anyone done a zoology degree?

Question

I am in 6th form and studying biology, chem, maths and business studies. I have always wanted to study zoology/marine biology. I wondered where are the best universities to study, like to oxford or cambridge offer these? any other information would be a help

some extra info, i am from the UK and want to study here if at all possible, so thanks for your advice but i dont think I could go to australia or africa.

Answer 1

I studied zoology (Masters Degree) at James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland and found it very stimulating. The lecturers and students are from all parts of the world and because it's situated adjacent to world heritage rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef you have some of the best natural history to study. Marine Science is even stronger than zoology at James Cook, for obvious reasons and the Australian Institute of Marine Science is nearby. However, marine biology is notoriously difficult to get a foot into due to limited position including zoology but if you love it, persist, do well and make the right contacts (networking) it is possible to have a career in these fields.
Another bonus is the relatively small faculty size (approximately 10 000?)so classes aren't overly large giving more individual tuition. Your dollar (if from the US) will also go further.

Answer 2

I've not done, but may be doing :) Just entered first year in BSc Honours Biology at the University of St Andrews, they do a lot of research in marine biology (one recent example is an investigation of the names dolphins use in their communication, see http://calvin.st-andrews.ac.uk/external_relations/news_article.cfm?reference=939 ), and they have a marine research lab on campus (ok, easy for a seaside town ;P). As for whether Cambridge, Oxford or any university offers whatever course, go to the UCAS website and do a course search. There will be over 1500 results for "biology" and I'm sure quite a few for "zoology" or "marine biology". And once you've seen the choices, don't forget to find a reliable ranking of universities and courses. Looking at The Guardian's 2005 universities ranking in Biosciences (visit http://education.guardian.co.uk/universityguide2005 there is also the 2006 version) you find that Oxford and Cambridge scored the most in the overall ranking, but you can also see rankings according to more specific aspects. AND don't forget that the application deadlines for Oxford and Cambridge are earlier than all the other universities ;) That might be the ultimate reason why I'm in Scotland now :P
But don't be stuck with the big names. Do a thorough research before choosing your future university.

P.S.: I checked UCAS, Oxford doesn't seem to offer a Zoology course in 2007, Cambridge has a 3-year BA titled "Natural Sciences - (Zoology)"; and neither of them has a course specifically titled "Marine Biology".

P.P.S.: Why not go abroad? I'm from Hungary, for example, and studying in Scotland... It's always nice to see a little more of the world ;)

Answer 3

Ooh! So do I! But I'm a senior, so I have just less than a year before I go to college. I'm first getting a ba in biology, at a local university, then I'll look elsewhere to get my master's and doctorate's. Maybe overseas, maybe just here in the USA.

I've been told over and over to start broad. I've heard of people in fields completely unreleted to their degrees. I don't really want to do that though. I'd rather do zoology and marine biology! :-) The field I'm most interested in is mammalogy. What about you?

And ooh! I got certified in scuba diving back in May. That might be a big bonus in marine biology. My state is landlocked though, so I've only gone diving in the ocean once. It was awesome, seeing all those colorful fishes. I saw dolphins, but they were in a pen where you had to pay loads of money to be able to swim with them and my parents weren't willing to pay. So I just stayed on the dock. Most of the time I dive in lakes around here. Still fun though!

Sorry I'm not really able to help you pick a university as I am not from UK. But good luck!

Answer 4

I did my BSc Zoology Hounours Degree at the University of Liverpool. They also offer Marine Biology. When I graduated (1998) the course was modular (ie, you studied 3 modules per semester) and sat 1 exam per module at the end of each semester. Each Honours had different combinations of modules, with a large research module covering 2 semesters. I started doing Marine Biology, but switched to Zoology in the 3rd year (MB students spent their final year on the Isle of Man) as I'd completed modules for both in years 1 & 2. You'll have to check the particulars of the degree as this may have changed now. Liverpool is a great city and the Uni is excellent

Answer 5

Reputable universities in the region or continent you prefer to do your research have great projects going and collaborate with international universities worldwide. In other words, it's good to go local, but make sure it's a reputable institution.. I did my masters in zoology at a university in South Africa, studying African fauna.

Answer 6

Bristol University - when I did Zoology there it was a great research department, so we got a lot of teaching in specific areas of research from active zoologists. Seems to still be the same. Plus not many towns are as good as Bristol in terms of lifestyle, environment, etc...

Answer 7

Yes - I went to Reading and it was a great course but is likely to have changed by now. Look in the UCAS guide and in individual university guides. If you want to do marine Biology, how about Pymouth or Bangor?

Answer 8

No, but I'd like to.