Biological Science (with a foundation year) (Optional pathways in Ecology and Environmental Management/Genomics/Pharmacology/Pre-Med)
UCAS Code: C101
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
AS
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 48 UCAS points
Extended Project
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Subsidiary Diploma
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
About this course
**Our versatile Biological Science degree will help you understand and examine the living world around you.**
There has never been a better time to position yourself as a bioscientist by studying on our biological science degree. Recent breakthroughs have given biologists insights and tools for the investigation of pressing questions like never before. Whatever area of the biological sciences you are interested in, be it genetics and genomics, medicines development or ecological interactions and sustainability - this degree has the scope and flexibility to support your development.
This degree can be completed in a number of different ways, you can either study biological science as a broad degree, or branch off into one of our specialist pathways during your degree.
Designed for applicants who do not meet our entry requirements for degree level study, then a BSc (Hons) with a Foundation Year is available. You’ll study your first year at Stoke-on-Trent College and on successful completion join the BSc (Hons) course at the Stoke-on-Trent university campus. High levels of tutor support and guidance will prepare you for degree level study. The foundation year for this course has a long successful track record in providing a smooth transition onto our BSc (Hons) Biological Science degree. This route is useful if you have only studied sciences up to GCSE level or have had a break in your studies.
**Course content**
You have the first year of your degree (full-time) to decide whether your interest lies in a particular field, or whether the broad knowledge of the subject will better benefit your future career. If you do have a more specialist interest, this course also has designated learning pathways in your second and third years to allow you to focus on areas including Ecology and Environmental Management, Genomics, Pharmacology, and Pre-Med. The best thing about our learning pathways is that you can wait until second year to decide if you wish to specialise. Whichever route you take through your biological science degree, upon completion, you will be ideally placed for graduate employment or postgraduate study.
On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BSc (Hons) Biological Science.
Should you successfully complete your study via one of the learning pathways, then we will issue one of the following awards in line with your chosen pathway:
BSc (Hons) Biological Science (Genomics)
BSc (Hons) Biological Science (Ecology and Environmental Management)
BSc (Hons) Biological Science (Pre-Med)
BSc (Hons) Biological Science (Pharmacology)
Modules
Modules
Foundation year
Maths and Data Handling
Biological Science
Chemistry
Applied Science
Year 1
Practical Skills for Life Scientists
Developing Research and Professional Identity
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Genetics and Diversity
Disease, Health and Environment
Year 2
Applied Bioscience Practical
Global Issues and Professional Development
Adaptation and Survival
Option
Option
Year 2 options:
Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (Compulsory module for Genomics and Pre-Med pathway)
Cell Biology and Immunology (Compulsory module for Genomics pathway)
Biochemistry and Physiology
Medical Microbiology and Epidemiology
Ecology and Environmental Management (Compulsory module for Ecology and Environmental pathway)
Pharmacology and Medicinal Plants (Compulsory module for Pharmacology pathway)
Animal Behaviour (Compulsory module for Ecology and Environmental pathway)
Medical Sciences (Compulsory module for Pre-Med pathway)
Research and Development for the Life Science Industry (Compulsory module for Pharmacology pathway)
Year 3
Research Project
Option
Option
Option
Current Advances and Bioethics
Year 3 Options:
International Experience
Digital Life Sciences
Genomics and Bioinformatics (Compulsory module for Genomics pathway)
Molecular Pharmacology (Compulsory module for Pharmacology pathway)
Toxicology
Applied Parasitology and Medical Entomology
Microbial Genomes and Pathogenesis (Compulsory module for Genomics pathway)
Diagnostic Pathology
Integrated Biology of Disease (Compulsory module for Pre-Med pathway)
The Brain
Managing the Natural World (Compulsory module for Ecology and Environmental pathway)
Conservation Biology and Habitat Management (Compulsory module for Ecology and Environmental pathway)
Immunology and Immunotherapy (Compulsory module for Pharmacology pathway)
Cancer Biology and Regenerative Medicine (Compulsory module for Pre-Med pathway)
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Stoke-on-Trent College
Life Sciences and Education
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.
Others in biological sciences
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.
Biosciences
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
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
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£21k
£22k
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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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:
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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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