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BSc ZOOLOGY WITH PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • UCAS code
    C302
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     4 years
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     4 years
View all

Not many degrees give you the chance to study animals in their natural habitat or get your hands on a lion’s skull at the University’s own Museum, but with our BSc Zoology with Professional Experience course, that’s just a tiny part of what’s on offer.

Zoology is the science of animals. Whether you’re passionate about one particular group of animals, or love the subject as a whole, our enthusiastic academics will help you get the most out of this degree.

Many other universities offer a one-size-fits-all shared first year to all students from ecologists to biochemists, but at Reading you will study animals from day one. You will have the opportunity to build up field experience and select optional modules to follow your specific interests in this vast and fascinating area of study.

You study animal life at all levels, from the simplest forms through to birds and mammals. You will learn about populations and ecosystems, animal behaviour, evolution, biodiversity and conservation.

In your second year you can undertake field work in a variety of locations including Devon, Sweden, Spain, South Africa and a tropical site, which in the past has included Borneo and Madagascar. The costs of these trips are not included, although all are subsidised.

In your third year you will complete a professional industry placement, allowing you to develop technical expertise and experience that aim to increase your employability and widen your skill set.

In the final year, you can complete a cutting-edge research project under expert supervision, either in the field or the lab – an opportunity that is no longer offered in many universities. We arrange projects on a wide range of animals including urban mammals such as hedgehogs and foxes, red kites, insects and pond or fresh-water animals. We also offer projects on animals in zoos.

In the final year there is also an opportunity to carry out your final-year research project at a European university under the Erasmus+ scheme. Previous students have worked at an overseas institute during the summer such as KL University in Malaysia or have studied leopards in South Africa. We achieved an overall student satisfaction score of 92% in the National Student Survey 2020 in BSc Zoology.

Our new £60m Health and Life Sciences building will open in 2020. As the new home of the School of Biological Sciences, it will offer state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, and plenty of study and social space, including a café. The building will also house the Cole Museum of Zoology. The collection, featuring over 3,500 natural history specimens, provides a fantastic resource for biological scientists and the wider community.

The Museum is used extensively in teaching in Zoology and provides you with unique opportunities to develop hands-on skills in taxonomy and natural history conservation. You can volunteer at the museum and receive training in natural history curation.

Placement

All our degrees offer placement opportunities, both as a one year option or as a summer module. Students receive help and training to find the ideal placement for them.

For more information about securing and completing a placement for your placement year, please visit our Important Information page.

For more information, please visit the Zoology website.

Overview

Zoology is the science of animals. Whether you’re passionate about one particular group of animals, or love the subject as a whole, our enthusiastic academics will help you get the most out of this degree.

Many other universities offer a one-size-fits-all shared first year to all students from ecologists to biochemists, but at Reading you will study animals from day one. You will have the opportunity to build up field experience and select optional modules to follow your specific interests in this vast and fascinating area of study.

You study animal life at all levels, from the simplest forms through to birds and mammals. You will learn about populations and ecosystems, animal behaviour, evolution, biodiversity and conservation.

In your second year you can undertake field work in a variety of locations including Devon, Sweden, Spain, South Africa and a tropical site, which in the past has included Borneo and Madagascar. The costs of these trips are not included, although all are subsidised.

In your third year you will complete a professional industry placement, allowing you to develop technical expertise and experience that aim to increase your employability and widen your skill set.

In the final year, you can complete a cutting-edge research project under expert supervision, either in the field or the lab – an opportunity that is no longer offered in many universities. We arrange projects on a wide range of animals including urban mammals such as hedgehogs and foxes, red kites, insects and pond or fresh-water animals. We also offer projects on animals in zoos.

In the final year there is also an opportunity to carry out your final-year research project at a European university under the Erasmus+ scheme. Previous students have worked at an overseas institute during the summer such as KL University in Malaysia or have studied leopards in South Africa. We achieved an overall student satisfaction score of 92% in the National Student Survey 2020 in BSc Zoology.

Our new £60m Health and Life Sciences building will open in 2020. As the new home of the School of Biological Sciences, it will offer state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, and plenty of study and social space, including a café. The building will also house the Cole Museum of Zoology. The collection, featuring over 3,500 natural history specimens, provides a fantastic resource for biological scientists and the wider community.

The Museum is used extensively in teaching in Zoology and provides you with unique opportunities to develop hands-on skills in taxonomy and natural history conservation. You can volunteer at the museum and receive training in natural history curation.

Placement

All our degrees offer placement opportunities, both as a one year option or as a summer module. Students receive help and training to find the ideal placement for them.

For more information about securing and completing a placement for your placement year, please visit our Important Information page.

For more information, please visit the Zoology website.

Entry requirements A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS, and we will guarantee you a place if you achieve one grade lower than the published offer.

Typical offer

BBB including grade B in Biology and in a second science subject. Acceptable science subjects are: Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Applied Science, Environmental Studies, Geology

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall including 5 in Biology and in a second science subject, both at higher level

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDD (Modules taken must be comparable to subject specific requirement)

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

  • Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
  • Year 4

Core modules include:

  • Building Blocks of Life
  • Introduction to Evolutionary Processes
  • Key Skills in Ecology and Zoology 
  • Ecology
  • Animal Behaviour
  • Animal Diversity
  • Current Topics in Zoology and Ecology

Optional modules include:

  • Mammal Diversity, Behaviour and Conservation
  • Ecology and Environmental Management
  • Pathology and Histology
  • Bacteriology and Virology
  • Digestion and Nutrition
  • Biochemistry
  • Human Physiology
  • Plant Diversity
  • Institution-Wide Language Programme
  • Summer Placement
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Core modules include:

  • Key Skills in Ecology and Zoology 2
  • Vertebrate Zoology
  • Invertebrate Zoology
  • Birds: Diversity, Behaviour and Conservation
  • Biodiversity: Exploiters and Exploited
  • Introduction to Entomology

Optional modules include:

  • Cells and Immunity
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Human Development
  • Venoms and Poisons
  • Nature Conservation
  • History and Philosophy of Science
  • Endocrinology
  • Introduction to Bioinformatics
  • Methods in Ecology
  • Practical Wildlife Reserve Management
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Professional experience in industry.

Core modules include:

  • Research Project

Optional modules include:

  • Evolutionary Genetics and Phylogeny
  • Behavioural Ecology and Life History Theory
  • Animal Welfare
  • Wildlife in the Farming Environment
  • Palaeozoology
  • Mammalian Reproduction
  • Captive Animal Management
  • Insect Ecology and its Application
  • Plants, Animals and Climate Change
  • Neurobiology
  • Systems Biology
  • Seminars in Biology
  • Conservation and Biodiversity
  • Wildlife and Diseases
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250* per year

New international students: £20,830 per year

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Placement Year fees

If you spend a full year on placement – including professional and research placements and industrial experience – you’ll pay a discounted tuition fee for that year.

For Home/Republic of Ireland students, the discounted fee is subject to parliamentary approval and is currently capped at £1,385.

For International students, the discount is 15% of your normal tuition fee.

For more information, please contact placements@reading.ac.uk.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

* UK and EU Fee Changes

Subject to the Government passing legislation to raise the minimum fee cap, we will raise undergraduate tuition fees from £9,000 to £9,250 for new UK/EU students applying to start courses in the 2017/18 academic year. You will not be affected by this rise if you have deferred entry to the 2017/18 academic year. The Government will confirm future arrangements for EU students in due course.

The tuition fee will remain £9,000 per year for the full duration of this course if you start in the 2016/17 academic year or have accepted an offer but deferred your entry until the 2017/18 academic year. This is unlike other institutions who are planning to raise fees midway through courses.

For further information, please see our webpage on the Teaching Excellence Framework and future tuition fees.

Additional costs

These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

Our Zoology graduates enter a wide variety of careers in the biological sciences, including jobs in conservation, animal welfare, education, consultancy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, the civil service and other public bodies such as local government conservation units and animal charities. Overall, 94% of our graduates are in employment or further study 15 months after the end of their course [1].

This may require some form of postgraduate training (PGCE, MSc, PhD), and we run two very successful MSc courses: Wildlife Management and Conservation, and Species Identification and Survey Skills.

As numerate scientists, our zoology graduates have many transferable skills that prepare them for any animal-based or biological career, or employment in a much wider range of sectors. Our graduates work in conservation, animal welfare, education, wildlife management, ecotourism, consultancy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, the civil service and other public bodies such as local government conservation units and animal charities.

All our graduates are eligible for membership of the Society of Biology and can apply for Chartered Biologist status.

[1] Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18; First Degree responders from Zoology.

 

Being zoology students at Reading was a fantastic experience. The zoology degree was engaging, challenging and enjoyable.

Ciara O'Donovan

BSc Zoology with Professional Experience

Related Courses

  • BSc Animal Science D320
    Full Time: 3 Years
  • BSc Animal Science with Placement Year D300
    Full Time: 4 Years
  • BSc Biological Sciences C100
    Full Time: 3 Years
  • BSc Biological Sciences with Professional Experience C101
    Full Time: 4 Years
View all Zoology degree courses at University of Reading courses

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2020
2021
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Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

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