- UCAS course code
- C303
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course description
Our BSc Zoology with a Modern Language course will enable you to develop your language skills while learning about the behaviour, physiology, conservation, ecology and evolution of animals.
Zoologists use a wide range of approaches to do this, from applying genetic techniques to observing animal behaviour to using quantitative statistics to answer cutting-edge questions about the natural world.
As such, you will study fundamental concepts from a range of disciplines in your first year before going on to study more specialised zoology topics in your second and final years.
Field studies form an important part of our teaching and you will attend two field courses - one in the first year and one in the second year - including the possibility of visiting South Africa.
We offer French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin for the language component of the course, which includes a year abroad on a research placement.
Our course has Advanced Accreditation from the Royal Society of Biology , which recognises academic excellence in the biosciences and highlights degrees that educate the research and development leaders and innovators of the future.
Special features
Connect with other languages students
Learn alongside other students taking a variety of language degrees at the University, giving you the opportunity to practise your skills with your fellow students and make new friends.
Study abroad
Placements are available at 20 universities throughout Europe and in China and Japan.
Foundation Year available
You can prepare for the full degree course if you do not have the appropriate qualifications for direct entry by undertaking our foundation course first.
Flexibility to transfer between courses
You can transfer between most of our sciences degree courses at the end of your first year or, in some cases, later. You can only transfer onto this course if you have completed the required language units in Year 1.
Teaching and learning
The course consists of two-thirds of biological sciences learning and one-third modern language learning. You will learn your modern language alongside other students taking a variety of language degrees at the University.
You will benefit from a wide range of teaching and learning methods that suit the content and aims of each course unit.
These range from lectures and tutorials to practicals and research projects, including the final year project .
Find out more about how you will learn and see a typical Year 1 timetable on our teaching and learning page.
Coursework and assessment
Assessment methods vary widely to suit the nature of the course unit and each level of study.
- Lecture units are usually assessed by written exam (multiple choice or essay-based), which are held at the end of an academic semester in either January or May/June.
- Field courses are usually assessed via oral and written presentations, group work and/or projects.
- Practical units are usually assessed by experimental report and/or short written assignment and/or written exam.
- The proportion of independent study assignments increases during each year of study.
Year 1
Lecture units are usually assessed by e-learning activities during the unit and multiple choice exams at the end of the semester. Year 1 contributes 10% to your overall degree mark.
Year 2
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam, and some units also include a coursework element. Year 2 contributes 30% to your overall degree mark.
Placement year
You will complete a scientific report and undergo an oral examination on your research that contributes 10% to your overall degree mark.
You will be marked out of 110% for your whole degree.
Year 4
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam.
You will also take two honours papers and examinations comprising essays and data-handling problems.
A significant part of the year (accounting for one-quarter of the overall degree mark) is the project, which is assessed through a presentation and a written report.
Year 4 contributes 60% to your overall degree mark.
Course unit details
This course is modular. You will study compulsory course units and choose some optional units.
Most science units are assigned 10 credits and you will take 120 credits each year.
For most languages, you will need to acquire 20 credits per year, but this can be higher for certain other languages, such as Japanese and Mandarin, which require 40 credits per year.
Course content for year 1
You will gain a broad introduction to biological sciences, covering key concepts such as:
- genetics
- biodiversity
- evolution
You will study on a field course in either Scotland for marine biology or South Africa for animal behaviour.
Year 1 also provides an introduction to the essential data handling and laboratory skills required for all biological scientists.
You will spend approximately one-third of your time studying course units related to your chosen language.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Academic Tutorials Year 1 | BIOL10000 | 10 | Mandatory |
Molecular Biology | BIOL10221 | 10 | Mandatory |
Introduction to Laboratory Science | BIOL10401 | 10 | Mandatory |
Biodiversity | BIOL10511 | 10 | Mandatory |
Genes, Evolution and Development | BIOL10521 | 10 | Mandatory |
Health & Safety online course | BIOL12000 | 0 | Mandatory |
Biochemistry | BIOL10212 | 10 | Optional |
From Molecules to Cells | BIOL10232 | 10 | Optional |
History of Biology | BIOL10381 | 10 | Optional |
Microbes, Humankind and the Environment | BIOL10532 | 10 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 23 course units for year 1 | |||
Display all course units for year 1 |
Course content for year 2
You will continue your studies in greater depth and begin to specialise in subjects such as animal behaviour, animal diversity and animal physiology. You will also undertake a Science Communication unit.
In the Research Skills unit, you have the opportunity to carry out techniques that are widely used in current biological science research on a field course in either Costa Rica, Malaysia or the Italian Alps.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Academic Tutorials Year 2 | BIOL20000 | 10 | Mandatory |
Organismal Biology EDM | BIOL21051 | 10 | Mandatory |
Animal Diversity | BIOL21221 | 10 | Mandatory |
Fundamentals of Evolutionary Biology | BIOL21232 | 10 | Mandatory |
Animal Physiology | BIOL21281 | 10 | Mandatory |
Science Communication | BIOL21392 | 10 | Mandatory |
Animal Behaviour | BIOL21432 | 10 | Mandatory |
Ecology and Conservation | EART25001 | 10 | Mandatory |
Island Biodiversity RSM Field Course | BIOL20182 | 10 | Optional |
Tropical Ecology & Conservation (RSM Field Course) | BIOL20552 | 10 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 30 course units for year 2 | |||
Display all course units for year 2 |
Course content for year 3
Subject to satisfactory academic performance and placement availability, you will spend this year overseas on your modern language placement.
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Academic Tutorials Year 3 | BIOL30000 | 0 | Mandatory |
Projects | BIOL30030 | 40 | Optional |
Life Sciences Enterprise Project | BIOL31080 | 40 | Optional |
Science Communication Project | BIOL31220 | 40 | Optional |
HSTM Project | BIOL31250 | 40 | Optional |
Post-Genome Biology (L) | BIOL31301 | 10 | Optional |
Evolution of Genes, Genomes & Systems (E) | BIOL31391 | 10 | Optional |
Comparative Developmental Biol (L) | BIOL31451 | 10 | Optional |
Advanced Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology (E) | BIOL31471 | 10 | Optional |
Conservation Biology (E) | BIOL31482 | 10 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 23 course units for year 3 | |||
Display all course units for year 3 |
Course content for year 4
Final year topics reflect the current hotspots of bioscience endeavour and the research interests of our staff, and are constantly being updated.
You will undertake an independent in-depth research project that may involve supervised practical work in a laboratory, or you may choose to work on e-learning, educational, data analysis, bioinformatics or enterprise topics.
What our students say
Facilities
Learning facilities
Our modern teaching labs are equipped for a range of biological and biomedical techniques. The following are just a few of the techniques you could undertake during your degree:
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR);
- DNA sequencing;
- gel electrophoresis;
- spectrophotometry;
- dissection and histology;
- electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG);
- immunofluorescence microscopy.
Our computing facilities include access to over 200 PCs in dedicated clusters and e-learning tools including online lecture notes, discussion boards, lecture podcasts and quizzes.
You will also have access to the University's other facilities for undergraduate students .
Research facilities
As a final year student, you have the opportunity to undertake a project in the labs of our world-class bioscience researchers or in the field studying animals in their natural habitat. To support our research, we have extensive research facilities equipped with high-quality technology.