Validated by the University of Portsmouth

What makes this course unique?

Part‑time blended top‑up degree course – attend on site for 6, week‑long block weeks and follow additional activities to continue your learning remotely in between.
Our living collection – use our extensive facilities to carry out innovative research as part of your course on a wide range of industry‑led projects including novel species ethological studies, cognitive and human‑animal interactions research.
Students can utilise the state‑of‑the‑art kennels which are licensed for up to 40 dogs on a day care or full board basis and our cattery for practical training and behaviour observations, as well as our Animal Health and Welfare Research Centre which is home to a variety of small mammals and exotic species to widen the range of species to work with
Delivered by staff who are active in the field, as clinical animal behaviourists, ABTC assessors and members of the relevant
behaviour and clinician societies, publishing regularly on topics of animal cognition, behaviour and welfare.

View the current programme specification

Qualification:

Level 6

Level of Study:

Part-Time

Dates:

22/09/2025 - 11/06/2027

Interview:

Not usually

Location:

On Campus

UCAS Code:

D328

Duration:

2 years

Institution Code:

S34

What will I learn?

You will gain a critical evaluation of animal ethology, health and welfare, learning theory, law and ethics and clinical practice. Practical learning to ensure you graduate job‑ready:
• Behavioural observations of a variety of species
• Safe training practices with different species
• Conduct welfare assessments
• Contribute to live research projects, such as goat animal interactions, canine communication comprehension and feline cognition.

Attendance Requirements

The BSc (Hons) Applied Animal Behaviour Top‑up degree is provided via six block weeks at the UCS campus, supported by our Virtual learning platform LEDGE in between weeks. Students are required to attend four UCS‑based block weeks in Year 1 and two UCS‑based block weeks in Year 2. A couple of additional days will be required online for additional activities such as time constrained assessments, dates of these will be given well in advance.

How will I be assessed?

Our assessments mirror the challenges you will face in your career, combining academic depth with practical application:
• Research dissertations that address real‑world animal science problems
• Field‑based assignments allow you to showcase your skills to employers
• A range of presentation types and written assignments that develop key graduate skills such as communication expertise

Focused on your future

This degree opens doors to diverse career paths in a rapidly growing sector, such as behaviourist or animal trainer in rescue and animal welfare charities and will allow you to progress on to gaining the practical competency to gain the Clinical Animal Behaviourist title.
How our graduates are shaping the future:

Working with charities such as Dogs Trust and Blue Cross

Undertaking animal care and welfare research for wildlife charities and laboratory institutes

Self‑employed as feline/canine behaviourist

Pushing the frontiers of animal behaviour research by working in postgraduate education such as Master’s and Doctoral level degrees.