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Biological Sciences with a Year Abroad

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

including Biology or Human Biology. Where applicable Science A Levels awarded by an English Exam board require a pass in the practical element. Critical Thinking and General Studies are not accepted.

Access to HE Diploma

D:36,M:9

including 12 Level 3 credits in Biology.

Principal subjects and A-level combinations are considered - please contact us.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

33

including Higher Level 5 in Biology.

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

DDD

in Applied Science, Applied Science (Medical Science) or Animal Management. Excludes BTEC Public Services, BTEC Uniformed Services, BTEC Business Administration and BTEC Forensic Science.

Scottish Advanced Higher

B,B,C

including Biology or Human Biology.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,A,A

including A in Biology or Human Biology.

Obtain an overall Pass including an A in the core of the T Level and a Distinction in the Occupational Specialism. Acceptable subjects are: Science.

UCAS Tariff

136-165

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time with time abroad | 2024

Subject

Biology

**Overview**
Study life itself. Discover the why, how and what of living organisms, from how we came to be, to how we’ve since evolved.

Our four-year Biological Sciences degree spans the entire scale of biological systems, with the additional benefit of a year spent studying overseas, giving you the chance to experience a different way of life – and to study at a biology department that may focus on different aspects of the subject, broadening your knowledge. Towards the end of your degree, you’ll be able to choose your own area of specialisation.

We’re world leaders in biological research, and you’ll benefit from exposure to our cutting-edge research in molecular, cellular and whole-organism biology. In the most recent Times Higher Education REF Analysis (2021), we were ranked 17th overall for research quality in Biological Science.

You’ll get to grips with the application of science to major global challenges, such as environmental management, food security, biotechnology and human health. And you’ll explore the role of biology in tackling the challenges society faces today and in the future.

**About This Course**
Our flagship Biological Sciences degree allows you to study a wide range of science subjects in your first year without committing yourself straightaway to any particular specialisation. You’ll also be given a grounding in other core sciences such as mathematics, statistics and chemistry.

You’ll spend your third year studying at one of our partner universities in Australasia, North America or Europe. This is a fantastic opportunity – academically, socially and culturally – to experience university life in another country. Your year abroad, and the adaptability it fosters, will also be an attractive asset to future employers.

As the course progresses, the flexibility of the programme encourages you to explore and pursue your own specialist interests within biological sciences. You’ll also have the chance to develop your specific scientific interests through independent research in your final year, when you’ll complete a substantial research project. If you love the world around you – examining how this connects to that, and how that impacts on this – our degree is an excellent choice. You’ll cover topics from antibiotic resistance to biofuels, from cancer to bees. And you’ll lay the foundations for a career at the forefront of biological research, where you could have a positive impact on the daily lives of people all over the world.

You will benefit from our enviable position as an integral partner of the Norwich Research Park, which is also home to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and independent, world-renowned research institutes such as the John Innes Centre, the Sainsbury Laboratory, the Earlham Institute, and the Quadram Institute.

**Disclaimer**

Course details are subject to change. You should always confirm the details on the provider's website: **www.uea.ac.uk**

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
£26,100
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of East Anglia UEA

Department:

School of 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.

86%
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

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
75%
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

74%
Library resources
81%
IT resources
98%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
45%
Male students
55%
Female students
87%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
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.

£18,500
med
Average annual salary
93%
low
Employed or in further education
59%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

13%
Other elementary services occupations
8%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
8%
Science, engineering and production technicians

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.

£20k

£20k

£25k

£25k

£27k

£27k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

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UCAS Points: 144-168
Lower entry requirements
University of East Anglia UEA | Norwich
Biological Sciences with a Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with time abroad 2024
UCAS Points: 96-117
Same University
University of East Anglia UEA | Norwich
Biological Sciences
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time with time abroad 2024
UCAS Points: 128-153

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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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Course location and department:

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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