Biological Sciences with Placement Year
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: C104 | Master of Biological Sciences - MBiolSci
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: C104 | Master of Biological Sciences - MBiolSci
Entry requirements
A level
including Biology* and a second science (second science subjects include Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Psychology, Environmental Science, Geology or Geography). *Human Biology accepted in lieu of Biology, but Biology and Human Biology cannot be accepted in combination as the two sciences.
Access to HE Diploma
Award of Access to HE Diploma in Science, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 39 at Distinction (to include Biology and a second science), and 6 at Merit
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths and English grade 4/C
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
with 6 in Higher Level Biology and a second science (second science subjects include Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Psychology, or Geography)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
including Biology and a second science (second science subjects include Chemistry, Maths, or Physics)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in Applied Science + A at A Level
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
D*DD in Applied Science (Basic, Biomedical Science, or Analytical & Forensic Science* streams only), or Health and Social Care. Additional module requirements also apply.
Scottish Advanced Higher
in Biology* and a second science + AAABB in Scottish Highers (second science subjects include Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Psychology, Environmental Science, or Geography) *Human Biology accepted in lieu of Biology, but Biology and Human Biology cannot be accepted in combination as the two sciences.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
+ AA in Biology* and a second science (second science subjects include Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Psychology, Environmental Science, Geology or Geography). *Human Biology accepted in lieu of Biology, but Biology and Human Biology cannot be accepted in combination as the two sciences
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Spend a year on a paid work placement as part of your degree. Combining a placement year with our MBiolSci course allows you to gain work experience in industry, before adding an extra year of research training back in the lab in your fourth year.**
**Study the full extent of biological sciences, tackling global challenges such as the biodiversity crisis, antibiotic resistance, and cancer. Gain invaluable research experience in your final year working alongside world-leading academics.**
Study biological sciences at the University of Sheffield and discover a broad and vibrant spectrum of study across all scales of biological systems. Our five-year masters degree gives you an opportunity to focus on a major research project that builds on the broad and vibrant spectrum of modules you’ve studied in your first three years.
From year one, you can begin to shape your own path - choosing to specialise or maintain a broad approach - from organisms and the environment, to biomedicine, human health and the molecular biosciences.
At Sheffield, you’ll be encouraged to be creative, think independently, and express your ideas. You can contribute to work on cancer and ageing in conjunction with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. Or you might choose to do field research projects in the Peak District National Park, or travel for a field course in the UK or abroad.
As you progress through your degree, you’ll have the option to specialise in aspects of human biology, molecular biology, biotechnology, biodiversity or sustainability. You’ll have the chance to carry out your own research projects in the lab and the field, where you can use the latest equipment to get hands-on experience.
For your placement year, you’ll gain valuable experience of working in industry, business, for a charity or the government. You'll pay reduced fees while you're on placement, and we do everything we can with you and our partners to ensure it’s paid. You’ll work alongside professionals to acquire skills and knowledge that will make you a great candidate for future jobs, and see how the concepts and ideas you learn during your degree are put into practice on the front lines of industry.
Your final year is devoted to a major research project in the lab or in the field. You’ll work alongside our world-leading academics and explore a topic of your choosing in depth.
**Why study this course?**
- **Five year course** - the ultimate kick-start to your career, resulting in a masters degree, with your fifth year focusing on a major research project.
- **Build connections and a career** - placement organisations include GSK, Proctor and Gamble, Middlemarch Environmental, Paraxel Statistical Programming, Kew Gardens, and Sydney Environmental Group.
- **4th in the UK for research quality** - the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 rated 98% of research and impact from the School of Biosciences as world-leading or internationally excellent.
- **Make the course your own** - enjoy the freedom to take a broad approach, or choose the topics you want to study across the breadth of biology.
- **Close links with the NHS** - complete research on cancer and ageing in partnership with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
Tuition fees
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What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score 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.
£22k
£28k
£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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Higher entry requirements
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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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