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University of Essex

UCAS Code: C400 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

B,B,B-B,B,C

Offers will be made in the range of BBB to BBC or 120-112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels Including B in Biology (or equivalent). Acceptable A-level equivalents are Chemistry and Life and Health Sciences. Please note we are unable to accept A-level Applied Science to meet the Biology (or equivalent) requirement.

Access to HE Diploma

D:6,M:39

We will consider science based Access to Higher Education Diplomas. Advice can be provided on an individual basis. We can only accept QAA approved Access to HE Diplomas

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

29-30

or three Higher Level certificates with 555-554. Either must include Higher level Biology or Chemistry grade 5, plus Standard Level Mathematics grade 4 Maths in the IB is not required if you have already achieved GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above or 4 in IB Middle Years Maths. We are happy to consider a combination of separate IB Diploma Programmes at both Higher and Standard Level. Exact offer levels will vary depending on the range of subjects being taken at higher and standard level, and the course applied for. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information.

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

DDM-DMM

Offers will be made in the range of DDM to DMM or 120-112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels Entry requirements for students studying BTEC qualifications are dependent on subjects studied. Advice can be provided on an individual basis.

UCAS Tariff

112-120

Offers will be made from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels.

About this course

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Genetics

Genetics is at the forefront of modern biology, driving progress in medicine and synthetic biology. Thanks to recent developments in genetic analysis and manipulation, we are now able to explore the interaction between genes and the environment at an unprecedented level: from developmental processes to the epigenetic effects of the environment in our genome.

Teaching on our BSc Genetics course focuses on real-world applications, including medicine, biotechnology and genomics.The study of genetics includes understanding how genes are passed from one generation to the next, how DNA works, and the effects of variation and natural selection.

You study topics including:

- The structural organisation of a genome, the process of transcription, and the regulation of gene expression

- The contribution of genome science to the diagnosis and prevention of disease

- Evolutionary biology, from Darwin to genomics

- Molecular cell biology

- The human genome

- Bioinformatics and genomics

You will be trained in genetics and genomics. Depending on your choice of modules, you will focus on biomedical aspects, on the study of genomes or on a combination of both areas. Our optional modules also cover a wide range of topics including plant biotechnology, stem cells and microbiology.

Some of the most exciting and important advances in biology are now being made in the field of genetics, and at Essex you have the opportunity to be part of this revolution.

Visit our genetics subject page for more information and content.

Modules

Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.

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
£22,100
per year
International
£22,100
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni

Course location:

Colchester Campus

Department:

Life Sciences

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.

83%
Genetics

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.

Genetics

Teaching and learning

75%
Staff make the subject interesting
84%
Staff are good at explaining things
78%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
71%
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
81%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
71%
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?

78%
UK students
22%
International students
35%
Male students
65%
Female students
89%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
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.

Genetics

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
92%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

19%
Science, engineering and production technicians
14%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

Only a few hundred people take genetics courses every year and graduates from these courses are amongst the most likely to go on to do a doctorate when they graduate, as that's the level of qualification you need to go into a career in research in this important and fast-moving field. Lab jobs were the most popular outcome for genetics graduates, but whilst other science and technical occupations were also common, you could also find genetics graduates in a range of other roles, particularly business and finance.

What about your long term prospects?

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

Genetics

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

£18k

£25k

£25k

£28k

£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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
place
University of Sussex | Brighton and Hove
Genetics
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2025
UCAS Points: 128-147
Lower entry requirements
place
Edge Hill University | Ormskirk
Genetics with STEM Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2025
UCAS Points: 72-96

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.

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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