The master's will last two academic years. It consists of 120 ECTS credits, 78 credits are mandatory, 12 credits are attributed to the external practicum and 30 credits correspond to the End of Master's Project.

The program combines subjects oriented towards inventorying and being deeply familiar with the biodiversity of an area, understood at both the organism and genetic level, with subjects that make use of this information to promote conservation strategies. The program is divided into five modules:

• Module I - Instrumental techniques (48 ECTS credits): Aimed at providing basic instrumental techniques for biodiversity studies and analyzing its patterns.

• Module II - Techniques applied to conservation (22 ECTS credits): This module focuses on techniques applied to the conservation of species and ecosystems.

• Module III - Management for conservation (8 ECTS credits): This includes the subject that starts the program (theory and application of conservation biology) and specific subjects for designing and managing conservation, participatory management of natural spaces, as well as seminars on current biodiversity and conservation topics.

• Module IV - External practicum (12 ECTS credits): This practicum will last one month and be completed in the Pacuare Nature Reserve in Costa Rica.

• Module V - End of Master's Project (30 ECTS credits): The objective of the End of Master's Project is to integrate the knowledge acquired throughout the program for the quality and coherence development of a project whose topic is included within the study of biodiversity in tropical areas and conservation. Students must demonstrate sufficient autonomy to develop a project or research project applying the knowledge and tools provided during the master's program.

Training program

Students must complete 60 ECTS credits per academic year.

First academic course (60 credits)

• Subject 102050 - Design and methodology for quantitative biodiversity inventories (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102051 - Design and methodology for conservation biology research (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102052 - Applying geographical information systems for managing biodiversity (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102056 - Molecular tools (6 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102058 - Techniques for identifying and defining species (6 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102059 - Ecological system dynamics (2 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102060 - Writing and presenting work: projects, articles and reports (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102061 - Ecological interaction (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102063 - Biology and conservation in fragmented habitats (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102064 - Conservation of aquatic systems (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102066 - Economic assessment of biodiversity (2 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102067 - Theory and application of conservation biology (2 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102069 - Participatory management of protected natural spaces (2 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102071 - External practicum. Field course: application of techniques in the tropics (12 ECTS credits)

Second academic course (60 credits)

• Subject 102053 - Statistical techniques (6 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102054 - Distribution modeling (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102055 - Tools for designing protected natural spaces (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102057 - Time and space distribution for species: analytical techniques (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102062 - Cataloging species conservation status ( 4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102065 - Ecological restoration (4 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102068 - Designing use plans and participatory management (2 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102070 - Biodiversity management and conservation seminars (2 ECTS credits)

• Subject 102072 - End of Master's Project (30 ECTS credits)

AF1 - Theoretical-practical classes

AF2 - Case analysis

AF3- Preparing materials

AF4 - Autonomous work

AF5 - Completing practical workshops

AF6 - Conferences

AF7 - Oral presentation of projects

AF8 - Tutorials

Subjects are designed to familiarize students with different methodologies and to training them in data analysis and interpreting results. Subjects have been proposed as an introduction to the most advanced professional and research techniques.

As a result, each subject includes brief research in which a topic and the corresponding hypothesis are proposed as well as methods to obtain data that will later be analyzed and give rise to conclusions.

Preparing reports in the format of a scientific article or advanced professional report will be mandatory in each subject and will be turned in according to the established schedule; they will not be accepted after the end of the course. In this way, the student learns to publish the results of his or her work. These articles may be written in a group, but the discussion which serves as evaluation will involve all of the authors so no student benefits from the work of others. Logically, many projects will not turn out exactly as expected. A lot of data will not be easy to interpret and many conclusions will seem like new hypotheses rather than real conclusions. The objective of the projects is to learn how to research, not to do complete research which is ready to publish in Science. If considered appropriate, part of the work completed during the master's can be compiled and published as a book.

With this evaluation process, students will develop the ability to form, design, adopt and put a process into practice for serious academic research as well as performing critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas. At the same time, they will learn how to publish the results of their research in prestigious publications (magazines, books, etc.).

SE1- Evaluation of personal work

SE2- Evaluation of field and/or lab work

SE3- Evaluation of final report

SE4- Evaluation of oral presentations

SE5- Evaluation of End of Master's Project

During recent decades, conservation biology has become more and more relevant in the field of applied sciences. Considered a "crisis discipline", it attempts to integrate lines of research as varied as economics, law, education, botany, zoology, taxonomy, genetics, ecology and biogeography in order to find strategies which allow the long-term conservation of biodiversity as well as promote sustainable social development over time.

Although this last aspect has largely been addressed by countries around the world through international agreements and conventions, the characteristics unique to different ecosystems and their state of conservation as well as available economic resources have given rise to strategies which in some cases are very different and which at times are not adapted to the needs of each country.

Tropical areas are home to the largest biodiversity on the planet, but few postgraduate programs train students explicitly for the study of biodiversity in these areas or how to manage their use and conservation while at the same time considering their particularities, such as those territories that have special statutes such as indigenous nationalities, communal lands, etc.

This master's program aims to:

• Train highly-qualified specialists in the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources as well as spatial management and planning, especially in terms of the future development of these regions.

• Offer companies qualified professionals to implement means of protecting biodiversity related to their productive process and the associated decision-making.

• Train specialists with suitable knowledge to efficiently migrate productive processes based on extracting low added value resources from higher added value processes.

The academic and scientific relevance is based on the ability to provide university graduates with fundamental and specific knowledge as well as skills which allow them to begin work in the field of applied research in lines coming from the areas of conservation and sustainable biodiversity management.

Its professional relevance is based on the ability to provide university graduates with knowledge and skills which will allow them to begin a professional career in different specialties in the areas of technological development, management and the market, both in business and institutional sectors and in a complex and dynamic professional environment.

CG1 - Acquire fundamental knowledge and tools necessary for applied research in the field of biodiversity.

CG2 - Learn to use new technologies to face problems related to biodiversity and conservation in the most diverse countries in the world.

CG3 - Hold an integrated view which allows better comprehension of the processes for biodiversity loss.

CG4 - Control skills to communicate knowledge and conclusions to specialized and non-specialized publics, in a clear and unambiguous way.

CG5 - Create projects with possibilities for funding from both public and private institutions.

CT1 - Develop critical thinking within professional or research activity.

CT2 - Strengthen social commitment and respect for the environment.

CT3 - Develop professional ethics and responsibility attitudes as well as respect for cultural diversity.

CT4 - Develop the ability to synthesize, organize, argue and analyze information.

CT5 - Learn to work in a multidisciplinary team and assume the role of leadership in collective projects.

CT6 - Learn to design and organize students' own work, fostering initiative and entrepreneurial spirit.

CT7 - Learn group harmony and work under adverse conditions.

CT8 - Organize expeditions and field work.

CT9 - Ability to communicate with social agents in the field of conservation (indigenous communities, authorities, researchers, decision makers, land owners, etc.).

CE1 - Obtain specialized training in the scientific and technical framework of the study of biodiversity in tropical biotas.

CE2 - Learn biodiversity conservation management techniques keeping in mind the current technological, social and cultural context.

CE3 - Mastering the specific fundamental knowledge to design and complete professional and research projects keeping in mind the context of the countries in which they are completed.

CE4 - Control the fundamental and specific knowledge to design and implement land use and management plans which integrate the philosophy of sustainable development.

CE5 - Know how to plan and manage the use of tropical biotas guaranteeing environmental sustainability, balancing use and interests with the preservation of natural characteristics.

CE6 - Acquire the fundamental and specific knowledge to develop professional activity in the field of administrative and company consulting.

The Master's Degree in Biodiversity and Conservation in Tropical Regions is especially directed towards university graduates in the fields of Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Pharmacy, Veterinary Studies, Agricultural, Agronomic or Forest Engineering, and other degrees related to the environment.

The Master's Degree in Biodiversity and Conservation in Tropical Regions aims to train professionals:

• Able to lead actions to appropriately inventory, protect, manage and use the biodiversity in tropical areas.

• Aware of the importance of scientific, teaching and technical collaboration among institutions, administrations, etc., in this case through collaboration with Spanish and Latin American institutions.

To achieve this, the following specific objectives have been proposed:

• Provide methodological tools for the inventory of biodiversity in tropical areas. Learn different survey, inventory and study techniques used in tropical areas.

• Provide methodological tools to analyze available information on biodiversity. Learn the molecular, statistical, distribution modeling, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), etc. based on information obtained from cataloging and inventorying biodiversity as well as that included in natural history collections (primarily the collections of the Real Jardín Botánico and the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales as well as other museums, herbariums and botanical gardens) which will allow this data to be analyzed to infer patterns and form a hypothesis about the aspects related to the study of biodiversity.

• Provide training in the most advanced techniques to evaluate conservation problems. This objective focuses on the specific techniques to study and evaluate conservation problems, such as habitat and population fragmentation, invasive species, emerging diseases, loss of genetic variability, etc.

• Provide methodological tools for the use and management of biodiversity and protected areas. With this objective, we aim for students to be able to design use and management plans for biodiversity in any geographic scope as well as in tropical areas where a large part of protected areas or areas subject to protection are territories with special statutes such as indigenous nationalities, communal lands, indigenous tribes, etc.

• Provide direct practical experience through field work in a reserve located in a tropical area. In this way, students will personally apply tools, instruments and techniques acquired as part of the previously mentioned objectives.

As a result, upon completing the master's program students will have acquired the fundamental and specific tools and knowledge that will allow them to:

• Begin a professional career in companies, organizations and institutions that work in the fields of biodiversity inventorying, developing land plans, environmental auditing, etc.

• Access doctoral studies and complete the doctoral thesis.

• Create and develop research in the field of biodiversity and conservation which suppose an advance in scientific knowledge.

Access with an official university degree from Spain or the European Higher Education Area (EHEA): Admission to the Master's Degree in Biodiversity and Conservation in Tropical Regions requires an official university degree from Spain or another higher education institution belonging to another Member State of the EHEA which grants access to study a master's degree in the country of origin. Special preference will be given to degrees in Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Pharmacy, Veterinary Studies, Agricultural, Agronomic or Forest Engineering and other degrees related to the environment.

Access with a university degree from outside the EHEA: Students with degrees from education systems outside the EHEA can be accepted without requiring official recognition of their degrees by accrediting that the level of studies is the equivalent to that of official university degrees in Spain and that the degree allows access to postgraduate studies in the country of origin.

Access for these students depends on a favorable decision from the Rector. The decision by the Rector will never imply official recognition of the degree the student possesses nor its recognition for purposes other than to study the master's degree.

Applications for admission must be sent via the web site "Online Pre-Registration" which can be accessed on the UIMP website at http://www.uimp.es/preins/index.php. When pre-registration is made, the required documentation must be attached in PDF format, although the documents do not need to be authenticated at the time of pre-registration. However, they should be certified because it will be essential to formalize registration, if admitted.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Photocopy of ID document (in the case of Spanish students) or NIE or passport (in the case of foreign students).

2. Photocopy of degree which grants access to the master's degree, or proof of paying the fees to issue the degree.

3. Personal academic transcript.

4. ID-size photo, in JPG format, identifying the file with the student’s surname(s) and name, without spaces.

5. Résumé (maximum of 4 pages), in PDF format, which allows evaluating other merits in the applicant's profile.

Students with a non-homologated degree or one which is in the process of homologation must additionally provide:

6. Certification from the university where studies were completed which states that the degree grants access to postgraduate studies in the country where it was issued.

7. Personal academic transcript which states the official length of the program in academic years, the curriculum followed, the subjects studied, grades received and the course load for each of them.

NOTE: Students with a foreign degree which has not been homologated or is in the process of homologation must present the legalized documents translated into Spanish as necessary.

The required original documentation must ONLY be presented at the Student Secretary (C/ Isaac Peral 23. 28040 Madrid, Spain) in the case the student's application has been accepted by the Academic Committee for the master's.

INSURANCE

All students who take an official master's or doctoral study at UIMP and who are not covered by School Insurance or registered in Social Security, must contract an accident insurance policy.

At the time of enrollment, they must present proof of having signed the aforementioned policy.

Without prejudice to the insurance company chosen by the student and, as an example, an approximate price calculation can be made through the following link: Calculate your accident insurance

If the student is registered in the Social Security, he must provide a photocopy of the Health Card with his name.

In addition, students of the University Master's Degree in Biodiversity and Conservation in Tropical Regions, who carry out the internships, must be covered during the period of the same by a travel insurance policy (apart from travel insurance accidents, which covers the entire course). Once the trip has been organized and before it is completed, they must present proof of having signed the aforementioned policy.

Without prejudice to the insurance company chosen by the student and, as an example, an approximate price calculation can be made through the following link: Calculate your study travel insurance

The price of the University Master's Degree in Biodiversity and Conservation in Tropical Regions does not include the amount of the trip for the realization of the obligatory practices. This amount must be managed and paid by the student.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Universal accessibility is guaranteed and supervision will ensure that students with a disability have the necessary resources and support to correctly complete the master's by asking them to indicate their specific needs when applying for the program.

In this link you can consult the UIMP Protocol for the attention of students with specific educational needs.

The admissions criteria include weighted aspects and will be based on the applicant's résumé, especially valuing:

1. Academic transcript. The average grade on the academic transcript will be taken into account (5 points).

2. Participation in other training programs (2 points).

3. Mobility during undergraduate studies, especially in tropical countries, professional or research experience in topics related to biodiversity and conservation (2 points).

4. English skills. Said knowledge is not exclusionary, but will be valued with a maximum value of 1 point (C2=1 point, C1=0.75, B2=0.5 points and B1=0.25 and no level=0 points).

The Academic Committee for the master's will be in charge of examining and valuing admission applications and approving the accepted candidates according to the previously mentioned criteria. The Academic Committee will publish an acceptance list each academic course on the UIMP web site.

Once enrolled, master's students will have continuous support tools from advisors, the master's director, faculty, etc.

• An informative session will be organized at the beginning of the course to explain the organization of the program.

• Each student will have an advisor assigned by the Studies Committee. The advisor will be a professor from the master's or a professor, researcher or professional who has at least a Master's of Science degree in the area of biodiversity and conservation studies. The advisor will help the student to create a study and work program and will supervise them.

• Each student will receive professional guidance: transition to work/doctoral studies.

• The advisor will guide the student on the End of Master's Project most suitable to their level of education and abilities. They will direct the student's professional activity in the field of biodiversity studies and conservation management, and they will thus support the faculty connections maintained with institutions dedicated to this activity (ministries, NGOs, etc.). It is likely that the large majority of participants in the first editions of the program are already working at these institutions and their objective for participating in the master’s is to improve their professional skills. These professionals will without a doubt be the best spokespersons for the program among those whose objective is to begin a professional career in this field.

• The ability to encourage the student towards completing a doctoral thesis is based on the scientific research environment in which the master's is developed, which the student will come into contact with through practical lessons making up the degree and by completing the End of Master's Project. There is a virtual classroom available to access internal information for students at CSIC Virtual Classroom.

Master's Director

Javier Diéguez Uribeondo, Head Scientist, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC

The teaching team for the master's is comprised of professors belonging primarily to the CSIS and also includes professors from diverse national and international universities and other research centers and official bodies.

Faculty selection is made based on their academic specialization in order for their teaching to fit the lines of research and curriculum.

Detailed information about professors associated with the program can be consulted on the "Syllabus" section on this web page.

Coordinating professors for lessons

Inés Álvarez Fernández, Head Scientist, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC

Jesús María Barandica Fernández, Professor of Ecology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

María Calvo Uyarra, Scientific Researcher, AZTI Tecnalia

Luis María Carrascal Lapuente, Professor of Research, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC

Luis Cayuela Delgado, Doctor, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Mario Díaz Esteban, Scientific Researcher, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC

Javier Diéguez Uribeondo, Head Scientist, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC

Leopold Füreder, Department Chair of Ecology and Conservation, University of Innsbruck, Austria

Marina García Llorente, IMIDRA-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Mario García París, Scientific Researcher, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC

Annie Machordom Barbé, Scientific Researcher, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC

Adolfo Marco Llorente, Hired Researcher, Estación Biológica de Doñana

Jesús Muñoz Fuente, Director, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC

José María Rey-Benayas, Department Chair of Ecology, Universidad de Alcalá

Isabel Sanmartín Bastida, Head Scientist, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC

Pilar Santidrián Tomillo, Estación Biológica Marina Goldring, The Leatherback Trust, Costa Rica

José Manuel Serrano Talavera, Professor of Ecology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Pablo Vargas Gómez, Scientific Researcher, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC