Zoology (with Placement year)
UCAS Code: C303
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.
UCAS Tariff
112 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), including a pass in Biology.
About this course
Immerse yourself in the lives and behaviour of animals on our Royal Society of Biology-recognised degree. You’ll study in a world-renowned centre of wildlife conservation, and get practical skills in our laboratories that you can apply on a range of field trips in the UK and abroad. This course has been validated to include an optional placement year in industry.
If you’re interested in a career exploring and understanding the lives of animals, you’ll be in good company – alongside Charles Darwin, Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall and David Attenborough.
Zoology is closely connected to subjects such as cell biology and genetics. You could choose to specialise in areas such as animal behaviour, wildlife biology or ecology and conservation.
Field work is an important part of zoology. It’s a practical subject and we’ll give you plenty of opportunities to learn and practise both in the lab and the field. In your second year you’ll take a week-long field trip to north Devon to experience both marine and terrestrial zoology, the costs of which are included in your course fees. On our optional field trips you might experience rutting red deer on the island of Rum; marine biology in Scotland; world-class zoos in the Netherlands; wildlife and ecology in Africa; and diving and marine biology overseas. You’ll need to pay for these optional trips.
Cambridge is becoming a world centre for wildlife conservation, with Fauna and Flora International, Birdlife International and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre based here. You’ll have opportunities to attend lectures and visit specialist museums and libraries in the city. If you’re interested in captive animal behaviour, you can access the facilities at the College of West Anglia, Cambridge.
Our course is recognised by the Royal Society of Biology's degree-recognition scheme.
Modules
Year one, core modules
Animal Form and Function
Wildlife and Conservation
Biomeasurement
Introduction to Animal Behaviour and Welfare
Animal Behaviour Research
Ecology
Evolution and Biodiversity
Introduction to Marine Biology
Year two, core modules
Being a Biologist
Field Skills in Biology
Invertebrate Biology
Vertebrate Biology
Principles of Genetics and Evolution
Year two, optional modules
Marine and Terrestrial Communities
Evolution of Behaviour
BioGIS
Parasitology
Biological Oceanography
Year three, core modules
Wildlife Conservation
Mammalogy
Undergraduate Major Project
Year three, optional modules
Advanced Approaches in Animal Management
Zoos and Zoo Animal Management
Biogeography
Behavioural Ecology
Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour
Countryside Management
Population Ecology and Wildlife Management
Practical Marine Biology
Tropical Ecology and Management
Assessment methods
Throughout the course, we’ll use a range of assessment methods to help you measure your progress. Besides exams, these include essays, practical reports, computer-based assessments, presentations, debates, classroom- or laboratory-based tests, and reviews of scientific papers.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Cambridge Campus
Life Sciences
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See your living costsWhat students say
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Zoology
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Zoology
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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.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?Unsurprisingly, the most common job for a zoology graduate on leaving is to work in a zoo or similar organisation - but there are a lot of other options available if you take this subject. Nearly a quarter of graduates take some kind of further qualification when they leave — mostly Masters degrees in zoology or related subjects, like biology or ecology — but a graduate from a zoology course can go into pretty much anything, with science, conservation, management, finance and marketing some of the most popular areas. Zoology graduates are also rather more likely than others to get a job overseas so if an international career appeals to you, this might be a degree to consider.
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