This module provides the interdisciplinary knowledge and practical skills needed for your future career. You will develop a broader awareness of the bigger picture of where your degree fits within the life sciences and the professional environment. Key themes include stakeholder engagement, ethical decision-making, and sustainability. You will build communication skills through group work, presentations, and pitching ideas to diverse audiences. Seminars and collaborative projects will help you apply entrepreneurial thinking and develop your leadership abilities. By integrating sustainability principles with commercial awareness and policy insight, this module enhances your employability and prepares you to drive meaningful change in your chosen field. You will have the opportunity to gain an additional qualification in Carbon Literacy within this module.

This module explores a wide range of conservation theories and techniques, focusing on their practical application in the management of wild animal populations. You will examine how your existing knowledge of genetics, ecology, and animal behaviour can inform and enhance conservation strategies. Through a combination of key case studies and hands-on activities, you will gain practical experience in genetic analysis, including techniques used to investigate population structure. The module also introduces new perspectives in conservation genetics, wildlife forensics, animal behaviour, and management, encouraging you to critically evaluate their relevance and applicability to real-world conservation challenges.

This module explores key aspects of animal behaviour modification across various settings, including homes, kennels, catteries, equestrian centres, rehoming facilities, farms and zoos. It examines the influence of genetics, early life experiences, human-animal interactions and lifestyle on the development of behaviour problems. You will evaluate methods for assessing behavioural issues, along with their limitations, and explore a range of solutions, such as training and therapeutic interventions. 

This module investigates the latest advances in animal behaviour research, including technologies, methodologies, theories, and discoveries. From using AI tracking software and gene expression technologies to discover previously unknown behaviour, you will explore how cutting-edge technologies and methodologies are leading to exciting discoveries. You will investigate how classical animal behaviour theories have been challenged and changed as science becomes more inclusive, opening up to broader societal spheres and bringing novel ideas from an increasingly diverse research community, and you will critically evaluate current theories. You will also explore new research, which is revealing how behavioural plasticity and urban evolution are enabling animals to behaviourally adapt to an ever-changing world. 

You will undertake an in-depth research project on a topic of your choice that aligns with your course and reflects the interests and passions you have developed during the first two years of your degree. This is your opportunity to explore a subject in detail, applying and extending your knowledge in a meaningful way.

Throughout this process, you will strengthen your critical thinking and analytical skills while conducting independent research under the guidance of a lecturer. Your dissertation will serve as a substantial piece of scholarly work, demonstrating your ability to understand, apply, and evaluate scientific concepts relevant to your discipline.

In completing this project, you will refine your academic writing and learn to communicate complex ideas with clarity and precision. Ultimately, the dissertation represents the culmination of your undergraduate education and provides a strong foundation for your future career as a biological scientist.