this course deepens the academic and scientific knowledge of students progressing from foundation degree level. it will support students to develop the skills and knowledge required to work at senior level in the land-based industry, including in zoological roles. the course focuses on contemporary practices and challenges of land-based and animal management roles, including climate change, animal welfare and wildlife crime. it enables students to develop their knowledge base in animal nursing, conservation and research, whilst at the same time putting theory into practice at nescot’s substantial animal care facilities. this will give students the opportunity to develop high standards of education within a vocational setting that is not commonly available at higher education institutions. nescot is approved by the open university as an appropriate organisation to offer higher education programmes leading to open university validated awards. the bsc (hons) animal management (top up) degree has been designed to enable graduates of the foundation degree in animal management to ‘top-up’ their qualification to a full bachelor of science honours degree. applications are also invited from applicants with passes in comparable level 5 modules from other institutions. nescot have been running a successful bsc top-up for a number of years. it focuses on the contemporary challenges faced in the land-based sector, in particular conservation and climate change. all modules are at level 6 and are subject to confirmation: advanced animal management field zoology conservation and the climate crises dissertation wildlife crime herpetology teaching and learning will take place at nescot college, where the land-based department spans two-thirds of the campus. the ‘urban farm’ facilities are an oasis of calm nestled within the vibrant suburban surroundings of ewell, which has excellent transport links. ewell east train station is a short walk from the campus and travel time to london victoria is around half an hour. the animal care unit is home to a wide range of species, including livestock animals such as sheep and poultry; domestic pet species such as rabbits and rodents; and captive exotic species including reptiles and amphibians. the collection contains around 400 individuals including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates, which allow students to easily apply theory to practice on a regular basis. this will allow students to develop the practical skills necessary to successfully enter the animal and land-based industry across the range of taxa commonly kept in captive animal collections or as companion animals. learning is enriched through relevant visits to professional settings. we anticipate fewer than 25 per class. previous class sizes have varied between 10-18 students. we expect students to complete independent study and assessments within their independent guided learning hours for each module.