Animal Behaviour – (B.Sc.)

Our understanding of the behaviour of other animals has flourished over recent decades. Yet the discipline still presents many challenges and is set to provide some of the major scientific breakthroughs of the 21st Century. There has never been a more exciting and important time to be a student of animal behaviour. Our course is the longest-established degree course in animal behaviour in the United Kingdom and attracts students from throughout Europe.

You will gain a thorough understanding of how and why animals behave in the ways they do, and learn how this knowledge can be applied in areas such as the management and conservation of wild and domesticated animals. You will also acquire the skills needed to carry out your own investigations in order to contribute to future discoveries.

Members of our lecturing team are able to draw on their extensive experience from studying the behaviour of animals living on all five continents, as well as in many of the surrounding oceans and seas, to bring exciting examples and opportunities to their teaching. Our team includes, for example, the Director of the Animal Behaviour Research Unit in Mikumi National Park (Tanzania). Staff are also involved in field and captive studies closer to home and have research links with a range of organisations studying British wildlife as well as at Britain's most respected zoos.

Additional course information
The core theme of our animal behaviour course is the study and interpretation of the natural behaviour of animals and reflects the development of the discipline from both psychological and zoological origins. Our course covers the study of behaviour across the range of wild, farm, companion and laboratory animals.

At the start of the course, you will be given a comprehensive introduction to animal behaviour within a broader scientific, especially biological, context. This enables you to fully explore your specialist subject at higher levels. You will then go on to study the developmental, physiological, and evolutionary aspects of animal behaviour in more detail and practise observational study skills. In addition, the application of animal behaviour to areas such as welfare and pest control is developed.

The final phase of our course sees students extending their understanding of the evolution and function of animal behaviour in advanced topics such as behavioural ecology and sexual selection. All honours students are required to undertake a research project during the second half of their degree.