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The course is curated to create young environmental leaders whose interdisciplinary skills will add value to corporate social responsibility and sustainability offices, development and conservation NGOs and government line departments dealing with environment and development portfolios. In academic institutions, these leaders will lend a practical edge to theoretical approaches. The degree will be awarded by TDU, a Karnataka Government and UGC-recognised university. TDU has been a National Centre of Excellence of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (GOI) and aims to transcend academic boundaries and engage with traditional knowledge. The Conservation Practice programme is a product of this combination of ‘inter’ and ‘trans’ disciplinary pioneering, novelty and legacy.
This is the course that walks the interdisciplinary talk, while most environment and ecology degrees only experiment with interdisciplinarity as they continue to be research-oriented. This programme focuses on conservation skills backed by rigorous socio-ecological knowledge. What you study matters, but where you learn and practice matters more. The course offers students an insight into natural and social science theories and methods and a novel opportunity to interact with faculty who have over two decades of interdisciplinary experience, thus helping them generate conservation and sustainability knowledge for stakeholders.
The Conservation Practice Master’s programme offers undergraduates a novel, career-centric, and practice-oriented post-graduation degree. The 80-credit programme comprises 55 credits from three classroom semesters and 25 credits from one project semester. Our ‘classrooms’ are indoor and outdoor spaces on campuses and urban and rural field sites. Experiential and immersive group learning is a practical thread that runs through the three semesters. focusing on knowledge, perspectives and skills. Student groups will pursue ‘mini projects’ or sectoral immersions in these semesters that apply or test concepts, frameworks and methods in the field. The final semester ‘project’ involves an internship with partner organisations or fieldwork, leading to a thesis.
The Conservation Practice course offers an exceptional opportunity for students driven and dedicated to conservation and human well-being efforts as part of corporate institutions, NGOs, government agencies, think tanks, applied research and policies and academia. Students who are enthusiastic about tackling biodiversity loss, climate change, urban water quality or sustainable farming will particularly appreciate this programme’s practical proficiencies that combine academic expertise and vital field skills.
The course equips students for diverse careers in NGOs, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability offices, environment and sustainability branches of the government, environmental management and consulting organisations, and academia. Graduates of the programme can thus be gainfully employed at private and public sector organisations that engage with conservation and sustainability.
We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds. We value diversity, gender equity and the representation of minority communities; women and persons from underprivileged groups are especially encouraged to apply. We also accept applications from international students.
