Alison Copeland
Student spotlight details
Having completed a master's degree eleven years ago, Alison enrolled on our part-time Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques to gain the ‘hands-on’ skills she needed to pursue a PhD.
'When I enrolled on the course in September 2017, I was the Biodiversity Officer with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the Government of Bermuda. I had been in this job for nine years, and I was working mainly on endangered plant conservation projects, and assisting others with marine and terrestrial projects.
'I had completed a master’s degree (MSc) eleven years before I enrolled on the PGCert. I felt the MSc gave me the academic background to do the work I was doing, but I still lacked the ‘hands-on’ skills to undertake the surveys that would provide the evidence for the policies we were making. When I found the Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques it seemed to fill exactly the hole in my practical skill set, without too much extra theory. The time scale of a one-year, part-time course was appealing.
'I found the statistics module the most challenging, however, it was very satisfying when you finally checked in with everyone else and they had the same result as you! Now I refer back to my statistics notes often; especially when reading research results or thinking about questions I want to work on. Managing the workload was also challenging. Giving up time with friends and family to read and do assignments was hard. I would recommend planning out your whole year at the start — see what modules you want to do and when they are taught; and when they might conflict with your commitments. I fell behind immediately because I went on holiday in the UK after coming over for the in-person week, and had to finish my GIS assignment in a hotel room in Glasgow! Keeping up to date on the reading and discussion posts is the best thing you can do for yourself because if you fall behind it is a lot of work to catch up.
'I’m not the most tech-savvy person, so initially, I was intimidated by online learning. Having the in-person week at Oxford allowed me to get lots of help setting up my computer and practising using the online tools before I had to do it on my own.
'The in-person time at Oxford was fantastic. The UK landscape was foreign to me, so it was great to experience it, and use what we had learned already surveying in wetlands and woodlands. I enjoyed seeing some of the British wildlife for the first time. It was also great to make some friendships, and discuss with people from all over the world how the landscapes we work in are the same and different.
'I loved the flexibility in the course to choose some readings, assessment project topics, and the final project topic so that it suited your interests. Anything is more enjoyable when it is something that interests you. If you aren’t sure what interests you — this helps to narrow it down. I never thought I was interested in invertebrates before I did this course, and I ended up doing my final project on snails.
'Having taken the PGCert I could make more useful suggestions when reviewing research proposals submitted by others. I found that rewarding since it was making me better at my job, and getting us better evidence. The results of my field project were integrated into a recovery programme and IUCN Red List assessment for the target species. Seeing that work has an impact beyond my PGCert was very satisfying.
'I remained in my government job for four years after I finished the PGCert, and I wrote a paper with my Oxford supervisor based on my field project surveying Bermuda’s critically endangered endemic land snail. In September 2022, I started a PhD programme in Biosciences at Durham University. The focus of my PhD will be plant communities, which is a bit of a switch from my previous research areas, so I will be referring back to things I learned in the vegetation module of the PGCert.
'If you have an academic background and are looking to learn field skills to complement your theoretical knowledge, then this is the course for you. Or, if you are a career switcher, consultant, or are just interested in ecological surveys — then this is also the course for you.
'If you are not sure if you can fit the PGCert into your schedule, try taking one of the modules as a stand-alone course. It will give you a feel for the workload and time commitment. Then when you decide to do the PGCert, you can do all the other modules!
'Once you are on the course — ask the question. If you are wondering about it, someone else likely is too. The learning environment was extremely supportive and encouraging. I always felt like we were all learning together even though there was a huge range of experience and education levels in our group.'
