FAQs
Why is adding academic credit to my ACE placement worthwhile?
Practical experience and academic learning demonstrate different things. Your ACE placement gives you the opportunity to learn directly from conservation professionals, develop practical skills and see how conservation principles are applied in the field.
The Wildlife Conservation Diploma provides a structured way to build on those experiences and gain formal academic recognition for what you have learned. It develops your conservation knowledge alongside analytical, critical-thinking and reflective skills, helping you demonstrate your learning and professional development when applying for university, employment or future conservation opportunities.
Rather than leaving your experience to speak for itself, you finish with both first-hand conservation skills and an academic qualification that helps you evidence what you have achieved.
How do I add the diploma to my booking?
If you’d like to complete the Wildlife Conservation Diploma alongside your placement, simply let your ACE conservation travel consultant know during your consultation. You can add the Diploma when you first book or at a later date, although we recommend doing so at least three months before you travel to give you plenty of time to complete the first three modules before your placement begins.
Once you’ve decided to enrol, the cost of the Diploma will be added to your trip cost aand we’ll arrange your enrolment with the Centre for Global Citizenship Studies (CGCS).
CGCS will then contact you directly with access to the online learning platform and everything you need to get started and work through the course at your own pace.
Who is the Wildlife Conservation Diploma for?
You don't need to be studying conservation - or even currently be a student - to benefit from the Wildlife Conservation Diploma. It can be particularly valuable if you are:
- At school or college and want to gain additional academic credit before applying to university.
- Taking a gap year before university and want your time overseas to contribute to your academic and professional development.
- Studying conservation, zoology, ecology, biology, environmental science, veterinary science, animal behaviour, or a related subject and want to complement your real-world conservation experience with guided self-reflective growth.
- Exploring conservation as a future career and want a structured way to develop your knowledge while also gaining first-hand experience during your placement.
- Simply motivated to learn more about conservation, even if you’re not currently studying or pursuing a conservation career.
Whatever your starting point, the Wildlife Conservation Diploma provides a framework for connecting what you learn with what you experience on the ground in Africa.
Should I choose the Wildlife Conservation Diploma or the Short Course?
The Wildlife Conservation Diploma is the most comprehensive option. It follows your whole ACE journey, covering preparation for international volunteering, an introduction to wildlife conservation, structured reflection, and personal and professional development.
The Short Course contains the conservation curriculum from the Diploma without the broader preparation and reflective-learning modules, and has been created for students at US schools, colleges, and universities.
The Wildlife Conservation Diploma may be right for you if you want:
- A comprehensive qualification covering preparation, conservation science, structured reflection and personal and professional development.
- 41 UK Credits equating to 16 UCAS Tariff points - transferable to 9 US Credits / 20 ECTS.
- A structured learning journey that follows your whole ACE experience.
The Short Course may be right for you if you’re:
- Studying at a US college or university.
- Primarily looking for 3 US credits that are not subject to UK credit transferral.
- Interested in building your understanding of conservation before your placement without completing the broader volunteering and reflection modules.
If you're unsure which route is appropriate for your studies and goals, our team can talk you through the differences.
How is the Diploma accredited, and how is academic credit awarded?
The Diploma is delivered by the Centre for Global Citizenship Studies (CGCS), a UK online education institution specialising in qualifications surrounding international volunteering, global citizenship, service learning, and leadership.
CGCS is approved by the National Open College Network (NOCN) to deliver qualifications under the UK's Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The qualification sits at RQF Level 3 - comparable in level to A Level in the UK.
On successful completion of the Diploma, CGCS awards 41 UK credits, which carry 16 UCAS Tariff Points.
Their qualifications are regulated within the UK qualifications system overseen by Ofqual, the UK Government's Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. CGCS's assessment and quality-assurance processes are externally monitored by Ofqual, while student assessments are marked by PhD-level academics contracted by CGCS and moderated by its Academic Director.
For students outside the UK, the Diploma has recommended equivalencies of 9 US semester credits and 20 ECTS credits.
Can I transfer credit to my existing study program?
Successful completion of the Wildlife Conservation Diploma awards 41 UK credits directly through CGCS. If you want those credits recognised by a school, college, or university outside of the UK, your institution will decide how much credit it is willing to accept for the qualification towards your existing study program.
CGCS manages this process directly with you and your institution. It can provide a credit-transfer document explaining the Diploma, its Level 3 status, its 41 UK credits and the recommended 9 US credit and 20 ECTS equivalencies.
If your institution requires further evidence, CGCS can provide supporting academic documentation including the formal syllabus, programme handbook and assessment criteria, accreditation documentation, assessor feedback and a signed credit-equivalency letter. For US students, CGCS can also provide a US transcript.
For US students completing the Short Course in Terrestrial Conservation and Wildlife Stewardship, the process is slightly different. The Short Course awards 3 US credits directly through Hartwick College in New York, rather than requiring UK credits to be converted into a US credit equivalent. However, it is still at your school, college, or university’s discretion to determine whether and how those credits can be applied towards your existing program of study.
Because every institution sets its own credit-transfer policies, credit transfer into an existing study program cannot be guaranteed. If receiving academic credit towards your current programme is important to you, we recommend checking with your school, college, or university before enrolling.
