About This Course
Birds have a high profile as model organisms in zoology, and are the focus of growing conservation concern due to the alarming decline of many species. There is a growing demand for professional scientists with specialised knowledge and skills relating to birds. This course combines traditional zoology with an emphasis upon avian biology and diversity, and is delivered along with aspects of conservation management and practices. Our aim is to provide you with a combination of a sound and broad zoological training that covers both pure and applied aspects of animal life, and specialist ornithological knowledge and skills.
The Master in Zoology (Ornithology) is an extended undergraduate programme which allows students to graduate either with BSc (Hons) at the end of the third year or a Masters at the end of the fourth year. If at the end of the second year a sufficient standard has been achieved, then progression onto the Masters year will be permitted following completion of the third year.
The fourth year offers a unique opportunity to conduct an extended research project either in the laboratory or in the field.
Placement Year
This course is available as a 5-year ‘with Placement Year’ option. Please apply for Zoology with Ornithology (with placement) MZool C3P4. Find out more about 'with Placement Year' courses here.
The placement year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with an organization relevant to your degree subject. Previous and current students have worked with a wide variety of placement providers, ranging from private companies to educational organizations, charities, government authorities and non-governmental organizations. Our students who have undertaken a placement year have highlighted how the experience has helped them to develop invaluable networks, confidence and life experience as well as subject knowledge and skills that have boosted their employability.
The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year. The minimum period in placement (at one or more locations) is seven calendar months; more usually you would spend 10-12 months with a placement provider. You would normally start sometime in the period June to September of their second year and finish between June and September the following year. Placements can be UK-based or overseas and you will work with staff to plan and finalise the placement arrangements.
You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree, and will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University’s Skills and Employability Services.
Why choose Bangor University for this course?
- The provision of a diversity of laboratory and field zoology experience is an important component of the course, as is the acquisition of transferable skills (data analysis, group work, presentational and writing skills, IT skills). Students have the opportunity to undertake a field trip with an ornithological focus at the beginning of the second year. We offer specialist ornithology modules in second and third years, and a wide range of ornithological dissertation project opportunities.
- Bangor is a UK centre of research excellence in ornithology, with four full-time faculty specialising in avian evolution, behaviour, physiology and conservation, and many other staff who have ornithological interests. We also benefit from expert input to this degree from the Wales office for the British Trust for Ornithology, which is located at Bangor University.
- Students will not only enjoy the resources expected of a modern centre of animal biology but will also benefit from the proximity of an exceptional range of terrestrial, marine and freshwater habitats where field work, which is an integral part of the degree is conducted.
- We are unusual among British universities in having our own substantial Zoology Museum, and being part of the Environment Centre Wales, which is a partnership venture between Bangor University and the Natural Environment Research Council’s Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). The School of Natural Sciences also has a research farm, botanical gardens, and a pigeon loft.
- We also have a pigeon loft for bird cognition and physiology research at the Treborth botanic gardens, rodent and reptile facilities in the Brambell building, Alpaca, sheep and bee hives at the University farm at Henfaes.
Course Content
Students are required to take 120 credits each year made up of lectures, practicals and interactive exercises, as well as field trips and tutorials. Modules become more specialised as the degree progresses and the number of compulsory modules varies between years. The final year includes a dissertation project, which is supervised by a member of staff on a subject to suit your interests. Assessment is by a mixture of formal examination and continuous assessment. Welsh medium modules are also available.
What will you study on this course?
Click on the link below to see the modules current students are studying.
Modules for the current academic year
Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Zoology with Ornithology Modules page.
Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.
Course Costs
General University Costs
Home (UK) students
- The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,000 per year (2021/22 entry and 2022/23 entry).
- The fee for all placement, international and sandwich years is £1,350 (2021/22 and 2022/23).
- More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.
International (including EU) students
Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:
- If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
- If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).
Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:
- Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
- Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
- Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.
Entry Requirements
For 2021 entry:
GCSE: grade C/4 in English, Maths and Double Award Science.
Typical offer is based on a minimum of 128 UCAS tariff points from a Level 3 qualification e.g.:
- A Levels: For MZool - including grade B in Biology.
- International Baccalaureate Diploma: including H6 in Biology
- BTEC National/Extended Diploma: DDM including Merits in 4 Biology modules. Modules accepted: Animal Biology; Animal Anatomy and Physiology; Animal Behaviour and Communication; Animal Breeding and Genetics; Biochemistry and Biochemical Techniques; Biochemistry and Microbiology; Fundamentals of Science; Genetics and Genetic Engineering; Inheritance and Genetic Manipulation; Physiology of Human Body systems; Physiology of Human Regulation and Reproduction; Wildlife Populations, Ecology and Conservation. Other Biology-related modules considered case by case.
- City & Guilds Advanced Technical (1080) / Extended Diploma: Distinction overall including 4 Biology modules from the following: Animal Behaviour and Communication, Biological Systems of Animals, Wildlife and Ecology Conservation, Inheritance and Genetics, Ecological Concepts and Application, Population Surveys, Ecology and Conservation. Other Biology-related modules considered case by case.
- Access to HE in the Sciences: Pass
- Welsh Baccalaureate is accepted
- Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma is not accepted.
International Candidates: school leaving qualifications and college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). More information here.
We also welcome applications from mature applicants.
*For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com
General University Requirements
To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.
We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.
All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.
As part of the University’s policy we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.
We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.
EU and International Students' Entry Requirements
For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.
Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.
Careers
Bangor’s Zoology alumni have gained employment in wildlife management, environmental consultancy, government organisations, non-governmental organisations like the National Trust or the RSPB, teaching and local and national media, among other professions.
They have also gone on to a range of postgraduate study programmes.
Opportunities at Bangor
The University’s Skills and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions.
The Bangor Employability Award (BEA)
With the BEA, you can gain recognition for your extra-curricular activities (e.g. volunteering, clubs and societies, part-time work, etc.)
Internships
Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.
Student Volunteering
Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about the volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.
