Bachelor of Science (BSc)

BSc Zoology with a Modern Language

Develop your language skills while you study zoology to enhance your employability.
  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: C303 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Study abroad
  • Study with a language
  • Field trips
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

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Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £34,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Tuition fees are considerably lower for your placement year. Please see the fees page for full details.

Additional expenses

Tuition fees are considerably lower for your placement year. Please see the fees pages for full details.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

As part of your Zoology BSc course, you will go on an optional field course in the UK or abroad. This is subsidised by the University but you still need to contribute to the cost of the field course if you choose to go. Costs vary depending on the destination. A deposit is required at the start of the academic year, with the balance to be paid later. You will receive more information when you start at Manchester.

Students participating in placements outside the UK may be able to apply for funding from the UK's Turing scheme depending on eligibility. Priority will be given to students from low income households.

Course unit details:
Animal Behaviour

Course unit fact file
Unit code BIOL21432
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Animal Behaviour aims to provide a detailed overview of the study of animal behaviour from an evolutionary perspective. The unit will provide a comprehensive understanding of the neurobiological and hormonal mechanisms underpinning animal behaviour and critically examine how evolutionary theory can help us understand why animals behave the way they do. You will be introduced to foundational concepts in neurobiology (e.g. learning, neuronal control of behaviour, sensory systems and communication), animal behaviour (e.g. foraging, predator prey interactions, sexual selection) and evolutionary theory (e.g. kin selection and cooperation, conflicts of interest, evolutionary strategies).

 

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Genes, Evolution and Development BIOL10521 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Fundamentals of Evolutionary Biology BIOL21232 Co-Requisite Recommended
BIOL21432 Pre-requisite is BIOL10521

 

 

Aims

The unit aims to provide a detailed overview of the study of animal behaviour from an evolutionary perspective. The unit will provide a comprehensive understanding of the neurobiological and hormonal mechanisms underpinning animal behaviour and critically examine how evolutionary theory can help us understand why animals behave the way they do. The unit will introduce students to foundational concepts in neurobiology (e.g. learning, neuronal control of behaviour, sensory systems and communication), animal behaviour (e.g. foraging, predator prey interactions, animal navigation, sexual selection, play) and evolutionary theory (e.g. kin selection and cooperation, conflicts of interest, evolutionary strategies).

 

Teaching and learning methods

The majority of the teaching process will be lecture-based.

 

Knowledge and understanding

An in-depth knowledge of the mechanisms and evolutionary pressures that shape animal behaviour. Students will understand the link between the nervous system/hormones and behaviour, how selection acts on behaviours, and how selection can lead to behaviours ranging from competition to cooperation.

Intellectual skills

The ability to critically assess animal behaviour and evolutionary processes.

Practical skills

The ability to perform behavioural observations and draw conclusions by statistically analysing data.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Using logic and critical thinking skills to develop and test evolutionary idea and statistical skills to analyse data.

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Students will use statistics to analyse data for research assignments. Students will also learn how to interpret and analyse data presented in published studies.
Group/team working
Students will work together to collect data for research assignments.
Innovation/creativity
Presenting data requires creativity. Students will learn how to present their data succinctly in a visually appealing manner.
Research
Students will participate in research assignments that critically examine animal behaviour.
Written communication
Students will write research reports that summarize scientific literature and report the finding of their in class research assignments.

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 60%
Set exercise 40%

Set exercise: MCQ test: 40%

Exam: essay: 60%

We will also set an optional formative assignment

Feedback methods

The formative assignment will have generic feedback and we run a drop in zoom session to discuss the answers. 

Recommended reading

·         Wyatt, T.D. 2017. Animal Behaviour: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press.

·         Alcock J. 2013. Animal Behaviour. 10th ed. Sinauer.

·         Manning A. and Dawkins M.S. 2012. An Introduction to Animal Behaviour. 6th ed. Cambridge University Press.

·         Breed M.D. and Moore J. 2013. Animal Behaviour. Academic Press.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 22
Independent study hours
Independent study 78

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Ben Chapman Unit coordinator

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