MSci (Hons) Animal Behaviour Integrated Master's degree at the University of Exeter
MSci (Hons) Animal Behaviour at University of Exeter. You'll work through core theory and research methods, undertake applied projects, and pursue independent research tailored to your interests, whether that's ethology, conservation, cognition or welfare science.
About this course
Explore what Exeter graduates do | Career Zone | University of Exeter Section links Career Planning Reflect on yourself Explore your options Exploring Postgraduate Study Employment Sectors Explore what Exeter graduates do Anthropology Arab and Islamic Studies Archaeology Art History and Visual Culture Biosciences Class From the provider’s course page.
MSci (Hons) Animal Behaviour is an Integrated Master's degree (MSci (Hons)) at the University of Exeter, based in Penryn Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Zoology graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 45% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Agriculture & Animal Science, 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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 91% (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 4 modules
- Ecology and ConservationCompulsory30 credits
- Animal DiversityCompulsory30 credits
- Evolution and GeneticsCompulsory30 credits
- Life ProcessesOptional30 credits
Year 2 14 modules
- Analysis of Biological DataCompulsory15 credits
- Animal BehaviourCompulsory30 credits
- Scotland Field CourseCompulsory15 credits
- Biosciences Penryn Virtual Field CourseCompulsory15 credits
- Scillies St Agnes Field CourseCompulsory15 credits
- Scillies St Mary's Field CourseCompulsory15 credits
- Population and Community EcologyOptional15 credits
- Evolutionary EcologyOptional15 credits
- Wildlife DiseaseOptional15 credits
- Conservation ScienceOptional30 credits
- Marine EcologyOptional30 credits
- Wildlife ExploitationOptional15 credits
- Adaptations to Life on EarthOptional15 credits
- BiogeographyOptional15 credits
Year 3 28 modules
- Research ProjectCompulsory45 credits
- Literature Review in Evolution and EcologyCompulsory15 credits
- Tropical Biodiversity and Conservation: Costa Rica Field CourseCompulsory30 credits
- Alpine Ecology Field CourseCompulsory30 credits
- Global Research Skills Virtual Field CourseCompulsory15 credits
- Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation in Wild Places: The Forests and Oceans of Yukon and AlaskaCompulsory30 credits
- European Wildlife Conservation Field Course in the PyreneesCompulsory30 credits
- Marine Ecology and Evolutionary Conservation in CorsicaCompulsory30 credits
- Oceans and Coasts of the Azores Field CourseCompulsory30 credits
- Ecology, behaviour and human-wildlife conflict in Northern Spain field courseCompulsory30 credits
- Academic Research ProjectCompulsory60 credits
- Statistical ModellingCompulsory15 credits
- Rewilding the United KingdomCompulsory30 credits
- Literature Review in the Life SciencesCompulsory15 credits
- Living in GroupsOptional15 credits
- Sensory EcologyOptional15 credits
- Science in SocietyOptional15 credits
- Animal Life HistoriesOptional15 credits
- Ecological Responses to Climate ChangeOptional15 credits
- Evolutionary Biology of Health and DiseaseOptional15 credits
- Animal MigrationOptional15 credits
- Animal CognitionOptional15 credits
- Primate Biology and ConservationOptional15 credits
- Major Transitions in Evolutionary HistoryOptional15 credits
- The Genome: Applications, Evolution and EcologyOptional15 credits
- Evolution and Human BehaviourOptional15 credits
- Living with Environmental ChangeOptional15 credits
- Professional Development ExperienceOptional5 credits
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 animal behaviour from biological and applied perspectives across four years. A course like this typically starts with foundations in animal and crop science, agri-food systems and practical husbandry, building your understanding of how animals live and work. Year 2 moves into nutrition, health, grassland management and agricultural technology. From Year 3, you'll choose specialist options such as livestock production, equine science, agronomy, animal behaviour and welfare, or agri-tech, alongside farm business management and farm placements. You'll finish with a dissertation or industry project, often conducted with a farm or partner organisation, letting you apply what you've learned to a real problem.
Who it's for
You're drawn to understanding why animals behave as they do and want to investigate real-world questions through rigorous science. You're comfortable with both theoretical frameworks and fieldwork, and you're keen to develop practical research skills, whether that leads you towards conservation, academia, industry or welfare-focused roles. You'll suit this course if you're self-directed enough to design and carry out an independent project, and if you want time to explore specialisations that genuinely interest you rather than rush through a three-year degree.
Careers & job market
Across Agriculture and Animal Science courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after completing their degree. Starting salaries for this field typically fall between £22,000 and £27,000, and rise to between £22,525 and £31,800 after five years. Around 40% of working graduates move into highly skilled roles or pursue further study. The integrated Master's qualification may open pathways in research institutions, wildlife management, conservation organisations, animal welfare bodies and environmental consultancies.
University & format
The MSci (Hons) is delivered as a full-time, four-year integrated master's degree at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus. Instruction is in English. The University of Exeter is a Russell Group research-intensive institution and a recognised UK degree-awarding body; degrees are nationally recognised. The university achieved Gold 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.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| another higher-education qualification | 2% |
| a Baccalaureate | 2% |
| an Access course | 2% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
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 University of Exeter →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 Agriculture & Animal Science 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 | £25,000 | £23,000 – £30,000 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £20,000 | £15,000 – £24,000 | 115 |
| 5 years after | £25,000 | £21,000 – £30,500 | 125 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in agriculture & animal science · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Agriculture & Animal Science nationally
National figures for Agriculture & Animal Science 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. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. 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 Agriculture & Animal Science courses at the same study level.
Compared with 285 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.
- Animal care and control servicesSOC 2020 612 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £23,997
- Conservation and environment professionalsSOC 2020 215 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,520
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
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: 85; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Agriculture & Animal Science 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 information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Agriculture & Animal Science 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
- Agribusiness & food producers
- DEFRA & agencies
- Estates & farms
- Animal & wildlife charities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Agriculture & Animal Science graduates.
Agriculture Litigation Solicitor – Rural & EstatesBirketts LLPAgriculture TrainerRise Technical RecruitmentAgriculture Legal Director & Partner – HybridErrington LegalAgriculture & Estates Lawyer - Suffolk / NorfolkBWF Legal RecruitmentAgriculture ManagerMarks and SpencerAgriculture Lawyer - BristolChadwick NottIs 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
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.4 out of 10: NSS 76.9% · in work or study 85% · continued 91%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Exeter
Agriculture, food and related studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Penryn Campus
142 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 Agriculture & Animal Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Exeter from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Exeter; 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 University of Exeter’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 University of Exeter and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Exeter
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
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