SFS Integrated Wildlife Conservation

In the first part of the course, classes will be held online on Fridays and Saturdays on alternate weeks through e-learning platforms. In the second part of the course, in-person sessions are scheduled (either on weekends or as residential weeks) for practical lessons, workshops, and exercises.
The training activities may take place at UNIPD facilities or at the facilities of partner organizations (such as zoos, parks, or research institutes).
Each student is required to complete an internship at institutions, private companies, or other organizations, either nationally or internationally. The internship will last 200 hours and is worth 8 ECTS credits.
During the Master’s Course, students will be asked to develop an integrated conservation project. The project will involve active experimentation based on the methods learned during the course and will be carried out in groups.
The course’s educational content is organized around the following main thematic areas: integrated biodiversity conservation; research, animal welfare, and sustainability; human dimension and conflict management; legislation, ethics, and communication.

The Master’s program is open to anyone holding a first-level university degree who is interested in the conservation of terrestrial and marine wildlife and the protection of biodiversity.

The course is also suitable for professionals such as biologists, zoologists, naturalists, veterinarians, and agronomists working in the field of nature conservation.

The program equips students with the skills necessary to work in biodiversity conservation from a One Health perspective — from the design and planning to the implementation of conservation projects, both nationally and internationally.

It also provides competencies in managing local conflicts, scientific communication, and public outreach, while pursuing goals related to research, animal welfare, and local sustainability.

Our Short Specialization Degree in Integrated Wildlife Conservation is organized according to the following modules:

Module 1 – Preservation

Content: Ecology and biodiversity – One health approach and conservation medicine: an introduction – Ex-situ Conservation – In-situ Conservation – Conservation Ethics and Education – Design of conservation projects – Environmental disaster management and stranding

Module 2 – Research, Welfare and Sustainability

Content: Wild animals’ infectious diseases management – Wildlife Welfare – Biotechnology for conservation – Forensic investigation in wildlife crimes – Evolutionary adaptation in the animal world

Module 3 – Regulations, Communication, Ethics and Management

Content: Regulation and Legislation – Human-Wildlife conflict and interaction – Ethics, Communication and Project Management

• Parco Natura Viva – Garda Zoological Park (Bussolengo, VR)
• Giardino Zoologico di Pistoia (Pistoia – PT)
• Federazione italiana Parchi e Riserve Naturali – Federparchi
• Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (Napoli – NA)
• Zoo delle Maitine (Pesco Sannita – BN)
• Parco Monte Barro (Galbiate – LC)
• Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago Toscano (Portoferraio – LI)
• WWF Lecco
• Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research IZW – Berlin, Germany
• IPB University – Bogor Indonesia
• Centro Interuniversitario per la Ricerca sui Cetacei – CIRCE
• Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area – ACCOBAMS
• Morigenos – Slovenian Marine Mammal Society
• Biology Department – University of Padua
• Romanian Wilderness Society
• CERT – Cetacean strandings Emergency Response Team
• AnimalConcepts

The general ranking of merit for the academic year 2025/26 will be published on the Italian page of this Master according to the timing provided in the Call.