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Animal Management College Courses

Passionate about animals? If you want to work in animal care, training, management, welfare or conservation, Bishop Burton College is a great place to start.


Whether you’re a young person starting out or an adult wanting to re-train, we have a choice of full-time and part-time courses, including Level 1, 2 or 3 qualifications, animal care apprenticeships and short courses, to suit you. 


Our full-time college courses cover topics such as animal care, behaviour, biology, conservation, ecology, health, zoo management and welfare.

Adults can also develop their careers with our short courses in dog grooming, which are one day per week. 

Whichever course you choose, you’ll learn from supportive, expert tutors who will share their professional experiences. From zookeepers to animal keepers for film and TV, our tutors developed their skills in their own careers, meaning they're ideally placed to ensure you have the experience that the animal industry is looking for.

A combination of classroom study and practical work will provide the knowledge and skills you need to continue to the next level of study or start work.

Our Animal Management Centre is one of the best in the country

You’ll have exciting opportunities to work with a wide range of species. Our collection of animals is hard to beat. Our BIAZA-registered centre has over 100 species.

We also operate commercial kennels and a dog grooming parlour and, because we’re a land-based college, you can work with horses and livestock too.

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Fascinating field trips and strong industry links

Our Animal Management Academy provides opportunities to enrich your learning experience.

We have an excellent network of contacts within the field, so your course will be enriched by external speakers and a range of field trips – from Flamingo Land and Chessington World of Adventures to South African reserves, giving you the opportunity to learn about animal care and welfare first hand.

You’ll also benefit from work placement opportunities with local animal businesses. Our new T Level in Animal Care and Management, launching in September 2024, will allow you to spend 20% of your time on a meaningful industry placement with an employer to really hone your skills and ensure that you're ready to launch your career.

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So, if you want to work with animals, check out our Animal Management courses.

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Find out more about our Animal Management Centre

Student Profiles

Animal Care Apprentice

Miranda - Apprentice

Miranda completed Level 2 and 3 Animal Care apprenticeships and is now at Bangor University studying Marine Biology and Oceanography. She credits her apprenticeship experience with developing invaluable skills and experience that gave her the confidence to progress onto a university internship and degree level study, as well as travelling independently to volunteer with a rehabilitation and release centre in Ecuador.

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Meet your tutors

Adam Spencer Lecturer in Animal Management

Adam Spencer

Animal Management Lecturer

"I’m quite new to life here at Bishop Burton. My background is in zookeeping. After completing my BSc in Animal Management, I was a keeper at Yorkshire Wildlife Park for over 10 years. During my time there I worked with some incredible animals, including their famous polar bears! Caring for rare and extraordinary animals was incredible, as was the chance to work on the front line of animal conservation."

“When I decided to become a lecturer I chose Bishop Burton because of the facilities. There’s an amazing variety of species here, both domestic and exotic, which is perfect for giving students an all-round knowledge of animal management.

“Teaching here is fantastic. I work with students from Levels 1 to 3. I love supporting the students to pursue their diverse interests; they get to experience working with all creatures great and small. With so much hands-on experience in the bank, they’re set up well to progress to study a degree.”

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