Zoology
Zoology is the branch of biology concerned with the animal kingdom in all its diversity, studying the behaviour, physiology, genetics, ecology, and evolution of animals from microscopic invertebrates to the largest mammals. It is a discipline that has never been more important, as biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, climate change, and emerging zoonotic diseases make an understanding of animal biology and ecology urgently necessary. Zoologists contribute to conservation, wildlife management, veterinary science, biomedical research, and our fundamental understanding of life on Earth.
The University of Sussex offers this three-year full-time Zoology degree with a foundation year option, a sandwich year, a year abroad option, and work placement opportunities. Sussex's location next to the South Downs National Park and within the UNESCO Living Coast Biosphere Reserve, as the course itself describes, makes it an unusually well-placed environment for hands-on zoological study of native wildlife. You will have opportunities for field trips to encounter diverse animals and natural environments, and previous visits have included puffins on Lundy and elephants in Zambia.
The programme explores a range of disciplines including biology, physiology, and environmental science, developing both the theoretical understanding of animal life and the practical field and laboratory skills that professional zoologists need. The typical entry tariff is 120 points.
Zoology graduates work in wildlife conservation, ecological consultancy, zoological parks, government environmental agencies, veterinary support, education, science communication, and biological research. Many continue to postgraduate study in ecology, conservation biology, animal behaviour, or related disciplines, and doctoral research is a well-established path for those drawn to scientific careers. The fieldwork skills, data analysis abilities, and scientific literacy the degree develops are valued across the environmental and biological science sectors.