Why study Veterinary Biosciences with integrated year in industry?  

• The syllabus of this course with the integrated year in industry is identical to its sister course BSc Veterinary Biosciences (D906) Your work experience must be relevant to this degree and the year is assessed which will count towards your degree grade;

• Students will have to organise their work experience under the guidance of our Director for Employability. There is no guarantee that the work experience will be paid. (If you cannot obtain a placement, then you must transfer to its sister course BSc Veterinary Biosciences D906);

• During your year in work experience, you will pay a discounted tuition fee of which the information can be found here;

• You will be taught and mentored by veterinary surgeons and world-class veterinary scientists;

• Our collaboration with the Wales Veterinary Science Centre and other organisations allows you to understand the wider veterinary field;

• Over 100ha of farmland, including lowland and upland sheep farms, a 500 cow dairy herd, intensive and extensive beef production systems, an equine centre;

• Flourish and develop in our fantastic modern laboratories, dissection rooms and microscopy suites on campus;

• Develop and expand your knowledge of this subject area through practicals involving molecular, cellular, anatomical and behavioural aspects of veterinary health;

• Learn and Live in an exceptional environment where you will have marine, moorland, mountain, grassland and coast right on your doorstep.

Our Staff

The majority of teaching staff at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences are qualified to PhD level and are research active. Vocational courses also have staff whose background lies within industry.  The Institute has a large number of research only staff with whom students may have contact.

Employability is embedded across all of our teaching at Aberystwyth University.

In a growing market where graduates with skills and specialist knowledge in the Veterinary Biosciences area, our graduates seek employment in the following:

• Veterinary research

• Charity advocacy (e.g. RSCPA)

• Research in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industry

• Teaching

• Civil service

Many students have processed to further training in:

• Veterinary Medicine training

• Postgraduate research (PhD, MRes, PGCE)

Your year in industry:

Make no mistake, you will develop confidence and gaining experience in the industry will stimulate your enthusiasm for the subject.

 Completing a year in industry will allow you to:

• Apply the learning from your course to the work environment;
• Make industry contacts;
• Develop practical skills related to your area of study;
• Apply your practical skills and technical knowledge after returning to study;
• Enhance your CV and better prepare yourself for a job after graduating.

Students on this scheme should note that the department institute does not have automatic placements for every applicant. You will be responsible for finding securing the work experience, however, you will have the assistance of our institute Work Experience Coordinator and our dedicated careers advisor (James Cuffe, jpc11@aber.ac.uk). If you fail to find work experience you will be able to convert your course to the three-year version of your subject.

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the four year degree scheme.

What will I learn?

In the first year you will explore:

• Comparative anatomy and physiology of domestic animals

• Tutorials providing training with essays, reports and presentations

• Molecular Laboratory Skills

• Animal Handling

• Genetics and related diseases

• Microbiology

• Biochemistry of Life

• Diagnostic techniques in the veterinary practice and laboratory

In the second year you will discover:

• Domestic animal nutrition including specialisation in livestock, equine or companion animal

• Treatment and diseases of cat, dog and exotic pets

• Reproductive physiology

• The immune system

• A range of options covering microbiology, anatomy, livestock production and other relevant modules

In your third year you will undertake your work experience which will be relevant to your degree in Veterinary Biosciences. If you cannot obtain your work experience then you will transfer to its sister course BSc Veterinary Biosciences D906.

In the final year you will study:

• Research Dissertation

• Animal Behaviour and Welfare

• Veterinary Pharmacology

• Veterinary infectious diseases

• A range of options covering behaviour, Equine management and other relevant modules

• You will also undertake a compulsory dissertation in your final year.

Among many skills, you will learn to: synthesize information from scientific literature; understand and explain the implications of technological developments in animal science; scrutinise data in terms of quality and quantity; and respond to new data through laboratory investigation

How will I be taught?

We teach our students in through lectures, workshops, tutorials and practicals.

You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your degree course, who will help you with any problems or queries.

We assess our students through:

• Exams

• Essays

• Practical exercises

• Oral presentations

• Worksheets

• Reports

• Statistical exercises

• Dossiers

• Posters

• Portfolios

• Wikis

• Reflective diaries

• Literature reviews

• Magazine articles

• Field notebooks