AIBU to think Biological Sciences is a better choice than Zoology?

[NeverLostHere]

Hi Ladies! DD is currently starting her UCAS application for 2018/19.

She is very bright (got an A in Biology, an A in Geography, an A in Psychology and a B in chemistry).

She is pretty set on Zoology, ideally wants to end up in research, but would quite like to do conservation, etc.

I think Biological Sciences is great to keep her doors open. She enjoyed all aspects of it during her a levels.

AIBU? Which is the best uni for Zoology anyway? Don't the top unis normally focus on subjects?

Thanks.

Bumping as no replies :-)

Not a lady here but zoology and bio science aren't all that far apart, they're kinda one in the same just focusing on different species.

Also, I think it's kinda up to your daughter to choose her own career path, no?

Biomedical Sciences and Biological Sciences can be very different career paths from Zoology. Is she focused on lab work, or more towards ecology?

I applied for zoology at University of Glasgow. The first year was actually biology and chemistry, you only started to specialise in second year (this may be a Scottish university thing as you start a year earlier vs English universities and a BSc is 4 years). After the first year I switched to a classic science degree as I quickly realised that although zoology would be wonderful, the job opportunities and earning potential may be limited. Although I'm sure there would be ways into research with any science degree, personally I do think a more classic science degree such as Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Genetics etc gives more opportunities for the future. I went on to a laboratory research role and now I'm progressing very well in the pharmaceutical industry in an office based job (lab based roles have more limited earning potential in my experience).

She needs to look at individual courses at different unis, as the emphasis will be different. Some courses may offer a wider choice of options in the second year, or a year in industry, or a placement overseas etc.

Going to a couple of Uni open days would be a good idea to get more of a feel for different departments and courses.

What does she think is the better choice and why?

Does she want to be an ecologist? If she is really passionate about zoology she will be miserable doing biological science, there is crossover but bio sci will cover human. I am speaking as someone who did an ecology degree, bio sci PhD and now have a career in environment/ecology. I taught on BIO sci courses but very glad I never did them as an undergrad because I wouldn't have got to explore other facets of environmental science including philosophy and much more field work which doing a more environmental/zoo degree allows. Don't try and persuade her to do bio because you think it would be better, the thing that is better is what she is passionate about.

Biological sciences = humans
Zoology = other animals
That's what it comes down to really. If she's passionate about conservation, ecology and environmental issues, then zoology is the way to go.

Oxford is the best for zoology, after that ones that are notable would be Exeter, Leeds, Cambridge, Lancaster and University of East Anglia for environment/ecology, that's just off top of my head, im sure there are others!

YABU. its her choice not yours.

biomedical science attracts huge numbers of students and has much lower entry requirments, generally. Also has far more students qualified to apply. Zoology is far more competitive, and much more highly thought of. Far wider range of career options

It depends on what she wants to do.

If she wants to work in the NHS, wants to work for a pharmaceutical company, wants an easier chance at getting onto a finance grad scheme, then biological sciences.

If she wants to work with the environment or animals, then zoology.

Biology & zoology are identical in the first year at some universities. Biological sciences includes plants & fish as well as human biology.

Zoology can lead to very broad careers. I did it. In my group of friends, 2 work in fish conservation, 2 in academia (virology and immunology), 1 in animal protection, 1 in medicine, 1 in sales.

It's definitely true that getting into ecology or conservation jobs is extremely hard, but I don't think that zoology closed any doors to other careers.

The course was fantastic - lots of field trips made it much more fun than the standard biology degree in my experience! As others have said, there is a lot of opportunity to try other areas like genetics and microbiology, as well as a very broad first year including things like biochemistry and chemistry.

I studied Zoology and agree wholeheartedly with sheepisheep; it's led to some wonderful careers amongst my peers. Some are in conservation with wildlife charities, others are microbiologists and teachers and one is now using his degree in the RAF.

Also, University of Liverpool has a wonderful department dedicated to the biological sciences.

Zoology can be a massively varied subject. My degree is technically in zoology, but it couldn't be classified as "traditional" zoology - I primarily studied cell and developmental biology with a focus on cancer biology.

My sister did a zoology degree (Edinburgh) then an MSc in Marine Conservation (London Imperial) then a PhD (Cardiff, and it was something to do with whether salmon like discos) and is now a researcher and university lecturer in Environmental Sciences. Zoology is just as good a jumping off point if it's what she wants to do and will hold her interest.

Degree in Biological sciences here. My degree was structured in a way that you could choose modules in yr 2 and 3 and specialise in areas. I went neuroscience route but from memory I think there were ecology/conservation options. (Disclaimer: it was quite a few years ago now!)

However seems from other posts that Zoology might offer some broad choices too.

The two degree courses vary hugely between different universities. At most unis, they are pretty much one and the same. Zoology degrees aren't really just 'the study of animals'- they are just a selection of particular biology modules, including development (animal and plant), molecular etc. It really does depend on the uni as to what modules are included.

For what it's worth, my undergrad was zoology- I then went into conservation research, PhD etc with no problems. Those students on different routes (biology, ecology, molecular etc) studied pretty much exactly the same modules for the first year, mostly the same for second year, and a bit more varied in third year. A few years ago my uni changed the naming of their degrees, so that all the routes are called 'biological sciences', including the exact undergrad I did (same modules etc). The idea behind it was to make it simpler and allow more flexibility. A lot of unis have done the same. The title really is pretty meaningless!

Basically, if you're worried about the content of the degrees, don't be- look at the course specification as the title tells you nothing about what is included.

If you're worried about what employers etc will think, also don't be. Any employer worth their salt (especially if they are science related!) will understand that the two routes are equivalent. She'll probably have a few idiots asking her if she wants to be a zookeeper at some point, but it's generally just kids that think that.

In terms of her future, the uni she goes to is more important than the exact content of her degree. Any degree in biological sciences will stand her in good stead to do a masters, PhD, research, work in science etc. It is assumed that if you have a good degree you also have the capacity to learn what you need to learn (assuming a good grounding in basic principles, which you'd get from any bioscience degree). Check the league tables- Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, UCL, Imperial are all excellent, for example.

Don't put her off zoology- it's not the joke degree some people think it is! It really is just the same as 'biological sciences' and anyone remotely in the field knows that. Let her make the choice based on which uni and course suits her best- the course name on the certificate at the end doesn't matter. (The classification does though!)

TLDR: Course name is irrelevant, depends on the uni what modules are included, any bioscience degree will give her the same prospects- make decision based on the uni and individual course that suits her, not the name of the course.

I did biological sciences, albeit twenty years ago. As pp have mentioned my course was structured so I could choose what I specialised in (and consequently the degree I got) at the end of my first year. I applied for Biological Sciences but could have changed it to Zoology, Plant biology, environmental biology, microbiology or biotechnology or kept is as biological sciences if I didn't specialise. In the event I did biotechnology.
See if her course is structured like that, then she can make a more informed choice after she has been at University for a year.

Does it say on the departments' web pages what careers their graduates have gone on to?

Thanks all, she seems to be quite keen on Sussex. Is that any good?

OP I had exactly the same conversation with my dad 30 years ago. I took zoology. Lived (and worked) happily ever after.