COURSE CURRICULUM

BSc Zoology with Professional Experience at University of Reading is a four-year undergraduate degree taught at the Whiteknights Campus that combines the scientific study of animals with a year-long professional placement. The course explores animal biology from molecules and cells to ecosystems and conservation, giving students a strong foundation in evolution, physiology, behaviour, biodiversity, ecology, and environmental science. In the first year, students study core subjects including cell biology, genetics, animal form and function, ecology, evolution, the history of life on Earth, and global environmental change. The second year develops specialist zoological knowledge through vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, quantitative and professional skills, and optional modules such as animal behaviour, marine biology and conservation, advanced ecology, conservation science, palaeobiology, bioinformatics, and biodiversity field courses. A major feature of the programme is the Professional Experience Year between the second and final years, where students gain practical industry experience with organisations such as Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Environment Agency, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, and Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust. In the final year, students complete an independent research project and can choose advanced options including epidemiology of zoonotic diseases, urban ecology, forensic biology, marine biology fieldwork, evolution in health and disease, and palaeoecology research. Students benefit from access to the £60 million Health and Life Sciences Building and the Cole Museum of Zoology, which contains thousands of zoological specimens. The degree is ideal for careers in zoology, wildlife conservation, ecology, environmental consultancy, biodiversity management, research, conservation organisations, and postgraduate study, while also providing valuable professional experience that enhances graduate employability.