Foundation Degree in Zoo Management

The programme provides a unique combination of academic study with hands-on training and experience in the management of zoo animals.

The course includes specialist modules and practical experience with a range of exotic species – mammals, amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles and birds of prey. As a student on the course, you will have regular access to the zoo-licensed animal centre facilities at Reaseheath College, which boasts a range of zoo species, in addition to domestic and livestock species.

Additionally, you can expect an interactive and personable learning experience that draws upon the expertise of our team of experienced staff, with whom you will be able to engage in study both on-site across the campus, but also via overseas study opportunities.

University Centre Reaseheath is an academic partner of the University of Chester. Foundation degrees, Honours degrees, and Cert Ed are awarded by the University of Chester.

UCAS Entry Points

A minimum of 64 UCAS points

Start Date

September 2021

September 2022

Course Length

Full-time: 2 years

The course feature

British & Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Zoo
Purpose-built Animal Management Training Centre with £3 million upgrade, housing over 1,000 animals and 125 species including:
- Mammals: serval, civet, tapir, ring-tailed lemurs, porcupines, tamarins, otters, capybara, meerkats and wallabies, among others
- Birds: owls, hawks, ducks, finches, parrots, and budgerigars and more
- Reptiles: snakes, bearded dragons, tortoises and turtles and more
- Amphibians: dart frogs, tree frogs and newts
- Fish: a range of freshwater and marine fish
- Invertebrates: tarantulas, beetles and millipedes

Students will have the opportunity to engage in overseas field courses to a range of localities including southern Africa, South America and Europe.

The course can be followed by the one-year BSc (Hons) Zoo Management top-up to gain a full honours degree. The top-up year includes an opportunity to work with academic staff on relevant unique research projects.

What will I study?

This course is aimed at students who wish to develop a career within the zoo industry. Students are provided with a combination of academic study with practical learning opportunities to develop a range of academic and professional skills specific to the zoo industry, with knowledge of exotic captive animal management.

As a student studying zoo management, you will have regular access to the zoo-licensed animal centre facilities at University Centre Reaseheath, which boasts a range of archetypal zoo species, including primates, birds of prey, and meerkats among others.

Additionally, students can expect an interactive and personal learning experience that draws upon the expertise of our team of dedicated staff, with whom students can engage in study through the use of our first class facilities on campus, but also via field course study opportunities (UK and overseas).

Students are expected to study and complete 120 credits per year, which comprises six modules of study per academic level/year. All modules in year 1 are mandatory study, to ensure students come away with the fundamental skills and knowledge required to progress onto further study. Conversely, students will have the opportunity to select for certain optional modules in year 2, to allow for more specific disciplines/subject pathways to be developed.

In Year 1 (Level 4), you will develop essential knowledge and skills in animal husbandry & handling, animal biology, principles of disease, and the role of zoos in species conservation. A heavy emphasis at Level 4 study will also be placed on the development of academic skills via regular tutoring with an assigned course manager.

Year 2 (Level 5) sees a shift in emphasis towards more industry-specific skills and research-informed knowledge, including themes in zoo nutrition, record keeping, zoo animal behaviour and training. A two to five week (equivalent) work placement* or field course is also included as part of the programme, either within the UK or overseas.

Modules include:

Level 4

Level 5

Optional Modules

Please note that availability of optional modules is subject to availability of subject-specialist staff and the recruitment of the minimum viable student number (7 individuals). Should a module not be deemed viable for operation then all students who selected that module will be communicated to in writing in advance of the academic year, and will be informed of the alternative options available to select from.

Students will be expected to make their module choices for the following academic year during March/April, via a module selection service. Confirmation of module selections will be provided via email following approval.

Teaching and Learning

Overall workload

Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity, plus field trips. Your actual contact hours may depend on which optional modules you select, but the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each year of the course:

Year 1: 30% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Teaching, Learning and Assessment: 360 hours

Independent Study: 840 hours

Year 2: 22% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Teaching, Learning and Assessment: 252 hours

Placement: 150 hours

Independent Study: 798 hours

Class sizes average between 10 – 60 for modules exclusively delivered on the programme. For those modules offered across several programmes, class size could be as high as 80 individual learners.

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment

Assessments are designed to encourage both academic skills and skills valued in the workplace. They include a combination of coursework and examinations. Coursework may take many forms including: essays, reports, data processing, presentations, academic posters, seminar discussions, interviews, critical reviews, portfolios of evidence and practical competency assessments. The examinations vary, depending on the nature of the module, but may take the form of multiple-choice papers, essays, practical assessments, data handling questions, short answer quizzes, and in class examinations.

The balance of assessment by examination and assessment by coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by coursework is as follows:

Year 1

55% coursework

50% written exams

Year 2

70% coursework

30% written exams

Feedback

Opportunities for verbal and written feedback will be provided throughout the programme. Feedback may be formal and informal in nature to support a students progress and achievement. This feedback will help students to monitor their progress and strive to improve where appropriate. Written feedback on graded work is often supplied via Turnitin or directly from the module tutor. The majority of assessment submissions are made via Turnitin and feedback for coursework is provided within twenty working days after the submission date.

Written feedback will be supported verbally should the student require clarification. Formative assessment feedback will be provided at the time of completion where possible, with more detailed summative feedback for reports.

Placement Information

Students are given the opportunity to study an optional module at level 5 (Year 2) entitled Work Based Learning for the Land Based Industries. Students are expected to source their own placement, and complete a minimum of 150 hours of work, which can be accrued either in a block or cumulatively over weekends and holiday periods. When selecting a placement, students should consider the financial implications associated with accommodation, travel/commuting and the possible need for a Disclosure Barring service (DBS) check, as UCR is unable to subsidise such costs.

*Travel arrangements at your own cost.

Entry requirement

A minimum of 64 UCAS tariff points from A and AS levels to include either Biology, Chemistry, Human Biology or Applied Science
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) – – a minimum of grade MPP in an Animal or Science related subject
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) a minimum of grade MM in and Animal or Science related subject
City & Guilds Level 3 Technical Advanced Extended Diploma (1080 – first awarded in 2019) – a minimum of grade MPP in an Animal or Science related subject
City & Guilds Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma (720 – first awarded in 2019) – a minimum of grade MM in an Animal or Science related subject
Scottish Higher – offers tend to be in the region of CCCC including Biology, Chemistry or Human Biology
Access to HE – a minimum of 64 tariff points
IB – a minimum overall score of 24 including 4 in HL Biology
Mature students (aged 21+) will be considered on an individual basis on their prior knowledge and experience. This may be assessed by interview, completion of coursework/essay or other methods. There may be a requirement for a formal qualification to be completed first e.g. Access to HE course

Further study

One year top-up route to BSc (Hons) Zoo Management

Career Options

Zoological collections
Wildlife management
Conservation and ecology
Scientific research
Conservation education

Useful Information

How much will this course cost?

Tuition Fees

As a Higher Education student you will have two main costs to meet; your tuition fees and living costs.

Our full-time tuition fees for UK and EU students, entering University, can be found on the student finance page. These fees are charged for each academic year of a course and are set by the college annually.

If you are an international student or for the latest information on tuition fees visit the student finance page on our website.

Additional Costs

Additional costs will include the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in order to undertake practical activities on the zoo, farm and other facilities. These should include at least one pair of overalls (preferably blue/green) and a pair of steel toe-capped work boots/wellington boots. Additionally, students may wish to purchase other suitable outdoor wear in preparation for bad weather (i.e. waterproof/ windproof coat). A white lab coat and safety glasses will also be required for laboratory sessions. The above items can be purchased either independently or through the College online shop. Please note that the purchasing of the above equipment should be undertaken in advance of enrolment onto the programme, as practical sessions may be facilitated from the start of the programme.

Students may be offered the chance to engage in both domestic and overseas learning opportunities with which to enhance their classroom-based learning experience. Here, students will have the option to undertake overseas study in Year 2 as part of an experiential field course. These may include opportunities to study zoological collections in Europe, but also undertaking conservation field courses in such locations as Southern Africa, South America and the UK.

The main emphasis placed on these field courses is the development of professional, industry relevant skills and the application of students’ knowledge in a novel, stimulating, yet challenging environment. Costs associated with the field courses range from £500 – £1000 (UK & Europe), and between £2,200 – £2,800 (South America & Southern Africa). Please note that precise pricing of all field courses is subject to change, pending availability and recruitment.

Students may also wish to purchase their own personal copies of recommended set-texts to assist them with their studies. A full list of recommended text’s is made available prior to enrolment, however, our campus library boasts sufficient stocks of all major texts to support student learning, frequently in e-book format, and the purchasing of texts is therefore not enforced.

Equipment Costs

Boiler suit: £20-£30 OR UCR Polo shirt (£12)/UCR Sweatshirt (£16) + work trousers (£15-£20)
Steel toe capped boots: from £30
Lab coat: £13-£20
USB drive: from £5

Prices of equipment are subject to change dependent on retailer.

Additional financial support

Accommodation

All Higher Education students are given the opportunity to apply for residential accommodation. First year students are guaranteed accommodation and this offer is made to all applicants who live more than a reasonable daily travelling distance from Reaseheath and who apply before 31st July of the year they intend to start their course. For full details on our halls of residence visit the accommodation pages.

Student support

How do I apply?

Before you apply you can come and visit us at one of our HE Open Events to see what we have to offer. Once we have received your application we will invite you to attend an Offer Holder Day.

Applications for full-time Degrees and Foundation Degrees are made through UCAS. Applications for all other full-time courses such as Access to HE and Level 4 Diplomas should be made directly to Reaseheath via the online application form. You can find out more here.

Student contract

For students to get the best out of their time at University Centre Reaseheath, we must both recognise that we owe obligations to each other. These obligations are set out in our Higher Education Student Contract. Before you accept an offer of a place at University Centre Reaseheath, it is important that you read these contract conditions. If you are going to be living in Halls of Residence, you will also need to read the Student Accommodation Licence Conditions. Both of these contracts can be found here.

Click here to view the University Centre Reaseheath Student Protection Plan.

Foundation Degree in Zoo Management

The programme provides a unique combination of academic study with hands-on training and experience in the management of zoo animals.

UCAS Entry Points

Start Date

Course Length

The course feature

What will I study?

*Travel arrangements at your own cost.

Entry requirement

Further study

Career Options

Useful Information

BSc (Hons) in Animal Management (Top-Up)

Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and Training

BSc (Hons) in Zoo Management (Top-Up)

BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare (including Foundation Year)

BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare

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Foundation Degree in Zoo Management

The programme provides a unique combination of academic study with hands-on training and experience in the management of zoo animals.

The course feature

What will I study?

*Travel arrangements at your own cost.

Entry requirement

Further study

Career Options

Useful Information

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BSc (Hons) in Animal Management (Top-Up)

Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and Training

BSc (Hons) in Zoo Management (Top-Up)

BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare (including Foundation Year)

BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare