University of Southampton
UCAS Code: 7N15 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
ABB including Biology and one further science subject. Preferred subjects are Chemistry, Maths, Environmental Science, Geology, Geography or Physics. Science practical components must be passed where applicable.
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 at Merit. A core science Access to HE Diploma to contain Level 3 modules in Biology (to include ecology) and either Chemistry, Physics or Environmental Science and Maths. If you are unsure whether the Access you are studying would be accepted, please contact the Admissions Team before submitting an application.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
D3, M2, M2 to include Biology and one further science subject. Science subjects considered include Chemistry, Maths, Physics, and Geography. Cambridge Pre-U's can be used in combination with other qualifications such as A Levels to achieve the equivalent of the typical offer, where D3 can be used in lieu of A Level grade A or grade M2 can be used in lieu of grade B.
Extended Project
BBB in 3 A-levels to include Biology and one further science subject plus Grade A in EPQ. Science practical components must be passed where applicable.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pass with overall score of 32 points, with 16 points required at higher level, including 5 points at Higher Level Biology and one further Higher Level science subject. Science subjects considered include Chemistry, Physics, Maths (Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation), Environmental Science, Geography and Geology. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programmes (IBCP): The University of Southampton accepts the IBCP for entry to their degree programmes, recognising the value of combining academic skills with practical skills, providing a solid preparation for university level work. Offers will be made on the individual components of the IBCP. Applicants not taking the full IBCP but presenting with a combination of a Level 3 vocational qualification and IB Certificates may still be considered. Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H1, H2, H2, H2, H3, H3 to include Biology and one further science subject. Science subjects considered include Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Environmental Science, Geography and Geology. Applicants will be required to have achieved a pass in Mathematics and English at ILC Grade C or 04, the equivalent of GCSE grade C/grade 4.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We do not accept the BTEC Level 3 National Diploma without two A-levels to include Biology and one further science subject. If you are studying this qualification a typical offer would be DD + AB at A-Level (or equivalent), to include Biology and one further science subject. Science practical components must be passed where applicable.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
D + AB at A-Level (or equivalent), to include Biology and one further science subject. Science practical components must be passed where applicable.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We do not accept the BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma without two A-levels to include Biology and one further science subject. If you are studying this qualification a typical offer would be DDD + AB at A-Level (or equivalent), to include Biology and one further science subject. Science practical components must be passed where applicable.
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information. Applicants are also required to have achieved a pass in Maths and English at Standard Grade Grade 3 or National 5 Grade C, the equivalent of GCSE Grade C/Grade 4. We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants?who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
We normally consider applicants who offer at least 1 Advanced Higher. Applicants presenting with only Highers will be considered on a case by case basis. Where Highers are taken over two years it might be expected that higher grades are achieved, particularly in any specific subjects required. For example, S5 – S6 (2 years): AABBB (A in specific subject) or S6 (1 year): ABBBB (A in specific subject). Unless a more advanced level (Higher or Advanced Higher) is specified in the stated entry requirements, all applicants will be required to have achieved a pass in Mathematics and English at Standard Grade, Grade 3 or National 5, Grade C, the equivalent of GCSE Grade C/ Grade 4"
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
AB from two A levels including Biology and a further science subject and B from the Advanced Skills certificate. Science practical components must be passed where applicable.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Explore the living world, from the molecular level through to entire ecosystems.
On your three-year Biology and Marine Biology degree you will study living organisms at several levels and gain an understanding of biology from an evolutionary perspective. You will learn through lectures, laboratory work, and fieldwork in the UK and abroad and will graduate prepared for a career in research and in professions including conservation, inshore fisheries, and habitat management.
Based at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS), one of the leading research centres globally for ocean science, you will get the opportunity to undertake a balanced programme in both subjects and the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time on our 22m research vessel R.V. Callista, getting hands on experience out in the field. The breadth of modules and fieldwork will prepare you for a wide variety of higher degrees and careers.
Our biology and marine biology degree is accredited by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and 98% of Ocean and Earth Science graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes 2020/2021).
Modules
We have a varied range of modules for all years, to offer you the opportunity to tailor your studies to your passions and to equip you with the skills and experiences needed for success as a graduate.
Examples of modules for year one include:
Data Literacy & Analysis
Earth & Ocean Systems
Fundamentals of Biochemistry
Key Skills for Marine Scientists
Marine Invertebrates
Origins of Biodiversity
For full list of all modules available, please visit the course page: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/biology-and-marine-biology-degree-bsc#modules
Please note: information included was correct at time of publication, March 2024.
Assessment methods
Your learning is delivered, and assessed, through a wide range of methods to ensure you develop a broad variety of skills that will set you up for success after graduation.
The learning activities for this course include lectures, classes and tutorials, coursework, individual and group, projects and independent learning.
We’ll assess you using coursework, laboratory reports and essays, individual and group projects, oral presentations and written exams.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Main Site - Highfield Campus
Ocean and Earth Science
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?
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)
Earth sciences
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.
Earth sciences
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
This is quite a specialist degree and although graduates are more likely to go to work in the environment and conservation than anything else, it can be dependent to an extent on securing funding and so the jobs market can be competitive. This is also one of those subjects where graduates don’t usually go to London to work, so if you want to work in the south-west — or overseas — this might be a good subject. Graduates tend to get jobs in the environment, and as lab technicians. They can also be targeted to fill our serious gaps in recruitment in surveying. Like a lot of other subjects, if you want a job in research, start planning to take a doctorate. The stats also include a small number of oceanographers and meteorologist who are often in demand.
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
£27k
£33k
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.
Earth sciences
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
£31k
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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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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