Information for Students

Your journey with the Tropical Biology Association begins here, we have inspired and empowered over 2500 conservationists across the world.  Our training programmes and active alumni community can help you develop new skills, network, and achieve your dreams.

Your Are The Future

What are you going to do in life? There are so many possibilities, attending a TBA training, will have positive benefits on your future. Expert-led training to empower you and a globally active alumni network to support you. There really are no limits – join us and unlock your potential.

Gain Real Life Experience

We will give you all sorts of opportunities to gain new skills, hands-on practical experience and along the way, you might even discover a brand-new passion that you never thought you’d be interested in.

Increase Your Knowledge

This is your chance to improve your skills when you need it most, study what you love and what you’re interested in. You will share and learn with like-minded people and learn from some of the top experts in their fields.

Kickstart Your Career

Every long journey starts with a single step, but it’s also great to encounter some helpful stepping-stones along the way. Learning new skills, becoming inspired and re-invigorating that passion for conservation are just a few of the things that our course participants enthuse about. TBA training has a reputation that will make you more attractive to employers as well as universities. Our training is all about embracing new opportunities, and all of this will help improve your CV too.

Gain Confidence

The combination of in-depth learning, independence and meeting like-minded people can really help to boost your confidence. Life can throw many challenges at us, and it’s not always that simple for everybody – we understand that. However, the great thing is that on our training programmes you’ll be offered plenty of support, whether it’s your colleagues or the teaching team we will ensure a friendly and supportive network of people all willing to give you a helping hand.

Make Life-Long Friends and Connection From All Over The World

Students from all over the world come together in our training programmes. You’ll get to meet them on your course, within our online learning environment and our social media platforms. Making friends from other countries will open your eyes to all kinds of new things beyond their conservation approaches like different cultures, music, and food. The people you meet on our training courses can turn into friends for life as you all learn and share the same experiences together.

Learn Transferable Skills & Boost Your Employability

You’ll pick up loads of useful, transferable skills during our training that will help you in whatever job or research career you choose. You’ll get better at things like leadership, problem-solving, critical-thinking, adaptability, time-management, research & analytical Skills, communication, teamwork, and public speaking. You’ll also have access to all our resources and support to develop your skills.

“The TBA course has inspired me to be better and to strive to make a difference. It has been an honour to learn alongside students from so many different nationalities.”

Jemima Scrase, UK

“I truly believe that TBA is one of the world’s top educational tools for preparing young ecologists and conservationists for this troubled planet of ours, which is why I’ve been involved with TBA for 15 years.”

Professor Ara Monadjem, University Eswatini

“TBA has redefined what can be possible, in my professional career and life. I have met so many incredible conservationists here on this course, TBA has the magic touch.”

Merlyn Nomusa Nkomo, Zimbabwe

“Within the period of just one month, I feel that I learnt more than during my four-undergraduate years at university.”

Gilbert Adum, Ghana

“The training offered by TBA is an outstanding experience with life-changing impacts. It offers the practical and personal experience that studying at university could never replicate.”

Sven Holl, Germany

“The Tropical Biology Association Field Course, was not an end in itself
but the beginning of a journey towards strong conservation leadership.”

Lita Jackson Joseph, Sudan

“TBA training that brings front-line conservationists together to share their knowledge, experience and strengths, to build an empowered, collaborative network to solve the challenges we face.”

Agkillah Maniam, Malaysiay

conservation field training in Africa

Field Courses

Launch your career in conservation with our month-long courses in tropical ecology and conservation. These courses are for students at advanced undergraduate or early postgraduate level who have a keen interest, but little experience, in tropical biology.

About Courses
two women on tropical field trip

Alumni Success

Our students gain practical experience which serves them well as alumni, with access to a network of like-minded individuals. TBA alumni have gone on to take important positions in a range of organisations including Nature Uganda and the Tanzanian Forest Conservation Group

.

Alumni Stories
Tropical Biology Association field work camp

Specialist Courses

If you are looking to further improve skills in a professional capacity, then why not take part in one of our specialist courses. These courses provide tailor-made training for individuals, teams and organisations and target specific areas for professional growth.
View Courses
Grassland field work

Your Teachers

Since 1994, more than 250 teachers from 136 institutions in 29 countries have taught on TBA courses and are the key to students’ success and learning.
TBA Teachers
conservation projects

Alumni Conservation Projects

Our alumni go on and make a huge impact in conservation with a variety of projects in areas including Community, Wetlands, Forests and more.

View Projects
conservation field training in Africa

Online Courses

TBA has made our training more accessible than ever with our online courses. We have created new digital content that is as immersive, inspiring, and relevant as our face-to-face courses.
View Courses
conservation field training in Africa

Student Projects

A key element to our hands-on field courses are the student projects. These are a fantastic opportunity for small student groups to follow their ares of interest in a supportive environment. TBA publishes our students’ papers at the end of the course.

Past Projects