One of the biggest problems confronting biologists world-wide is the increased extinction rate of animal and plant species. This is due in large part to the impact humans have had on land use, climate and resource consumption - an impact that is decreasing the earth's biodiversity and increasing the number of endangered or threatened species at an alarming rate.

Conservation biology is an integrative discipline that focuses on the problems of restoring and maintaining viable populations of animal and plant species, and natural and managed ecosystems. The program aims to provide core theoretical and practical training in conservation biology. Graduates with little tertiary training in conservation biology can access within the program courses that provide prerequisite knowledge.