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Biological Sciences with Foundation Year

Entry requirements


64 UCAS points. At least one full A level is required.

Only accepted alongside at least one full A level.

64 UCAS points from a QAA Approved Level 3 Access to HE Diploma.

Only acceptable alongside other A level equivalent qualifications.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

64 UCAS points from Higher Level.

Only acceptable alongside other A level equivalent qualifications.

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

MM

Only acceptable alongside other A level equivalent qualifications.

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

MPP

Only acceptable alongside other A level equivalent qualifications.

64 UCAS points from Higher Level.

UCAS Tariff

64

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Biology

**Gain a deeper understanding of the world around you with our unique BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences with Foundation Year degree.**

Biology is the science of living things and is also used to explain how humans interact with and influence the natural environment. Furthering our knowledge in biology has led to new technological advances and a deeper understanding of the world around us. We've developed this course to enhance your appreciation of the diversity of living organisms and your understanding of biological principles.

**Take your scientific knowledge further**
This foundation year pathway is recommended if you want to study the full honours degree, but don’t meet the direct entry requirements. On successful completion of the foundation year, you will have the knowledge and skills required to confidently progress to study the BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences degree, which is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

Delivered across three further years of study - or four, if you choose to include a professional placement - you will build your knowledge of genetics, human or animal physiology, biodiversity, alongside diving deeper into areas such as parasitology and antimicrobial resistance.

Throughout your studies, you will develop strong laboratory skills. As a biological sciences student, you will spend lots of time in our advanced Bodmer laboratories. These well-equipped, purpose-built facilities, ensure your learning remains at the cutting-edge of innovation and discovery. The labs host industry-standard instrumentation, including cell culture facilities, histology specimen preparation station, fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy.

Delivered in small groups in a supportive learning environment, you will benefit from plenty of hands-on experience in the labs as well as fieldwork opportunities. In recent years, students have taken part in residential trips to Cumbria, Yorkshire and Shropshire.

On the full BSC (Hons) degree, you will have the option to take an industry placement between years two and three, which is a great way to enhance your CV, gain hands-on work experience and build industry connections.

**Features**
• Build strong foundational knowledge in biology, ready to progress to the full BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences degree
• Develop laboratory skills ready for your graduate career
• Have the opportunity to include an industry placement to boost your employability skills
• Part-time study option available

This course is not open to international students.

Modules

Core modules may include: Data Handling, Professional Communications, Biological Principles, Scientific Methods. Optional Modules may include: Chemical Principles, Science for Health, Earth Processes, Environmental Conservation.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Salford

Department:

School of Science, Engineering and Environment

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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.

60%
Biology

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

67%
Staff make the subject interesting
87%
Staff are good at explaining things
80%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
60%
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

87%
Library resources
87%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
40%
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?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
40%
Male students
60%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
C

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.

£16,640
low
Average annual salary
93%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

19%
Science, engineering and production technicians
18%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Other elementary services occupations

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.

£15k

£15k

£20k

£20k

£21k

£21k

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...

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UCAS Points: 104-112
Higher entry requirements
University of Salford | Salford
Biological Sciences
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 104-112

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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:

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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.

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here