Biology
Entry requirements
A level
A minimum of 3 A Levels at BBB - at least 2 from Science or Maths subjects. To be considered for entry into Second Year, a minimum of 3 A Levels at ABB, with AB from 2 science or maths subjects (including the subject(s) nominated for Honours - an A in the subject for Single Honours or AB in the subjects for Joint Honours). Also required: GCSE at C or above in English or English Language, Mathematics and in either Chemistry, or Physics or Dual Award Science.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
A minimum of 32 points, with a minimum of 5 points at HL required from 2 Science or Maths subjects. For Second Year entry: a minimum of 34 points with a minimum of 6 at HL in the subject(s) nominated for Honours. A minimum of Standard Level English and Maths also required.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
5 subjects at Higher, with 3 at H2 and 2 at H3. 2 Science or Mathematics subjects required at minimum H3.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
A minimum of DDM with the main subjects being Science or Maths. Also required: GCSE at C or above in English or English Language, Mathematics and in either Chemistry, or Physics or Dual Award Science.
Scottish Advanced Higher
For Second Year entry a minimum of 3 AH at ABB, a minimum of two must be Science or Maths subjects (including the subject(s) nominated for Honours). Standard Grades 1, 2 or 3 or Int 2, or National 5 at grades A, B or C in English, Mathematics and in either Chemistry or Physics.
For entry into Year 2: Satisfactory completion of HNC Animal Care (120 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Ecology and Ecosystems (H39A 34) or University of Aberdeen online Introductory Ecology course. For entry into Year 2: Satisfactory completion of HNC Applied Sciences (120 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Statistics for Science (H8XT 33) AND Ecology and Ecosystems or University of Aberdeen online Introductory Ecology course (H39A 34).
For entry into Year 3: Satisfactory completion of HND Animal Care (240 SCQF credit oints) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Ecology and Ecosystems (H39A 34) or University of Aberdeen online Introductory Ecology course AND Statistics for Science (H8XT 33) or Aberdeen University Online Statistics Course (BI2021).
Scottish Higher
Applicants who achieve AABB or better over S4 and S5 are likely to be made an offer of admission. This may be unconditional or it may be conditional, dependent upon academic profile. Good performance in additional Highers / Advanced Highers may be required. Note: we do not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but we do consider that a B at Adv Higher is equivalent to an A grade at Higher. Also National 5 at grades C or above in English, Mathematics (but not Applications of Mathematics) and in either Chemistry or Physics
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Our programme starts with a foundation in animal, plant and marine biology. You can then specialise in the areas that interest you most, taking advantage of the breadth of courses available in biological sciences. Common areas of specialisation include conservation ecology, disease biology, physiology, behaviour and evolution.
Our Biology degree, accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, provides you with a broad and deep understanding of the science of living things, from molecules and cells to organisms and populations, communities and biomes. Crucially, the programme allows you to specialise in the areas that are of most interest to you. We offer a flexible degree that allows students to study a very broad range of life-science subjects.
As you progress through your degree, you’ll carry out experiments in the laboratory, study organisms in the field and analyse data using specialised software and analytical techniques. You will also carry out and present your own research, perhaps even publishing it, as some of our undergraduates do. As well as hard science skills, we make sure that you have plenty of opportunities to develop allied skills that employer’s value highly including:
- communicating science to the public
- developing strong working relationships with staff from external organisations
- meeting renowned scientists
- working in local schools
- organising events, and
- developing your own products with our business innovation team.
Modules
View all modules on the programme page to find out more about what you will be studying and when. University of Aberdeen modules are designed to give you breadth and depth to your degree. The range of modules you study will allow you to become proficient in all subjects which are directly relevant to your degree giving you greater career options.
Assessment methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods: Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; Written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
View the University of Aberdeen Online Prospectus programme page to find out about any scholarships and funding you may be eligible to apply for.
The Uni
University of Aberdeen
School of Biological Sciences
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
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.
£21k
£26k
£28k
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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Teaching Excellence Framework (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?
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