The aim of the Zoology Degree is to present and explore important theoretical and practical aspects of animal biology and biodiversity, with specific emphasis on behaviour, animal development, ecology, evolution and animal physiology.

The BSc in Biological Sciences (Zoology) at Leicester provides you with comprehensive, up-to-date understanding of the approaches and practical experience of the techniques that zoologists are now using to tackle some of the most important unanswered questions in neurobiology, behaviour, ecology and evolution.

Students in Zoology are affiliated with the Department of Biology, and have the benefit of informal contacts with staff and post-graduate students, participation in departmental events and seminar programmes, and the use of some of the department’s facilities.

First Year

In the first year you will study a series of modules that introduce the key elements underpinning animal biology, including details of genetics, cell function, behaviour, development, diversity and evolution.

Second Year

In the second year you will gain further insight into the mechanisms underlying animal behaviour, development and evolution. For example, what strategies do animals use to organise their behaviour so as to maximise their reproductive output? What genetic and cellular mechanisms guide the development of a single fertilized cell into a complex adult organism? You also have the opportunity to analyse the complex ecology of animal populations and communities first hand during a field course in Majorca.

Final Year

Our final year courses provide a range of combinations for you to study at an advanced level, including topics such as Comparative Neurobiology, Social Evolution, Wildlife Management, and Molecular Ecology. We run very popular residential field courses focusing on the Biology of Marine Mammals and on practical aspects of analysing animal behaviour in the wild. You will be taught by specialists who are researching at the frontiers of their science so you will be exposed to cutting edge topics. You will learn how to weigh up conflicting evidence and synthesise information from a wide range of sources. You will also have the opportunity to carry out a detailed research project that permits you to address key questions in Biology.

Career Opportunities

Reading for a degree in Zoology at the University of Leicester will present you with a range of exciting and interesting ideas and challenges, and will provide you with the depth and breadth of training necessary to progress to postgraduate study or to jobs across a broad range of applied biological fields, including education, management, conservation and medical science.

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