Program Overview

Equine Science

BSc (Hons)

Overview

On our Equine Science degree you will study the reproduction, physiology, behaviour and nutrition of horses. We run this course in partnership with Abingdon and Witney College. You'll be taught at Oxford Brookes with some sessions at Witney Campus and the college's stud farm at Common Leys. The farm runs as a racehorse stud producing youngstock for thoroughbred sales. You'll have the chance to gain real-life commercial experience and spend time with thoroughbreds as you learn about anatomy and genetics. You'll have opportunities to publish your own research and attend relevant conferences. On graduating, you will have an up-to-date understanding of scientific principles and management theories, as well as the skills to implement them, whether progressing into employment within the equine industry or elsewhere.

Key Facts

• UCAS code: D322
• Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026
• Location: Abingdon & Witney College, Headington
• Course length: Full time: 3 years (4 years with a placement year), Part time: part-time study is possible
• School(s): School of Biological and Medical Sciences
• UCAS Tariff Points: 112

Entry Requirements

• A Level: BBC Including a minimum of 1 science subject.
• GCSE: Mathematics, English Language and Double Integrated Science (or equivalent) at grade 4 (C) minimum
• Specific entry requirements: You must have studied science post-16, either at A-level or equivalent.
• English language requirements: Please see the University's standard English language requirements.
• International qualifications and equivalences: Choose country Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Brunei Canada China Cyprus Egypt Estonia France Ghana Hong Kong India Indonesia Iran Iraq Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Laos Latvia Lebanon Lithuania Malaysia Morocco Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Turkey Uganda United Arab Emirates United States of America Vietnam Zimbabwe Other countries

Tuition Fees

• 2025 / 26:
  • Home (UK) full time: £9,535
  • Home (UK) part time: £1,190 per single module
  • Home (UK) sandwich (placement): £1,700
  • International full time: £17,750
  • International sandwich (placement): £1,700
• 2026 / 27:
  • Home (UK) full time: £9,535*
  • Home (UK) part time: £1,910 per single module*
  • Home (UK) sandwich (placement): £1,905
  • International full time: £18,250
  • International sandwich (placement): £1,905

Learning and Assessment

• Years 1 and 2: ground you in all aspects of equine science and thoroughbred management. The Skills for Life Scientists module will develop your data manipulation, statistics and IT skills.
• Year 2: you'll study compulsory modules that deepen your understanding of the relationship between scientific and management principles.
• Year 3: you'll spend the year on an industry placement either in the UK or abroad.
• Final Year: you'll specialise further by choosing some optional modules. You'll also produce a dissertation on a subject of your choice.

Study Modules

• Year 1:
  • Academic and Professional Skills
  • Equine Anatomy and Physiology
  • Equine Business
  • The International Equine and Thoroughbred Racing Industry
  • Equine Behaviour and Cognition
  • Applied Equine Health
• Year 2:
  • Research Methods
  • Equestrian Land and Resource Management 1
  • Equine Medicine and Veterinary Techniques
  • Equine Nutrition
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Equitation Science
• Year 3:
  • Industry Placement and Personal Development 1
• Year 4 (or Year 3 if no placement):
  • Dissertation
  • Ethics for Racing and Sports Horses
  • Advanced Development for the Racing and Performance Equine Athlete
  • Applied Equine Rehabilitation
  • Epidemiology
  • Behavioural Science and Psychology

Career Prospects

There is a range of employment opportunities for our graduates, and specialisation in your final year can help to determine your professional area. Recent graduates have gained positions in racecourses, biomechanics consultancies, event management and further education colleges as lecturers. Others have secured roles in owner services at Weatherbys, gained entry into veterinary colleges or continued in higher education with a Veterinary Physiotherapy MSc, for example, or other postgraduate options, such as PhDs or MBAs. Careers as equine scientists, yard managers, insurance agents, trainee accountants, nutritionists, journalists, facility managers and equine business advisers are also potential destinations.