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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
Our unique course in Animal Management offers a mixture of practical, scientific, technical and business principles learning to underpin a career in animal management. By applying such principles in a vocational context and understanding the appropriate methods of enquiry for this subject area you will gain a thorough understanding of the field.
During the course you will study both on and off site, with class-based sessions and a number of off-campus visits. You will also learn through formal lectures, practical laboratory sessions and IT laboratory sessions, as well as supported self-study. All learning will consist of both independent and group work.
Off-site visits include a one-week field trip during the first year of the course which is extremely useful in helping you put your learning into context. Another way to reinforce your learning is through work placements, which the Course Team will help you arrange.
You will also benefit from the attendance of guest speakers who will deliver lectures and seminars. Speakers will always be current practitioners, ensuring the course content is rooted in up-to-date best practice.
The Animal Management foundation degree can lead to a variety of employment routes in animal care, welfare and housing facilities such as zoos, animal welfare charities, farms, veterinary hospitals or animal health and nutrition research centres. The course can also lead to opportunities in local government. Alternatively, successful graduates can progress to further postgraduate study of relevance to the programme.
During the course you will:
Throughout the Foundation Degree in Animal Management, assessment is used to:
Your skills, knowledge acquisition and understanding will be demonstrated by the successful completion of the range of assessments embedded in the programme.
All assessments will be undertaken as described in each units learning outcomes and will be both formative (e.g. computer based exercises, non-assessed presentations, class exercises etc) and summative (e.g. unseen and seen examinations, computer-based assessments, essays, practical reports, practical skills assessments, seminar presentations, laboratory skills, project report etc).
Staff will provide you with full and constructive feedback on the work you do, for it is a central part of the teaching and learning process on this programme. There is also a commitment to obtain feedback on your time spent with any host organisation providing work-based learning and to share this with you, too..
To ensure industry relevance to knowledge and skills acquisition on this Foundation Degree course there will be a particular emphasis on the involvement of members of the animal industry, where appropriate, to assess both practical and theoretical work produced by the students.
Upon successful completion of this course, you should:
1. Have developed a range of key transferable skills to promote your professional practice in the workplace and to support lifelong learning.
2. Have acquired, and be able to demonstrate, a secure and accurate knowledge and understanding of the scientific principles underpinning the study of Animal Management to Foundation Degree level.
3. Have developed your knowledge across the key specialisms of Animal Management to support your professional practice.
4. Have developed as a reflective, flexible, independent learner, with a view to further progression.
5. Have acquired, and be able to demonstrate, the skills necessary to complete a research project, with minimum guidance, collecting and processing data and sampling inferential statistics.
6. Be able to demonstrate abilities in a range of appropriate practical techniques and skills relevant to work in the Animal Management industry.
7. Have acquired, and be able to demonstrate, the skills to access and evaluate Animal Management information from a variety of sources and communicate the principles of the subject matter both orally and in writing.
8. Have acquired, and be able to demonstrate, the ability to critically review information and data from the Animal Management industry.
9. Comprehend, practise and demonstrate the personal responsibilities and professional conduct of an operative within the Animal Management industry taking into account the relevant ethical and social issues.
The aim of this Foundation Degree in Animal Management is to provide students with a vocationally relevant Higher Education qualification, the content of which reflects the knowledge, skills and competencies expected by the current and/or prospective employers.
Specifically, these include:
The course provides a good quality, broad-based, training in animal-related biological sciences. Although firmly grounded in Animal Management and as a work-related Foundation Degree, the programme does not restrict successful graduates in their eventual choice of career.
This degree, then, is based around a framework of core animal science activities, ensuring that graduates have a firm understanding of bio-sciences, together with a series of complimentary business, management and marketing units. Together, these provide the course with its distinctive Animal Management pathway.
Induction
A full Induction programme is provided by staff at the college for new students, during which you are introduced to the colleges academic and administrative staff. You are given information about the running of the course and procedures for practical sessions including some formative laboratory work. Other presentations are given by representatives from Bedford College / Shuttleworth College on academic advice, about the Learning Resources Centre (LRC), on finance and personal support offered by the college and the Student Union.
On-course
1. Academic
All students are assigned a personal tutor who arranges a meeting with their tutees once a term. Personal Tutors can be contacted by e-mail or in person to discuss issues of concern. Contact will be made, especially if there appears to be unauthorised absences or problems with studies. There is a planned weekly tutorial session which will help students develop wider academic skills and provide specific and individual support, advice and guidance as well as supporting personal development plans.
The College currently uses the BREO VLE system. This is available to staff and students and are used to provide a great deal of help and back-up material such as lecture notes and additional background information on all units. In some cases there are discussion boards and you can get in touch with lecturers and tutors vie e-mail. BREO also provides a certain amount of distance learning, revision material and formative assessments as well as containing all the administrative material you need such as the unit handbook and regular announcements.
The system also supports you, through a system called PebblePad, to build e-portfolios.
The VLE system also offer you additional support during the course:
Throughout Level 1, notably in the Foundations and skills unit you are given further guidance from representatives of the Learning Resources Centre (LRC) and Professional and Academic Development (PAD) to help improve information literacy, referencing and report writing skills.
At level 2, you are given guidance in preparation for the investigative project.
While your main contact in terms of academic advice is the Personal Tutor, you may also book an appointment to see the Head of Department for course related academic advice. For more independent and confidential advice you may talk directly to one of the colleges Guidance Advisors at the college on more substantive issues such as extenuating circumstances, suspension of studies, leaving a course. and other issues that cannot be covered by the Personal Tutor. Any requests for extenuating circumstances must be processed through Student Servcies. The University's agency responsible for agreeing claims by students for extenuating circumstances.
2. Finance:
Confidential financial advice, information and support, including details of alternative sources of funding (for example, scholarships and bursaries) is available to you through the colleges Advice Centre. The Student Union can also offer advice on bank accounts, budgeting and other financial challenges.
3. Health & Wellbeing:
You will be offered advice on looking-after yourself whilst at college and encouraged to sign-up to a local GP, together with information on local health centres and hospitals.
4. Personal support:
Your Personal Tutor is your key to getting any support you need whilst on your course. There is a planned weekly tutorial session which will help students develop wider academic skills and provide specific and individual support, advice and guidance as well as supporting personal development plans. Through the colleges Student Support system, you will have access (should you need it) to counselling and mental health support.
Working collaboratively and as a member of team is an important aspect in working in the animal industry and as a student on this Foundation Degree.
Throughout the course there are opportunities for you to develop and refine your skills of working collaboratively. These include working as small groups in practical sessions or producing group reports and presentations. Further details are outlined in the Unit Information Forms for each unit.
You will sometimes be placed in working groups, to share your skills and to learn from other students; at other times you may select who you wish to work with. All these group activities are designed to develop your team working skills as a preparation for professional life; they may also be used as part of the assessment process.
1. Developing a set of career management skills is important for your employability. This Foundation Degree course encourages all students to discuss their career intentions and requirements with staff at the college and during their work-placement.
2. One of the reasons for arranging guest speakers and visiting lecturers who are experts in their fields is to benefit you by providing a careers and employment focus to the course. By meeting these people, all of whom are currently working in the animal-industry, you will get up-to-date information to enable you to plan for your future career development.
3. Staff from the Centre for Personal and Career Development regularly give talks to students from Induction week through the two levels to encourage you to think about your future career.
4. The College encourages students to keep an up to date curriculum vitae in their Progress File.
Careers:
Students who complete this Foundation Degree could be employed in a wide range of animal care, welfare and housing facilities such as: pet shops and superstores, wildlife parks and zoos, in kennels and catteries, in farm and large animal environments, with animal welfare charities in their veterinary hospitals and animal rehabilitation units, or in animal health and nutrition research centres. There are also opportunities to work in local government for councils and with a range of other agencies / bodies and commercial sector employers.
Further study:
Completion of the Foundation Degree will enable students to progress to a range of further and higher qualifications.
Successful graduates will be able to progress to alternative establishments identified in the Lifelong Learning Network (VetNet progression accords) or those offering additional credits of study relevant to this programme. Future developments within the UoB are planned to deliver additional progression routes which will be relevant and attractive to graduates from this Foundation Degree.
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
Across the course, a Blended Learning approach is taken, using a range of experiences and opportunities for you to gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed on this programme. The teaching / learning methods employed are tailored to the content and requirements of each unit.
A broad range of teaching methods are used including lectures, seminars, visiting speakers, one-to-one and small group tutorial sessions, workshops, group activities, case studies, laboratory / practical sessions, role-play and discussion. There will also be off-campus visits, lead by a member of staff, to support your work in the college and in your work-placement.
Underpinning the teaching strategy is the learner-centred approach, adopted by the college, which enables you to actively relate your academic studies to your work-based experiences, and to develop independent styles of learning which best suit you.
The Course includes a work-based investigative project giving you the opportunity for more in-depth and exploratory study, which is designed to let you further explore the links between learning and practice, and to develop and demonstrate your research skills.
These learning activities are supported by the Colleges online interactive tools, available through BREO. These systems are used across the curriculum and contain a variety of information such as lecture notes, presentations, student workbooks and guidebooks, other information sources, reference lists etc. which allow you to develop your own portfolio as part of your Personal Development Planning, and to more effectively use social networking tools to develop your own learning.
Students with a wide range of disabilities or health conditions can achieve the required standards of knowledge and skills to enable them to gain this Foundation Degree in Animal Management, but it needs to be recognised that each case is different and has to be viewed on its merits. The safety of students, employers, the animals, the public and other colleagues must always take priority.
Appropriate individual arrangements will be made for students with disabilities to enable their full participation in practical activities, field trips and laboratory work and other activities associated with the course. Discussions with employers / host organisations will include the provision for students with disabilities during WBL periods.
Learners with specific disabilities, though, may be excluded from studying this course.
Staff at the college and at the university have experience of supporting learners with dyslexia and many students cope well with the amount of reading / writing required for Foundation Degrees. Additional time can be given, for example, in written examinations. However, those with a severe level of dyslexia will need to be considered by the colleges Disability Officer before being accepted.
Impaired vision: although students with colour blindness and monocular vision should be able to cope with the demands of the course, those with severe visual impairment are unlikely to be able to access this degree programme.
Hearing Impairments: as long as the individual has developed appropriate coping strategies and makes use of appropriate aids they should be able to study on this programme. However, Admissions staff will need to consider the individuals ability to communicate with others, as well as their ability to cope in a range of contexts so as not to be a danger to themselves, colleagues, clients and animals.
Absence or partial loss of a limb: On its own, this would not necessarily stop an individual for joining this course. However, the individuals ability to handle and restrain animals safely, and to handle equipment, will need to be considered by Admissions staff.
Wheelchair users: An individual who is permanently based in a wheelchair would be unable to safely handle the full range of animals, nor use all of the associated equipment for this practically-based course and whilst every reasonable accommodation will be made access to the course will need to be considered by Admissions staff.
Asthma and other allergies: In the interests of the individuals safety, self-disclosure of such conditions is important at the point of entry to the course. Generally, such conditions are controllable and students can cope well. In some severe cases, however, an allergy may prove to be uncontrollable and life threatening and thus could be grounds for non-admission. Exposure to a wide range of species on the Animal Management course is an inevitable and integral part of study, and applicants need to be advised that the requirements of the course mean that they will not be able to avoid contact with certain species on the grounds of an allergy, or to request dispensation from parts of the course.
Further guidance is available from the Universitys current Disability policy at
http://www.beds.ac.uk/studentlife/current/disabilities.
Communication
To help your development you will:
Information Literacy
To help your development you will:
Research and Evaluation
To help your development you will:
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help your development you will:
This Foundation Degree course encourages all participants to identify and address their own personal and professional development needs.
During the early part of the course you will be given advice and support to find your personal strengths and weaknesses. It will help you if you pay particular attention to feedback, both written and verbal, from various sources and throughout the programme. You should take the lead in talking with your tutor, college teaching staff or work-placement supervisors about your needs, for they will be able to offer you help and support.
All students following this Foundation Degree course are expected to maintain high professional standards by:
The professional standards will be introduced to students during the induction week. The standards required of them and those they can expect from staff are clearly laid out. You will be introduced to safe laboratory working in Induction Week and this is emphasized throughout Levels 1 and 2 both by the use of pre-practical talks and in the Laboratories themselves.
You are expected to be proactive in maintaining these professional standards. The professional standards will be monitored and issues addressed throughout the programme. Failure to address professional Health and Safety standards in particular will not be tolerated.
Ethical issues related to animal management and wider issues will be addressed within individual units as they arise and will form a basis for assessment in some instances.
In formulating the project proposal and in its implementation, you will have the opportunity to show how well embedded the professional standards are by: your reliability in collaborating with fellow students, meeting deadlines and keeping appointments, showing an awareness of the ethical issues surrounding your area of research and by successful completion of health and safety risk assessments for your practical work.
There are opportunities to develop and assess your ability to work to appropriate professional standards during the work-based learning components of your course. Their assessment and appropriateness will be negotiated, reviewed and refined as part of your personal development planning and e-portfolio.
