine biology work, or non-government agencies and not-for-profit organisations.
My role is diverse. Over the years I’ve participated in the review the Maui and Hector’s dolphin Threat Management Plan and acted as lead project manager for the development of the New Zealand sea lion Threat Management Plan.
Full storyKatie Clemens-Seely, Master of Marine Conservation graduate
Science advisor at Department of Conservation
You can look for scholarships based on your level of study, subject area, and background.
A PhD is the highest academic qualification offered by the School of Biological Sciences. You’ll carry out original and sustained research under supervision from world-class academics.
Usually entry into PhD study requires an Honours degree or a Master's with a research thesis. If you're thinking of continuing on to PhD study, you can take a research-based, special topics paper as one of your course choices to help you with entry requirements.
As a PhD candidate you’ll also be supported by the Faculty of Graduate Research.
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