Zoology with Integrated Master's with Foundation Year

Foundation Year

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year. This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

International Students
For International Students, Foundation Years are delivered through our dedicated on-campus provider, Keele University International College. To find out more, visit https://kuic.keele.ac.uk/.

Zoology with Integrated Master's

Our four-year Zoology with Integrated Master's weaves master's-level research, analytical and technical skills into your undergraduate journey. From ecology to conservation, you will explore advanced research topics, and put your learning into practice using our cutting-edge laboratories and rich campus environment. In your final year, an extended research project will be of particular value if you are looking to pursue a research career, work in industry or the wider bioscience sector.

Why choose this course?

• Develop high-level research expertise through an extended MSci project, building analytical, critical thinking and independent investigation skills

• Gain a master's-level qualification

• Gain practical experience in our state-of-the-art David Attenborough Laboratories and across Keele’s fantastic 600-acre, diverse campus

• Build advanced skills in data analysis, statistics, and GIS for solving complex ecological and conservation challenges

In your first year you will gain a thorough understanding of key biological concepts such as cells, genetics, evolution, physiology of animals, ecology and animal diversity. You will also begin to develop a range of academic and practical laboratory skills.

From year two, optional modules allow you to tailor your studies to specific interests and deepen your understanding of topics such as microbes, viruses and parasites, molecular ecology and plant genetics, as well as developing specialist skills, such as Geographic Information System (GIS), a technology that is used to create, visualise, manage and analyse spatial data.

In your third year, you will have the opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of meaningful research on a topic that excites and challenges you. Your research project is an excellent opportunity for you to draw together skills in experimental study design, critical interpretation of data, presentation and project management. To hone your communication skills, you will present the outcomes of your final year research project in the context of a realistic research conference experience.

The MSci fourth year of study is designed to enable you to enhance your employability and subject-specific knowledge through development of advanced problem solving and communication skills. You will develop enhanced research skills in the critical evaluation of scientific literature and in the design and conduct of an authentic research study, including formulating a complete research strategy and producing a grant proposal.

For a list of indicative modules please visit the course page on the Keele University website.