Animal Behaviour

Program Overview

Animal Behaviour with Integrated Foundation Year

Course Overview

This four-year course includes an integrated foundation year, after which the syllabus follows that of the standard three-year course, BSc Animal Behaviour (C120).

Key Facts

• UCAS Tariff:
• Course duration: 4 years
• Available for September start 2025

Course Description

Animal behaviourists apply their scientific skills to understand how and why animals behave in the ways that they do, in order to improve animal welfare, enhance conservation, and further our knowledge of the natural world. On the BSc Animal Behaviour with Integrated Foundation Year degree at Aberystwyth University, you will develop a solid foundation of transferable scientific skills.

Equipped with these skills, you will investigate the mechanisms, development, function and evolution of animal behaviour in a range of pure and applied contexts. You will develop advanced skills in animal behaviour research, and ultimately conduct your own independent behaviour research project. You will also complete tutor-supported work experience relevant to animal behaviour in your third year, which will considerably enhance your employment prospects.

Modules

Year 1

• Communication Skills (BR01520, 20 credits)
• Molecules and Cells (BR01340, 40 credits)
• Organisms and the Environment (BR01440, 40 credits)
• Practical Skills for Biologists (BR01220, 20 credits)

Year 2

• Cell Biology (BR17520, 20 credits)
• Comparative Animal Physiology (BR16720, 20 credits)
• Disease Diagnosis and Control (BR15420, 20 credits)
• Ecology and Conservation (BR19320, 20 credits)
• Genetics, Evolution and Diversity (BR17120, 20 credits)
• Skills for Wildlife Scientists (BR15720, 20 credits)

Year 3

• Animal Behaviour (BR21620, 20 credits)
• Research Methods (BR27520, 20 credits)
• Researching Behavioural Ecology (BR27320, 20 credits)
• Vertebrate Zoology (BR26820, 20 credits)
• Veterinary Health (BR27120, 20 credits)

Year 4

• Behaviour and Welfare of Domesticated Animals (BR35120, 20 credits)
• Behavioural Neurobiology (BR35320, 20 credits)
• Research Project (BR36440, 40 credits)

Options

• An Introduction to Landscape Ecology and Geographic Information Systems (BR25520, 20 credits)
• Invertebrate Zoology (BR25420, 20 credits)
• Tropical Zoology Field Course (BR23820, 20 credits)
• Animal Behaviour Field Course (BR34920, 20 credits)
• Global Biodiversity Conservation (BR33420, 20 credits)
• Parasitology (BR33820, 20 credits)
• Population and Community Ecology (BR33920, 20 credits)
• Primatology (BR38820, 20 credits)
• Veterinary Pharmacology and Disease Control (BR36820, 20 credits)
• Wildlife Conservation (BR34520, 20 credits)

Careers

Graduates of BSc Animal Behaviour at Aberystwyth University:

• are skilled behavioural scientists, with strong theoretical and practical knowledge of animal behaviour
• have direct insight into animal behaviour research thanks to their final year research projects, and our degree’s emphasis on research-led teaching
• may have international experience if they undertake academic exchange
• are confident and insightful critical thinkers, capable of working independently and as part of a team. They have strong scientific and data analysis skills that are desirable within and beyond the field of animal behaviour
• are members of a supportive community of Aberystwyth University behaviourists past and present
• gain a year’s membership of the Royal Society of Biology after graduation to help them establish their careers.

Typical Entry Requirements

• UCAS Tariff:
• A Levels:
• GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4): English or Welsh, Mathematics and Science
• BTEC National Diploma:
• International Baccalaureate:
• European Baccalaureate:
• English Language Requirements: See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Teaching & Learning

• The course will be taught through lectures, interactive seminars, computer workshops, field visits and courses, laboratory practicals, small group tutorials and one-on-one supervision of your independent research project.
• You will be assessed using a wide variety of different methods. Some modules are assessed partially through traditional exams, but we also employ a wide variety of different coursework elements including essays, posters, oral presentations, videos, wikis, practical data analysis tasks, field notebooks and magazine-style science articles.