- UCAS course code
- 3F49
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course description
Our MSci Zoology course will enable you to achieve an integrated master's degree while you study for a BSc, giving you significant research experience that will be invaluable for a PhD and a career in research.
This course will help you to understand 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 third years.
In Year 4, you will undertake a major research project in one of the University's more than 200 research labs to achieve your undergraduate master's award.
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.
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.Discover more about biosciences integrated masters.
Special features
A range of study options
You can extend your degree by a year to undertake an integrated master's, gain industrial/professional experience, study with entrepreneurship or learn a modern language.
It is possible to broaden your degree by taking units from the University College, Business and Management for all Programmes or the University Centre for Academic English in exchange for a few units from your degree.
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 bioscience courses at the end of your first year or, in some cases, later.
Teaching and learning
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.
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 6% 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 19% to your overall degree mark.
Year 3
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam. Students also take two honours papers: degree programme-specific examinations comprising essays and data-handling problems. On the MSci programme, students take several MSci specific courses, including a group-based practical unit, a literature review and a written research proposal. Year 3 contributes 37.5% to your overall degree mark.
Year 4
The final year is based on a 7-month research project (120 credits), carried out in a research laboratory or fieldstation run by University staff. The project is assessed by a written assignment, a scientific talk, a written report, a poster and presentation and your performance during the project. Year 4 contributes 37.5% to your overall degree mark. In order to progress on the MSci degree, you must fulfil certain progression criteria. Students that do not meet these criteria are transferred to the 3-year BSc.
Course unit details
This course is modular. You will study compulsory course units and choose some optional units.
Most units are assigned 10 credits and you will take 120 credits each 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.
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 |
Writing and Referencing Skills (online unit) | BIOL10741 | 0 | 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 |
Displaying 10 of 19 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 |
Tropical Ecology & Conservation (RSM Field Course) | BIOL20552 | 10 | Optional |
Urban Biodiversity & Conservation RSM | BIOL20872 | 10 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 25 course units for year 2 | |||
Display all course units for year 2 |
Course content for year 3
You will take two papers and six lecture units specific to zoology.
You will prepare for the papers through tutorials with current BSc students.
The remaining 40 credits will come from the following MSci units:
- Research Project Proposals (10 credits)
- Bioinformatics Tools and Resources (10 credits)
- Experimental Skills (20 credits)
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 |
MSci Experimental Skills Module | BIOL33012 | 20 | Mandatory |
Post-Genome Biology (L) | BIOL31301 | 10 | Optional |
Evolution of Genes, Genomes & Systems (E) | BIOL31391 | 10 | Optional |
Comparative Developmental Biol (L) | BIOL31451 | 10 | Optional |
Chemical Communication in Animals (L) | BIOL31461 | 10 | Optional |
Advanced Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology (E) | BIOL31471 | 10 | Optional |
Conservation Biology (E) | BIOL31482 | 10 | Optional |
Biotic Interactions (L) | BIOL31511 | 10 | Optional |
Living with Climate Change (L) | BIOL31541 | 10 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 18 course units for year 3 | |||
Display all course units for year 3 |
Course content for year 4
You will undertake a 120-credit research project over a period of six to seven months in research laboratories or a field station run by University staff to complete the work needed for your MSci award.
Course units for year 4
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 |
---|---|---|---|
MSci Research Project | BIOL40010 | 120 | Mandatory |
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.