Zoology

Zoology is the scientific study of animals, spanning every scale from the molecular mechanisms 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 with both profound intellectual depth and urgent practical relevance, as the accelerating loss of biodiversity and the disruption of ecosystems by climate change make the understanding of animal biology and ecology more important than at any previous point in history.

At the University of Bristol this zoology programme is interdisciplinary in character, reflecting the modern state of the field. You will study animal biology from the molecular through to the ecological, developing a broad and integrated understanding of how animals are built, how they work, how they behave, and how they interact with each other and with their environments. The programme begins broadly in the first year and introduces more opportunities for choice and specialisation in years two and three, allowing you to follow the areas of zoology that interest you most while maintaining a strong scientific grounding across the field.

The programme runs full time over three years.

You will develop both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in laboratory work, field observation and data analysis. The ability to design and conduct biological investigations, to interpret data rigorously and to communicate scientific findings clearly is central to the degree.

Graduates from zoology programmes pursue careers in conservation, wildlife management, environmental consultancy, zoos and aquariums, scientific research, natural history media, government agencies dealing with wildlife and the environment, and education. Many also move into postgraduate research, which is the standard route into academic and senior scientific roles in zoology and ecology. The degree also provides a strong foundation for careers in medicine, veterinary science, environmental policy and the wider life sciences sector.