Animal Biology and Conservation
BSc (Hons)
Key facts
UCAS code
CC31
Start dates
September 2023 / September 2024
Location
Course length
Full time: 3 years, or 4 years sandwich
Part time: part-time study is possible
Accreditation(s)
Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM)
UCAS Tariff Points
104
Overview
On our Animal Biology and Conservation degree you will study conservation ecology, evolution and developmental biology. And try to answer questions such as:
- How do we best conserve rare and endangered animal species?
- What adaptations help animals cope with life in changing environments?
- How can conservation respond to climate change?
Laboratory and field work are a core part of the degree. And you can put your skills into practice through field work in France and Devon.
You will develop excellent skills including:
- research practice
- data collection and analysis
- research presentation skills
- animal identification and survey techniques required by conservation practitioners.
We have great links with regional environmental organisations and local employers. We help to provide exciting work placements and career opportunities for our students. Our students have gone on to work with:
- conservation trusts
- government agencies
- wildlife centres
- zoos.
How to apply
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 104
A Level: BCC
IB Points: 29
BTEC: DMM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 88
A Level: CCD
IB Points: 27
BTEC: MMM
Further offer details
We aim to admit students who have the potential to make good scientists, and we believe that qualifications are not the only indicator of future potential. If your combination of qualifications doesn't match our typical offer, please contact the Admissions Office.
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
A Level: Including one A Level or a comparable Level 3 qualification in a science subject (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology).
If you do not have a background in science, we encourage you to consider our Life Sciences foundation year, taught at Abingdon and Witney College. Successful completion of the foundation year enables direct entry into Year 1 of many life sciences-related BSc degrees at Oxford Brookes, including Animal Biology and Conservation.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, or if you would like more preparation before you start, you can take an international foundation course. Once you enrol, you will have a guaranteed pathway to this degree if you pass your foundation course with the required grades.
If you only need to meet the language requirements, you can take our pre-sessional English course. You will develop key language and study skills for academic success and you will not need to take an external language test to progress to your degree.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Application process
Full time Home (UK) applicants
Apply through UCASPart time Home (UK) applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityInternational applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityFull time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Please note tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Financial support and scholarships
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
All students are required to have a lab coat which you can bring with you from home or buy once you get to Brookes. There will also be additional costs for learning resources such as books (although these can be acquired second hand and are all available in the library), stationery and for the production of some coursework.
Learning and assessment
Compulsory modules in Year 1 include:
- Biodiversity (double)
- Cell Biology & Genetics
- The Physical Environment: The Underlying Science
- Field Course: Identification and Methodology
- The Practising Scientist
In Year 2 and Year 3 you acquire the laboratory and field based skill sets necessary to the discipline. You will focus on techniques that conservation professionals need, such as animal identification and survey techniques. With a mixture of academic and practical skills, you'll be trained and ready for a range of careers within animal biology and conservation.
- The Green Planet
- Special Study in Life Sciences
- Environmental Processes, Pollution and Climate Change
- Data Carpentry
- Geographical Information Systems
- Field Course: Surveys and Licensing
- Animal Behaviour
- Threatened Species
- Science and Humanity
- Environmental Change
- Environmental Consultancy
- Interpreting Environmental & Ecological Complexities
- Independent Study in Life Sciences
- Work Experience
- Professional Skills & Techniques
- Project/Dissertation
- Advanced Topics in Wildlife Conservation

Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from that shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
Teaching methods include:
- lectures
- group projects
- practical exercises.
Throughout your course you will develop transferable skills such as:
- public speaking
- using industry-standard specialised software
- report writing.
Our teaching staff are experts in research work.
Practical and field work is an important part of the course and you will have the opportunity to participate in research projects.
Field trips
The course involves field courses in the Cevennes (in southern France), Devon and locally around Oxford. These give our students the opportunity to gain practical skills.
Our students have also had opportunities to study habitats and species management abroad. One example of such an opportunity is a trip to India. Professor Stewart Thompson is leading a project in the Ranthambore National Park in northern India researching the population dynamics of tigers. More locally, there are opportunities to develop your understanding of captive breeding via zoo visits, for example some students have gained work experience at the Cotswold Wildlife Park.
We encourage our students to take part in organised scientific trips overseas with groups. Wildlife African Conservation Team and Operation Wallacea are both fantastic way of gathering fieldwork data for honours research projects. We have links with other conservation organisations that our students can make use of. Through organisations such as the RSPB and Butterfly Conservation, students are able to develop their research skills to address practical conservation issues in the UK.
Our many field work opportunities equip you with the skills you need to further a career in conservation.
Field trip costs: your course tuition fee covers the cost of the compulsory field courses in your course. The cost of any optional field trip (eg visit to Ranthambore National Park in northern India) is not included in your course tuition fee, and a separate fee will apply.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
Our assessment methods are rigorous and engaging and include:
- essays
- reviews
- laboratory or field notebooks
- scientific reports
- mock grant proposals
- industry reports
- business plans
- posters
- oral presentations.
We encourage you to to reflect on what you learn. By using feedback on assignment together with reflective diaries, you can analyse areas to improve.
Study Abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
After you graduate
Career prospects
The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). This has professional recognition, which should enhance your career prospects once you graduate.
Our graduates have developed careers in a variety of roles in biological conservation. Some of our recent graduates have gone on to work for conservation trusts (eg RSPB) and government agencies (eg Environment Agency). Our students have been employed as ecological consultants and research biologists at wildlife centres and zoos.
Employers also value the transferable skills you gain at Oxford Brookes. Many of our graduates go on to have diverse careers in management, journalism and the media.
Further study
Many of our graduates will go on to research positions or enrol on specialist Masters Programmes including our MSc Conservation Ecology.
Free language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Related courses
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
Programme Changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website.For more information, please visit our Changes to programmes page.