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Animal Care Level 2 Diploma

Start year

Information for 2025

About this course

This practical, hands-on course will give you the skills to care for a wide range of animals. You’ll study the feeding, handling and housing of animals. You’ll also learn about protecting the natural environment, wild plants and animals.

Download a course brochure

  • Brackenhurst is set in stunning countryside just a bus ride away from Nottingham city centre, next to the town of Southwell.
  • At Brackenhurst, you’ll have access to incredible facilities. These include an Animal Unit, Equestrian Centre, laboratories, library and gardens and fields that are overflowing with plants and wildlife.
  • Studying with us means that you’ll be a part of an amazing learning environment. You get all the perks of being part of a big university, but you will still enjoy the comforts of a friendly college.

What you’ll study

You'll take part in practical hands-on lessons and learn about a wide range of animals, using our fantastic facilities.

Practical Animal Health

Learners develop skills in practical animal health, disease/parasite prevention, cleaning and care, and essential animal grooming techniques for a range of animal species.

Introduction to Animal Biology and Health

Learners gain the knowledge and understanding of animal biology needed for practical animal health and disease management.

Animal Care Work Placement

Learners develop skills and behaviours required for successful working in the animal care sector. This unit requires learners to spend 75 hours in a real working environment.

Animal Welfare

Learners study the approaches to animal welfare, including the five animal needs, health and safety, and animal law.

Animal Behaviour Assessment and Safe Handling

Learners develop skills in recognising normal and abnormal behaviours in a range of animal species and apply safe handling and restraint techniques that minimise stress in animals.

Feeding, Accommodating and Moving Animals

Learners study a range of practical skills concerned with the day-to-day care of animals, including feeding, handling and providing appropriate accommodation.

We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Student Profiles

Emily Thompson

Animal Care

I love being a student here; I want to study here forever.

Felicity Taylor-Peck

Animal Care

The teachers are all extremely friendly and they do a brilliant job at making sure we are on the right track; they also offer advice and support for making decisions about the future.

Video Gallery

Take a look at why you should study your college course at Brackenhurst. You can also learn more about the equipment you'll use and what you'll study on the course with our facility tour video.
 

How you're taught

You’ll learn in our fantastic facilities and be taught by tutors who have real-life experience of working within the animal industry. You can expect the course to be split so that approximately 30% is practical work and 70% is theory work.

You will be taught through lectures, group discussions and practical demonstrations. You’ll also get to go on trips to various locations.

The course includes a work placement. This allows you to develop your skills and knowledge in the animal industry, and looks good to future employers. You can work at places like veterinary centres, boarding kennels, catteries, or zoos.

How you’ll be assessed

You’ll be assessed through written assignments, external practical assessments and exams.

Staff Profiles

Sarah Heckford - Subject Leader

School of Animal Rural & Environmental Sciences

Sarah Heckford is a the Subject Leader for the Level 2 Diploma in Animal Care and Level 3 Extended Diploma in Animal Management courses.

Careers and employability

After completing this course there are a number of options and routes that you can take.

If you get a Distinction, you'll be able to do the Level 3 courses in Animal Management or Countryside Management (Wildlife Conservation).

After completion of your Level 3 course you could then choose to continue your studies and go onto a degree or choose a career in an animal-related industry.

Future jobs within the animal industry include:

  • Animal Carer Assistant- you can earn up to £21,000
  • Cattery / Kennel Technician - you can earn up to £23,000
  • Wildlife Reserve Worker - you can earn up to £24,000
  • Dog Groomer - you can earn up to £27,500
  • Farm Worker - you can earn up to £25,000

Placement opportunities

Work placements are a great way to broaden your skills. You will have the opportunity the take part in work experience in a range of animal-related organisations. We have a wide network of links within the industry which will enable you to get the best placements.

NTU Enterprise

You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their own businesses.

Campus and facilities

Study an animal course at Brackenhurst and you’ll have access to some fantastic facilities.

Our specially designed Animal Unit is home to over 250 animals from around 70 different species. These include small animals such as rabbits, cats, dogs, reptiles and birds, as well as larger animals like goats and donkeys. All our animal courses include hands-on, practical lessons at the unit. You’ll also help our technicians to care for the animals on a day-to-day basis.

As well as your subject-specific facilities, you’ll also find:

  • a library, including fully equipped computer rooms
  • modern classrooms and teaching areas
  • laboratories
  • our careers and employability service
  • a dining room and Costa Coffee
  • our student shop
  • a common room.

Entry requirements

UK students

For 2025 entry you'll need:

  • Four GCSEs at grade 3 / D or above, including two from English, maths and science, with at least a grade 2 / E in the remaining subject.
  • If you do not yet have a grade 4 / C in English language and / or maths you will need to complete GCSE retakes as part of your study programme.

A Level 1 Technical qualification or other equivalent qualifications will be considered.

You will also be required to attend an interview.

International students

We welcome applications from international students who do not require a student route visa. Please email our FE Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 5299 to discuss how your qualifications match our course requirements.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

If you are aged 16-18 and applying for a Level 2 or 3 course

There are no course fees if you’re aged under 19 on 31 August of the year you start your course.

If you are aged 19+ and applying for a Level 2, Level 3 or Access to Higher Education course

If you’re studying your first full Level 3 or Access to Higher Education qualification, you may be eligible for free tuition. You will still need to pay the registration fee applicable for your course.

If you are applying for the Level 2 qualification or have already completed a full Level 3 qualification, tuition and registration fees will apply.

To cover the cost of tuition when applying for a Level 3 and Access to Higher Education qualification, you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan from the UK Government. It is easy to apply, your household income is not taken into account, and there is no credit check. You will not have to pay anything back until your income is over £25,000.

Please see our fees and funding information for more details.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.

Please email our FE Team or call on +44 (0)115 848 5299 for more information on fees and funding.

Please note, college courses are not available for EU or international students where a student route visa is required to study.

However, we offer Foundation and Pre-Masters pathway courses leading onto selected Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University through our partner Nottingham Trent International College.

We accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our degrees. If you’re not sure how your international qualifications match our course requirements, please visit our international qualifications page.

How to apply

Applying for a college course at Brackenhurst is really simple. You can apply via our online form and there's a step-by-step guide below for you to use.

Step 1: choose your course

Use our college course guide and the information on our website to find the course that's right for you. We also recommend attending one of our open days, which will help you get a feel for what it's like to study here.

Step 2: fill in an application form

Fill in our online application form. Remember to show your passion for your chosen subject in your personal statement.

If you need any help with the form, email fe.enquiries@ntu.ac.uk or call +44 (0)115 848 5299 and our friendly team will be able to assist you.

Step 3: come for an interview

If you meet the criteria for the course, we'll invite you for an interview. We'll send you details of what will happen on the day in advance via email. Interviews will take place online. We may also ask you to provide a video of you working practically, or complete a written task.

Our advice for the interview is to be yourself. We just want to get to know you. We want to know what interests you, why you want to take the course, and what your potential aspirations are.

Don't panic. Our administrative team will guide you through the process. Our tutors are really friendly, and they'll help you with any questions you may have.

Find out more about your interview.

Step 4: get your offer

We'll email and let you know how you got on at the interview. Hopefully we'll be able to offer you a place on the course. This offer might be conditional on your upcoming exam results — your GCSEs, for example — and to obtaining satisfactory references.

Step 5: accept your offer

You need to tell us that you want to accept your offer. Please do so by emailing fe.enquiries@ntu.ac.uk or calling +44 (0)115 848 5299.

Step 6: get your exam results

If you're taking GCSEs or other qualifications, you'll get your results over the summer. Once you've got your results you need to let us know what they are by calling +44 (0)115 848 5299. Then we can confirm your place.

Step 7: start your course

We'll send out all the information you need to start with us by email. We hold an enrolment day in the first week of September. You'll be able to get your student ID, start meeting your new friends and tutors, and get used to your new campus.

If you have any questions

Drop us a line — we're here to help every step of the way. You can email fe.enquiries@ntu.ac.uk or call +44 (0)115 848 5299.

Please email fe.enquiries@ntu.ac.uk or call +44 (0)115 848 5299 our FE team for more information on how to apply.