This course introduces the student to a recent and powerful tool in conservation biology. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) is based on ecological model simulations that evaluate risks associated with a threatened population, provide insight into population processes, and enable one to test different scenarios of management. The students are expected at the end of the course to have learnt how to build a population model, select appropriate parameters, get acquainted with software such as Vortex and RAMAS, and understand the utility and limitations of such models.