SGS (South Gloucestershire and Stroud College) - open day event
10 Oct 2026, 09:00
Bristol
If you have a passion for working with animals and communicating your enthusiasm to others, then this specialist course is for you!
If you have a passion for working with animals and communicating your enthusiasm to others, then this specialist course is for you!
SGS College is partnered with Bristol Zoological Society (BZS), and Bristol Zoo Project is our campus. Our students study in the grounds of the Zoo, which really brings our course to life! We work in collaboration with BZS’s HE & Conservation Science Department, with BZS staff forming a key part of our teaching team. You will learn from staff working actively in the field, managing projects across 15 countries around the world. In addition, our SGS teaching team are all from specialist industry backgrounds, including zoos, wildlife ecology and conservation, communication and education. All this specialism is woven into the day-to-day delivery of the modules.
You will learn through a variety of lectures, workshops, practical sessions, field-site visits and study trips, including residential UK and International options. You will also experience talks by visiting guest speakers, staff from other BZS departments, such as keepers and vets, and online talks, live from experts around the world.
Your assessments will cover the core elements of each module through a range of methods, including written course work, assessed presentations, portfolio building, practical book completion, management plan development and research projects. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a student conference, and there is one exam, at Level 4 only.
Core practical skills for working in the zoo and wildlife industry are learned during your work experience placements; a key element of FdSc Zoological Management and Conservation. You will focus on developing real-world, applicable skills that link theory to practice, and will enhance your future employment opportunities.
If you continue on with the Level 6 top-up year, you will further develop your knowledge and experience of zoological management and conservation, along with effective methods of communication for conservation. You will develop a deeper understanding of the role of zoos and aquariums in conservation and the One Plan Approach. In addition, taxa specific modules will provide you with extensive knowledge of managing a diverse range of species for conservation, with a focus on conservation case studies.
Part time routes are available. For more information, please email HEadmissions@sgscol.ac.uk
Graduate Opportunities:
• Animal Keeper
• Nutritionist
• Behaviourist
• Animal Trainer
• Education officer
• Rare breed farms
• Veterinary nursing – with the addition of further training to become qualified.
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Aquarist
• Conservationist – working with native species or abroad
• Field Research
• Laboratory Research
• Visitor Experience
Level 4 Modules-
Professional Industry Skills,
Biology of Animals,
Zoo Animal Welfare, Health and Husbandry,
Animal Behaviour Studies,
Taxonomy and Biological Identification,
Zoos and Aquariums in Society,
Level 5 Modules-
Industry Experience,
Zoo Nutrition,
Enclosure Design and Enrichment,
Reproduction and Population Management,
Applied Zoo Animal Behaviour,
Research Methods and Design
Coursework, Presentations, Exams
The following entry points are available for this course:
We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications. You will need to take the following English qualification as part of the Visa process: IELTS (Academic) - Overall score of 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in each component. If you are travelling from and English speaking country this may not be required. Home students are required to achieve GCSE or Functional Skills English at level 4 or a pass.
International Applicants from a non English speaking will need to undertake an IELTS for UKVI Purposes to apply for a visa. You will need to achieve an overall score of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each skill.
You will have to pay 50% of the fee before a Confirmation of Study (CAS) is issued and if you are applying from a country that is not on the UK Government Exempt countries https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/money will have to provide bank statements showing that you have held at least £10, 539 (£1,171 per month for up to 9 months) for 28 consecutive days before we can issue the CAS and The end date of the 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply for your visa. For support with your application please contact HEAdmissions@sgscol.ac.uk https://www.gov.uk/student-visa
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland | £9500* | |
| EU & International | £13750* |
* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Email:HEadmissions@sgscol.ac.uk
Phone:07766 781736
Filton Avenue
Filton
Bristol
BS34 7AT
At SGS (South Gloucestershire and Stroud College)