I did the one-year taught MSc Ecotourism at Napier University in Edinburgh and to sum it up, for me the course was overall interesting, but it comes with several caveats - the main one is that the course contents does not consistently focus on ecotourism and also the course management and coordination ... Read review
Advantages: interesting subject Disadvantages: unfocused, no job options in ecotourism
...one-year taught MSc Ecotourism at Napier University in Edinburgh and to sum it up, for me the course was overall interesting, but it comes with several caveats - the main one is that the course contents does not consistently focus on ecotourism and also the course management and coordination is often just plain awful. Moreover, good jobs are very, very scarce in this field. Despite it being a very interesting subject, considering that job options ... ...is no information given by Napier about who is actually eligible, so here the rundown:
· Only Scottish students and EU students from outside Britain are eligible – English/Welsh/Northern Ireland and non-EU students are not eligible for funding under SAAS. · You are also not eligible if you already received some type of post-grad funding from SAAS, no matter for which course and no matter how much.
I did the one-year taught MSc Ecotourism at Napier University in Edinburgh and to sum it up, for me the course was overall interesting, but it comes with several caveats - the main one is that the course contents does not consistently focus on ecotourism and also the course management and coordination is often just plain awful. Moreover, good jobs are very, very scarce in this field. Despite it being a very interesting subject, considering that job options are so poor and the program often so unfocussed, I am not sure I would do it again.
On the plus side, the ecotourism class size is very small (usually around 10 students) which clearly is an advantage and makes mentoring easier and leaves space for individual interaction with tutors. Also, some aspects of ecotourism make just for fascinating subjects to study, so contents-wise it can be really good.
The degree basically consists of classes in general tourism management/sustainable tourism and classes relating to environmental management aspects plus some classes on scientific working/statistics. Most of the curriculum is build around subjects somehow dealing with ecotourism or bordering on ecotourism – there are very few lectures which are really focused on ecotourism, as opposed to sustainable tourism etc. The whole idea seems to be to mix tourism management classes with environmental management classes and as a result ecotourism management is supposed to come out. So, yes, there are various subjects that ecotourism touches on, and they are dealt with during the programme …it just doesn’t come together to something constructive and consistent, so you are left a bit dazzled.
Modules relating to tourism management are taught at the business campus in Craiglockhart which is a modern campus with good facilities, but classes tend to be big and anonymous as undergrad and postgrad students of general tourism degrees also participate. Quality of teaching at this campus widely varies, from truly informed and engaged lecturers to lecturers who have next to no understanding and no relation to the subject of ecotourism.
The modules about environmental aspects and scientific working are taught at the Life Sciences campus which is located at Merchiston. Only lectures taught by the programme leader Dr. Velander herself relate in more detail to ecotourism, the other modules are more in general about scientific working or statistics or environmental management with sometimes very little to no reference to tourism.
Unfortunately there is very little communication and no cooperation between both campuses - ie lecturers of tourism and lecturers of ecology- which is a shame as the course would highly benefit from more cooperation and coordinated contents – if ecotourism is what you teach, wouldn’t cooperation between lecturers of tourism and ecology make sense? That’s another reason why the course feels so unfocused.
One module of the program is a two-weeks field course to Tobago (costs around £1000; no funding). It’s not really clear why this is part of the program; especially as ecotourism and flying thousands of miles out and back for studying ecological techniques which could be studied just as well in Scotland do not really go together. The official reason is that it will enable you “to learn about a different ecosystem quickly”, but that sounds really thin – it’s not as if you extensively study the Scottish ecosystem during the rest of the programme. Also, brace yourself for some harrowing and sometimes just purely chaotic sleep-eat-activity schedules while on Tobago…
Dr. Kathy Velander, the program coordinator knows a lot about ecotourism, especially the numerous critical issues, she has worked as a consultant for a long time in the field. However, you sometimes cannot help feeling that she is not really convinced that ecotourism is a good thing at all, and very few positive examples are presented during the course, whereas problematic issues are chewed up again and again. Moreover, she tends to be pretty disorganised and her guidance on coursework can be inconsistent and arbitrary. Especially when working on your dissertation, it’s quite common to feel pretty much left on your own. In general, organisation at Merchiston campus can be really, really messy with unannounced dates/deadlines, contradictory guidance on coursework or no one in charge at all.
As for the funded places available: the course websites states that funded places are available – which means SAAS (www.saas.gov.uk) funding in this case. Funding covers only the PgDip, ie roughly 3000£, but as the Masters program is about £3500.00, you will need to pay 500£ yourself. It’s not much compared to the overall funding, but no one is going to tell you beforehand.
Moreover, there is no information given by Napier about who is actually eligible, so here the rundown:
· Only Scottish students and EU students from outside Britain are eligible – English/Welsh/Northern Ireland and non-EU students are not eligible for funding under SAAS. · You are also not eligible if you already received some type of post-grad funding from SAAS, no matter for which course and no matter how much.
Napier will nominate you for funding anyhow, they will not check that you fulfil the criteria. So, just because you are nominated for funding that doesn’t mean you actually get it – but by the time you find that out, you are already matriculated and legally obliged to pay the fees. Napier will nominate you and you need to apply to the SAAS for fundign in September – but by the time the SAAS has processed your application, it’s October and you are already matriculated. So if you are nominated for SAAS funding, it’s maybe a good idea to check in advance with the SAAS (www.saas.gov.uk/) if you would actually qualify.
If it comes to job options, ecotourism is a very, very narrow field of work, at least in Britain. Most of the employment is seasonal or poorly paid. You might be able to find something related to ecology or any other field of tourism–but if you wanted this, you are better off studying tourism management or just ecology in the first place. If it is really ecotourism what you would like to work in, brace yourself for a long and hard job search or be willing to move to different places in the world, preferably with climatic conditions which enable tourism all year round. If there is one lesson I have learnt – if it comes to job options and the market, don’t ever, ever listen to any university, they will tell you anything and everything to get you signed up – not always out of deceit but more b/c they are pretty much out of touch with the actual job market. I know it’s just common sense, but listening around, it’s amazing how many people don’t talk to and explore the industry before they study something (neither did I).
Overall, the ecotourism programme was an interesting subject, but more in a hobby-sense of way - for all the caveats outlined, I am not sure I’d do it again.
Advantages: Situated close to Edinburgh center. Disadvantages: Seems to have a poor image.
I have been at napier University for nearly 4 years now.
My experience with them has been varied. In my first year and a half, I was studying Electronic and Electrical Engineering, then I decided to change my course to Computer Networks and Distributed Systems. This is when my problems started.
The problems I had (which are realy the only problems i've had) were that the administration department have never really fully updated my end of year transcripts ... ...computing, I would definately recommend Napier University. It has one of the highest amount of computers in the Uni in Britain. And in the next year or 2, the computer department is getting fully apdated and upgraded with new facilites. The lecturing side of computing is very good. The majority of lecturers that I have had have been very helpful and fiendly and convey there lectured in a way that is easy to understand. I feel i really must mention ...
davidwatt 26.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Napier University, Edinburgh
Advantages: Friendly. Snuggled into the heart of Edinburgh. Disadvantages: Poor Rep.
...your artistic abilities then, certainly, Napier is probably not the University for you.
Don’t get me wrong, Napier is the most friendly University I have ever been to (and I’ve been to a few) and a pleasant atmosphere is important when you are a young student looking to get settled in. Whether you are an artist or a scientist you will benefit from the non-cliquey nature of Napier students.
The title of this opinion is ‘Common Sense Approach’ and ... ...mathematician and Napier was once a technical college. It should not take much to work out that Napier’s strength lies in mathematics and in science. Let us consider the two Edinburgh Universities. Yes, two universities as I can honestly rule out considering Heriot-Watt as a valid Edinburgh uni as it is so blo*dy far away! Edinburgh has an established reputation, it is something of an ‘old boy’ reputation but that might not be a bad thing, I suppose. ...
Manx 04.09.2000
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Advantages: employability after your degree, the location, the facilities, student accommodation location, the friendly staff, Disadvantages: lack of clubs other than sport, not a well known uni,
I am currently a Napier student, i'm in my 2nd year of my honours degree. I am doing festival and events managment. I'm based at Craiglockhart campus. It is a really good business school. It is a good size of building so it is easy to find the room you are meant to be in. I have friends from loads of different countries. The tutors are very friendly and are easy to contact if you need any help. Good facilities including a brand new gym. The student ... ...this is not unique to napier uni, just uni accommodation in general.
The only bad thing I have to say about napier iuniversity its self is the poor societies and clubs, unless you are into sport.
Napier cares a lot about what students think and at the end of all modules students can fill out a survey on what they think.
What I like about napier is that you do not get the snobbyness that you get at the likes of Edinburgh Uni, everyone at Napier ...
napier08 24.03.2008 (23.03.2008)
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Advantages: In Edinburgh Disadvantages: Arrogant & disfunctional management
Right - I'm a Napier graduate and have done some work for them too so maybe have an insight that many won't.
Napier tries to do many things well, and succeeds very little. The courses themselves are - on the whole - not too bad but with the Uni using SO many part time lecturers (and providing so few facilities for these staff) it's difficult to keep consistency of quality.
Craighouse is an excellent cmapus, both Craiglockhart and Merchiston have ...
SP 25.08.2000
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Advantages: Located in a great town Disadvantages: they need your money
...University regularly sends people to Napier University for a term abroad. Coming from an industrial town in Germany, what I liked most about Napier were the beautiful buildings of both Craighouse and Craiglockhart Campus. (However, if you have to go to Sighthill, you're not so lucky. )
As for technical equipment like PCs, Macs and so on, Napier is quite impressive. Library opening hours are alsobrilliant, although I guess that would be true for ... ...would I recommend it to students from abroad? Maybe. With student figures going down, Napier's move seems to be to just accept anybody as long as they pay. For our course, that meant crowded classes or hardly any choice because everything was so full. As one of my flatmates put it: "They'll offer a degree in toilet cleaning next if they think there's any money in it". So if you're thinking of attending, it might be worth asking how many peopel your ...
kat1605 04.10.2000
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If music isn?t your thing then how about a bit of dancy-dancy. Many nightclubs are situated in Edinburgh, City nightclub, where the MTV after party was held ? including guests such as Justin Timberlake. Other clubs include the Establishment, which hosts a wealth of drinks promotions especially on student nights ? Wednesdays. The great thing about clubs like these is that, not only do students from Edinburghuni go there, but you find some from Napier and Herriot-Watt, increasing the range of people you have the opportunity to meet.
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