A love for animals and a curiosity about the natural world can be channelled into an educational pathway that can lead to a rewarding career in animal care — and for those who dream of working with exotic wildlife, supporting animal welfare initiatives or contributing to groundbreaking research, Hartpury University can make it happen.
Its degree programmes are designed for those who wonder how animals think, feel and interact with their environments, as well as how humans and society impact those environments. Blending world-class facilities, expert teaching and a strong focus on career development, the Gloucester-based institution is a fantastic choice for anyone eager to make a difference in the world of animals.
Hartpury has a 360-hectare campus, with 70 different animal species on site — from rabbits and meerkats to prairie dogs, llamas and reptiles — as well as a commercial farm, equine centre and an industry standard laboratory for students to access real-world learning experiences and support that can nourish an initial spark and passion into a lifelong profession.
The range of Bachelor of Science courses that are built around wildlife and animals include animal behaviour and welfare, for discovering what makes them tick; human to animal interaction with psychology, to build understanding of welfare implications and how to ensure the wellbeing of both human and animal; and animal behaviour and training, for those who want to explore ethical training using science-led methods.
For those with broader interests, there's courses available that focus on biological and environmental sciences; and zoology and conservation, tackling topics like habitat care and the human impact on ecosystems — with Hartpury's staff and students being renowned for their efforts in conservation, like the creation of the nationwide Hedgehog Conservation Strategy.
Hartpury is unique in its approach, too, with its small classes and specialist subjects, meaning students can get the appropriate amount of attention they need from lecturers that are experts in their fields and provide students with cutting-edge knowledge while fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
And what better place to study nature than within nature? Hartpury's state-of-the-art campus in rural Gloucestershire is set within acres of green space, with a variety of woodland and grassland to explore and study for hands-on fieldwork, during projects such as the RSPB
Garden Bird Watch, and recently a campus bioblitz to evaluate the
natural wildlife, flora and fauna on-site.
Graduate prospects are also, of course, a big concern for students and parents, and Hartpury's track record speaks for itself, having achieved a 97 per cent graduate employability rating in 2024, placing it in the top 10 per cent of UK universities.
For more information on the animal courses at Hartpury University and to find out how to apply, visit hartpury.ac.uk.
