Университет Эксетера, BSc (Hons), Animal Behaviour

Year 1: Core modules include introductions to animal behaviour and its sub-disciplines, including, ethics and animal welfare: animal diversity and behaviour; biological determinants of behaviour (physiology, neurophysiology, genetics); evolution of behaviour; research methods and key skills; and statistical methods; practical classes give training in quantitative, field and laboratory-based, observational and experimental methodology, covering the broad range of subject areas across the core modules; core modules include practical classes and small group academic tutorials. Year 2: Core modules cover topics that all animal behaviourists should know: concepts in animal behaviour; sensory ecology and behaviour; neuroethology; evolution and behaviour; learning and memory; animal cognition; advanced field, laboratory and quantitative methods; advanced statistical methods; constructing and testing scientific hypotheses in animal behaviour; the practical module includes a week-long residential field trip to a field centre such as Lundy Island, where students have an opportunity to apply their new-found knowledge of methods and concepts to the behaviour of wild animals. Year 3: 3 seminar options, most of which are in areas where the seminar leader has an active research programme; students may choose no more than 1 seminar in each of the 5 general subject areas: ethology and behavioural ecology; sensory ecology and neuroethology; behaviour and evolution; animal cognition and decision-making; and cognitive and comparative psychology; practical work is carried out in a supervised research project; research project topics are developed in conjunction with staff and usually take advantage of their research interests and expertise.

This programme introduces students to animal behaviour and biology, provides fundamental concepts, facts and methods in the disciplines and encourages students to apply their knowledge and acquired methods with wild or captive animals.