Biological Sciences
UCAS Code: C100
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Grades must be achieved in one set of exams. Required subjects: A Level: Biology and Chemistry. Grade A is required in one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics. GCSEs: Mathematics or Physics at grade B or 6.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Award of Diploma with 37 points with 666 at HL - 32 points with 555 at HL. Required subjects: HL: Biology and Chemistry. Diploma must include Mathematics or Physics at SL 6.
Scottish Higher
These grades must be achieved by end of S5. If you haven't achieved this by the end of S5 we may consider your application based on a strong performance in S6. A minimum of BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Higher: Biology and Chemistry. Grade A is required in one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics. Qualified applicants are strongly advised to take Biology and Chemistry at Advanced Higher level where possible. National 5: Mathematics or Physics at grade B.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Biology is the study of life and embraces many different areas of both biological and biomedical interest. Studies range from exploring molecular structures, to understanding how genes work, the development and behaviour of microorganisms, plants and animals, their evolution, and their environmental interactions and impacts. It reveals core scientific knowledge of how cells and organisms function, and results in applications that underpin up-to-the-minute technological and scientific advances.
The School of Biological Sciences offers several programmes spanning the breadth of biology.
Biological Sciences is a good option to choose on your UCAS application if you have no subject specialisation preference at this stage. You will specialise in a biological sciences subject area as you progress through your programme.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Central area campus
School of Biological Sciences

Calculate your living costs
See how much you'll need to live on at your chosen university, with our student budget calculator.
See your living costs
Study in Edinburgh
Explore the local area, what there is to do for fun, living costs and other university options here.
Explore EdinburghWhat students say
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.
Biosciences
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
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.
Explore these similar courses...




This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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).
We calculate a mean rating of all responses to indicate whether this is high, medium or low compared to the same subject area at other universities.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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