Zoology

Zoology is the scientific study of animals: their physiology and anatomy, their behaviour and ecology, their evolutionary history, and the conservation challenges they face in a rapidly changing world. It is a discipline of remarkable breadth, spanning the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underpin how animals function to the population dynamics and ecological relationships that determine how species interact with their environments. Zoologists ask fundamental questions about what animals are, how they work, why they behave as they do, and what is needed to preserve the diversity of animal life on earth.

At Swansea University, this three-year, full-time degree gives you unique opportunities to dedicate yourself to the scientific study of animals across the full range of the discipline. You will engage with physiology and anatomy, ecology and behaviour, evolution and conservation, developing both theoretical understanding and the practical field and laboratory skills that zoological research and professional practice require. The degree combines rigorous scientific training with direct engagement with the natural world, reflecting Swansea's location in Wales and its access to diverse marine, coastal, and terrestrial environments.

Zoology graduates work across a wide range of sectors: nature conservation, wildlife management, national parks, environmental consultancy, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, veterinary research, public health, education, and academic research are all common career directions. The combination of scientific rigour, fieldwork experience, and laboratory skills the degree develops is valued wherever understanding of animal biology and ecology is required. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in zoology, ecology, conservation biology, marine biology, or veterinary science, for those who wish to develop specialist expertise in a particular direction.