Ranger

Prospects of graduates

BACHELOR'S PROGRAMME OF STUDY
NATURE CONSERVATION (Ranger)

(field of study: 1610 Ecological and Environmental Sciences)

Programme Focus

The study programme is centred on general and applied ecology, nature conservation, the management of renewable and non‑renewable natural resources, biology, management, information technologies, and the social and human sciences. Particular emphasis is placed on developing essential skills required for scientific research. Students learn how to plan and carry out their own research project, gain hands‑on experience in field data collection and laboratory analyses, perform statistical data processing, and acquire the ability to interpret results and write scientific articles, with opportunities to publish their work in international journals.

Graduate Profile

Graduates are prepared to apply key principles of ecology and landscape conservation across a variety of professional fields, including applied biological research. This is achieved through an integrated understanding of ecological processes, biotic and abiotic components of the environment, geography, related scientific disciplines, and practical training. Successful completion of the programme requires knowledge of natural resource management and its legal context, environmental informatics, natural sciences, economic and social frameworks, as well as appropriate physical skills.

Alongside theoretical and practical knowledge of natural resources (botany, zoology, geology and hydrology, soil science and climatology) and environmental legislation, students acquire essential practical competencies for environmental management and research. These include conservation research techniques, geographic information systems, field navigation, mountaineering, ski mountaineering, horse riding, self‑defence, firearms training and related practical skills.

Career Prospects

Graduates find employment primarily in nature and environmental protection, working as nature wardens or as research staff in environmental projects. With access to state‑of‑the‑art facilities in molecular biology, X‑ray imaging, thermal imaging, microscopy and ecotoxicology, they are well equipped for a wide range of professional roles. They may also work in museums, forestry services, fire brigades and other related institutions.

The programme further opens opportunities in the private sector, particularly in tourism (for example as professional nature guides) and in organisations specialising in cynology, equestrian activities or mountaineering. Graduates are trained to handle wildlife responsibly and to contribute effectively to wildlife management. They may collaborate with veterinary and agricultural institutions and play a valuable role in securing funding for non‑governmental organisations.

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Conditions of admission

Basic Admission Requirement

The fundamental requirement for admission to a Bachelor’s degree programme (first-cycle study) is the completion of full secondary education or full secondary vocational education, in accordance with the Higher Education Act No. 131/2002 Coll., as amended.

Applicants from abroad, or those who have completed their secondary education outside the Slovak Republic, must hold a qualification equivalent to a Slovak school‑leaving certificate (maturita). An applicant who obtained their secondary education abroad is required to submit, together with the application for university study—or no later than at enrolment—a formal decision on the recognition of their secondary school certificate issued by the relevant authority in the Slovak Republic.

Additional Admission Requirements

1. Admission Without an Entrance Examination

Applicants may be admitted without the entrance examination if they meet one of the following criteria:

a) Grammar School Applicants
Applicants from grammar schools who achieved an arithmetic average of grades in Mathematics and Biology of 2.0 or better on their end‑of‑year report from the penultimate year of study (not the final, school‑leaving year).

b) Applicants from Vocational Secondary Schools, Combined Schools, and Academies
Applicants who achieved an arithmetic average of grades in Mathematics and Biology of 1.5 or better on their end‑of‑year report from the penultimate year of study.

c) Successful Participants in National Competitions
Applicants who, during secondary school, were successful participants in subject‑related Olympiads or the Student Professional Activity (SOČ) and placed within the top three positions in the national round.

Meeting any one of the conditions listed under points (a) to (c) is sufficient for admission without an entrance examination. All other applicants are required to sit the entrance examination.

2. Entrance Examination

The entrance examination consists of a written test in Biology and an oral interview.

Applicants are admitted according to the rules of the selection procedure, based on the number of points awarded for their secondary‑school academic performance in Biology, Geography and Mathematics, as well as the result of the entrance examination.

3. Language Requirements

To study at IHMB, applicants are required to have both written and spoken command of Slovak or Czech.

The study programme, including the possibility of completing parts of the course abroad in later years, also requires applicants to have a level of English proficiency corresponding at minimum to standard grammar‑school curriculum.

Conditions for International Students

International applicants are admitted on the basis of the relevant intergovernmental agreements. Applicants who do not have an active command of Slovak or Czech are required to successfully complete a language‑preparation course (which may be taken at UNIZA). Applicants from the Czech Republic may use the application form valid in the Czech Republic.

For international applicants admitted under intergovernmental agreements, bilateral contracts, or as scholarship holders of the Government of the Slovak Republic, the conditions stated in the respective documents apply.

If international students pursue their studies in English, they are required to pay tuition fees in accordance with § 92(8) of the Higher Education Act. The amount of the tuition fee is set by a UNIZA directive and published for each academic year on the university’s website.

Without Entrance Examinations

yes

Coordinator for Students with Specific Needs

Bc. Jana Závodská
jana.zavodska@uniza.sk
041/513 5040

Without entrance examinations
yes

Conditions of admission without the entrance exam

1. Without an entrance examination
a) applicants from grammar schools who have achieved an arithmetic average of grades on the end-of-year report card for the penultimate year of study (not the final year) in the subjects of mathematics and biology up to 2.0 (inclusive) will be admitted,
b) applicants from vocational secondary schools, associated schools and academies will be admitted, who have achieved an arithmetic average of grades on the end-of-year report card for the penultimate year of study (not the final year) in the subjects of mathematics and biology up to 1.5 (inclusive),
c) will be accepted graduates of secondary schools, who were during their secondary school studies successful solvers of Olympiads, SOT related to the content of the study programme and ranked up to 3.5 (inclusive),
d) will be accepted. in the national round.

For admission without an entrance examination, it is sufficient to meet one of the conditions listed above in points a) to c).

Coordinator for students with specific needs

Coordinator for Students with Specific Needs

Bc. Jana Závodská
jana.zavodska@uniza.sk
041/513 5040

Form of entrance exam

Written test in Biology and an oral interview.

Apply the application for study

31.03.2026
Performance of the entrance exam

- 04.06.2026
Submit additional application form

10.08.2026
Performance of the additional entrance exam

24.08.2026

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Anticipated number of applicants to be accepted: 15

Additions

leaving certificate (electronic form)
CV (electronic form)
(electronic form)
(electronic form)

Annual tuition fees
Standard length of study: cost free
Study longer than the standard length of study program, parallel studies: 1200 €

The fee for admission procedure
application form: 30 €
E-application form: 30 €

Billing information

Expected number of admitted applicants: 15

Required Attachments

school‑leaving certificate (electronic copy)
curriculum vitae (electronic copy)
copies of end‑of‑year secondary‑school reports (electronic copies)
proof of payment of the admission‑procedure fee (electronic copy)

Annual Tuition Fees

Standard length of study: free of charge
Studies exceeding the standard programme length, concurrent study: €1,200

Admission Procedure Fee

paper application: €30
electronic application: €30

Billing Information

Žilinská univerzita (University of Žilina), Univerzitná 1, 010 26 Žilina
Bank: Štátna pokladnica (State Treasury)
Account number (IBAN): SK40 8180 0000 0070 0008 0700
Variable symbol: 19031 – Bachelor’s Study
Constant symbol: 0308

Proof of payment must be sent to UNIZA together with the application form electronically.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are charged in accordance with the Higher Education Act. Information on the tuition fee for the relevant academic year is published by the University of Žilina within the designated deadlines on the university website.

For payments made from EU Member States, EEA countries, territories considered part of the EU (Art. 299 of the Treaty of Rome), and countries that have voluntarily joined SEPA, please use:
BIC: SPSRSKBAXXX
IBAN: SK40 8180 0000 0070 0008 0700

Note

Applications are submitted for individual study programmes. If you wish to apply for more than one programme, you must submit a separate application for each, including payment of the corresponding fee.

Applicants must complete the form Application for University Study – First Cycle, or use the electronic version.
The electronic application may be submitted via:

UNIZA website: https://vzdelavanie.uniza.sk/prijimacky/index.php
National portal: https://prihlaskavs.sk/sk/

Incomplete applications, or applications submitted after the specified deadlines, will not be accepted.

If the applicant does not attend or is unsuccessful in the admission procedure, UNIZA does not refund the administrative admission fee.

Applicants wishing to participate in admission procedures at multiple faculties of UNIZA must submit a separate application to each faculty, including payment of the corresponding fee.

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