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Biology with Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

C,D,D

Minimum number of A Levels: 2 Maximum AS UCAS points: 20

Access to Higher Education Diploma acceptability: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications •Further information: Overall Pass required.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

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

MMP

To obtain the required UCAS points from a related subject area. Contact the admissions team for details.

UCAS Tariff

80

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Biology

**Why study Biology at Liverpool John Moores University?**
- Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology

- Offers a range of optional modules such as Genes and Genomes, Developmental Biology, Immunology and Medical Microbiology and Neurobiology

- Opportunity for self-funded overseas field expedition – possible destination is Doñana National Park, Spain*

- Stepping stone to careers in diverse fields such as genetics, microbiology, embryology, clinical science, radiography and environmental sciences

- Option to choose between a year's work placement or a 135 hour work-based learning placement

- £6 million invested in state-of-the-art teaching facilities

- International Foundation Year course available offering direct progression onto this degree programme - visit LJMU's International Study Centre to find out more

**About your course**
The professionally-accredited BSc (Hons) Biology programme at Liverpool John Moores University opens up the fascinating subject of biology providing a core understanding of biological theory and practical skills, whilst giving you the opportunity to study a variety of specialisms, including genetics, microbiology, neurobiology, development and ecology. There are also exciting opportunities to complete exciting placements and overseas fieldwork.

At LJMU we recognise that, because of the vast array of subject areas within the field of biology, you may want to get a feel for which ones interest you most before specialising, which is why we keep the degree broad based in the first year. In the first year, you will typically cover core modules in Genetics and Evolution, Microbiology, Physiology, Ecology, Practical Skills for Biology and Fundamentals of Scientific Research.

In the second and third years, you can either continue to keep your degree broad based, or you can specialise by choosing optional modules from a wide range topics, which may include Genes and Genomes, Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Developmental Biology, Ecology Field Skills, Marine and Freshwater Biology and Applications of Genetics in Health and Disease.

There is a core residential UK field trip in Level 4* and students can also take part in an advanced field skills expedition during Level 6 – the possible destination is the Doñana National Park, Spain, where you can learn ecological and behavioural field work skills. Additionally, you have the chance to undertake a short 135 hour work-based learning placement or a year-long industrial placement. So, you will have plenty of opportunities to put what you have learnt into practice and acquire the transferable skills that employers look for.

**About the Foundation Year**
The Foundation Year is ideal if you have the ability to study for a degree but don't have the qualifications to enter directly onto the Biology honours degree programme. Once you pass the Foundation Year, you will progress directly onto the first year of the honours degree. If you are a full-time UK student, you will qualify for student financial support for the full duration of your course (subject to eligibility criteria).

Modules

Please visit the Liverpool John Moores University website for detailed module information.

Assessment methods

Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.

Most modules are assessed by exam and coursework, and some via coursework only. All students perform differently depending on how they are assessed, which is why we use a combination of assessment methods. Exams may therefore include a range of question types e.g. multiple choice, short answer, interpretative, problem-based learning and essay. Coursework assessment could be in the form of phase tests, fieldwork/practical reports, data handling, oral presentations, poster presentations, group discussions, essays or the evaluation of your practical skills. These are based on individual assignments but some require group work.

Feedback on coursework assessments is normally provided within three weeks of submission and may be via Canvas (our virtual learning environment), face-to-face or in writing. We believe that constructive feedback is vital in helping you identify your strengths as well as the areas where you may need to put in more work.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
International
£18,250
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

Extra funding

Please see our Bursaries and Scholarships page for more information: https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/discover/fees-and-funding/bursaries-and-scholarships

The Uni


Course location:

Liverpool John Moores University

Department:

School of Biological and Environmental 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.

80%
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

80%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
80%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
68%
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

88%
Library resources
93%
IT resources
95%
Course specific equipment and facilities
85%
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?

97%
UK students
3%
International students
48%
Male students
52%
Female students
75%
2:1 or above
20%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
61%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

18%
Natural and social science professionals
18%
Science, engineering and production technicians
9%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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.

£18k

£18k

£19k

£19k

£21k

£21k

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 is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the 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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here