Biological Sciences with Foundation Year
Entry requirements
32 to 48 Points - Minimum 2 A Levels to include a Grade E in a relevant science subject: Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental, Marine Science, Science in the Society.
Considered in combination
Pass Science based Access course
Considered in combination
Accepted in combination
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
to include a science subject. Maths and English accepted within
Considered in combination
Considered in combination
Considered in combination
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
In a relevant science subject
Considered in combination
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
In a relevant science subject
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
In a relevant science subject
Considered in combination
Accepted in combination
T Level
Pass - Science pathway, plus GCSE Maths grade 4/C or above.
UCAS Tariff
Minimum 2 A Levels to include a Grade E in a relevant science subject: Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Environmental, Marine Science, Science in the Society.
Considered in combination
Accepted in combination
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Are you looking for an alternative route into our biology degrees? Whether you’re returning to study or your results weren't what you’d hoped for, this year zero foundation course prepares you to enter any biology degree. You will be taught at the University by the same academics as on our degrees and will gain the understanding and confidence needed for your degree, plus the study skills needed to succeed.
* This course is an integrated part of a biology degree at the University of Plymouth. Successful completion of the foundation year (Year 0) provides progression onto Year 1 from a choice of biology degrees. With historical pass rates in excess of 85%, you have an excellent chance of progression onto Year 1. You can progress onto BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences, BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology, BSc (Hons) Zoology or BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare from this course.
* You will benefit from over 25 years of expertise in science foundation courses at the University of Plymouth, which continue to produce excellent degree candidates.
* You will be prepared to study at degree level during the course, so unlike A levels or Access Courses, you will actually learn how to study at degree level, giving you a significant advantage once you move onto the degree itself.
* Your studies can be funded through standard tuition fee loans – it does not require an upfront investment.
* You will benefit from enthusiastic, supportive academic staff that have substantial experience in helping students realise their potential and who are active researchers in their fields.
* You will be taught at the University itself – not on a satellite campus or in a tertiary college – and you will be taught by the same academic staff that teach on our other degrees.
* You will benefit from the full University experience from day one – Fresher’s Week, a full university library and IT provision and so on to fully support your studies.
* The foundation year is an integral part of the extended degree. Completion of the foundation year will not lead to a separate award or qualification its own right but will provide access to Year 1 of your degree.
Modules
You will study biology alongside the core skills in mathematics, statistics and physics or chemistry needed to study biology in higher education. You will study two core modules of biology and a third covering contemporary issues in biology. A fourth core module covers the study skills and core mathematics that underpin study of biology. You will take optional modules in either chemistry or physics, plus a final module covering statistical skills needed to analyse and understand data.
You will be supported through your studies and will have full access support from both the academic staff and wider University support services, such as the SUM:UPservice for mathematics and statistics support, our library and our Learning Developmentteam. We understand that not all students need the same levels or types of support and our support services are primed to assist students in a flexible way.
The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website
Assessment methods
For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.
The Uni
University of Plymouth
School of Biological and Marine Sciences
What students say
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
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.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
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.
£19k
£22k
£23k
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 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?
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