Animal Behaviour

Animal behaviour is the scientific study of how and why animals act as they do, drawing on evolutionary biology, ecology, neuroscience, and psychology to understand the mechanisms that drive behaviour and the adaptive significance of the patterns we observe. Animal behaviourists ask questions at multiple levels: what neurological and physiological mechanisms produce a particular behaviour, how did that behaviour evolve, how does it develop across an individual's lifetime, and what function does it serve in the organism's interactions with its environment and social group? The answers have both fundamental scientific importance and direct practical applications in animal welfare, conservation, and the management of captive and wild animal populations.

At Aberystwyth this four-year full-time programme includes an integrated foundation year, which provides a preparatory stage to build the biological and scientific foundations you need before entering the main degree. Across the programme you will develop a solid grounding in the scientific methods used to study animal behaviour, learning to design and conduct observational and experimental studies and to analyse and communicate your findings rigorously. The degree is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, which recognises the quality of the scientific training it provides.

You will engage with behaviour across a range of species, exploring topics including social organisation, communication, mating systems, predator-prey relationships, learning and cognition, and the behavioural responses of animals to environmental change.

Graduates move into careers in animal welfare, conservation organisations, zoos and wildlife parks, ecological consultancy, research, and education. Many go on to postgraduate study or doctoral research in animal behaviour, ecology, or conservation biology, building the specialist expertise that research careers and senior professional roles in conservation require.