FdSc Foundation Degree in Animal Management Foundation degree at Derby College Group
FdSc Foundation Degree in Animal Management at Derby College Group is nationally recognised and has received a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
About this course
Create optimistic futures by nurturing talent that leads to aspirational destinations From the provider’s course page.
FdSc Foundation Degree in Animal Management is a Foundation degree (FdSc) at Derby College Group, based in Broomfield Hall. It runs 2 years, studied full-time.
For Agriculture graduates from this provider, 75% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 10% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Business & Management, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Stronger evidence Published sample: 195. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 75% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Principles of Animal HusbandryCore20 credits
Module details
The primary aim of this module is to give students the underpinning knowledge required to undertake practical animal husbandry tasks competently and confidently. A range of species will be utilised in this predominantly practical module.
- Principles of Animal ScienceCore20 credits
Module details
An understanding of how biological systems work is an essential part of students' exploration of the animals with which they will be working. This basic knowledge will enable students to correctly interpret biological evidence in order to make sound scientific decisions about the management of animals.
- Introduction to Animal Health and WelfareCore20 credits
Module details
This module aims to develop an understanding of animal welfare science with an emphasis on the importance of animal health. The roles of disease and disease prevention will be explored. Students will have the opportunity to create and implement a welfare assessment in order to evaluate the suitability of management strategies and suggest improvements.
- Introduction to Animal Anatomy and PhysiologyCore20 credits
Module details
A detailed understanding of the structure, function and homeostatic mechanisms of the animal body will enable students to apply an understanding of environmental requirements and carry out the effective monitoring of animal health and successful animal management. In this module, students will develop an understanding of the structure and function of animal organ systems, animal support and movement, and the homeostatic mechanisms required to maintain animal health.
- Introduction to Work Experience in the Animal Management SectorCore20 credits
Module details
Throughout this module, students will have the opportunity to negotiate and perform activities which will enable them to achieve work-related understanding and skills while being supported by their work placement supervisors and module supervisor. Students will produce evidence of carrying out different activities and will recognise the scope of what they have achieved by regularly reflecting on their performance.
- Essential Study Skills for Lifelong LearningCore
Module details
This module will introduce students to the study skills required to be successful in higher education. They will be advised on a range of strategies to manage their own time and how to carry out independent learning.
Year 2 6 modules
- Applied Animal NutritionCore20 credits
Module details
This module aims to develop students' understanding of the nutritional requirements of a variety of species and factors which need to be taken into consideration when designing feeding regimes. An understanding of the chemical composition of nutrients will be required as well as an appreciation of techniques used to analyse animal feed.
- Natural History of Exotic MammalsCore20 credits
Module details
This module aims to develop students' understanding of the natural history and anatomy of exotic mammalian species, with an emphasis on morphological and physiological adaptations and characteristics which enable them to thrive within their natural habitats and the implications this has for their husbandry in a captive environment.
- Planning and Managing Animal Breeding ProgrammesCore20 credits
Module details
Students will consider the key concepts of planning and managing breeding programmes, as well as gaining an in-depth understanding of the principles of heredity, and the application of advanced breeding technologies, including genetic manipulation techniques.
- Ethology of Domestic and Captive AnimalsCore20 credits
Module details
When working with domestic animals, it is essential to have a firm understanding of the biological basis of their behaviours. This module will provide the student with the historical background to ethology and the genetics and evolution of behaviour, including the process of domestication. It will also address the biological control of behaviour and the implications of this for animal welfare.
- Continuing Work Experience in the Animal Management SectorCore20 credits
Module details
This module develops the skills learnt in the first year work experience module. It will allow students to reflect on the work they have already carried out and identify areas where further development is required. While doing this, they will reflect on their own practice and complete a professional development plan (PDP). To support this, students will be guided on how to plan for their career, hear from a range of visiting speakers and explore the role professional bodies can play in supportin
- Research Methods and Scientific CommunicationCore20 credits
Module details
This unit will enhance students' understanding and use of the methodologies employed when carrying out research. It will develop students' knowledge of the range of information sources and will equip them with the skills to plan, conduct, interpret and present data from research projects, supported by statistical analysis. By completing this module, students will gain vital preparation to assist them in undertaking their own research in their future studies or careers.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study how organisations work and the skills to manage them. A course like this usually begins with foundations in management structure, marketing principles and business economics, then moves into operations, human resources and strategy in your second year. You'll typically progress towards specialist options such as entrepreneurship, international business, digital business, consulting, marketing or people and HR. The course normally culminates in a capstone project, often a real client brief or dissertation, that draws together what you've learned across the degree.
Who it's for
This course suits school leavers and career changers with A-level qualifications or equivalent, who are interested in working with animals and developing management skills. Most accepted students have entered via A-levels or equivalent qualifications. You should be prepared for hands-on learning and practical placements alongside classroom study. The course is open to students seeking either direct entry into animal management roles or a stepping stone to honours degree programmes.
Careers & job market
Across Business & Management courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of completing their degree. Starting salaries for graduates in this field range from £24,000 to £32,000 at the 15-month mark. After three years, earnings typically fall between £21,250 and £30,000, and after five years between £26,350 and £37,200. These figures are national averages from Graduate Outcomes and Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data, not guaranteed salaries. Around 60% of working graduates progress into highly skilled roles or further study.
University & format
This FdSc Foundation Degree is studied full-time over 2 years at Derby College Group, a higher education college located at Broomfield Hall. Instruction is in English. The degree is recognised by a UK degree-awarding body, making it nationally recognised, and the college holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Work placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Derby College Group →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Business & Management graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £20,000 – £28,000 | 195 |
| 3 years after | £17,000 | £15,000 – £18,500 | 30 |
| 5 years after | £20,500 | £14,500 – £23,000 | 25 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 195. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate / AnalystOn a scheme or first role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / ManagerOwning an area, marketing, finance, ops · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Head ofLeading a function and a team · 5–10 yrs
- 4Director / FounderRunning a business unit or your own company · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Business & Management nationally
National figures for Business & Management graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 195. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Business & Management courses at the same study level.
Compared with 3,421 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Animal care and control servicesSOC 2020 612 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £23,997
- Design occupationsSOC 2020 342 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £35,957
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 20; response rate: 70%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Business & Management graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine reporting and data pulls
- First-draft decks and copy
- Standard forecasts and reconciliations
- Scheduling and admin workflows
More human than ever
- Strategy and judgement under uncertainty
- Leading, negotiating and selling
- Sense-checking and owning what AI produces
- Relationships with clients and teams
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Business & Management graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Consultancies
- Corporate graduate schemes
- Retail & FMCG
- Startups & scale-ups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Business & Management graduates.
Business Director, Marketing ScienceXcedeBusiness ManagerLGPS CentralBusiness Change ManagerIGA Talent SolutionsBusiness Case ManagerPeregrineBusiness DirectorMedialab GroupBusiness Rates SurveyorW TalentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
75% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.7 out of 10: NSS 89.4% · in work or study 75% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Business and management across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Broomfield Hall
79 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Business & Management right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Derby College Group from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Derby College Group; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Derby College Group’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Derby College Group and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Derby College Group
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Common questions
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