Foundation Degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare

AC004

Developed in response to continued public interest in animal behaviour and welfare, fundamental legislative changes affecting how animals are kept and employer demand for highly qualified individuals within a range of animal management settings, this programme is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of animal behaviour and ultimately equip them with the necessary knowledge to assess the welfare needs and devise appropriate management strategies for farm, laboratory, zoo and companion animals. The particular concerns of wildlife and conservation programmes are addressed against an underpinning consideration of the global and cultural differences in terms of what constitutes 'animal welfare'.

This Foundation degree is delivered by a team of highly experienced staff with a breadth of industry and research experience, including input from internationally renowned organisations

Qualification

FdSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare

Learners may consider completing the NPTC Safe Use of Veterinary Medicines (Level 2) and NPTC Stockmanship and Welfare (Level 2) immediately after completion of the 1st year.

Course Content

One / Level C Research & Study Skills

This unit will provide you with the necessary framework of study and research skills required to undertake the programme. It covers essential academic techniques and transferable skills and it will also allow you to begin to develop your research ideas using appropriate techniques in preparation for undertaking the Specialist Research Project at Level I.

Functional Anatomy & Physiology
The unit is designed to deliver a detailed understanding of key animal anatomy and physiological processes as they relatet o the major body systems. You will also develop an understanding of the concept of homeostasis and how it is implicit in the effective and efficient functioning of all systems studied. A range of species will be covered to fully develop students knowledge of comparative animal physiology.

Fundamentals of Animal Nutrition
The aim of this unit is to provide clear understanding of both qualitative and quantitative mechanisms of nutrition. You will be expected to predict feeding strategies and nutritional requirements from first principles of behavioural ecology and related gross anatomical adaptations in a range of animal species.

You will undertake arange of in vitro and in vivo approaches to nutrient assessment and utilise data to undertake least cost ration formulation to satisfy a variety of production needs. Allometric growth principles will be reviewed and students will developing an understanding of the significance of this concept in a range of contexts.

Legislation & Ethics
You will develop a broad based awareness and understanding of the legislation relevant to animal keeping (in companion, commercial and research/education contexts). Against this underpinning knowledge the unit aims to develop your objective reasoning skills and abilities in order to consider the ethical and moral constraints surrounding keeping animals forc ommercial and domestic purposes.

The ongoing research and recommendations of key organisations (e.g. RSPCA and the Humane Slaughter Association) will be examined and the legal concept of ‘due diligence’ will be introduced (in the context of animal husbandry systems).

The unit will encompass the areas outlined up to and including point of animals' death i.e. euthanasia/emergency slaughter. Crucially, this unit will introduce you to the constructs of ethical debate and develop the reasoning and analytical skills that will be required in further units.

Animal Welfare
You will begin the process of evaluating the current debates surrounding the concept of animal welfare or ‘well-being'. Techniques for the objective assessment of welfare in the context ofprovision of the 5 Freedoms will be discussed and an introduction to the physiology and neurology of pain and effect on behaviour will be considered.

You will be made aware of and engage in the debates surrounding global and cultural differences in understanding of what fundamentally constitutes welfare and consider the potentially subjective nature of welfare depending on context.

An understanding of the theoretical content and parallel development of reasoning skills at this stage will equip you with the ability to make objective judgements and deliver informed responses to a variety of practical and ethical questions in additional course units.

Principles of Animal Behaviour
This unit aims to provide the underpinning knowledge at an appropriate level in relation to causation, development, function and evolution of animal behaviour (or ‘how’ and ‘why’). The relationship between environmental and evolutionary pressures on resulting behaviours will be explored and examined in a variety of contexts e.g. animal collections, production livestock and conservation programmes.

The unit will include a historical overview of a range of controlled behavioural studies enabling you to differentiate and recognise the relationship between ethology and behavioural physiology.

An understanding of the theoretical content and parallel development of reasoning skills at this stage will enable you to make objective judgements and deliver informed responses to a variety of practical and ethical questions in additional course units.

Conservation Ecology
You will develop a broad based awareness and understanding of ecological principles, environmental issues and biological diversity. Against this underpinning knowledge the unit aims to develop your understanding of current threats and controls in relation to habitats and resident species. Key concepts of conservation, habitat restoration and legislation will be introduced in this level C unit which will be particularly relevant to the level I unit in Applied Conservation of Wildlife and Exotic Animals.

Work Based Learning
This unit complements the academic experience by providing opportunities for you to develop the knowledge, skills and work ethic necessary to succeed in industry.

Year Two / Level I Applied Breeding & Population Genetics
In this unit you will develop your theoretical, communication and practical skills over the broad discipline of genetics, with a special emphasis on animal breeding and the principles of inheritance in a range of organisms. You will develop an understanding of the underlying principles of evolutionary genetics, the derivation and statistical relevance of population genetics and the increasing role of conservation genetics in captive breeding programmes.

You will develop skills in appreciating and applying the techniques of molecular genetics in a range of contexts including the management of disease, improvement of production traits and conservation of declining populations. An overarching aim of all aspects of this unit is that you will be able to deliver an informed and considered response to the ethical and moral issues raised by the use of genetic technologies in a variety of diverse situations and be aware of commercial/legislative constraints that have an increasing impact on this developing industry.

Specialist Research Project
This unit will enable you to choose a topic relevant to your academic and professional development and undertake a sustained investigation in that field. Your study will have a significant practical contribution and will be used to encourage and test initiative and independent thought.

You will take responsibility for the formulation of an investigation plan and an initial survey of relevant information and possible methods of approach.You will develop skills of independent enquiry and understand the difference between a research question and hypotheses. The unit will specifically develop those skills necessary to undertake the research dissertation at level H should you choose to progress.

Management of Animal Collections
The aims of this unit are to develop your critical understanding of management and conservation issues and develop your ability to analyse and evaluate animal collections. An understanding of fundamental conservation and legislative issues will be explored to be developed in greater detail.

Applied Conservation of Wildlife and Exotic Animals
The aims of this unit are to consolidate understanding of conservation techniques used in species of wild and exotic animals. It will enhance your understanding of the ethical dilemmas posed by captive animal breeding programmes (ex-situ) and in-situ conservation.

Please choose two of the following options:

Applied Companion Animal Behaviour
The overall aim of this unit is to refine and develop your existing knowledge pertaining to animal behaviour and equip you with the ability to critically understand issues relating to companion animal welfare and human-companion animal interactions through the application of broad underlying concepts and principles.

Applied Psychology and the Customer
The aims of this unit are to introduce you to aspects of human psychology that are relevant to the care of customers within an animal context.

Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation
The aim of this unit is to facilitate a more in-depth and comprehensive study of the underlying anatomical structures in the body that may be affected by injuries and their subsequent healing mechanisms. Management of injuries including treatment regimes and rehabilitation programmes will be evaluated.

Critical analysis of complementary and alternative therapies will be pivotal to your studies. The legal, ethical and practical considerations will be examined as part of a comparative assessment with conventional treatment methods. Clinical data and other appropriate objective evidence for efficacy will be presented and evaluated.

Entry Requirements

For 2013 entry: 120 UCAS points - normally one A Level in a relevant subject, or average Pass grade at Level 3 Extended Diploma (previously National Diploma) in Animal Management.

Recommended GCSEs: Maths, English (grade C or above).

Mature Entry is actively encouraged and relevant work experience will be considered in place of formal qualifications.

What Next?

This qualification offers excellent employment opportunities in the following areas: animal welfare organisations, assurance, inspection and enforcement agencies, wildlife conservation organisations, animal collections, laboratory technicians, animal behaviour consultancy and training.

Next Dates

September 2013

Price

£6,000 pa

Employment opportunities for students following successful completion of the Foundation Degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare

Animal care, both pets and exotic species, is a growing sector of the leisure industry leading to increasing numbers of career opportunities within this field; not least an increase in demand for behaviour therapy skills to meet the regrettable increase in poorly tolerated behaviours exhibited by a significant proportion of companion animals. Conservation of endangered species in the UK and abroad requires graduates with significant demonstrable abilities in animal welfare, conservation and understanding of animal behaviour. This programme has been designed to provide graduates with employable conservation skills and with animal behaviourists to provide graduates with sufficient skills to undertake further study to become behaviourists in their own right.

Career opportunities include:

• Animal Behaviourists
• Therapy and rehabilitation e.g. hydrotherapists
• Farm assurance inspectors and assessors
• Veterinary sales representatives
• Animal nutritionists
• Animal geneticists
• Meat Hygiene Service
• Laboratory animal technicians in biological or medical research institutions
• RSPCA inspectors
• Officers in other animal welfare charities
• Varied positions within animal welfare NGOs
• Animal welfare officers in Council Trading Standards
• District Council animal welfare services (e.g. Livery yard, pet shop licensing and inspection)
• Managers of wildlife reserves
• Managers of animal collections and parks
• Managers of pet care businesses
• Lecturers in animal care at FE colleges
• Conservation project leaders in endangered species conservation.