Biological Sciences
UCAS Code: C112
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
To include Biology or Human Biology.
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Science considered.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
32 - 31 points overall and must include grades 6, 5, 5 – 5, 5, 5 in Higher Level subjects which must include Biology. You must also have Standard Level grade 5 in both Mathematics and English.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Applied Science or Forensic Science considered alongside a Biology A-level.
Scottish Higher
Must include Biology at higher level.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Our BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences course focuses on the study of life, from the simplest organism to the complexity of the human species.
Throughout the course you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an established, yet dynamic, area. You’ll gain a broad understanding and awareness in biological sciences during the first two years of the programme, before you choose to undertake our optional career boosting placement year, which can be completed in a wide variety of settings from research laboratories to pharmaceutical sales, or continue onto your final year. During the final year you will be able to select from a variety of specialist modules that meet your particular study and career interests.
Our graduates enter a wide range of professional careers, including research, health, welfare and the biological industries. In addition to scientific positions, some graduates enter general management and personnel work as well as product development and marketing while some continue with postgraduate study to masters and PhD levels. .
**Key course benefits:**
- Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, certified as containing a solid academic foundation in biological knowledge and key skills, and prepare graduates to address the needs of employers.
- Our optional placement year (4 year sandwich course) offers you the opportunity to gain valuable experience and set your studies in the context of a working environment, designed to boost your future employment prospects.
- Top 10 in the UK for graduate prospects (Biological Sciences, Complete University Guide, 2020).
- 93.8% of Aston Biological Sciences students were happy with the teaching on their course (NSS, 2019).
- Top 10 in the UK for Research Quality (Biological Sciences,Complete University Guide, 2020).
Modules
Year 1*
Study key bioscience topics such as microbiology, biochemistry, physiology, inheritance and population, genetics, development and human anatomy, cell biology, molecular biology and immunology.
Year 2*
Build on your knowledge of microbiology and immunology, in addition to the introduction of new topics such as metabolism, molecular genetics, biotechnology, endocrinology and molecular pathology.
Placement year (optional)
Gain valuable career boosting experience by setting your studies in a real world context of a working environment alongside professionals. Undertake your placement in a wide variety of settings such as hospital, industrial or research laboratories or non-laboratory settings. Placements can be taken in the UK, EU or internationally.
Final year*
Select final year modules that fit your interests and future career goals from subjects such as human physiology, cell biology, medical biochemistry and stem cell biology in addition to completing a substantial supervised research project
For more information about what you will study, please visit our website.
*In order to offer you the best possible experience and keep your programmes up to date and relevant, the
University is going through a transition period at the date the content is set out (January 2019). The University is reconfiguring a number of its programmes so for the latest information please refer to our university website.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Aston University, Birmingham
School of Life and Health Sciences
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Explore BirminghamWhat students say
How do students rate their degree experience?
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Biosciences
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Biosciences
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
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?These stats refer to the prospects of graduates from general courses in biosciences. About a quarter go into further study and for those who go into work, bioscience, teaching and finance jobs are the most common types of employment. But you can go into most careers with this kind of degree — the majority of jobs for graduates don’t ask for a particular degree subject - and you will acquire a wide range of skills valued by many employers. If you want to find out more specifically about the prospects for your chosen subject, it might be a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates from your chosen subject went on to do.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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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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