Zoology

Zoology is the scientific study of animal life in all its diversity, from the simplest invertebrates to the complex vertebrates that include our own species. It encompasses anatomy, physiology, ecology, evolutionary biology, animal behaviour, and conservation, and it draws on genetics, biochemistry, and mathematics as well as field observation to build a rigorous picture of how animals work, how they have evolved, and how they interact with their environments.

At Royal Holloway, University of London, you will examine animal diversity, behaviour, and evolution, developing your understanding of how animals interact with their environments and with each other. The programme covers the major groups of animals across evolutionary time, exploring the mechanisms of adaptation, the dynamics of population ecology, and the behavioural strategies that different species have evolved to survive and reproduce. Laboratory and field work are central to a zoology degree, and you will develop practical skills in dissection, microscopy, data collection, and statistical analysis alongside your theoretical understanding.

The course includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you professional and international experience that is particularly valuable in a field where ecological fieldwork is often conducted in remote or international settings. The typical entry tariff is 136 UCAS points, and the degree is studied full time.

Graduates from zoology programmes go on to careers in conservation, ecology, animal welfare, wildlife management, veterinary support, scientific research, environmental consultancy, and science education. Many progress to postgraduate study in ecology, conservation biology, evolutionary biology, or veterinary science, and some enter research careers in universities or government agencies such as Natural England or the RSPB.