Biology with a Year Abroad
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: C10C | Master of Biological Sciences - MBiolSci
Entry requirements
A level
including Biology and a second science Human Biology is accepted in lieu of Biology. Second science from Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Psychology, Environmental Science or Geography
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits overall in Science, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 39 credits at Distinction (to include Biology and a second science), and 6 credits at Merit. Applicants are considered individually
Extended Project
plus AAB at A Level including Biology and a second science
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language and Maths grade 4/C
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
including 6 in Higher Level Biology and a second science
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
including Biology and a second science
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in Applied Science (with Distinctions in all Biology Units if not offered at A level) + A in an A Level science subject
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
(RQF) D*DD in Applied Science with Distinctions in all Biology Units (QCF) DDD in Applied Science (with Distinctions in all Biology Units if not offered at A level) + A in an A Level science subject
Scottish Higher
including a science plus grade A in Biology in Scottish Advanced Higher
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
plus AA at A Level in Biology and a second science
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Spend your second year studying biology at another top university in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore or Hong Kong. Your fourth year is devoted to a major research project in the lab or in the field, where you’ll work alongside our world-leading academics. Your year abroad counts towards your final grade and allows you to gain international experience without extending your degree. You'll even pay reduced fees for the year you're abroad.
This course offers you the flexibility to discover what kind of biologist you want to be. Whether your interests lie in organisms and the environment, biomedicine, or the molecular biosciences, or span all three, from your first year you’ll have the freedom to choose the topics you want to study across the breadth of biology, including:
- biochemistry
- microbiology
- genetics
- molecular and cell biology
- physiology and pharmacology
- neuroscience
- stem cells and development
- pathobiology
- evolution
- zoology
- animal behaviour
- plant science
- ecology and conservation
- global change and sustainability
You’ll learn about these subjects in lectures, practicals, workshops and field trips to zoos, aquaria and wildlife reserves.
As you progress through your degree you'll explore your chosen topics in greater depth, specialising in one area or keeping a broad overview across the biosciences. You’ll learn the core practical laboratory skills that are used across biology including microscopy, cell culturing and DNA preparation so no matter what modules you choose to study, you’ll be ready to address your own research questions. You’ll also learn problem solving, communication skills, critical evaluation and data analysis - key transferable skills that make biology graduates very attractive to employers.
We’ll give you plenty of opportunities to apply your new skills and knowledge too. You’ll have the chance to carry out your own research projects in the lab, using the latest cutting-edge equipment to analyse stem cells, sequence DNA and study proteins and enzymes.
You might choose to do field research projects in the Peak District National Park, or to embark on an ecology field course in the UK or abroad. Or you can make the most of our links with the NHS, completing research in conjunction with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. You can even choose to combine these areas.
Biology at Sheffield is all about enabling you to study what you’re passionate about. From genes and molecules, to organ systems and behaviour, biodiversity and ecosystems and everything in between, your personal tutor will support you to tailor your degree to your interests and career goals.
If you want to study this course but don't meet the entry requirements our Biosciences with a Foundation Year could be for you. After successfully completing the one year programme, you'll progress onto the first year of one of our bioscience degrees.
Tuition fees
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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.
How do students rate their degree experience?
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Biology (non-specific)
Teaching and learning
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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
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Biology
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.
Biosciences
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
£24k
£27k
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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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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