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Biological Sciences

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,C-A,B,B

including a science subject (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Human Biology, Mathematics or Physics) for entry to Year 1. For entry to Year 2: ABB including Biology or Human Biology.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

It is also a requirement of every applicant to have English and Mathematics at a minimum of National 5 Grade C or GCSE Grade C or 4 (or equivalent).

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

27

including a science subject at Higher Level 5 for entry to Year 1. For entry to Year 2: 32 points with Biology at Higher Level 6.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

in relevant subject for entry to Year 1. For entry to Year 2: DDM in relevant subject.

Scottish Advanced Higher

B,B

including Biology or Human Biology plus Highers AABB for entry to Year 2.

Scottish HNC

Pass

HNC in relevant subject with C in graded unit for entry to Year 1. For Year 2 entry: HNC in relevant subject (science based course to include Biology) with grade B in graded unit.

Scottish HND

Pass

For Year 2 entry: HND in relevant subject (science based course to include Biology) with grades BB in graded units. For Year 3 entry: HND in a relevant subject (science based course to include Biology) with grades BA in graded units.

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B

including a science subject (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Human Biology, Mathematics or Physics).

We will consider T Levels as suitable for entry to our degree programmes, however, certain subject requirements may be required for entry to specific programmes. Where this is not evident as part of the T Level studies, we may ask for additional qualifications.

UCAS Tariff

96-128

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Biological sciences

Our BSc Biological Sciences degree is a broad-based course with a diverse range of topics. In Levels three and four you’ll be able to select from courses ranging from molecular biology and genomics, to marine and environmental topics. Which means you can choose your courses based on your particular interests.

Overall, this biology degree aims to provide a flexible package of knowledge and practical skills in the biological sciences. Giving you the chance to maximise your potential and enjoy a successful career – whether it’s in academia, industry or commerce.

**Year 1**
Introduces Biology largely as Human Biology with accompanying courses in Applied and Environmental Biology. Additional subjects include Mathematics for Scientists and Chemistry, as required for an understanding of future courses in Biochemistry and Physiology.

**Year 2**
Concentrates on broad topics in Biology, especially Whole Organism Biology of Animals, Plants and Microorganisms; Cell Structure and Biochemistry; and Nutrition and Health.

**Year 3**
Brings specialisation in key areas, such as Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering; Microbes and Disease; and Environmental Biology.

**Year 4**
Students pursue a research project as the practical component of the course, and may choose from a range of courses from various specialist degrees, such as: Cell and Molecular Biology; Food Science; Marine Biology; and Microbiology.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£24,048
per year
International
£24,048
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Edinburgh Campus

Department:

Biology

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

69%
Biological sciences

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Biosciences (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

73%
Staff make the subject interesting
84%
Staff are good at explaining things
81%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
62%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

69%
Library resources
78%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
73%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
36%
Male students
64%
Female students
56%
2:1 or above
2%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Biosciences (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
93%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

29%
Science, engineering and production technicians
15%
Engineering professionals
12%
Natural and social science professionals

These stats refer to the prospects of graduates from general courses in biosciences. About a quarter go into further study and for those who go into work, bioscience, teaching and finance jobs are the most common types of employment. But you can go into most careers with this kind of degree — the majority of jobs for graduates don’t ask for a particular degree subject - and you will acquire a wide range of skills valued by many employers. If you want to find out more specifically about the prospects for your chosen subject, it might be a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates from your chosen subject went on to do.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Biosciences (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£25k

£25k

£27k

£27k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here