Study animal biology and graduate with a university degree

Animal Biology is the integrated study of the enormous variety of animal life on Earth. It examines the evolutionary origins of the various animal groups and their ecology, behaviour and conservation. You can choose to focus mainly on whole animal biology and conservation, or integrate these studies with those investigating more molecular and biochemical aspects of animal biology, such as genetics, cell structure, development and physiology.

Animal biologists attempt to answer important questions such as: how do animals with complex body plans develop from a single cell? Why do many female animals exhibit mate choice? What adaptations help animals cope with life in hostile environments? How do we best conserve rare and endangered animal species? The Animal Biology degree at Stirling offers an exciting and integrated course of study.

Year 1

Highers BBBB.
A-levels BBC.
IB Diploma with a total of 32 points.
HNC or HND with Bs in graded units.
Access courses and other UK/EU and international qualifications are also welcomed.

Year 2

A-levels or Advanced Highers ABB to include Biology and one of Geography/Geology/Environmental Science/ Physics/Chemistry.
Scottish HND in certain Applied Science subjects with Bs in graded units.

Other information

If examinations are taken over two sittings, or there are repeats or upgrades, the entrance requirements may be higher.

General entry requirements apply.

International students can study our Undergraduate Certificate if they do not possess the necessary entrance requirements to be admitted directly to the first year of an undergraduate degree course.

Required subjects

One of Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry,Mathematics or Physics at Higher (B), A-level (C), IB Higher Level at 4 or equivalent.
Other qualifications not mentioned above must include science-based subjects.
Mathematics at Standard Grade (2), Intermediate 2 (C) or GCSE (C) or equivalent. Mathematics at Standard Grade (3) is considered on an individual basis.
English Standard Grade (2), Intermediate 2 (C), or GCSE (C). Applicants with English Standard Grade(3) will also be considered, although alternative entry conditions may be made in this case.

information on possible sources of funding

Full-time (three modules per semester).
Part-time (one or two modules per semester).

Semesters 1 – 4

In Years 1 and 2, you will take core modules in:

• Cell Biology, Physiology, Genes and Evolution, Ecology, Biodiversity
• Practical Skills in the Biological and Environmental Sciences and Quantitative Techniques
• Additional modules in other disciplines. Most students select from modules offered in either Environmental Science or Psychology to make up the remaining units

Semesters 5 – 6

In Year 3, you will take the following advanced modules:

• Animal Physiology
• Animal Ecology
• The Animal Cell
• Field and Laboratory Techniques

You will also take one or two modules from the following options:

• Microbiology
• Marine Biology
• Plant Ecology
• Physiology

Semesters 7 – 8

In the final year, you will undertake an independent research project and go on the ecology and animal biology field course to the south of France (see below). You will also take four advanced modules from a range of options which currently include:

• Immunology and Disease*
• The Evolution of Sex*
• Molecular Techniques
• Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics
• Proteomics
• Cell Birth, Life and Death
• Conservation Genetics
• Conservation Biology
• Restoration Ecology

*These modules are required

Fieldwork is an essential part of an animal biologist's training. Stirling's campus location is an ideal base from which to make field excursions, whether to study lekking Black Grouse in the Highlands or the distribution of animals on the Forth Estuary.

As well as fieldwork in Scotland the Animal Biology course includes a 10-day field course held in the south of France. You will learn techniques in identification, field sampling, experimental design, data analysis and presentation. Our field site is in the Cévennes, a rugged mountain landscape of exceptional natural beauty and tremendous biodiversity. The organisms that live there include wild boar, otters, three vulture species (including endangered Cinereous vultures), and grey wolves. The region exemplifies the deep historical connection between humans and the natural world, and is recognised as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site.

An extensive research project takes up one third of the final-year course. A wide variety of project topics are available and these reflect the active research interests of academic staff. These include:

• Assessing the impact of bumblebee parasites on their host populations
• Direct and indirect benefits of mating in courtship feeding insects
• Reducing stereotypical behaviour in captive animals
• 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?

Teaching is delivered in the form of formal lectures and practical classes, tutorials, seminars, computer-based learning and guided reading and research. Modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and examination completed during the semester. For many modules the marks awarded for coursework contribute around 50 percent of the final grade but for some modules this is as high as 100 percent.

Combined degree programmes are available linking Biology to other subjects. You can find more information on our website at: www.sbes.stir.ac.uk

(For a Combined Honours degree the specific entry requirements of both subjects apply. See individual subject entries.)

With so many animal conservation organisations (Bumblebee Conservation Trust, British Trust for Ornithology, Bat Conservation Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Blair Drummond Safari Park) being based at the University or in the wider Stirling area the is a considerable focus on animal conservation within our course. We can provide students with a unique opportunity to utlilise our close links with these organisations to work alongside and with these organisations during their final-year honours projects. Many staff within these organisations are former students.

We have always built as much flexibility as possible into our degree courses. This allows students to delay making a choice about their final degree subject until after Year 1 and in some cases even after Year 2. So although you have to apply for a specific subject on your UCAS form you can change your mind and opt to do something else.

Stirling is distinctive in Scotland in providing integrated courses in Biological and Environmental Sciences which are taught and managed within one school. The flexibility of the Stirling system has also fostered the development of a wide range of combined degree courses with the natural and social sciences and the humanities. Provided you obtain the grades required for admission to Honours, we guarantee you your choice of degree course. This is unlike some other universities, where numbers for popular courses may be limited.

After completion of the core course in Natural Sciences, the following degrees may be taken: Biology, Animal Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Conservation Biology and Management.

You have the opportunity to study abroad through Stirling's well-established connection with several North American and European universities.

Teaching provision in Biology has been assessed by the Scottish Funding Council and rated as ‘highly satisfactory’.

Biological and Environmental Sciences (BES) within the School of Natural Sciences is a multi-disciplinary division that participates in research and teaching in a broad range of subjects in the biological and environmental sciences.  The principle focus of the research is at the interface between the environment and society. Within BES, staff conduct research in areas as diverse as the reconstruction of past landscapes; conservation, environmental impact assessment and environmental management; evolutionary ecology of plants and animals; and cellular biology and immunology.  BES is a friendly, vibrant, and dynamic place in which to learn and research with a great sense of belonging engendered in our students from their very first days at the University.

Research-led teaching is the key to deep learning and understanding.  The academic staff in Biological and Environmental Sciences at Stirling are typically world leaders in their respective fields, thus ensuring that research-led teaching is at the core of all of our courses.  Many students work closely with academics throughout their time and benefit from actively participating in research programmes.  We have strong contacts with external conservation and environmental organisations who also contribute to the undergraduate experience.  This approach ensures that our students appreciate the transferable nature of a science degree and see how their learning can be applied to the real world.

Alumni testimonials

Animal biologists find jobs in the agriculture, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and in conservation management and environmental agencies. Other career paths include the civil service, such as forensic sciences, in teaching, the food industry, commercial analytical laboratories, in professions allied to medicine and in government and industrial research laboratories. In the latter case a further qualification such as an MSc or PhD is required for the more senior posts. The Animal Biology degree from Stirling also offers an excellent general university education and can provide a gateway to careers in management, journalism and the media, finance and other areas of commerce, law, computing and in the leisure industry.