BSc Animal Biology, Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics

Animal welfare is at the heart of our mission, and it is a growing, dynamic field of study. The BSc Animal Biology, Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics builds on our international reputation in this field.

If you are passionate about animal welfare and wonder why different animals behave the way they do, then this course might be for you.

The course builds on the scientific excellence of our BSc Biological Sciences programme and is taught by staff from our outstanding Animal Welfare, Science and Ethics group. The group works closely with farmers, animal owners, policy makers and welfare charities.

During this programme, you will consider fundamental biological questions using a range of field techniques. These include animal perception and adaptation as well as exploring the practical and ethical implications of animal management and welfare. There will be opportunities to study welfare and behaviour across a range of species, including farm, companion, laboratory and zoo animals.

Part of the final year will be devoted to a major research project, to be carried out either at the RVC or with one of our partners.

Our Bioveterinary Sciences degree has a very high employment rate post-qualification, so we anticipate similar rates following this new pathway.

The BSc in Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics has relevance to many career options, including, for example:

• Animal welfare policy or advisory positions in diverse organisations, from charities to government, pharmaceutical companies to the agricultural industry
• The animal behaviour component will equip you with background knowledge suitable for work in animal training, behavioural consultation and animal conservation work
• Para-veterinary careers, including veterinary scientists, veterinary nurses and veterinary physiotherapists and other roles that complement and support veterinary surgeons in their promotion of animal health and welfare in all its aspects 
• Academic publishing or science journalism
• Animal management positions in organisations ranging from zoos to laboratories, kennels to liveries, and animal sanctuaries to farms
• Livestock and companion animal food and husbandry industry roles

Please note that holders of this degree are not qualified to become members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons or to practise as a veterinary surgeon. However, from your final year, you will be able to apply for entry onto the BVetMed Accelerated Programme.

This degree will also prepare you for further study if you wish to pursue this path. It is relevant to veterinary and scientific research, for example. Some recent PhD and Masters research titles within the Animal Welfare Science and Ethics group include:

• Relationships between different outcome-based indicators of welfare in the dairy cow
• Scientific validation of a quality of life assessment in UK horses
• Quantifying health conformational limits in domestic dog breeds
• Comparison of the effects of alternative identification-marking methods on laboratory mouse welfare
• Objective and subjective assessments of positive emotional states in companion dogs
• Adolescent attitudes to farm animal welfare and animal welfare education

If you would like to apply for undergraduate studies, you must complete an application through the general undergraduate application process using the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), unless you are applying as a North American College applicant to our Veterinary Medicine course, in which case you must apply through VMCAS (see here for further details).

Please consult undergraduate course information for individual course entry requirements. Qualifications and procedures vary depending on the course you apply for.

The RVC no longer requires any applicants to sit the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) when applying to the Veterinary Medicine programme, or any other RVC course.

For any further questions regarding undergraduate courses, please contact our Admissions Office: [email protected].