University of Plymouth, Zoo Conservation Bio or Newcaslte University, Animal Welfare

Hey everyone, I'm trying to decide between accepting an offer from University of Plymouth for their MSc Zoo Conservation Biology programme and accepting an offer from Newcastle University for their MSc Animal Welfare and Behavior programme. Any advice I can get on this from anyone would be really really appreciated. Any insights on the schools, professors or anyone in the same boat as me would be awesome too! I'm from the United States so the UK school system is pretty unfamiliar to me.

Usually Newcastle would rate very much higher that Plymouth, however, not in this specific subject are I don't think. Plymouth presumably does hands on training at Paignton Zoo which has a strong record for training. Where does Newcastle use, off the top of my head I can't think of any leading zoos in the are, so I suspect this would be a more theoretical course, of based around domesticated animals.

Is there not a significant difference between the two courses? Did you try for Bristol which has a global reputation for animal welfare research and an outstanding zoo?

Thanks! The courses are very similar and I did hear that Plymouth's programme wasn't all that great so I'm hoping I can get some other opinions on that. I looked on Bristols website but I couldn't seem to find a postgraduate course in animal welfare on it.

Thanks! The courses are very similar and I did hear that Plymouth's programme wasn't all that great so I'm hoping I can get some other opinions on that. I looked on Bristols website but I couldn't seem to find a postgraduate course in animal welfare on it.

Usually Newcastle would rate very much higher that Plymouth, however, not in this specific subject are I don't think. Plymouth presumably does hands on training at Paignton Zoo which has a strong record for training. Where does Newcastle use, off the top of my head I can't think of any leading zoos in the are, so I suspect this would be a more theoretical course, of based around domesticated animals

I don't know the course in detail, so can't advise the OP in great detail about it, but I do know of some of the facilities Newcastle have. I know the agriculture department have two rural farms (one of them, Nafferton, just up the road from where I live). There are also plenty of valuable areas of countryside and important wildlife habitats in the region, with Coquet Island and the Farne Islands off the coast of Northumberland, and the Cheviot hills in Northumberland, all three are used by the department though I think these will be used for research more than anything particularly "hands on". You are correct that there are no leading zoos (or really any zoos at all) so I expect these farms, and unspoilt natural areas, are primarily used.

Also the OP may be interested to know that the International Ethiological Conference Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (Behaviour 2013) is being held in Gateshead (opposite the river from Newcastle). It's in August, I don't know if that'll be too inconvenient: -

http://iec2013.com/