zoology choices

Im currently doing a technical in animal management and am curious to which unis to consider.
Im interested in conservation and research, but am also open to field work.
My current top contenders are Manchester uni, Bangor or chester.
open to others tho in the north

my main wants are
-good facilities for research
-reputation
-good accomodations and support :smile:

any unis particularly suited for zoology degree?

Reply 1

PG Study Chester

Original post

by Anonymous

Im currently doing a technical in animal management and am curious to which unis to consider.
Im interested in conservation and research, but am also open to field work.
My current top contenders are Manchester uni, Bangor or chester.
open to others tho in the north
my main wants are
-good facilities for research
-reputation
-good accomodations and support :smile:

any unis particularly suited for zoology degree?

Hello!

Whilst I don't actually study a Zoology degree, I do go to Chester University so I can tell you a bit about it from a student point of view.

Chester has brilliant facilities for research, with a really strong department for science and conservation. As you probably know, Chester Zoo is on our doorstep and we often have conservationists and scientists from the Zoo coming onto campus to talk to students. I am sure that there would be opportunities for collaboration between the Zoo and students at the university, if you drop the department an email, I'm sure that they will be able to advise you further on this. The university launched the Hedgehog Friendly Campus with Chester Zoo and are trailblazers in this respect. This is something all students can volunteer with, regardless of the course they study and keeps getting better and better every year!

In terms of reputation, the 2024 What Uni Student Choice Awards voted Chester as the 2nd best overall in the UK, and 1st in the Student Support, Postgraduate and International categories, and the university has also received lots of awards and commendations for the teaching quality and lectures.

The halls of residence are located on the main campus (there are some slightly off campus, around a 10 minute walk), and there is a choice of catered or self catered, en suite and shared with a small group of other students. Even if you opt for self-catered accommodation, there is a dining room that offers a huge selection of really nice food, and this is available to everyone.

The student support at Chester is absolutely fantastic, offering both academic and pastoral care. There is so much help available for coping with moving away from home for the first time, and adjusting to life at university, careers and employability, mental health issues, financial matters, accommodation, as well as help in using the library resources, and how to produce good pieces of work. The Chester Students' Union is also very active and always has lots of fun activities and events on. This year, the Students' Union committee are placing a lot of emphasis on a campaign giving ALL students a voice and making sure everyone's voice is heard.

In terms of location, the campus is only a 15 minute walk from the city centre. The centre has a great range of restaurants for every type of cuisine, all the high street stores, a gym and the supermarkets. There is a cinema and theatre as well as a race course, and parks for relaxing in. The public transport links are fantastic - the station is within walking distance from campus and Manchester and Liverpool are nearby on the train. The road network is great, if you would be travelling by car.

Why not come to our next Open Day - here is the link to the website with all the information you need to book on : https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/visit-us/open-days/. At the Open Day you will be able to visit the department and speak to the staff and students about the Course you are interested in. Representatives of all the student support departments are available to chat to you individually about your own personal queries, in an information fair. Guided tours of the campus and accommodation rooms, led by students happen throughout the day and they are generally a super way of finding out everything you want to know about Chester university.

I hope this has been helpful, but please feel free to ask anything else,
Jess
PhD English
University of Chester

Reply 2

Rhewer1

Original post

by Anonymous

Im currently doing a technical in animal management and am curious to which unis to consider.
Im interested in conservation and research, but am also open to field work.
My current top contenders are Manchester uni, Bangor or chester.
open to others tho in the north
my main wants are
-good facilities for research
-reputation
-good accomodations and support :smile:

any unis particularly suited for zoology degree?

There is a university that trumps all in zoology in terms of reputation and honour lectures such as Steve Batchall. That is the Bangor university. There research is second to none and it’s in the best location in the UK for zoology with mountains and seas. Rankings change over time, especially in the mid tier of universities. But if you’re looking for the best place for all your criteria’s, also including very cheap cost of living Bangor university is right for u. You’re free to make up ur own mind but do some research into Bangor university, cause “rankings” are a load of rubbish, they always put the top 10 universities in the top 10 of any course including zoology EVEN if they don’t even have a course for it that year. I wish u all the best :smile:

Reply 3

Bangor_Sciences

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

Im currently doing a technical in animal management and am curious to which unis to consider.
Im interested in conservation and research, but am also open to field work.
My current top contenders are Manchester uni, Bangor or chester.
open to others tho in the north
my main wants are
-good facilities for research
-reputation
-good accomodations and support :smile:

any unis particularly suited for zoology degree?

I'm biased of course as I work there, but Bangor University is hard to beat when you look at Natural Sciences. Not only are all our staff doing research in the background but we offer lots of optional modules so that you can tailor your degree to your interests, you can also swap between zoology degrees right up to the start of year 2 and....you can you see mountains out the windows 😍

Reply 4

Anonymous #2

Original post

by Anonymous

Im currently doing a technical in animal management and am curious to which unis to consider.
Im interested in conservation and research, but am also open to field work.
My current top contenders are Manchester uni, Bangor or chester.
open to others tho in the north
my main wants are
-good facilities for research
-reputation
-good accomodations and support :smile:

any unis particularly suited for zoology degree?

im looking at going to either chester or plymouth. through visiting chester a few times ive really enjoyed it and the lecturers seem amazing. i am also studying a city and guilds lvl 3 in in animal care and got offers for both of the universities.

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

Original post

by Anonymous

Feel free to not answer but can I ask what grades got you in? Ive just finished some of my first year exams so am curious :smile:

Reply 6

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

Hi, I know the University of Southampton is definitely not in the North, but I study zoology here, and I thought I would give an insight into what it is like - hope this can be helpful for someone 😀

I am finding zoology great - there have been some wonderful field trips, including one to Spain in second year, which have really reaffirmed my interest in zoology and built my practical skills. Whilst it is a very regimented course in first year especially, with little choice of modules, this really is opened up to you in second and third year. Southampton also offers the opportunity to take modules from other courses, really allowing you to make the degree your own. I have also found there is a great academic and personal support, with each student being given a personal tutor, and also course reps and course leads, who have all organised meetings and sessions to ensure everyone is happy.

If anyone has any questions about what its like to study zoology in general, or more about in Southampton please let me know.
Rachel (UoS student ambassador)

Reply 7

University of Plymouth Undergraduate Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

Im currently doing a technical in animal management and am curious to which unis to consider.
Im interested in conservation and research, but am also open to field work.
My current top contenders are Manchester uni, Bangor or chester.
open to others tho in the north
my main wants are
-good facilities for research
-reputation
-good accomodations and support :smile:

any unis particularly suited for zoology degree?

Hey there! 😊

I'm a current Zoology student at Plymouth so happy to answer any questions you have about the course/this area! 🐼

Although it's much further down South, I've really enjoyed using the facilities at Plymouth from the marine station and boats, to the professional labs, research facilities, and trips to local/international sites, like the National Marine Park, Dartmoor, Lyme Regis, and Kenya. The uni has a good reputation for biological and marine sciences, with the degree being accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, and with 100% of students agreeing that “staff are good at explaining things” in the 2024 National Student Survey. The accommodation I stayed in (uni halls on campus and private halls) have both been great with the campus being really central, easy to get to, secure, and modern. The Careers team and student services have also been incredibly supportive during my degree/placement year so far. 🐳

If you have any questions about the university or zoology in general, feel free to reach out! 🦋

Best of luck! 😄

-Alfie, University of Plymouth Undergraduate Student Rep

Reply 8

Bangor Uni

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

Im currently doing a technical in animal management and am curious to which unis to consider.
Im interested in conservation and research, but am also open to field work.
My current top contenders are Manchester uni, Bangor or chester.
open to others tho in the north
my main wants are
-good facilities for research
-reputation
-good accomodations and support :smile:

any unis particularly suited for zoology degree?

Hi there! 😊
It’s great that you’re already doing a technical course in animal management. Sounds like you’re on the right path! And it’s fab that you’re looking into Zoology with an interest in conservation, research, and fieldwork – Bangor could be a great fit for you, so I’ll share a bit about what we offer, and hopefully that helps as you compare your options.

🐾 Why Consider Bangor for Zoology?
🌍 Location = Fieldwork Paradise Bangor is surrounded by such a variety of ecosystems – you’ve got the Menai Strait, Irish Sea, freshwater rivers and lakes, ancient woodlands, and the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) all nearby. It’s ideal for field-based research and conservation work, and a lot of field trips are built into the course.
🧪 Facilities & Research If you’re looking for strong research facilities, we’ve got:

•

A Natural History Museum right in the Zoology building

•

Marine and freshwater aquaria

•

A herpetarium (for reptiles/amphibians)

•

Bio, chem, and environmental labs

•

Imaging and analytical kit

•

Dedicated student research spaces

There’s a big focus on practical skills too – from experimental design to data collection and analysis, and our students often take on independent research projects in the final year that are hands-on and field-based.

🌏 Field Trips (UK + Abroad!) You’ll have the chance to take part in optional overseas field trips – previous destinations include:

•

Spain (Donana National Park, Tarifa, Gibraltar)

•

Florida (marine + wetland biodiversity)

•

India and Madagascar (forest ecology and conservation) Closer to home, you could be studying insects in ancient Welsh forests or tracking carrion feeders in the mountains. It’s a great mix of local and global field experience.

🏫 Reputation + Teaching
Bangor has a strong reputation for environmental and natural sciences, and our lecturers are all active researchers in zoology and conservation. You’d be learning from people who are out in the field themselves and passionate about their work.
We also have Steve Backshall (TV adventurer and wildlife presenter) as an honorary lecturer – he’s even said:
“I don't have many regrets, but not studying at Bangor is one of them.”

🛏️ Accommodation + Student Support
Bangor offers guaranteed accommodation for all new applicants with free gym membership and membership to Campus Life (a full schedule of activities to help new students to settle in, make friends and continue to meet up throughout the year). There are two student villages, both within walking distance of the university buildings and city centre.
We have a suite of videos that showcases our accommodation options
🎥Accommodation Overview
🎥Ffriddoedd Village
🎥St Mary’s Village
There’s a range of support services, including wellbeing, careers, and more. It's a friendly university in a small City which means it’s quite easy to find your community here.
ZooSoc is our animal-lovers’ society – they run talks, trips, and socials. It’s a great way to meet people with the same interests.
And if you're wondering about the social side of uni life, check out our Student Life video on YouTube: 🎥 Watch it here

If you want a course that gives you lots of hands-on opportunities, strong support, excellent facilities, and a beautiful location for conservation-focused work, Bangor definitely ticks those boxes. 🐸🌲
You can check out our Zoology course here: 🔗 Zoology BSc (Hons) at Bangor And if you want to chat to a current student, there’s a student profile chat feature on that page too!
Hope that helps and best of luck choosing what’s right for you – feel free to reach out if you’ve got any more questions! 😊
Ffi 😊

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