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Biology

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

AAB to include Biology and one further science subject. A level science subjects considered include Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Psychology, Environmental Studies, Geography and Geology. Where this offer is satisfied by including grades achieved in either Biology, Chemistry or Physics, Science practical components must be passed. General Studies, Critical Thinking and Use of Mathematics are excluded for entry.

Access to HE Diploma

D:45

60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 of which 45 credits must be at Distinction. A core science Access to HE Diploma must be studied. 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.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,D3,M2

D3, D3, M2 to include Biology and one further science subject. Science subjects considered include Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Psychology 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. 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.

Extended Project

A

ABB in 3 A-levels to include Biology and one further science subject plus grade A in the EPQ. Science practical components must be passed.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

34

Pass with overall score of 34 points, with 17 points required at higher level, including 5 and 6 points at Higher Level in Biology and one further science subject Science subjects considered include Chemistry, Physics, Maths (Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation) , Psychology, Environmental Studies, Geography and Geology. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (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. 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.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H1,H2,H2,H2,H2,H2

H1, H2, H2, H2, H2, H2 to include Biology and one further science subject. Science subjects considered include Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Psychology, Environmental Studies, 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. 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.

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

DD

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 + AA at A-Level (or equivalent), to include Biology and one further science subject. Science practical components must be passed.

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

D

D + AA at A-Level (or equivalent), to include Biology and one further science subject. Science practical components must be passed.

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

DDD

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 + AA at A-Level (or equivalent), to include Biology and one further science subject. Science practical components must be passed.

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 the pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton's Curriculum for Excellence Scotland statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact the 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" 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.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

B

AA from two A levels including Biology and one further a science subject and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate. 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.

UCAS Tariff

136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Biology

Learn about life at all levels, from molecules and cells to whole organisms.

Your three-year Biology degree will explore topics looking at species, communities and entire ecosystems whilst preparing you for a broad choice of potential careers.

Students are taught by our expert staff who are actively engaged in high-profile research. They also enjoy learning within our state-of-the-art life sciences building that provides a range of modern facilities such as plant growth, tissue culture and invertebrate facilities.

You will gain extensive practical experience from a variety of field trips in the UK, Belize and Spain. You can benefit from the close links we have with the nearby Marwell Wildlife organisation and can also spend a semester studying at a University in Europe or Australasia.

We will offer you the opportunity to take a year in employment for those who want to gain experience in an industry setting, preparing you for your chosen career, in a variety of exciting sectors: medicine, biotechnology, conservation and the environment, industry and journalism.

Modules

Typical modules include:
Year 1: Fundamentals of Biochemistry, Fundamentals of Cell Biology and Physiology, How to think like a Scientist, Origins of Biodiversity.

Year 2: Evolution, Plant Development and Function, Quantitative Methods in Biological and Environmental Science.

Year 3: Choose from an extensive modules list inlcuding Biodiversity and Conservation, Cancer Chromosone Biology, Global Challenges in Biology, Immunology, and Molecular Cell Biology.

For more information please visit the course page.

Assessment methods

The learning activities for this course including lectures, classes and tutorials, coursework, individual and group projects, independent learning (studying on your own)

We’ll assess you using coursework, laboratory reports and essays, individual and group projects, oral presentations written exams

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£27,400
per year
International
£27,400
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Main Site - Highfield Campus

Department:

Biological Sciences

Read full university profile

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.

88%
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

93%
Staff make the subject interesting
93%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
74%
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

81%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
79%
Course specific equipment and facilities
75%
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?

90%
UK students
10%
International students
40%
Male students
60%
Female students
97%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
A

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.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
73%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

18%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
14%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
12%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

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

£22k

£27k

£27k

£33k

£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.

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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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