University Centre Sparsholt
UCAS Code: D439 | Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc
Entry requirements
A level
Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (64 UCAS tariff points)
Access to HE Diploma
Pass in a relevant subject/science, with science units at Merit (74 UCAS tariff points)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Including a relevant subject/science at H4 or above with Maths and English at S3 if no GCSE or equivalent (74 UCAS tariff points)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Including one in a relevant subject/science (72 UCAS tariff points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
In a relevant subject/science (64 UCAS tariff points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
In a relevant subject/science (80 UCAS tariff points)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
In a relevant subject/science (64 UCAS tariff points)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
In a relevant subject/science (80 UCAS tariff points)
Scottish Advanced Higher
In a relevant subject/science (74 UCAS tariff points)
T Level
Pass (C and above)
In a relevant subject/science (96 UCAS tariff points)
UCAS Tariff
Dependent on qualifications
About this course
**Why choose this degree?**
- Focus on vocational learning and gain skills in subjects such as water quality, fish anatomy and physiology, aquaculture and fish health and nutrition
- Be taught by leading industry experts in unrivalled on-site facilities, including the 650m² purpose-built **Aquatic Research and Conservation Centre (ARCC)**, the **Salmonid Rearing and Trials Centre** and our own mixed coarse fishery lake.
- Benefit from work placements in areas such as salmon farming, specimen carp fisheries, river keeping or even Jamaican tilapia farming
- Experience the industry through visits to fish farms and fisheries and research and collaborative projects
- Progress to final year of relevant **BSc (Hons)** programme after successful completion
**What makes UCS special?**
University Centre Sparsholt is recognised worldwide for its expertise in providing education in fishery, aquaculture and marine studies. Our lecturing staff are known to be the **experts in the industry** and can often be found at conferences and industry forums discussing the latest techniques and their supporting research.
Students gain real industry experience on and off-site that is underpinned by the high level of technical lecture content to prepare them for a range of careers or progression to courses at Master’s level. Our industry contacts enable **great employment prospects**. Typically over 50% of our 3rd year students return from work placements to sit their final exams with jobs already secured for graduation.
**What will I learn?**
The programme is designed to develop the practical, scientific and specialist skills needed by the fishery management and aquaculture industry. Subjects studied include water quality, fish anatomy and physiology, fishery management and ecology, aquaculture and fish health and nutrition.
You will also gain work experience in various industry sectors. Previous placements range from Scottish salmon farms, specimen carp fisheries in England, France and Spain and a tilapia farm in Jamaica to river keeping on local chalk streams, the London Aquarium, the Fish Disease Laboratory at Weymouth and bait manufacturers.
Study tours are embedded into the course at Level 4 (Scotland) and Level 5 (Malta). They are a great opportunity to experience different vocational opportunities and other facilities.
**How will I be assessed?**
Assessment includes coursework (such as practical portfolios, laboratory reports, case studies and essay style assignments) in combination with formal examinations and group research projects.
**Where can I go from here?**
You can progress to the **BSc (Hons) in Aquaculture and Fishery Management Top-up** at University Centre Sparsholt; alternatively there are BSc programmes available at other universities.
Sparsholt students have also gained employment as sports fishery managers, fish farmers and fishery officers in the Environment Agency.
Modules
LEVEL FOUR
Principles in Aquatic Science,
Fishery Science,
Industrial Experience,
Water Quality,
Introductory Fishery Management,
Salmonid Aquaculture,
Academic Skills.
LEVEL FIVE
Tropical Aquaculture,
Fish Health and Nutrition,
Marine Fish Farming (Optional),
Aquarium Design and Husbandry (optional),
Fishery Appraisal,
Financial Studies,
Applied Industrial Research,
Industrial Development.
Assessment methods
Assessment includes coursework (such as practical portfolios, laboratory reports, case studies and essay style assignments) in combination with formal examinations and group research projects.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
If your household income is under £32,960 you could receive a bursary of up to £750 per annum. This can be used to help towards travel costs, books and equipment or anything else that will help you during your course.
Depending on the financial information disclosed in your Student Loan application, UCS may make an automatic bursary award based on specific criteria as set out in our Access and Participation Plan. If this is not the case you may still be able to apply for financial support to the UCS HE Hardship fund by completing a Bursary Application Form (available from end of |Term 1).
For more information please [email protected].
The Uni
University Centre Sparsholt
Aquaculture, Fisheries and Marine Ecology
What students say
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After graduation
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Aquaculture
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.
Top job areas of graduates
About 70% of the UK's land area is given over to agriculture, so this is a subject representing an important part of the country's economy. Typical starting jobs for graduates in agriculture include agricultural science, farming and farm management, but graduates also go into other areas, such as the horticulture trade, auctioneering and conservation. Agriculture graduates are also in increasing demand for one of the hardest-to-fill jobs in the country - surveying. Jobs for agriculture graduates are often in rural areas - in 2016, areas like Essex, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Yorkshire and Kent were all important for agriculture graduates.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Agriculture
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£20k
£21k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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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?
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