Zoo Management

Captive animals don’t have a choice about living in a zoo, game reserve or other controlled setting – and that’s why it’s so important that there are people to be a voice for them.

To care for animals and to give them the best lives possible, we need to understand what they think and feel. Understanding their behaviour, learning about positive welfare inputs and making decisions to support their welfare are all fundamental skills – and you will learn this through the Foundation Degree Zoo Management. With a growing national and global interest in exotic species, plus increasing recognition of the role animals play in the environment, there are real opportunities for people with zoo management skills to make a positive impact on the world.

Year 1: Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition (30 credits), Development of Personal and Professional Skills (30 credits), Breeding Programmes and Animal Husbandry (30 credits), Zoological Husbandry Skills (30 credits). Total 120 credits.

Year 2: Continuing Professional Development (30 credits); Research Methods (30 credits); Applied Zoological Management Skills (30 credits); Conservation of Global Biodiversity (30 credits). Total 120 credits.

You will be assessed by a range of methods designed to develop and test your understanding, knowledge, and skills. These may include examinations, essays, reports, scientific posters, seminars, dissertations, media articles, web- and video-based productions, practical demonstrations, portfolios, collaborative group work-based projects, case studies, and conference-style presentations.

The balance of assessment methods will vary throughout your degree and depending upon which programme you undertake. Depending on the programme you are doing, between 10-20% of your programme may be assessed by examinations with the vast majority (80-90%) assessed through coursework.

You will primarily be assessed as an individual but may also be assessed as part of a group where collaborative skills are relevant.

The balance of assessments for each module is detailed in the module descriptors, but normally includes at least two assessments which are individually weighted.