This Master in Zoology (Ornithology) is an extended undergraduate programme which allows you to graduate either with BSc (Hons) at the end of the third year or a Masters at the end of the fourth year. We offer a great deal of flexibility in our degrees giving you peace of mind.

Birds have a high profile as model organisms in zoology, and are the focus of growing conservation concern due to the alarming decline of many species. There is a growing demand for professional scientists with specialised knowledge and skills relating to birds.

This course prepares you for work as a science professional as we combine traditional zoology with an emphasis upon avian biology and diversity. We deliver this alongside aspects of conservation management and practices. We will provide you with broad zoological training, with a special focus on both pure and applied aspects of animal life, as well as specialist ornithological knowledge and skills.

You will have the opportunity to acquire a broad range of laboratory and field skills, at home and abroad, and all the transferable skills associated with scientific training, including skills in data analysis, writing and presentation skills, IT skills and experience of independent and group-working. You will have access to a spread of Zoology modules covering vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as a suite of specialist modules on the exciting area of ornithology.

The fourth year MZool offers a unique opportunity to conduct an extended research project either in the laboratory or in the field. As an example, previous MZool projects have included exploring avian energetics during flight trials, examining how birds navigate via experimental manipulation, and ecological and behavioural studies of local Welsh species in partnership with local avian organizations and nature reserves.

Why choose Bangor University for this course?

• TV presenter Steve Backshall is now part of our teaching team.
• Bangor is a UK centre of research excellence in ornithology, with a team of full-time staff specialising in avian evolution, behaviour, physiology and conservation, and many other staff who have ornithological interests.
• We benefit from expert input to this degree from the Wales office for the British Trust for Ornithology, which is located at Bangor University.
• We have our own natural history museum.
• We also have a research farm, botanical gardens, and a pigeon loft.

On this course you are required to take 120 credits each year made up of lectures, practicals, and interactive exercises, as well as field trips and tutorials. The final year can include an integrated research project, which is supervised by a member of staff on a subject to suit your interests. Modules become more specialised as the degree progresses and the number of compulsory modules varies between years. Assessment is by a mixture of formal examination and continuous assessment.

Our students now work in wildlife management, environmental consultancy, government organisations, non-governmental organisations like the National Trust or the RSPB, teaching and local and national media.

They have also gone on to a range of postgraduate study programmes.

Zoology encompasses animal behaviour, animal physiology, evolution, the interactions between animals and the environment and wildlife conservation. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Bangor University is the obvious choice for anyone wanting to study Zoology as our location presents the best natural laboratory in the UK.