CAS ED-Pro Specialisation: Ethics in Wildlife Management and Conservation Practice

Examine difficult choices affecting wild animals and ecosystems

When should people intervene in the lives of wild animals? How should the welfare of individual animals be considered alongside the protection of populations and ecosystems? How shall we deal with human-animal conflicts? How can a decision be justified when those affected disagree about the priorities? 

Wildlife management and conservation practice need to combine scientific evidence, conservation objectives, as well as responsibilities towards animals and consideration of human interests. While evidence can help predict the consequences of an intervention, ethical analysis helps assess which consequences matter and how competing considerations should be weighed.

This specialisation develops your ability to examine tensions occurring in wildlife management and conservation practice and evaluate possible responses. You will explore the responsibilities involved in both intervening and choosing not to intervene.

Through case analysis and discussion, you will practise:

• Identifying the values and responsibilities at stake in wildlife management and conservation decisions.
• Examining tensions between individual animal welfare and conservation objectives.
• Assessing options in situations involving uncertainty and competing interests of humans and animals.
• Developing a reasoned recommendation and explaining its ethical basis for environmental governance and practice.

• Target audience

  The specialisation is intended for professionals working in wildlife and nature management, conservation, public administration and related fields who advise on or make decisions affecting wild animals and conservation practice.

• Registration deadline

  Early-bird: 30 April 2027

  Regular: 30 June 2027

• Costs

  Early-bird: 6'950 CHF

  Regular: 7’950 CHF

• Dates

  BASICS
  Module 1 What Is Ethical Decision-Making? (4 ECTS)	10-11 September 2027 & 24-25 September 2027
  THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE
  Module 2 Animal Cognition (2 ECTS)	8-9 October 2027
  Module 3 Animal Ethics (2 ECTS)	5-6 November 2027
  SPECIALISATION
  Module 4c Ethics in Wildlife Management and Conservation Practice (3 ECTS)	10-11 December 2027 & 17 December 2027
  INTEGRATION
  Module 5 Integration of knowledge and methods; writing of the final thesis. (4 ECTS)	14-15 January 2028