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University of Bristol

UCAS Code: C303 | Master of Science - MSci

Entry requirements

A level

A,A,A-A,B,B

Standard offer: AAA including Biology and another science-related subject. Contextual offer: ABB including AB in Biology and another science-related subject. Please visit: bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/ for more information about contextual offers.

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

Access to HE Diploma in Science, Biomedical/ Medical/ Health Science or Psychology (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include: at least 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit or above; including 12 credits in Biology and 12 credits in another science subject, one achieved at 12 credits at Distinction and the other achieved at 9 credits at Distinction and 3 credits at Merit Mature students can contact [email protected] to check the suitability of their Access course.

Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/M2 is B, and M3 is C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32-36

Standard offer: 36 points overall with 18 at Higher Level, including 6, 6 at Higher Level in Biology and another science-related subject. Contextual offer: 32 points overall with 16 at Higher Level, including 6, 5 at Higher Level in Biology and another science-related subject. Please visit: bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/ for more information about contextual offers.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

DDD in Applied Science BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma, with Distinctions in five required Biology units.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A

Advanced Higher: AA in Biology and another science-related subject.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,A,B

Standard Higher: AAAAB.

Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.

UCAS Tariff

112-159

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Zoology

Our MSci Zoology course is recommended for students with ambitions to continue in zoological research who want additional experience and a competitive edge when applying for PhDs or research jobs.

Modern zoology is interdisciplinary and we believe that you need to be aware of the depth and breadth of animal biology, from the molecular to the ecological. Our zoology degree begins broadly and introduces more choice in years two and three.

You will have the freedom to tailor your course to your interests and to specialise or maintain breadth in your studies. The range of research and transferable skills you will learn will enhance your employability as a graduate.

The additional fourth year of the MSci contains advanced skills training and a substantial research project which is especially valuable for those aiming for a career in biological sciences.

We have outstanding facilities in our state-of-the-art Life Sciences Building (bristol.ac.uk/biology/life-sciences-building) and the School of Biological Sciences has a world-class reputation for animal behaviour research. Many of our lecturers are world-leading researchers in animal behaviour and sensory biology and lead internationally recognised field studies on wild animal populations.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£30,400
per year
International
£30,400
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni

Course location:

University of Bristol

Department:

Biological 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.

93%
Zoology

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.

Zoology

Teaching and learning

96%
Staff make the subject interesting
96%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
79%
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

86%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
89%
Course specific equipment and facilities
79%
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?

90%
UK students
10%
International students
31%
Male students
69%
Female students
91%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
A

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.

Zoology

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.

£21,500
high
Average annual salary
93%
med
Employed or in further education
41%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

12%
Teaching and educational professionals
9%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
9%
Conservation and environment professionals

Unsurprisingly, the most common job for a zoology graduate on leaving is to work in a zoo or similar organisation - but there are a lot of other options available if you take this subject. Nearly a quarter of graduates take some kind of further qualification when they leave — mostly Masters degrees in zoology or related subjects, like biology or ecology — but a graduate from a zoology course can go into pretty much anything, with science, conservation, management, finance and marketing some of the most popular areas. Zoology graduates are also rather more likely than others to get a job overseas so if an international career appeals to you, this might be a degree to consider.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Zoology

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£30k

£30k

£35k

£35k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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