Zoology with Foundation Year

Zoology is the scientific study of animals, encompassing their behaviour, ecology, physiology, genetics, and evolution across the full diversity of the animal kingdom. It is a discipline that demands both rigorous laboratory and fieldwork skills and the capacity for the kind of systematic, analytical thinking that allows scientists to make sense of the extraordinary complexity of animal life. As biodiversity loss, climate change, and habitat destruction place growing pressure on animal populations worldwide, zoologists play an increasingly important role in understanding, monitoring, and protecting the natural world.

At the University of Derby, this four-year full-time programme begins with a foundation year that builds the scientific and academic foundations you need before entering the main zoology degree. The programme is explicitly hands-on, with fieldwork and placement opportunities central to its design, and you will develop the intellectual and practical skills needed to understand the complexities of animal behaviour, ecology, conservation, and genetics. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and a year abroad, giving you significant professional experience and international exposure alongside your studies.

Work placement opportunities are integrated throughout, ensuring you build industry and research connections early in your academic career.

Zoology graduates go on to careers in field ecology, wildlife conservation, zoo management, environmental consultancy, government agencies, and scientific research. Roles include ecologist, conservation biologist, wildlife officer, zoological keeper, field researcher, and environmental impact assessor. The scientific and fieldwork skills the degree develops are also valued in adjacent areas such as marine biology, entomology, and animal behaviour research.

Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in zoology, ecology, conservation biology, or animal behaviour, deepening their expertise and opening pathways into academic research or senior conservation roles.