Zoology with Ornithology

Highlights

Study to master’s level on this four-year integrated undergraduate degree programme. No need for a separate master’s application process and you’ll benefit from undergraduate fees and financial support MZool Zoology with Ornithology is a specialist degree focused on avian biology, diversity and conservation. It also provides broad zoological training covering pure and applied aspects of animal life.

A UK centre of research excellence in ornithology with team of staff specialising in avian evolution, behaviour, physiology, flight, navigation, and conservation. Guest lectures from British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Wales, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Opportunities for fieldwork at home and abroad.

Friendly, supportive staff and active student community offering socials, excursions and talks, including well-established ZooSoc and Birdwatching Society (BUBS).

Course overview

The additional fourth year of this integrated master’s in Zoology with Ornithology allows you to achieve a master’s-level qualification and conduct an extended research project. Should your plans change, you can also graduate with a BSc (Hons) at the end of the third year. The first three years of your Zoology with Ornithology degree develop your understanding of the behaviour, ecology and characteristics and distribution of birds, alongside aspects of conservation management and practices.

Bangor University benefits from a team of staff specialising in research into avian evolution, behaviour, physiology, flight, navigation, and conservation. Additional expert input into teaching comes from the BTO, whose Welsh office is located at the University. This also provides opportunities for volunteering and fieldwork with BTO, such as analysing bird song or examining bird migration patterns.

The University has its own a natural history museum with a diverse collection of vertebrate and invertebrate specimens. Treborth Botanic Garden has a pigeon loft for bird cognition, physiology, and biomechanics research. We conduct research, for example, into pigeon homing navigation and the influence of factors such as familiarity, landmarks, clock shift and the magnetic compass.

We also have dedicated facilities for reptiles, rodents, insects and a research farm. Situated next to the Irish Sea, Menai Strait and mountains of Eryri, you will benefit from our proximity to an exceptional range of terrestrial, marine, and freshwater habitats. Our location is ideal for study sites for final-year research projects and field work.

The University is home to the Environment Centre for Wales, a partnership with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), whose Welsh branch is based there. We also host the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Wales. Elsewhere in Bangor, you’ll find regional offices for Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT).

Strong links with these employers provide opportunities for work placements and volunteering, and some contribute to teaching. You’ll never be short of things to do. The Students’ Union offers a full range of student societies for those with an interest in all manner of animals.

Bangor University Zoological Society, Bangor Herpetological Society, Bangor University Birdwatching Society (BUBS), Bangor University Entomology Society and Endeavour regularly collaborate on social and educational events. A recent Bioblitz Weekend, for example, featured moth trapping, mammal print traps, bush beating, sweep netting, woodland searching, and pond dipping. Read more Course options

Placement year

What is the Placement Year? This exciting opportunity allows you to spend a year working with a self-sourced, professional organisation relevant to your studies. You'll typically start between June and September of your second year and finish by the following June or September.

Placements can be UK-based or…