Zoology

Zoology is the scientific study of animals, from the molecular machinery within individual cells to the ecology of entire ecosystems and the evolutionary processes that produced the extraordinary diversity of animal life on Earth. It is a discipline that combines genuine intellectual depth with urgent practical relevance, as the accelerating loss of species and the disruption of ecosystems by human activity make the scientific understanding of animal biology and ecology ever more essential.

At the University of Reading this zoology programme includes a foundation year, providing a pathway into degree-level study for students developing the scientific background needed for university biology, and also includes a sandwich year and work-placement experience. The full course with foundation year runs over four years full time. The programme's hands-on ethos is reflected in the access it provides to the University's own museum collections, including specimens from a wide range of taxa, which give you direct engagement with animal diversity and morphology.

You will study animal biology from the cellular through to the ecological level, covering anatomy, physiology, genetics, behaviour, evolutionary biology and conservation, with a combination of laboratory, field and museum-based learning.

You will develop practical skills in laboratory work, field observation, data collection and analysis alongside the theoretical knowledge that underpins modern zoological science. The ability to design investigations, to interpret data rigorously and to communicate scientific findings clearly is central to the degree.

Graduates from zoology programmes move into careers in conservation, wildlife management, environmental consultancy, veterinary support, zoological collections, scientific research, natural history media, education and government agencies dealing with wildlife and the environment. Many also pursue postgraduate study in ecology, conservation biology, animal behaviour or veterinary science, and some enter doctoral research as the route into academic and senior scientific careers.