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Biological Sciences at UEA
Find out more about studying Biological Sciences at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out moreMSc Animal Behaviour
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- January 2027
Other Start Dates
Gain a competitive edge with a placement year
This course is also available with an integrated placement year, giving you the opportunity to gain valuable UK industry experience alongside your master's degree
Other Start Dates
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Why you should choose us
17th
UEA is ranked 17th overall for research quality in Biological Science
The Times Higher Education REF 2021 AnalysisCourse Overview
This comprehensive MSc programme equips you with a broad and versatile skillset essential for the study of animal behaviour. You’ll gain both conceptual knowledge and hands-on experience.
Our dynamic course underscores the importance of understanding how animals adapt and respond to their environments, a crucial consideration in the Anthropocene era. This knowledge is increasingly relevant in fields such as cognitive psychology, One Health, biomedicine, human-animal interactions, welfare, ethics, and conservation.
You’ll delve into the critical methods for quantifying animal behaviour across different species, employing both traditional techniques and cutting-edge remote sensing technologies. Additionally, you’ll learn to address contemporary challenges in animal behaviour and cognition, developing transferable skills for compiling, handling, and analysing large datasets.
Our MSc in Animal Behaviour leverages the exceptional research strengths of UEA and the Norwich Research Park, offering you access to dynamic field sites, state-of-the-art molecular and evolutionary laboratories, and extensive datasets. You’ll join a vibrant cohort and become an integral part of our active and dynamic research community.
This MSc course features a range of topics, and places animal behaviour in the context of other areas of life sciences. Graduating from this course, you’ll be ready to either pursue a PhD or a career in areas such as Environmental organisations, Animal welfare and management, governmental policy making or non-governmental institutes.
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Placement Year
You have the option to choose a variant of this course with an integrated placement year. This gives you valuable UK industry experience as part of your Master’s degree.
In year one, you’ll complete your academic studies, including your dissertation, alongside an employability programme preparing you for UK work.
In year two, you’ll secure an industry placement or complete three employer-led industry projects with different UK organisations. This extra year lets you apply your learning professionally, strengthen your CV with UK experience, and boost your global career prospects.
You’ll lead the search for your placement, supported by employability workshops, coaching, and guidance from our specialist placement partner.
If you don’t secure a placement, you’ll complete three employer-led industry projects with organisations across different UK sectors.
For more information, check out our Postgraduate Placement Year page.
Study and Modules
Structure
This is a one-year MSc course, during which you’ll gain skills and knowledge in animal behaviour and cognition.
In addition, you’ll develop valuable transferable skills in time and project management, communication and written and oral presentations.
Topics covered by research in the different labs include the following examples: animal cognition, social behaviour, human-animal interactions, microbiology and microbiomics, animal movement and migration, biology of ageing, sexual selection and conflict, genetics and genomics, conservation, and biodiversity.
You’ll be taught data analysis, which is applicable to not only animal behaviour, but also to other fields of biology.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
All our teaching in the School of Biological Sciences is research-led. This means that during your MSc course you’ll benefit from the teaching expertise of a large group of enthusiastic, friendly academic staff with world-leading research reputations in animal behaviour. You'll learn through lectures, seminars, workshops, and practical-based classes, where you’ll perfect your skills.
Independent study
The independent research project forms a major part of your course. You’ll conduct the project in your choice area in one of the host labs at UEA. Your project will culminate in the written dissertation and presentation of your results. This project enables you to focus on a specific area of animal behaviour that fascinates you, and to develop your skills and knowledge through independent learning, with the support from your host lab. You’ll have an excellent scope to develop your independent learning, critical thinking and problem-solving skills in this MSc Animal Behaviour course, both in the problem-based learning sessions and in your independent research project.
Assessment
We’ll assess your learning in a combination of ways depending on the module and learning objectives. These include some formal exams, coursework assignments, and presentations.
Each module contains several items of summative assessment proceeded by formative work. You complete formative assessments early in all modules and receive feedback to enable you to act on this when submitting the related summative work.
In addition, you’ll complete a research project on a topic of your choice, which you’ll submit as a formal written dissertation.
Careers
Career Pathways
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
- Academia
- Environmental sector
- Animal welfare and management
- Government policy making
- Non-government organisations
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
After the Course
Upon completion, you’ll have gained an exceptionally competitive skillset essential for a PhD program, and enhanced employability within various sectors focused on understanding, protecting, and managing animals, including industry, government, and non-government organisations.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in January each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Life or Physical Sciences
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in January each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Life or Physical Sciences
- English Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in each component)
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two year of the course start date.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, the University of East Anglia International Study Centre(opens in a new window) offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £14,450
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International Students: £28,250
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
If you choose to take this course with a placement year, your tuition fees for the first year will be as shown above. An additional fee of £3,500 will apply for the placement year (see our FAQs page for further details).
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships(opens in a new window); please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.