Veterinary Degrees Online

Stage 1: You develop an understanding of the scientific principles underpinning animal science through modules that are common to all animal science students – see Animal Science (Deferred Choice). You can also learn a European language or study aspects of business and marketing, skills that are increasingly sought after by companies in the animal science industry. Stage 2: You discover how scientific principles are applied to practical animal husbandry for a wide range of companion animal species. Stage 3: You examine the latest studies in companion animals being undertaken at centres across the world, such as the control of disease through the use of naturally occurring plant extracts or genotype selection for better disease resistance. You also work in teams to organise a mini-conference on animal health, arranging everything from fundraising, to identifying and inviting keynote speakers, to catering. This involves giving several of the scientific talks, addressing an audience made up of lecturing staff, students from other degree programmes in the University and from other colleges/institutions in the region. This unique experience can be extremely challenging but rewarding, and gives you the opportunity to become proficient in many of the communication and organisation skills that employers require in graduates. You also undertake a research project in an area of animal science that particularly interests you. Previous students have collected and interpreted data on a range of companion animal species from animal centres across the UK. The University also has close links with local kennels and stables where research projects can be based. Recent projects include: how environmental enrichment improves the welfare of dogs in a rescue shelter; the effect of recovery rate following exercise on racing performance in thoroughbreds; and the use of molecular techniques to screen for tick-borne pathogens in cats. Animal Science In today’s society the study of animal science is essential to meet social, economic and environmental objectives. Knowledge and research in this area drives the development of sustainable livestock production, contributes to the UK food and drink sector and is essential in promoting the health and welfare of the nation’s companion animals. Animal science at Newcastle explores all aspects of the biology of animals, developing your knowledge of the underlying scientific principles that govern how animals behave and function as well as the practical application of this knowledge. The sound understanding of science, coupled with the critical thinking, analysis and communication skills that are developed through the course, mean you will be equipped for a wide range of careers in the animal science sector. The flexible nature of the course allows you to learn a European language or to acquire business or marketing skills, thereby increasing your options after graduation.

We accept a broad range of qualifications and combinations of qualifications for entry to our degrees. You should also bear in mind the additional admissions criteria we consider.

All qualifications that are of a suitable academic level will be considered for entry to degree programmes, and will be considered in the context of appropriate preparation for the degree programme concerned.

In some circumstances it may not be possible to include certain subjects or a combination of subjects in an offer of a place.

If you have any concerns about the acceptability of subjects for a particular degree or aren’t sure if your particular qualifications are recognised by the University, please contact the Enquiries Service for further information.

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

To be eligible for admission into the five year Animal Science and Range Management degree programmes, the candidate must have any of the following:

(i) University Matriculation Examination (UME) requirements plus SSCE with credits in Chemistry, Biology/Agric. Science, Physics/Mathematics, Geography/Economics, and at least a pass in English Language and any other subject.

(ii) WASC/NECO/GCE’O’ level credit passes in Chemistry, Biology/Agric. Science, Physics/Mathematics, Geography/Economics, plus a pass in English Language and any other subject.

(iii) University Remedial Science Programme candidate should have credits in the relevant subjects at ‘O’ level with an average of B grade in remedial examination.

DIRECT ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
(i) Two passes at advanced level or equivalent in Chemistry and Biology/Agric. Science with WASC/NECO/GCE’O’ level credit passes in three other subjects obtained in not more than two sittings.

(ii) HND/OND with overall credit pass in Agriculture and credit passes in SSCE/NECO/GCE’O’ level in three other subjects obtained in not more than two sittings.

COURSE DURATION AND GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
The Department runs a five-year and four-year bachelor degree programme leading to the award of a B. Agric. Tech. (Animal Science and Range Management).

Students who gain admission into the department through the UME and ‘O’ level results only normally spend a year in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences offering some 100 level courses. For this set of students, they must take and pass the prescribed 22 and 18 unit courses in the basic sciences for the first and second semester respectively.

In addition, all students admitted by direct entry into 200 levels must take and pass 147 units before graduation.

Each course offered in the Department is prefixed by one of the codes BIO, BOT, MCB or ZOO indicating that it is a Biology, Botany, Microbiology or Zoology course, respectively. This is followed by four-digit number. The first digit indicates the level or year to which the course belongs; the second digit denotes the Credit Value/Load of the course amongst all courses of that particular level e.g. BIO 1201 (Biology; Level One; Two credits; first level one Biology course).

COURSE ASSESSMENT
Courses are assessed as follows:
a Courses with practical components:
Continuous Assessment 20%
Practical 20%
Examination 60%

b Courses Without practical Components
Continuous Assessment 30%
Examination 70%

COURSE CATEGORIZATION
For each Degree Programme, courses are categorized as follows:

Core Courses: These are courses which must be registered and passed before graduation.

Pre- requisite courses: A pre-requisite course is a course which must be registered and passed prior to taking another specified course e.g. MCB 2201 is a pre-requisite for MCB 2202.

Electives: These are courses from which a student could select to make for credit requirement of a particular level.

REGULATIONS FOR DEGREE PROGRAMMES
The current general regulations of the University (as stipulated in the Students Handbook) and the regulations of the Faculty of Science apply. In addition to these regulations, the following departmental regulations also apply:

All level I students in the Department are required to register 8 credits each of Biology and Chemistry courses, 6 credits of Mathematics courses (MTH 1301 and MTH 1303) and GSP 1202 (Study Skills). The remaining 8 credits should be taken from any of the following subjects: Geography, Mathematics or Physics. However, B.Sc. Microbiology students must register the remaining 8 credits from Physics courses only.

In addition to the course courses specific to each Programme at the 200 level, the following courses are also compulsory for all Level II students of the Department: GSP 2201 (Foundation of Nigerian Culture), GSP 2202 (Nigerian Government and Economy), BCH 2301 (Biochemistry I) CSC 2201 (Introduction to Computer) and CHM 2240 (Organic Chemistry).

All Level III students of the Department are required to take BIO 3102 (Filed Course I) and BIO 3399 (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme, SIWES).

In addition to core courses for each programme at the 400 Level each final year student in the Department is required to take the following courses as pre-requisites for the award of a degree offered by the Department. BIO 4201 (Review Essay). BIO 4213 (Field Course II) and BIO 4699 (Final Year Project).

The following pages list the normal minimum entry requirements for degree programmes. You should check this information carefully before submitting your UCAS application and if you have any queries please contact the admissions offices Contacts. Also, please note that entry requirements are subject to alteration after the publication of this Prospectus, and their publication does not imply that the University must offer you a place at the level indicated. Nor does it imply that if you have already met the minimum standards (or could achieve them) you will be made an offer. Offers are based not only on your academic record but on your evidence of potential as outlined in your personal statement and in the reference and in your suitability for the course as indicated in your UCAS application.

If you are offering non-UK qualifications, contact the appropriate admissions office: see Contacts.
SQA Highers

The University normally expresses its entry requirements for Scottish applicants in terms of individual Highers achieved at particular grades. Where appropriate, specific subjects achieved at a specified level may be required.
Advanced Highers

The Advanced Higher may be taken into consideration for admission purposes: the University may grant some exemption from Level-1 study for applicants with exceptional grades in the Advanced Highers as it currently does for applicants presenting with exceptional A-level results. This will NOT apply to all faculties and for all degree programmes. You must also consider whether by seeking such exemption you are limiting your degree programme choices. You should consult the appropriate admissions office if you are interested in applying for exemption on the basis of Advanced Highers.

The University recognises the value of the Advanced Higher and the benefit which the depth of study brings to an applicant in an individual subject. At the same time, the degree structure requires breadth of study. The University will take the Advanced Higher into account if the same subject at Higher was achieved at Grade C or below or where a B was attained and a second sitting offer requires a grade A at Higher to be attained. The University normally regards a grade B at Advanced Higher to be equivalent to a Higher at A.
A-levels

For general entry, all A-level subjects are accepted, including General Studies. You should check with individual faculties for specific exclusions. AVCE awards may be accepted in conjunction with A-levels but not as the sole qualification. An AVCE single award may be considered equivalent to one A-level, depending on the subject, and a double award may be accepted as equivalent to two A-levels, again depending on the subject. Please check with admissions staff before enrolling for AVCE courses.

The University will consider granting some exemption from Level-1 study for applicants with exceptional A-level results. This will NOT apply to all faculties and for all degree programmes. You must also consider whether by seeking such exemption you are limiting your degree programme choices. You should consult the appropriate admissions office if you are interested in applying for exemption on the basis of A-level performance if this was not specified in any offer made to you.
14-19 Curriculum Developments
Advanced Diplomas

We will be happy to consider applications from those studying towards the new Diplomas from 2010. We hope to publish more detailed entry requirements for specific Advanced Diplomas to our courses in our next prospectuses for entry in 2010.
Extended Project

The University very much values the Extended Project and its role in preparing students for a successful higher education experience. We are supportive of the requirement for Diploma students to undertake an Extended Project as part of their Diploma programme, and in highly selective areas preference may be given to students entering from 2010 with A-levels, who also offer the Extended Project for entry.

More detailed information on specific entry requirements for the new qualifications will be published when further information is available on their content and delivery.
Cambridge Pre-U Diploma

We welcome applicants offering the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma. Combinations of individual Pre-U subjects and A-level subjects are acceptable if three subjects are offered overall.
Higher National qualifications

If you have an HNC or HND you can gain entry to a wide range of degree programmes. In some cases, advanced level entry may be possible. Many of the Higher National qualifications listed in the following table have been revised as part of the Scottish Qualification Authority’s recent review. If you are unsure of the status of your Higher National Qualification and its suitability for entry into one of our degree programmes check out the the ‘alternative qualifications’ column within indivvidual faculty entry requirements. If you still require further information contact the appropriate admissions office : see Contacts.
Key/core skills

Although the University welcomes the attainment of key/core skills it will not normally include such attainment as part of a formal offer.
UCAS tariff points

The University does not frame its offers in terms of UCAS tariff points.
Age and stage

The University recognises that schools may present pupils for SQA Highers in fourth year. Normally, providing no more than one Higher is taken, this would not be considered as a first sitting. However, if two Highers are attempted in fourth year, the University may consider any assessed Highers from fifth year as a second sitting. This general rule may not apply if you are making application to the Medicine (MBChB) degree programme, where you will be expected to gain your entry requirements in one sitting. Please contact the appropriate admissions office for advice: see admissions offices Contacts.
Additional Contextual Data

The University has robust and equitable admissions procedures, based on all relevant academic and personal circumstances, as outlined in the application form and/or in subsequent correspondence. We carefully consider academic qualifications, the personal statement, the reference, the results of any additional tests such as UKCAT or LNAT if appropriate and the outcome of any interview as required. We aim to ensure that potential and suitability for study are thus identified. Further contextual information, for example that on care leavers and parental education, that is or may become available from UCAS forms, may be used to supplement the overall picture of a candidate, but no single piece of such information will, on its own, be conclusive in an admission decision. The additional information will be useful in terms of ensuring that adequate support is provided to students once they are on course and will assist us in ensuring that our activities in terms of outreach and widening participation are effective.