Zoology

Take your passion for animals, wildlife conservation and the natural world and delve into our hands-on Zoology programme that will provide you with a world of captivating opportunities and skills for a fulfilling career.

Our strong connections with a variety of local, national, and global wildlife organisations offer you numerous opportunities. Through our research and partnerships, you'll have the chance to engage with local groups such as the Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Tullie House Museum, and the Cumbria Natural History Society.

There is also the chance to volunteer with national and international wildlife organisations studying beavers and brown bears to dolphins and snow leopards, deepening your knowledge and skills and gaining invaluable experience for your CV.

Cumbria is the ideal place to study Zoology. The uniquely diverse environments of the county include mountains, moorlands, river valleys, saltmarshes, urban habitats and beaches and rocky shores, all home to a plethora of different species. You will spend a substantial amount of time learning in these environments, putting your Zoological knowledge into practice.

Your learning will be guided and nurtured by expert academics who share your passion for animal conservation, behaviour, evolution and ethics. You will benefit from personal support from your tutors, allowing you to get the most from your degree.

Course Overview
Explore the biology, behaviour, and conservation of animals with our hands-on BSc (Hons) Zoology degree. Designed by experts, this course equips you with the skills needed for modern zoological careers—focusing on evolution, ecology, wildlife monitoring, and conservation practice.

You’ll study a wide range of species and habitats, from local ecosystems in the Eden River basin (close to our Carlisle Campus), the Lake District National Park and our wonderful Cumbrian coastline. On this zoology degree, you spend a substantial amount of time learning within the local habitats we have on our doorstep and where possible we choose to deliver experiential learning outdoors.

Whether you’re researching British wildlife or completing a dissertation on a species of your choice, you’ll graduate ready to protect and understand the natural world.

On this course you will

• Benefit from a strong practical component to our modules and an emphasis on skills to enhance employment, helping prepare you for becoming a zoologist following your university studies.

• Experience Cumbria's unique natural environment for learning about wildlife, which provides a range of different habitats that are close enough to visit in a short walk or day trip.

• Make use of our modern and well-equipped facilities, for example our teaching laboratories.

• Gain a practical understanding of the most relevant key issues in zoology.

• Study zoology with a diverse range of modules that expertly weave together and map directly to our subject. None of the modules are inappropriately squeezed in from programmes that we already run.

What you will learn

You’ll gain an understanding of wildlife monitoring techniques using professional kit, and cover a broad range of topics including evolution, ecology and conservation, with visits to a variety of habitats. Our strong links with animal and wildlife organisations provide excellent work placement opportunities, which means you could be studying anything from brown bears and snow leopards to sharks and dolphins.. There will be plenty of opportunity for voluntary work alongside organisations such as Cumbria Wildlife Trust, boosting your CV and giving you hands-on experience across a range of species including butterflies, adders and birds. Our practical focused course will equip you with not only the knowledge, but the real skills and confidence to be a great zoologist.

Year One

• Vertebrate Zoology

• Invertebrate Zoology

• Ecology for Zoologists

• Animal Form and Function

• Animal Conservation Practice

• Core Zoology

Year Two

• Exploring Research

• Zoological Monitoring Techniques

• Animal Behaviour

• Evolution and Biogeography

• British Wildlife

• Applied Zoology

Year Three

• Dissertation

• Professional Skills in Zoology

• Behavioural Ecology

• Entomology and Parasitology (Optional)

• Behavioural Applications for Conservation (Optional)

• Population and Community Ecology (Optional)

Analysis of zoological data, writing of formal reports and careful design of scientific methods particularly with regards animal surveying are all key transferable skills, which translate into a range of careers in biological sciences. Formal work is assessed throughout the degree, and you are encouraged to keep lab books which contain working documents of lab practicals, observations and illustrations of dissection work for example. Personal development and reflective practice will take place throughout the programme and will be implemented through the wide range of activities (both formative and summative) as well as via the personal tutorial process.