Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Animal Behaviour

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.

UCAS Tariff

112

112 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), including a pass in Biology or Psychology.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Animal behaviour

Our Animal Behaviour BSc (Hons) course is the longest-established animal behaviour course in the UK and is recognised by the Society of Biology.

Study with us in Cambridge and you’ll learn why animals behave in the ways that they do, and how this can impact on the management of animals both in the wild and in captivity.

We know more than ever before about the behaviour of animals. But with so much still left to learn, you could even have the chance to discover a scientific breakthrough as you develop the skills to investigate animals that will allow you to contribute to important discoveries in the future.

Animal Behaviour is a practical subject with plenty of opportunities to hone your skills, both in the lab and out in the field.

As part of your degree, you will visit a number of locations and organisations to observe and undertake animal handling and training and to learn about and practise advanced behavioural data collection in the field and within captive environments.

There are opportunities to attend residential field trips. Field trips that are a compulsory part of your course are covered by your fees. There are also optional field trips (either extra-curricular or an integral part of an optional module you select to take) that you would have to pay for.

Fast becoming a world centre for wildlife conservation, Cambridge is home to Fauna and Flora International, Birdlife International and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. During your time with us, you’ll have opportunities to attend lectures and visit specialist museums and libraries in the city.

If you’re interested in captive animal behaviour, some modules are able to utilise the facilities and engage with the animals at the College of West Anglia, one of our partner organisations, in Milton.

As a student here, you’ll learn from staff who are involved in field and captive studies internationally and in the UK, and have research links with a range of organisations including some of Britain's most respected zoos.

Modules

Year one, core modules
Animal Physiology and Behaviour
Introduction to Ecology and Conservation
Principles of Biology
Quantitative Techniques and Tools for Biologists
Personal and Professional Development - Level 4
Year two, core modules
Animal Learning and Training
Biological Bases of Behaviour
Vertebrate Biology
Ruskin Module
Practical Skills for Animal Behaviour
Evolutionary Bases of Behaviour
Biological Research Skills
Personal and Professional Development - Level 5
Year two, optional modules
Animal Health and Disease
GIS and Spatial Ecology
Mammalogy
Year three, core modules
Behavioural Ecology
Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour
Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare
Undergraduate Major Project
Year three, optional modules
Population Ecology and Wildlife Management
Tropical Ecology and Management
Zoos and Zoo Animal Management
Human-Animal Interactions
Wildlife Conservation
Animal Communication

Assessment methods

We’ll assess you in a number of ways, with most modules including a combination of written assignments and exams. For some modules, you may be asked to present or produce a poster, portfolio or workbook.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Cambridge Campus

Department:

Life Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

46%
Animal behaviour

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Animal science

Teaching and learning

50%
Staff make the subject interesting
57%
Staff are good at explaining things
71%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
36%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

71%
Library resources
71%
IT resources
54%
Course specific equipment and facilities
36%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

74%
UK students
26%
International students
18%
Male students
82%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
27%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Animal science

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

94%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

57%
Animal care and control services
9%
Health professionals
9%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

These stats refer to the prospects for graduates from both general animal studies courses and those for particular animals (such as equine science). Graduates don't generally get jobs as vets when they graduate; much the most common jobs tend to be roles caring for animals, such as veterinary nurses. Some of these jobs are not currently classified as professional level occupations, but in reality, you need a degree to get these jobs (and probably always have done), and graduates in them report that they got the jobs that they wanted. So the stats you see might not completely represent just how useful these degrees are for getting into animal care careers.

Explore these similar courses...

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here