Animal Science, BSc

​Please join us for the Welcome Week, where we will tell you about all of the key information you need to know about your course, explain your timetable, how assessments work and how to best engage with the exciting learning and hands-on practicals we have planned.

We will tell you about the various services and support the University provides and that will make your studies fun and fascinating.

You’ll get to meet your fellow students from all of our courses and you’ll meet your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), who will be there to guide you through your studies alongside the rest of the friendly academic and technical team that is here to support you.

Your Course

​​In your first semester, you will be introduced to being a student in higher education and develop yourself as a learner through three small Success Modules (5 credits each), which you will choose from a selection according to your interests.

The Success Modules are largely delivered online, giving you flexibility as you settle into your new life as a student.

You will learn the key skills you need as student of science in the Introduction to Natural and Applied Sciences​ module (15 credits) led by Emilia Bertolo.

This module is delivered on campus and uses a combination of lectures/seminars and primarily practicals that are all about doing hands-on science in the laboratory and field and getting familiar with the equipment and the basic scientific methods that set you up for success.

 Alongside this you will be studying the Global Diversity: Evolution to Ecosystems module (30 credits) led by Phil Buckley.

In weekly lectures, you will explore the history of life on earth, the diversity of animal species and how they have evolved to thrive in the landscapes and ecological systems found on earth today.

Also each week, in extensive practicals, you will be investigating biological samples in the lab extensively and learn the characteristic features of key animal and plant groups. 

In your second semester, in the Biochemistry module (30 credits), you will learn about the biochemical molecules, pathways and reactions that are essential to life and form the basis of how animals function.

In the Discovery and Data module (30 credits) you will learn about scientific research methods, how to work with data and carry out statistical analysis and then apply those skills on a week-long residential field trip to north Wales, surveying the environment.

Blackboard

Learning materials, recordings of your lectures and other resources will be made available to you via Blackboard pages for each module.

You’ll receive guidance on how to use this resource when you begin your studies.

To help you prepare

As you prepare for joining us, there are some short online courses you can complete on our Learning Skills Hub that will help you get ready.

You will find many modules on the learning skills hub page that will help you get familiar with student life and how to get the most out of your studies, including modules about neurodiversity and dealing with anxiety.

You don’t have to ready any textbooks to prepare, but if you want to get into the mindset of the amazing diversity and variety of animal life on the planet, I recommend you read / watch:

• ‘Last Chance to See’ by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine
• Watch the documentary with Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine of the same name.
• Any of the books or animal documentaries by David Attenborough are great as well (for example ‘Life on Earth’).