Zoologists study how animals evolved, their behaviour, physiology and ecological interactions, and how to conserve populations in the face of global change.
Our courses emphasise the uniqueness of New Zealand’s animals and the challenges involved in conserving them.
The department’s vision is to be among the leading university departments internationally for zoological research, teaching and learning, with a reputation for friendliness, collegiality and environmental and societal responsibility.
Career opportunities include government departments, Crown Research Institutes, Medical and veterinary laboratories, Wildlife and fisheries management, Iwi and other Māori interests, Education, Scientific publishing and Ecotourism.
The Department of Zoology is distinctive internationally for its focus on whole organism biology. We are one of the few departments of Zoology in the world.
Our staff have international reputations in their areas of expertise and make major contributions to answering fundamental questions in basic and applied research.
Research and teaching interests
We teach and research in several interrelated areas:
- animal evolution
- developmental biology and reproduction
- aquatic ecology
- behavioural ecology
- conservation biology
- environmental physiology
- neurobiology
- population genetics
- wildlife management
In addition, the Department of Zoology is affiliated with the Centre for Science Communication.
Have a look at our people and research pages for more information on staff and their research interests. The clip below will give you a flavour for the type of research that our students are doing.
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