Biological Science
University of Northampton
UCAS Code: C900 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
AQA Level 3 Technical Level (1080 glh)
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted on its own at Distinction Distinction or towards tariff/grade requirements with other qualifications
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Access to HE Diploma
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted on its own at Distinction Distinction or towards tariff/grade requirements with other qualifications
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted on its own at Distinction Distinction or towards tariff/grade requirements with other qualifications
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted on its own at Distinction Distinction or towards tariff/grade requirements with other qualifications
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Accepted towards tariff requirements
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
Scottish Advanced Higher
Individual Advanced Highers can be accepted with Scottish Highers towards tariff requirements
Scottish Higher
T Level
Pass (C and above)
UCAS Tariff
Accepted towards tariff/grade requirements
About this course
BSc Biological Science enables you to study and investigate the diverse aspects of the biological, environmental and life sciences in order to develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of the interconnection between organisms and the environment.
In the first year you will study a broad programme of compulsory modules, giving you a firm knowledge base in subjects like Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Microbiology and Anatomy. In the second and third year you have the opportunity, should you wish, to specialise in a variety of topics , choosing from a range of biology, biomedical, ecology and environmental science disciplines, which, allows you to design your degree to meet your future career.
Other highlights include:
- Select the topics that most interests you, designing your degree to your individual interests and career aspirations
- Lots of applied, practical laboratory classes in new £330 million Waterside Campus
- Opportunities for visits, fieldwork and overseas travel
- You have the opportunity to present your final year research dissertation at our annual research conference
**By studying at the University of Northampton, you can be sure that:**
- You will experience student life at the University’s £330 million Waterside Campus. Come along to an Open Day and find out more.
- Students enrolling on this course at Northampton will be provided with their own brand new laptop* to keep at no additional cost. All sports clubs and societies are free to join at Northampton and every essential course text book is available via the library, meaning you won’t have to purchase copies. For more information on this visit our website (northampton.ac.uk/benefits).
- At UON we guarantee a room in our Halls of Residence for all new full-time, first year students who apply and accept their room offer by June 2024 - and we won't ask for a deposit for September 2024**
- Our expert academics teach in small groups supported with one to one assistance. Our academics and students form a tight bond, providing individualised support and guidance whilst challenging students academically.
- Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd.
**The Northampton Employment Promise**
- We’re so confident in our careers and employability support that if you achieve at least a 2:2 degree and complete either our Employability Plus Gold programme or achieve a Changemaker Gold Certificate during your time studying with us, but still haven’t secured full-time employment 12 months after graduating, we will secure a three – six month paid internship for you or support you into postgraduate study.
✱ eligibility criteria and terms and conditions apply. See northampton.ac.uk/benefits for more information
✱✱ eligibility criteria apply. See northampton.ac.uk/student-life/accommodation/ for more information
Modules
**Stage 1**
• Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Compulsory)
• Introduction to Ecology (Compulsory)
• Life on Earth (Compulsory)
• Genetics and Molecular Biology (Compulsory)
• Introduction to Microbiology (Compulsory)
• Anatomy and Physiology (Compulsory)
** Stage 2**
• Bioscience Research Methods (Compulsory)
• Biogeography (Designated)
• Fieldwork Module (Designated)
• Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecology (Designated)
• Plants and the Environment (Designated)
• Adaptations to Life on Land, in Water and Air (Designated)
• Genes and Genomics (Designated)
• Health and Disease (Designated)
• Techniques in Molecular Biology (Designated)
• Pharmacology (Designated)
• Processes of Life: Biochemistry (Designated)
• Geographic Information Systems (Designated)
• Environmental Law and Justice (Designated)
**Optional Placement Year**
• Life Sciences at Work (Designated)
** Stage 3**
• Human Bioscience Dissertation (Compulsory)
• Contemporary Issues in Biology (Compulsory)
• Biodiversity and Conservation (Designated)
• Sustainable Development: Land Use and Planning (Designated)
• Health, Risk and Environment (Designated)
• Integrated Medical Genetics (Designated)
• Immunology and Health (Designated)
• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (Designated)
• Pathogen Biology (Designated)
• Applied and Environmental Microbiology (Designated)
• Gene Regulation (Designated)
• Monitoring The Earth's Surface (Designated)
Module information is quoted for 2023 entry. Please note that modules run subject to student numbers and staff availability, any changes will be communicated to applicants accordingly.
Assessment methods
Assessment methods include writing scientific reports, blogs, articles, giving presentations, and taking time constrained assessment and exams. Many modules are assessed through 100% coursework but some modules have exams that could be worth up to 60% of the final module grade.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Northampton
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
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.
Biosciences (non-specific)
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Biosciences (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
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 (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
£22k
£29k
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 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:
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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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