BSc (Hons) in Animal Biology
University of Stirling
Key Information
Campus location
Stirling, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
48 months
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
Request info
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* For up to date fee information, please see website
Introduction
Overview
What determines an animal’s resistance to disease? Why do many female animals exhibit ‘mate choice’? How can we help animals cope in hostile environments? On this course you’ll you study the enormous variety of animal life on earth and discover the answers to these and many other searching questions.
Top reasons to study with us
#1 With a beautiful campus and a wide range of habitats on our doorstep, Stirling is the perfect place to study biology
#2 We're 2nd in the UK and 1st in Scotland for Zoology (National Student Survey 2022)
#3 We have strong links with industry, government agencies and environmental organisations who contribute to our teaching
Curriculum
We explore related aspects of animal biology, including animal behaviour, ecology, evolution, cell biology and physiology, as well as applied aspects of animal conservation and management.
Laboratory technical skills and fieldwork will form an essential part of your training. You will learn key techniques and methods for the life sciences early in the degree and then have opportunity to apply them when identifying your own research questions of interest. You will also receive training in fieldwork techniques both at our stunning University of Stirling campus and at residential field courses in Scotland.
Course details
Semesters 1-4 cover a range of core modules – including Cell Biology, Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Biodiversity and Practical Skills – plus additional modules in other disciplines.
Semesters 5-6 cover three core advanced modules - Animal Physiology, Behavioural Ecology and The Animal Cell – plus three optional modules.
In Semesters 7-8, you'll work on an independent research project and take several advanced modules. Current options for these include a residential field course (see below) , as well as Immunology and Disease; The Evolution of Sex; Conservation Biology; Cell Birth, Life and Death, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and Advanced Statistics.
Research projects reflect the active interests of academic staff. These include:
- assessing the impact of bumblebee parasites on their host populations;
- reconstructing growth trajectories for wild scandinavian populations of the invasive Pacific oyster;
- sexually transmitted disease and ladybird immune competence;
- sexual selection, sexual conflict and mate choice in seaweed flies;
- Do agri-environment schemes provide any benefits to foraging bats?