Introduction to Animal Studies
With courses at Harper, there's the opportunity to experience potential careers with an industrial placement year. This is good for CVs, increases employability potential when applying for work post graduation and, in my case, provided me with valuable experience relevant to the animal industry. I'm now training to be a vet at the University of Liverpool and eventually hope to end up in large animal practice.
Katie Kipling
BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Science
Who studies animals?
If you enjoy being with animals, whether they are pets, livestock or more exotic species, care about their health and welfare and want to know why they behave as they do, we have a course for you. There are currently around 300 people studying animal courses at Harper Adams, and that figure is rising steadily.
Do I need experience of working with animals?
Yes. As these courses are vocational, you will need some practical experience, preferably with both large animals (farm livestock or horses) and companion (pet) animals. It is also an advantage if you have worked with animals as a group (on a farm or in stables/kennels, for instance) as well as individual animals such as your own pets, or in a veterinary surgery. Obviously, we don't expect you to have worked with every species, but the more experience you have acquired by the start of the course, the more meaningful the lectures will be and the more you will get out of your studies.
Courses
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare - BSc (Hons)
- Animal Health and Welfare - BSc (Hons)
- Animal Management and Welfare - FdSc
- Animal Management and Welfare - Extended Foundation Degree Programme
- Animal Science - BSc (Hons)
- Bioveterinary Science - BSc (Hons)
Top-up Courses (What's a top-up course?)
Stephen Baugh
Course Manager
Careers Guide
Careers
Harper Adams students with animal related qualifications are sought after as they have the skills employers want, such as good technical knowledge, a can-do attitude, experience gained during placement, confidence and good interpersonal skills. The industry is growing and potential employers include zoos, local authorities, wildlife parks, the retail pet industry, animal health products, welfare organisations, and nutritional and pharmaceutical companies. Possible careers would include animal health and welfare officers, researchers, farm animal welfare assessors, education, zoo keepers, animal research technicians, animal health officers, welfare advisors, or nutritional development.
Animals staff
The animals department is staffed by veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, and a number of animal scientists specialising in physiology, nutrition, behaviour, welfare and molecular biology. They are well supported by laboratory and farm-based technical staff with a wealth of experience and hands-on skills. Your lecturers have a wealth of industrial and academic knowledge and are skilled at presenting the material in interesting and memorable ways.
Don't be scared of science!
Students sometimes worry that animal related courses are 'too scientific' and fear that science is too difficult or boring. However, most find they enjoy the scientific side of things once they begin their course because it is all related to the subject they are passionate about: animals. Some courses contain more science than others, but you will find that the animal science modules are very applied, and related to real-life situations, so that you can see the relevance of the scientific principles underpinning the theory.
