Zoology Research and Study Opportunities

Thousands of study and academic opportunities in Zoology are available internationally. Conferences and summer schools in Zoology are organized regularly in the best academic centers of the world. The majority of universities and many foundations also offer BA, MA, and Ph.D. programs in Zoology as wells as postdoctoral research grants, awards, and fellowships. Below you will find the updated list of international opportunities available in Zoology.

Zoology Scholarships

Zoology Fellowships

Zoology Conferences

Zoology relevant accounts on Twitter

What is Zoology?

Just like biology studies life and all of its aspects for humans, Zoology studies the life aspects of all the living creatures except for humans. Generally, Zoology is a branch of biology that is dedicated to exploring all the animals' lives. This definition also includes molecular levels of animals and the nonliving environment. 

At the beginning of its development, Zoology was meant to classify animals. In the fourth century B.C.E., Aristotle was one of the first individuals to introduce an animal classification system by the mode of reproduction and habitat. Further, Zoology developed and reached the current state of the interdisciplinary field, which includes broad areas such as genetics and biochemistry. Current Zoology can also be classified into basic and applied branches. Basic Zoology corresponds to the enrichment of knowledge about animals without investigating the ways to apply it in practical life. Applied Zoology, on the contrary, works towards finding ways to link the Zoology research findings in different spheres of life. 

Zoology studies

Zoology majors give comprehensive knowledge about animals. The study programs are broad in nature, covering topics from the basic anatomy of animals to areas like husbandry. You can acquire all-level degrees in Zoology. However, in many universities, you might be unable to find exactly Zoology majors. Instead, there are many biology majors that have Zoology as a central area of study. 

In almost all of the undergraduate-level Zoology programs, you will study the general courses related to Biology: ecology, environmental science, chemistry, etc. In other words, before studying the habitats of the environment, you will investigate that environment in detail. As Zoology is a key to explore the life processes in nature, expect to have many practical experiences during studies, such as field and laboratory works. The common courses student pass during the Bachelor of Zoology include the following:

  • Embryology
  • Evolution
  • Environmental Psychology
  • Biodiversity
  • Conservation
  • Marine biology
  • Freshwater biology
  • Genetics

Usually, Zoology students choose the same directions both for undergraduate and graduate studies. Ph.D. degrees are an excellent opportunity for nature-lovers who want to positively impact the world and make the planet a better place for animals. In this context, there are other courses tightly related to Zoology, which can grant students a similar-level knowledge of the animals' life. Alternative study options include Animal Sciences, Life Sciences, Environmental Management, Veterinary Medicine, etc.

Zoology Research opportunities

Behavioral Ecology research programs include exploration activities in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc. This direction studies the essential phenomena, adaptation, that has a crucial role in the evolution of species. Within Behavioral Ecology, researchers focus on co-evolutionary interactions between different animals and the main drivers of evolution, including the behavioral adaptations. 

Conservation Science aims to find methods and techniques to maintain animals' living conditions and, consequently, the animals' life. The direction largely explores human development and its impact on the surrounding environment, as the human development rates significantly impact the animals, causing loss or degradation of certain species. To explore such a broad aspect, scholars also deal with ecology, taxonomy, mathematical modeling, etc. 

Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics approach the diversity in the planet from the perspective of genetics and DNA analysis. Studying the complete genomes helps to study the animal population and history at a new, more profound level. 

Cell and Developmental Biology examines the structure and behavior of cells and how those cells contribute to the formation of animals' organs and tissues. Cell and Developmental Biology research provide a new, thorough perspective to animal studies as cells are primarily responsible for studying animal behavior and activities. 

Palaeobiology focuses on the studies of animals that existed in the past. For example, the research areas may include reconstruction of environments during the Quaternary, the animal species and their life patterns during Paleozoic, etc. 

Neurobiology and Biomechanics choose a particular group of animals, and by studying their neural and organization, scholars collect the picture of the general neural and functional organization underlying the animals' behavior. 

Other research directions you might meet in the majority of educational and research institutions include:

  • Systematics
  • Physiology
  • Anatomy
  • Animal Behavior
  • Wildlife
  • Threatened species
  • Global biodiversity
  • Climate change's impact on biodiversity
  • Co-existence of animals and people, etc. 

As creatures in life with the highest level of cognition and intelligence, humans have the responsibility to utilize their potential to co-exist and maintain other living creatures successfully. Zoology is one of the disciplines which can help you fulfill that vital mission with an academic-level knowledge and professional approach. We hope this section of ARMACAD will help you succeed in the field.