- UCAS course code
- C102
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Life Sciences
Duration: 3 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: C102 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
Field trips
- Typical A-level offer: AAA-AAB including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: AAB-ABC including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: ABB-ABC including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 36-35 points overall with 6, 6, 6 to 6, 6, 5 at HL, including specific requirements
Course description
Our BSc Life Sciences course is ideal if you are committed to studying the biological sciences, but have not yet decided on the area in which you want to specialise.
You can then make that decision from a position of greater knowledge at the end of the first year.
The combination of units taken in the first year will enable you to transfer to most of our biological and biomedical sciences courses.
Special features
A range of study options
You can extend your degree by a year to undertake an integrated master's, gain industrial/professional experience, study with entrepreneurship or learn a modern language.
It is possible to broaden your degree by taking units from the University College, Business and Management for all Programmes or the University Centre for Academic English in exchange for a few units from your degree.
Foundation Year available
You can prepare for the full degree course if you do not have the appropriate qualifications for direct entry by undertaking our foundation course first.
Flexibility to transfer between courses
You can transfer between most of our bioscience courses at the end of your first year or, in some cases, later.
Teaching and learning
You will benefit from a wide range of teaching and learning methods that suit the content and aims of each course unit.
These range from lectures and tutorials to practicals and research projects, including the final year project .
Find out more about how you will learn and see a typical Year 1 timetable on our teaching and learning page.
Coursework and assessment
Assessment methods vary widely to suit the nature of the course unit and each level of study.
- Lecture units are usually assessed by written exam (multiple choice or essay-based), which are held at the end of an academic semester in either January or May/June.
- Field courses are usually assessed via oral and written presentations, group work and/or projects.
- Practical units are usually assessed by experimental report and/or short written assignment and/or written exam.
- The proportion of independent study assignments increases during each year of study.
Year 1
Lecture units are usually assessed by e-learning activities during the unit and multiple choice exams at the end of the semester. Year 1 contributes 10% to your overall degree mark.
Year 2
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam, and some units also include a coursework element. Year 2 contributes 30% to your overall degree mark.
Final year
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam. Students also take two honours papers: degree programme-specific examinations comprising essays and data-handling problems.
A significant part of the year (accounting for one-quarter of the overall degree mark) is the project, which is assessed through a presentation and a written report.
The final year contributes 60% to your overall degree mark.
Course unit details
This course is modular. You will study compulsory course units and choose some optional units.
Most units are assigned 10 credits and you will take 120 credits each year.
Course content for year 1
You will gain a broad introduction to biological sciences, covering key concepts such as:
- biochemistry
- genetics
- molecular biology
Year 1 also provides an introduction to the essential data handling and laboratory skills required for all biological scientists.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Tutorials Year 1 | BIOL10000 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Biochemistry | BIOL10212 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Molecular Biology | BIOL10221 | 10 | Mandatory |
| From Molecules to Cells | BIOL10232 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to Laboratory Science | BIOL10401 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Biodiversity | BIOL10511 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Health & Safety online course | BIOL12000 | 0 | Mandatory |
| History of Biology | BIOL10381 | 10 | Optional |
| Introduction to Experimental Biology - Molecular & Cellular Biology | BIOL10412 | 10 | Optional |
| Introduction to Experimental Biology - Human Biology | BIOL10422 | 10 | Optional |
| Displaying 10 of 23 course units for year 1 | |||
| Display all course units for year 1 | |||
Course content for year 2
You will transfer onto another of our biological or biomedical sciences courses, chosen with the guidance of academic staff.
What our students say
Facilities
Learning facilities
Our modern teaching labs are equipped for a range of biological and biomedical techniques. The following are just a few of the techniques you could undertake during your degree:
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR);
- DNA sequencing;
- gel electrophoresis;
- spectrophotometry;
- dissection and histology;
- electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG);
- immunofluorescence microscopy.
Our computing facilities include access to over 200 PCs in dedicated clusters and e-learning tools including online lecture notes, discussion boards, lecture podcasts and quizzes.
You will also have access to the University's other facilities for undergraduate students.
Research facilities
As a final year student, you have the opportunity to undertake a project in the labs of our world-class bioscience researchers.To support our research, we have extensive research facilities equipped with high-quality technology.