Merrist Wood is highly regarded in the animal industry as the leading animal education establishment in Surrey, with a wide range of animal care courses.
Awarding body
Course overview
Application codes
Course Code
HC02HF1A017P
Institution Code
O25
Date, fees & location
Start date
September 2025
Location
Merrist Wood College
Fees
Home/EU* Fee for September 2025 entry: £8,000 per year
Timetable
Duration
2 Years
Study mode
Full-Time
Delivery
On Campus
Award
Course award
On successful completion, you will be awarded a Foundation Degree (FdSc) Wildlife and Conservation from Kingston University.
Year 1: (30 credits each)
→ Animal Breeding Programmes and Husbandry
→ Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition
→ Ecological Field Skills 1
→ Professional Development in the Work Environment
Year 2: (30 credits each)
→ Global Biodiversity and Conservation Issues
→ Practical Wildlife Conservation
→ Research Methods
→ Professional Development in the Work Environment 2
| Module title | Credit | Optional |
| Animal Breeding Programmes and Husbandry | 30 | No |
| Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition | 30 | No |
| Ecological Field Skills 1 | 30 | No |
| Professional Development in the Work Environment | 30 | No |
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching and learning will include a range of strategies including lectures, seminars, group work, tutorials, and work experience. Teaching takes place on the 400-acre Merrist Wood campus and is supported by an extensive animal collection that is utilised throughout the course where students will encounter a range of familiar and unusual species.
Assessments are designed to allow students to research into their topics and species of interest for subject areas they would wish to specialise in, linking to career aspirations. The teaching team undertake vocational continuous professional development to keep up to date with their subject specialism. This vocational currency gives a real edge to course content and value is added through guest speakers, visits, and realistic work-based learning assignments. These are shared with our colleagues employed within the animal behaviour and welfare sector.
Throughout the course you will be able to research chosen topics and species of interest for your assessments enabling you to focus on subject areas that you wish to specialise in, and link to career aspirations. Each module will be assessed with 2-3 pieces of work. These could include academic poster creation, conference style presentations, written exams, reports, seminars, media article design, portfolios, video productions, case studies and a dissertation.
Academic skills support is available throughout the year to help you prepare for this range of assessments, including exam preparation.
How to apply
If you have a Student visa, please book a call to discuss your options.
How to apply
Applicants should apply through the Activate Learning Application Portal.
You are advised to ensure that anti-tetanus protection via a course of injections or booster is up to date prior to the commencement of the course. You should also ensure that you have adequate clothing for outdoor work in inclement weather. Fees shown are per year. Please contact the College if you require further information.
The academic regulations for this programme can be found on Kingston University’s website
Terms and conditions for enrolment can be found on our website
Merrist Wood offers accommodation for new and existing full-time students who wish to live in our halls.
Entry Requirements
Tariff Points
64 Points
The minimum entry qualifications for the programme are:
A levels: 64 UCAS points normally in science based subjects
BTEC: 64 UCAS points normally in science based subjects
Access Diploma: Pass
Plus: English and maths GCSE Grade C/4 and it is advantageous to have a science (biology) or psychology.
A minimum IELTS score of 6, TOEFL equivalent is required for those for whom English is not their first language.
These entry requirements are subject to change.
Careers
You could work in ecological surveying, habitat management, species conservation, environmentaleducation, conservation planning and policy, and community-based conservation projects in theUK and overseas.
Progress on to a one-year Top-up Wildlife & Conservation BSc (Hons) degree at Merrist Wood College.
Progress into employment as:
- Countryside ranger
- Wildlife reserve manager
- Ecological surveyor
- Conservation / biodiversity officer
- Farming and wildlife advisor
- Environmental education officer
After you complete
Course award
On successful completion, you will be awarded a Foundation Degree (FdSc) Wildlife and Conservation from Kingston University.
Ready to start your application?
Apply now
Fees
Fee Breakdown
Home/EU* Fee for September 2025 entry: £8,000 per year
Please note:
Tuition fees are published for the first year of entry only and may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Office for Students.
*Fee information for European Union (EU) students: If your course starts on or after the 1st August 2021, you will no longer be eligible for financial support from Student Finance England unless you meet one of the following criteria:
- you are able to benefit from the citizens’ rights agreements
- you are an Irish national living in the UK or Republic of Ireland – benefits of Irish nationals under Common Travel Area guidance arrangement will continue
Additional costs include:
We strongly recommend purchasing a laptop to support you in your studies on the course.
Optional trips for work experience and professional development, especially if you wish to volunteer overseas, as some of our previous students have done.
We recommend that you budget £100 a year for additional costs such as for stationary to undertake your studies. You can borrow textbooks and access journals from the recommended reading lists most of these are available from the Learning Resource Centre. If you choose to buy textbooks, they may cost up to £60 each.
You are advised to ensure that anti-tetanus protection via a course of injections or booster is up to date prior to the commencement of the course. You should also ensure that you have adequate clothing for outdoor work in inclement weather. You will also need a pair of boots or wellingtons.
Merrist Wood College offers accommodation for new and existing full-time students who wish to live in our halls.
