- Gain the knowledge needed to become a Clinical Animal Behaviourist as the course can be used towards accreditation following graduation. - Develop expertise through an extended animal behaviour dissertation project. - Combine study and work with this flexible, part-time course.

As a UCS student you will benefit from lecturers with a wealth of industry experience that comes from working with

research committees/ working groups and a wide range of zoos. UCS is also supporting member of the

and staff are members of the

. Our teaching staff have experience and expertise in all areas of animal work including veterinary nursing, health and welfare, research, zoo industry and husbandry and animal behaviour and training.UCS has an unrivalled collection of animals and species in its purpose-built

and was one of the first colleges in the country to be awarded a zoo licence and is part of

The centre offers a wide variety of habitat styles and management systems to maximise the student learning potential and experience.

This course covers a wide range of topics related to animal behaviour, you will study human and animal psychology, consider how physiology impacts on behaviour and develop links between legislation and ethics. Using an evidence-based approach the evolving relationship between humans and animals is explored in detail including application to developing training techniques. Utilising techniques developed throughout the course you will design and conduct your own behavioural dissertation study. Previous students have conducted research on: - Impact of scent enrichment on behaviour of reptiles.- Effect of noise levels in grooming facilities on dog behaviour and stress levels.- Cooperative care doesn’t scare - impact of choice and control on stress levels in dogs during routine nail clipping (presented at the

).- Investigation into veterinary professionals’ knowledge of cognitive dysfunction syndrome in cats.

You will showcase your knowledge through a combination of written assignments, case studies, seminar presentations and time constrained assessments. At Level 6 the dissertation module will prove your skills within the field of research and we encourage students to present this work to other organisations.

The course works towards the knowledge elements that are required for certification as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist as identified by the

and the

. You can also continue your studies to MSc and PhD level. Sparsholt students have developed their own businesses focused on behavioural consultations for a range of species including dogs, cats and horses. Others work in the veterinary industry. Several students have progressed on to postgraduate study, one continuing and developing her dissertation project in to a PhD.