Veterinary Degrees Online

Zoology at Swansea offers a wide-ranging choice of laboratory and field-based topics, including subjects associated with medicine and veterinary science, as well as the study of animal behaviour and conservation in natural environments. The seafront campus, with its proximity to Swansea Bay and the Gower Peninsula (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), offers easy access to a variety of freshwater, marine and terrestrial environments where animals can be studied and project work carried out.

Year – 1

Course Code
Course Title
Credit Hours
Semester

Z – 1101
Principles of Animal Life – I
3
I

Z – 1201
Principles of Animal Life – II
3
II

Year – 2

Course Code
Course Title
Credit Hours
Semester

Z – 2101
Cell Biology
3
III

Z – 2201
Economics Zoology
3
IV

Z – 2202
Wild Life
3
IV

Year – 3

Course Code
Course Title
Credit Hours
Semester

Z – 3101
Biostatistics
3
V

Z – 3102
Development Biology
3
V

Z – 3103
Animal Diversity I
3
V

Z – 3103
Animal Diversity I
1
V

Z – 3104
Animal Form & Function – I
3
V

Z – 3104
Animal Form & Function – I
1
V

Z – 3105
Molecular Biology & Bioinformatics
4
V

Z – 3201
Genetics
3
VI

Z – 3202
Animal Behaviour
3
VI

Z – 3203
Evolution & Principles of Systematic
3
VI

Z – 3204
Animal Diversity – II
3
VI

Z – 3204
Animal Diversity – II
1
VI

Z – 3205
Animal Form & Function – II
3
VI

Z – 3205
Animal Form & Function – II
1
VI

Year – 4

Course Code
Course Title
Credit Hours
Semester

Z – 4101
Ecology
3
VII

Z – 4101
Ecology
1
VII

Z – 4102
Physiology
3
VII

Z – 4102
Physiology
1
VII

Z – 4103
Elective – I (Fisheries)
3
VII

Z – 4104
Biochemistry
3
VII

Z – 4104
Biochemistry
1
VII

Z – 4299
Research Project/Internship
3
VII

Z – 4201
Zoogeography & Paleontology
3
VIII

Z – 4201
Zoogeography & Paleontology
1
VIII

Z – 4202
Elective – II (General Immunology)
3
VIII

Z – 4203
Elective – III (General Microbiology)
3
VIII

Z – 4204
Elective – IV (Medical Entomology)
3
VIII

Z – 4299
Research Project/Internship
3
VIII

Course overview
The overall aim of this course is to provide you with the practical skills to combine knowledge of the habitats and species around you in the natural world, alongside the study of animal behaviour.

Our programme in Natural History was the first of its kind in the UK. It was designed to bring together taxonomic and observational skills – in the way that was so effectively utilised by earlier generations of natural historians like Gilbert White and even Charles Darwin. Darwin wrote of his days in Cambridge when learning about beetles: ‘No pursuit at Cambridge was followed with nearly so much eagerness or gave me so much pleasure as collecting beetles… I can remember the exact appearance of certain posts, old trees and banks where I made a good capture.’

Our understanding of the behaviour of other animals has flourished over recent decades. Yet the discipline still presents many challenges and is set to provide some of the major scientific breakthroughs of the 21st Century. There has never been a more exciting and important time to be a student of Animal Behaviour. This programme at Anglia Ruskin is the longest-established degree course in Animal Behaviour in the United Kingdom and attracts students from throughout Europe.

You will gain a thorough understanding of how and why animals behave in the ways they do and learn how this knowledge can be applied in areas such as the management and conservation of wild and domesticated animals. You will also acquire the skills needed to carry out your own investigations in order to contribute to future discoveries.
Module guide
Year one core modules:
Animal Behaviour in Context
Biomeasurement
Core Biology
Introduction to Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Ecology
Year two core modules:
Concepts in Animal Behaviour
Practical Biology
Preparation for Research
Practical Biodiversity Diversity
Communities & Ecosystems
Year three core modules:
Advanced Topics in Behavioural Ecology
Behavioural Ecology
Undergraduate Project
Countryside Management
Associated careers

This pathway is designed to provide you with the specialised skills required to work as a professional in the discipline of natural history, ecology and conservation. The pathway also provides excellent general training as a scientist, enabling you to work in the field or in the laboratory for a wide range of organisations. Potential employers include: government agencies, environmental consultancies, wildlife conservation organisations, educational and research establishments. The course may also lead on to further postgraduate study and a research career.
Assessment

This pathway uses a wide range of methods of assessment including essays, practical reports, computer based assessments, presentations, debates, steeplechase tests, reviews of scientific papers and examinations. The weighting of different assessment methods varies between modules and levels of study.

Our understanding of the behaviour of other animals has flourished over recent decades. Yet the discipline still presents many challenges and is set to provide some of the major scientific breakthroughs of the 21st Century. There has never been a more exciting and important time to be a student of Animal Behaviour. This programme at Anglia Ruskin is the longest-established degree course in Animal Behaviour in the United Kingdom and attracts students from throughout Europe.

You will gain a thorough understanding of how and why animals behave in the ways they do, and learn how this knowledge can be applied in areas such as the management and conservation of wild and domesticated animals. You will also acquire the skills needed to carry out your own investigations in order to contribute to future discoveries.

Members of the lecturing team are able to draw on their extensive experience from studying the behaviour of animals living on all five continents, as well as in many of the surrounding oceans and seas, to bring exciting examples and opportunities to their teaching. The team includes, for example, the Director of the Animal Behaviour Research Unit in Mikumi National Park (Tanzania). Staff are also involved in field and captive studies closer to home and have research links with a range of organisations studying British wildlife as well as at Britain’s most respected zoos.
Module guide
The core theme of the Animal Behaviour programme is the study and interpretation of the natural behaviour of animals and reflects the development of the discipline from both psychological and zoological origins. The Animal Behaviour programme covers the study of behaviour across the range of wild, farm, companion and laboratory animals.

At the start of the course, you will be given a comprehensive introduction to animal behaviour within a broader scientific, especially biological, context. This enables you to fully explore your specialist subject at higher levels. You will then go on to study the developmental, physiological, and evolutionary aspects of animal behaviour in more detail and practise observational study skills. In addition, the application of animal behaviour to areas such as welfare and pest control is developed.

The final phase of the course sees students extending their understanding of the evolution and function of animal behaviour in advanced topics such as behavioural ecology and sexual selection. All honours students are required to undertake a research project during the second half of their degree.
Year one core modules:
Animal Behaviour in Context
Biomeasurement
Core Biology
Introduction to Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Animal Form and Function
Year two core modules:
Biological Bases of Behaviour
Concepts in Animal Behaviour
Practical Biology
Preparation for Research
Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare
Year three core modules:
Undergraduate Project
Advanced Topics in Behavioural Ecology
Behavioural Ecology
Special Topics in Animal Behaviour
Associated careers

The practical skills you will acquire through this course will be useful in a variety of professional fields, although this degree will be of particular value to anyone wishing to pursue a career within wildlife conservation or zoo education. The pathway also provides excellent general training as a scientist, enabling you to work in the field or in the laboratory for a wide range of organisations. Potential employers include: government agencies, environmental consultancies, wildlife conservation organisations, educational and research establishments. The course may also lead on to further postgraduate study and a research career.
Assessment

This course uses a wide range of methods of assessment including essays, practical reports, computer based assessments, presentations, debates, steeplechase tests, reviews of scientific papers and examinations. The weighting of different assessment methods varies between modules and levels of study.
Special features

Field Trips – The Department organises a wide range of one-day and residential field trips to a variety of exciting locations both in the UK and abroad. Residential field trips currently include deer watching in Rum, Scotland; marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecology and animal behaviour in Devon; seabirds and seals in the Farne Islands, Northumberland; marine biology in western Scotland; Bialowieza primeval forest in Poland; zoo design and management in the Netherlands; tropical wildlife and ecology in Kenya, and diving and marine biology in the Red Sea.

Course overview
This course will help you seek answers to some of the big environmental questions today – questions around wildlife conservation and ecological sustainability. Sharing many common elements with our Animal Behaviour degree, it also provides a good grounding in the main aspects of Wildlife Biology.

Key to this degree is the drawing together of a number of diverse disciplines, from physiology to wildlife management, into a coherent and above all, relevant programme. You will learn about scientific research: how to test theories by experiment and field study. You will be taught by staff who have extensive experience of wildlife research in many parts of the world – and the chance to take part in a number of self-funded field trips means you will have the opportunity to put your new skills to the test.

The study of Wildlife Biology will introduce you to the biology of higher vertebrates, particularly birds and mammals. It will equip you with the field methods needed to study wildlife and provide an understanding of population ecology and wildlife management. You will learn about the habitat requirements of populations and the consequences of habitat loss and habitat degradation. The scientific understanding of approaches to management will be reinforced by studying the ecology of species, communities, and ecosystems.

Our understanding of the behaviour of other animals has flourished over recent decades. Yet the discipline still presents many challenges and is set to provide some of the major scientific breakthroughs of the 21st Century. There has never been a more exciting and important time to be a student of Animal Behaviour. This programme at Anglia Ruskin is the longest-established degree course in Animal Behaviour in the United Kingdom and attracts students from throughout Europe.

You will gain a thorough understanding of how and why animals behave in the ways they do and learn how this knowledge can be applied in areas such as the management and conservation of wild and domesticated animals. You will also acquire the skills needed to carry out your own investigations in order to contribute to future discoveries.

Methods of Teaching and Learning
Hands-on practical classes and field trips form a significant part of the teaching of this degree, in addition to more traditional lectures, seminars and active learning sessions. The methods of learning and teaching focus on the development of knowledge, academic and transferable skills, including an awareness of moral and ethical issues related to the subject of the degree. Lecturing staff and tutors aim to promote the personal and academic development of students and to provide flexible and accessible approaches to learning and knowledge which will contribute to employability of graduates.
Module Guide
Year one core modules:
Core Biology
Biomeasurement
Ecology
Introduction to Animal Behaviour & Welfare
British Wildlife and Conservation
Animal Behaviour in Context
Animal Form and Function
Year two core modules:
Practical Biodiversity
Practical Biology
Preparation for Research
Concepts in Animal Behaviour
Year three core modules:
Population Ecology & Wildlife Management
Wildlife Management & Conservation
Undergraduate Project
Behavioural Ecology
Advanced Topics in Behavioural Ecology
Associated careers

The Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Biology pathway is designed to provide you with the specialised skills required to work as a professional in the discipline of animal behaviour and wildlife conservation and management. The programme also provides a very good general training as a scientist, enabling you to work in the field or in the laboratory for a wide range of organisations. Potential employers include: zoos, animal training specialists, government agencies, environmental consultancies, wildlife conservation organisations, educational and research establishments. The course may also lead on to further postgraduate study and a research career.
Assessment

This course uses a wide range of methods of assessment including essays, practical reports, computer based assessments, presentations, debates, steeplechase tests, reviews of scientific papers and examinations. The weighting of different assessment methods varies between modules and levels of study.
Special features

Field Trips – The Department organises a wide range of one-day and residential field trips to a variety of exciting locations both in the UK and abroad. Residential field trips currently include deer watching in Rum, Scotland; marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecology and animal behaviour in Devon; seabirds and seals in the Farne Islands; marine biology in western Scotland; Bialowieza primeval forest in Poland; zoo design and management in the Netherlands; tropical wildlife and ecology in Kenya, and diving and marine biology in the Red Sea (Note: residential field trips require a significant financial contribution from the student)

Other areas of interest

Staff within the department are engaged in a range of research activities – such as primate ecology, invertebrate biogeography, ecology of ground beetles, breeding ecology of blue tits, elephant ecology and behaviour and insect-plant interactions, national monitoring schemes, ladybird behaviour and ecology.

Course overview
This diverse degree course combines elements of BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour, which deals with how and why animals behave as they do, with the study of psychology, which deals with the complex issues surrounding human behaviour.

Animal behaviour is one of the most dynamic areas of contemporary scientific research. Anglia Ruskin University’s role as a leader in this field means you will be studying this subject in a vibrant learning environment and will be taught by leading researchers. The link with psychology lies in the premise that certain aspects of human behaviour can be understood in similar terms.

The main aims of this degree are:
to provide you with a broad knowledge base that includes the social and ethical implications of Animal Behaviour and Psychology to equip you with the analytical and scientific skills necessary to test new ideas and critically review results.
This course provides insights into many areas of particular relevance to today’s world, such as wildlife conservation, how animals adapt to changing conditions, and how human psychology is affected by modern life.

When you graduate you will be able to:
analyse scientific data and evaluate reports in different disciplines
combine insights from both psychology and animal behaviour to throw light onto contemporary issues
undertake field investigations of living systems in a responsible, safe and ethical manner.
This course allows you to combine the study of two disciplines which, although very different, will often illuminate each other. Being both practical and academic, this course will also prepare you for a career in a range of fields.
Module Guide
Year one core modules
Animal Behaviour in Context
Core Biology
Introduction to Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Social and Developmental Psychology
Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology
Key Skills for Psychology
Year two core modules
Practical Biology
Preparation for Research
Research Techniques for Psychology
Concepts in Animal Behaviour
Year three core modules
Advanced Topics in Behavioural Ecology
Behavioural Ecology
Plus, if taking Animal Behaviour Major Project:
Animal Behaviour Major Project
or, if taking Psychology Major Project:
Professional and Historical Issues
Psychology Major Project
Associated careers

The Animal Behaviour pathway is designed to provide you with the specialised skills required to work as a professional in the discipline of Animal Behaviour. The pathway provides excellent general training as a scientist, enabling you to work in the field or in the laboratory for a wide range of organisations. Potential employers include: government agencies, environmental consultancies, wildlife conservation organisations, educational and research establishments. The course may also lead on to further postgraduate study and a research career
Assessment

This course uses a wide range of methods of assessment including essays, practical reports, computer based assessments, presentations, debates, steeplechase tests, reviews of scientific papers and examinations. The weighting of different assessment methods varies between modules and levels of study.

Course overview
The study of Animal Behaviour is increasingly important with new, surprising applications. The solutions to important environmental problems require an expert understanding of animal behaviour, whether charting the recovery of endangered populations, or avoiding outbreaks of diseases such as avian flu. The importance of captive breeding and reintroduction means that experts in animal behaviour have an important part to play in the management of zoo animals as part of conservation programmes. The subjects of Animal Behaviour and Ecology & Conservation combine to produce a field of study that is both scientifically rigorous and extremely relevant to today’s world.

Ecology and Conservation will give you a broad understanding of the ecology of species, communities and ecosystems. You will learn to apply that knowledge to find solutions to the problems of threatened wildlife and habitats. The core theme of the Animal Behaviour programme is the study and interpretation of the natural behaviour of animals and reflects the development of the discipline from both psychological and zoological origins. Central to the programme is training in the field methods used in animal behaviour, and in ecology and conservation. There are regular field trip opportunities ranging from short trips to observe birds in Cambridge’s Botanical Garden, through long weekends on the Isle of Rum observing the deer rut, to fortnight-long expeditions to East Africa (self-funded).
Year one core modules:
Core Biology
Biomeasurement
Ecology
Introduction to Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Animal Behaviour in Context
Year two core modules:
BioGIS
Practical Biology
Preparation for Research
Concepts in Animal Behaviour
Year three core modules:
Countryside Management
Undergraduate Project
Behavioural Ecology
Advanced Topics in Behavioural Ecology
Methods of teaching and learning
Hands-on practical classes and field trips form a significant part of the teaching of this degree, in addition to more traditional lectures, seminars and active learning sessions. The methods of learning and teaching focus on the development of knowledge, academic and transferable skills, including an awareness of moral and ethical issues related to the subject of the degree.
Study abroad
The Department has exchange agreements with the University of New Brunswick, Canada, and Marshall University, West Virginia, USA. Students taking Wildlife Biology, Ecology and Conservation, Marine Biology and Zoology can take advantage of the exchange programme (subject to availability of suitable courses at the host University). More familiar subjects can also be studied in a novel environment. Students normally participate in exchanges in Year 2 of their Anglia studies.
Associated careers

This pathway is designed to provide you with the specialised skills required to work as a professional in the discipline of animal behaviour, ecology and conservation. The programme also provides a very good general training as a scientist, enabling you to work in the field or in the laboratory for a wide range of organisations. Potential employers include: government agencies, environmental consultancies, wildlife conservation organisations, educational and research establishments. The course may also lead on to further postgraduate study and a research career.
Assessment

This course uses a wide range of methods of assessment including essays, practical reports, computer based assessments, presentations, debates, steeplechase tests, reviews of scientific papers and examinations. The weighting of different assessment methods varies between modules and levels of study.
Special features

Field Trips – The Department organises a wide range of one-day and residential field trips to a variety of exciting locations both in the UK and abroad. Residential field trips currently include deer watching in Rum, Scotland; marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecology and animal behaviour in Devon; seabirds and seals in the Farne Islands; marine biology in western Scotland; Bialowieza primeval forest in Poland; zoo design and management in the Netherlands; tropical wildlife and ecology in Kenya, and diving and marine biology in the Red Sea (Note: residential field trips require a significant financial contribution from the student).
Other areas of interest

Staff within the department are engaged in a range of research activities – such as primate biology, invertebrate biogeography, ecology of ground beetles, breeding ecology of blue tits, elephant ecology and behaviour and insect-plant interactions, national monitoring schemes, ladybird behaviour and ecology.

Course overview
This course offers you the opportunity to study these closely related fields in an exciting and dynamic environment, and to learn from teaching staff who are at the forefront of research in this rapidly advancing field.

Although based on the Animal Behaviour degree, this course also contains important elements concerning animal welfare and animal health, and considers how these issues affect both wild and domesticated animals.

The animal behaviour element deals with a fundamental aspect of the modern life sciences: how animals adapt their behaviour in order best to survive. An understanding of natural animal behaviour is also important in ensuring high welfare standards for farm and zoo animals.

Theoretical aspects will be covered in formal lectures and seminars while practical exercises will enable you to test these ideas by designing experiments, or by detailed field observations. The opportunity to take part in self-funded field trips to a range of locations will give you the chance to try out these skills in ‘real life’ situations.

When you graduate you will be able to:
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the major concepts, principles and theories associated with animal behaviour and animal welfare
display an awareness of the major developments within this field
undertake field investigations in a responsible, safe and ethical manner.
This course presents an opportunity to study within an exciting and dynamic learning environment, close to the leading edge of this rapidly advancing field. It’s also about providing you with a range of skills that are likely to be valued by potential employers in a variety of sectors.
Module guide
Year one core modules:
Core Biology
Biomeasurement
Introduction to Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Animal Behaviour in Context
Animal Husbandry
Comparative Mammalian Physiology
Year two core modules:
Preparation for Research
Practical Biology
Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare
Animal Health and Nutrition
Concepts in Animal Behaviour
Year three core modules:
Undergraduate Project
Animal Welfare and Society
Design for Animal Welfare
Advanced Topics in Behavioural Ecology
Behavioural Ecology
Associated careers

The pathway provides excellent general training as a scientist, enabling you to work in the field or in the laboratory for a wide range of organisations. Potential employers include: government agencies, environmental consultancies, wildlife conservation organisations, educational and research establishments. The course may also lead on to further postgraduate study and a research career.
Assessment

This course uses a wide range of methods of assessment including essays, practical reports, computer based assessments, presentations, debates, steeplechase tests, reviews of scientific papers and examinations. The weighting of different assessment methods varies between modules and levels of study.

The programme is available as a one year course for full-time students. There is also a possibility to complete the MSc over a period of three years.

Year 1 = block 1 and 2
Year 2 = block 3
Year 3 = dissertation

Students wishing to be part-time should get in touch with the programme director before enrolling with the University of Edinburgh.
Location
Edinburgh
Course Description
This course aims is to enhance knowledge and understanding of the scientific study of animal behaviour and animal welfare that can be applied effectively in science and practice.

This MSc, initiated by Professor D. Wood-Gush in October 1990 has a strong international reputation and has received the support of many well-known animal welfare organisations in the UK and in Europe, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the British Veterinary Association’s Animal Welfare Foundation, the Universities’ Federation for Animal Welfare.

This MSc will further broaden your knowledge of animal behaviour and welfare. At the end of the course we hope that you will be able to:
Demonstrate how scientific assessment of animal welfare can be applied in practical situation.
Undertake philosophical debate relating to animal welfare.
Communicate scientific results and information in research and other forms of debate.
Utilise effective and modern methods for describing and analysing scientific data.
Apply this knowledge in research (PhD) and in more practical environment.

A particular strength of the programme is that it enables its graduates to gain a very good overview of all up to date issues in the area of animal behaviour and welfare.

Each year we welcome some 25 students from different countries around the world. Students attending this postgraduate programme will benefit from excellent facilities and considerable expertise in animal behaviour and animal welfare matters. The University attracts a wide range of students from across the UK and worldwide, with one third of its full-time postgraduates coming from more than 100 countries from all over the world

Are you interested in how and why animals behave in the way they do? Are you interested in how the study of behaviour contributes to the welfare, husbandry and conservation of animals? If so, you should consider studying Animal Behaviour. This programme focuses on non-human animals but there is also a small element of human psychology.

The study of animal behaviour involves a multidisciplinary approach to determine how internal mechanisms generate a behaviour, and the evolutionary and ecological reasons for why a behaviour is performed. Throughout the programme, particular emphasis is placed on the design and performance of behavioural studies, including the use of the latest handheld computers and PC software packages to record and analyse behavioural data. There is the opportunity to apply these skills, under supervision from active researchers, during individual empirical research, as part of a workbased learning or honours project module at Level Three. Staff research interests and expertise are wide-ranging and include wild, captive and domestic animals but particular strengths are in primate (including human) and bird behaviour. Chester Zoo, Twycross Zoo, the Blue Planet Aquarium and Knowsley Safari Park are all within easy reach of the University and can be used to study animal behaviour, diversity and evolution.
Course delivery

The Animal Behaviour programme operates within the University Modular Framework. The programme is composed of modules at different levels, each level referring to a particular year of the full time course. Modules at Levels Two are generally 12 credits whilst those at Level Three are 24. For an honours degree you need 360 credits in total; 120 at each level.
Career prospects

For students graduating from the Animal Behaviour programme there are opportunities to enter careers that involve working with animals either directly or indirectly.

Employers may include zoos, aquaria, wildlife parks, conservation organisations, RSPCA, re-homing centres and research organisations. Some graduates may enter careers related to the veterinary professions after further study/postgraduate training.