BSc Zoology with Placement Year

Our four-year BSc is about animals, their evolution and their interactions with each other, the environment and biodiversity conservation.

It spans microbes, invertebrates, birds, fish, mammals and humans. You’ll learn how they evolved, how their physiology works, how they behave, and how they respond to global change. You’ll have the opportunity to complete a year-long paid work placement as part of your degree to illustrate how what you've learnt can help us address important issues, such as tropical wildlife conservation, disease outbreaks and maintaining functioning ecosystems.

Our students have found placements within industry with organisations such as GSK, Atkins Environmental Consulting and EMEC Ecology; with charities like the Wildlife Trusts, Newquay Zoo, and the Field Studies Council; or in government with the Environment Agency. You could even apply your scientific knowledge and transferable skills within or outside of the bioscience industry in areas including market research, communications or business development.

It's a great opportunity to test out a career path that you're considering and many students are offered a graduate level job at the end. You'll pay reduced fees for the year you're on placement and you'll still have the support you need from your tutor and the University.

During your time at Sheffield you’ll cover three main themes:

Alongside your specialist zoology modules, you’ll have the freedom to study topics across the breadth of biology to complement your knowledge. Topics range from ecology and molecular genetics that underpins conservation research, to pharmacology, neuroscience and even human physiology. This flexibility allows you to study zoology in greater depth, keep your interests broad or even switch to another degree programme within the biosciences.

No matter what modules you choose to study, you’ll develop practical laboratory and transferable skills that make our graduates attractive to employers including project management, problem solving, communication skills and data analysis.

Whether you choose to focus solely on zoology, or study a range of topics across the biosciences, your personal tutor will support you to tailor your degree to your interests and career goals.