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Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Conservation

University Centre Bishop Burton

UCAS Code: ABWC | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

University Centre Bishop Burton

UCAS Code: ABWC | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

A*-E

UCAS Tariff

96

A relevant BTEC Level 3 and significant industry experience. Or UCAS points may be from qualifications such as T Levels, A Levels, BTEC Level 3 Extended Diplomas, Access to Higher Education Diplomas, and City and Guilds Advanced Technical Diplomas amongst others. Please use the UCAS Tariff points calculator to determine the UCAS points value of your qualifications.

About this course

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Subjects

Animal behaviour

Biodiversity conservation

Embark on an exciting journey into the world of animal behaviour and wildlife conservation at University Centre Bishop Burton! This BSc programme offers a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience, designed to inspire and equip the next generation of conservation leaders. Dive deep into the fascinating realm of animal behaviour and adaptation, and discover how behavioural knowledge is essential for effective species conservation.

On this programme, you will develop fieldwork skills through immersive ecological study on our beautiful rural campus and surrounding area. You will also learn practical animal husbandry at our on-site animal management centre, strengthening your understanding of animal behaviour and welfare needs in captivity. Our hands-on and collaborative learning approach ensures you're not just studying animal behaviour and conservation, but actively practicing the skills needed to be successful in this sector.

Key features of the programme include:
- Practical skills development in wildlife management and captive animal care

- International field trip opportunities to study diverse ecosystems

- Research opportunities using state-of-the-art animal management and lab facilities

Join our passionate community of aspiring conservationists and turn your love for animals into a meaningful career. At Bishop Burton, you'll gain the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to make a real difference in conservation, with career routes in captive animal management, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, ecological consultancy, international conservation biology, and many more.

Are you ready to transform your passion into purpose? Apply now and take the first step towards achieving a successful and impactful career in animal behaviour and wildlife conservation!

**Contact time**
The full-time route incorporates approximately 9-13 hours of contact time per week, encompassing lectures, seminars, practicals and tutorials. Additional to this time will be final project support sessions in your final year that you can book with your supervisor. You are also expected to carry out a significant amount of independent study in addition to contact time (approximately 25-30 hours a week). Independent study includes reading around the subject, preparing for tutorials and seminars, and preparing for and completing module assessments. This independent study forms an essential part of your learning journey.

You can expect to receive your timetable during induction week.

Modules

Year 1:
> APS and GIS
> Animal Behaviour
> Introduction of Physiology and Genetics
> Industry Skills
> Principles of Ecology Conservation
> Introduction to Captive Management

Year 2:
> Wildlife Rehabilitation and reintroductions
> Behaviour of Key Species
> Field Studies with Data Analysis
> Independent Project
> Business Project Management
>Welfare Ethics and Legislation

Year 3:
> Educational Outreach
> International Conservation Biology
> Welfare Assessments
> Captive Breeding Management
> Final Project

Assessment methods

Assessment includes written assignments, seminars, poster presentations, training practical, practical reports and demonstrations. There are no formal examinations. Opportunities for feedback on assessments are available prior to the final submission to support student development and achievement. Staff aim to return assessed work within a 20 working day timeframe (not including holidays) in order that students can most benefit from the feedback.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£8,950
per year
EU
£8,950
per year
International
£12,782
per year
Northern Ireland
£8,950
per year
Scotland
£8,950
per year
Wales
£8,950
per year

The Uni

Course location:

Bishop Burton

Department:

Animal Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

77%
Animal behaviour

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Animal science

Teaching and learning

92%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
100%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
85%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

100%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
100%
Course specific equipment and facilities
62%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Biodiversity conservation

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Animal behaviour

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
low
Average annual salary
95%
high
Employed or in further education
55%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

These stats refer to the prospects for graduates from both general animal studies courses and those for particular animals (such as equine science). Graduates don't generally get jobs as vets when they graduate; much the most common jobs tend to be roles caring for animals, such as veterinary nurses. Some of these jobs are not currently classified as professional level occupations, but in reality, you need a degree to get these jobs (and probably always have done), and graduates in them report that they got the jobs that they wanted. So the stats you see might not completely represent just how useful these degrees are for getting into animal care careers.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Animal science

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£19k

£19k

£22k

£22k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Biodiversity conservation

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£19k

£19k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here