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Biology and Geography

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

BBB in three A Levels including B in one Science subject from the Keele Defined Sciences List (please see the Keele website)

Access to HE Diploma

D:30

122 UCAS points in a Computing, Engineering, Health, Nursing, Medicine, Science, or Sports Access to HE Diploma including Distinction in at least 30 Level 3 credits

GCSE/National 4/National 5

You will also need: 4 / C in GCSE Maths or Level 2 Functional Skills Maths, plus an English language qualification (please see the Keele website)

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

30

555 in three Higher Levels including one Science subject from the Keele Defined Sciences List, or 30 points including one Higher Level Science subject from the Keele Defined Sciences List (please see the Keele website)

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

DDM

DDM in any of the following BTEC Extended Diplomas / National Extended Diplomas: Applied Science, Forensic and Criminal Investigation, Health and Social Care, Information Technology, Sport, Sport and Exercise Science

T Level

M

Merit in any of the following T levels: Health, Healthcare Science, Science

UCAS Tariff

120

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

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich including industrial placement | 2024

4 years | Sandwich with time abroad | 2024

Subjects

Biology

Geography

Explore the Earth's dynamic patterns and systems to help predict and protect its future whilst considering issues such as the complexity of biological processes and human impact on our environments. From climate change to sustainability, you'll tackle real-world problems with research-active academics to gain the required skills to enter a wide variety of careers.

**Why choose this course?**

- 5th for student satisfaction in England for Biology (National Student Survey, 2021)

- Professional accreditation pathway in Biology is available

- Top 10 in England for student satisfaction for Geography (National Student Survey, 2021)

- Our 600-acre campus offers a fantastic environment to learn fieldwork skills and complete research projects

- Enhance your employability by spending a year studying abroad or gaining experience in industry

Our combined honours Biology and Geography BSc will provide you with a breadth of knowledge and diverse skills across two exciting scientific subject areas. From assessing the effect of medication on the human body and exploring methods to prevent species extinction, to addressing issues such as climate change and natural hazards, you'll consider today's global challenges through both a biological and geographical lens.

The biology component of this programme covers a range of fundamentals, as well as topics including animal biology, physiology and anatomy, ecology and plant biology, and animal behaviour and microbes, viruses and parasites. You will explore the adaptability of life to differing environments and the biology of pathogens, and will learn how to design an experiment and analyse data. You can also begin to tailor your degree to your own interests and career aspirations with a range of optional modules.

As a geographer, you'll understand the complexity of the natural world, monitor how it changes and use this information to address complex issues such as biodiversity loss, water resource management and pollution. You to learn about the impact of climate change on society and the systems and processes that shape our Earth and its landscapes. From glacial and coastal environments to the lakes and ecosystems upon which we rely, you will explore how we can manage and protect natural resources including water, energy and soils.

**About Keele**
Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.

Modules

For a list of indicative modules please visit the course page on the Keele University website.

The Uni


Course location:

Keele University

Department:

Keele (Central)

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.

75%
Biology
81%
Geography

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.

Biology (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

69%
Staff make the subject interesting
81%
Staff are good at explaining things
69%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
50%
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

88%
Library resources
90%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
50%
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?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
43%
Male students
57%
Female students
80%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
C

Geography (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

92%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
95%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
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

78%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
68%
Course specific equipment and facilities
70%
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?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
51%
Male students
49%
Female students
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
D
D

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.

Biology (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.

£19,000
med
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education
47%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Natural and social science professionals
20%
Science, engineering and production technicians
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

The recession was tough on biology graduates, and although the jobs market has improved for them - a lot - it's still not back to where it was a few years ago. If you want a career in biology research — and a lot of biology students do - you'll need to take a doctorate, so give some thought as to where you might do it and how you might fund it (the government still funds doctorates for good students). A lot of graduates also take 1 year Masters courses to specialise in this wide and deep subject - most students take a standard biology course for their first degree and then specialise in subjects like ecology, conservation or marine biology later. Hospitals, universities, biotech firms, zoos and nature reserves and clinical and scientific testing are common industries of employment for biology graduates.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

What about your long term prospects?

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

Biology (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.

£20k

£20k

£23k

£23k

£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.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

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Higher entry requirements
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Same University
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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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