Zoology (BSc (Hons))

Zoology is the scientific study of animals and covers all aspects of animal life. This wide-ranging discipline covers anatomy, animal behaviour, physiology, life cycles and populations.

Zoology is a core discipline for the biological sciences and for the environmental and earth-system sciences.  With wildlife and habitats under continuing pressure, zoology is an important area of study that can have a real world impact.  We study how animals shape our planet (such as the formation of coral reefs) and our lives (e.g. the role of parasites) and how animals play important roles in our ecosystems and food security (e.g. pollinators, fisheries & aquaculture). We also study animals because they are increasingly threatened with extinction and zoologists gather data to help inform management decisions to conserve populations.

Students will learn about all animal biology, from microscopic, single-celled forms to complex forms such as fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. At UCC we focus on many different aspects of animals in marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats, including conservation and management, animal behaviour (in the wild and at the nearby Fota wildlife park), evolution, health and disease, physiology, anatomy, climate change and of course biodiversity.  We put a lot of emphasis on providing students with scientific training and transferrable skills including lab, numerical and field skills, so they can evaluate science and help contribute to policy and conservation.