Veterinary Degrees Online

Stages 1 and 2: You receive a broad introduction to agriculture (see ‘Agriculture – All Degrees’ below).

Stage 3: Core modules develop key areas relating to animal production science such as animal breeding and growth; farm animal nutrition; and forage utilisation. Optional modules enable you to obtain expertise in related areas such as product quality and marketing; animal welfare and environment; or tropical animal production. You are encouraged to compare and contrast different livestock enterprises and to integrate scientific knowledge into sound production systems, considering the demands of both the market and the population. There are visits to look at livestock systems on farms and at research centres.
Agriculture – All Degrees

Our degree programmes provide an in-depth understanding of agriculture at both farm and industrial levels, based on agricultural sciences, production studies and business management. You are introduced to a range of farming practices on the University’s and other farms.

Each of our agricultural degrees carries a specialist theme (or Honours Option) which allows you to study a particular area of agriculture in detail. These Honours Options reflect different career paths available after graduation.

Whichever Honours Option you apply for, modules in Stages 1 and 2 are common. This means that if you are unsure which Honours Option is right for you, you can defer your decision until the end of Stage 2.

Stage 1: This covers all the basic scientific and quantitative aspects of the subject such as soil, crop and animal science, and economics. You are also introduced to laboratory work and develop skills in microcomputing. A series of visits to the University farms covers some of the more practical aspects of agriculture.

Stage 2: You apply the principles established in Stage 1 to both animal and crop production and to farm management.

Stage 3: Following one of the four Honours Options allows you to study, in depth, an area of agriculture that particularly interests you. Each Honours Option balances compulsory core modules with a wide range of additional choices making up a third of the modules taken in the final year. You also write a dissertation on a subject of your choice

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.

Course overview
Animal Welfare is an important issue of relevance to all levels of society; from individuals concerned with animal well-being to government departments involved in developing and implementing animal-orientated legislation. Ethical perspectives on man’s involvement with animals and the assessment of animal welfare are topics of much debate.

This course covers both the scientific principles underpinning the assessment of animal welfare and societal perspectives on this issue. Students use ethological, psychological, and physiological techniques to develop an informed, integrated, and rational approach to the assessment of animal welfare in both domestic and non-domestic contexts.

The main aims of this degree are:
to provide you with a broad knowledge base in the field of animal welfare
to equip you with the analytical and scientific skills necessary to test new ideas and critically review results.
From core modules you will learn to make scientific assessments of animal welfare in specific, practical situations. You will necessarily have the opportunity to gain practical experience of working with animals in a range of situations. A wide range of module options, from Vertebrate Biology to Parasitology, will allow you to focus on areas of particular interest or to prepare for a preferred career. When you graduate you will be able to:
design, prepare and execute scientific investigations, and analyse, evaluate and present your findings
understand and engage with current philosophical and ethical debates around animal welfare, and understand how science can help inform these debates
understand how conditions for domesticated or zoo animals may be adapted in order to allow them to best express their natural behaviour.
This is a modern and highly relevant degree dealing with an issue that attracts increasing public concern. It is a course that will not only engage and stimulate you intellectually, but will also prepare you for a career in a range of animal-related fields.

The course addresses both physiological and psychological aspects of animal health and well-being. In the first year, modules cover introductory physiology, anatomy and behaviour, as well as providing students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a range of animals. In the second year, these themes are developed and the contribution of health, nutrition and the environment to welfare is considered in more detail. In the third year, students are able to pursue their studies in specialist areas such as the behaviour of domestic animals and the management of animals in zoos. Ethical consideration of animal use is maintained throughout all years of study. All honours students are required to undertake a research project.

When combined with other subjects, for example animal behaviour or psychology, such programmes provide further opportunities for students to acquire complimentary skills in the study of animal behaviour, welfare, and human psychology.
Module guide
Year one core modules:
Core Biology
Comparative Mammalian Physiology
Animal Behaviour in Context
Introduction to Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Animal Husbandry
Biomeasurement
Year two core modules:
Preparation for Research
Practical Biology
Animal Health and Nutrition
Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare
Concepts in Animal Behaviour
Year three core modules
Undergraduate Project
Animal Welfare and Society
Design for Animal Welfare
Advanced Approaches in Animal Management
Special Topics in Animal Behaviour
Associated careers

This pathway will be of particular value to individuals looking to pursue a career within research, animal charities or zoos. This 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.

Course overview
Animal welfare is an increasingly high profile issue, making this degree both important and highly relevant to today’s world. Combined with the study of psychology, it will also give you a deeper understanding of human behaviour and society.

The main aims of this degree are:
to provide you with a broad knowledge base in the field of animal welfare and psychology
to equip you with the analytical and scientific skills necessary to test new ideas and critically review results.
Although formal lectures and seminars will provide you with a good grounding in theory in both disciplines, this course is essentially practice focused and you will have ample opportunity to gain and test a range of practical skills.

A wide range of options, from Parasitology to Contemporary Social Psychology, will allow you to focus on areas of particular interest or to prepare for a preferred career.

When you graduate you will be able to:
design, prepare and execute scientific investigations, and analyse, evaluate and present your findings
show an understanding of how both psychology and animal welfare science can contribute to current philosophical and ethical debates
analyse statistical data and evaluate and critically analyse research papers.
This course covers many themes relevant to the understanding of both humans and animals in the context of today’s world. It will provide many fascinating insights and much opportunity for independent project work, and can provide a route into a range of careers or into postgraduate study.
Module guide
Year one core modules:
Core Biology
Introduction to Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Social and Developmental Psychology
Key Skills for Psychology
Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology
Year two core modules
Animal Health and Nutrition
Plus, if taking Animal Welfare Major Project:
Preparation for Research
Practical Biology
or, if taking Psychology Major Project:
Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare
Research Techniques for Psychology
Animal Health and Nutrition
Year three core modules:
Undergraduate Project
Animal Welfare and Society
Design for Animal Welfare
Associated careers

The animal welfare component of this pathway naturally leads into work for zoos, the various animal welfare organisations and charities. 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.

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.

Our Veterinary Biosciences programme provides excellent training for students intending to work in laboratories related to animal science. It also provides a broad education in the biosciences, including the interface between human and veterinary medicine, for those with interests in veterinary sciences who may then go on to work in a wide variety of fields. It does not provide recognised training for those wishing to practise as a vet, although it may be suitable as an entry point for such a recognised programme.

Our modular programme structure provides a broad range of skills in your first year that ensure a solid foundation on which to build for your specialisation in the final year. Transfer between this and other programmes in the biological sciences is usually possible at this stage.

Your second year combines further studies in fundamental sciences with some specialised animal science modules. The optional professional training year, after your second year, will complement your academic knowledge and enhance your employment prospects upon completion of your degree. Your final year consists of core modules in specialised aspects of animal science, combined with a choice of a wide range of optional modules, together with a research project conducted in one of our own research laboratories or, subject to arrangement, neighbouring research institutes.