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Biology with optional placement year

Entry requirements


A level

B,C,C

To include one science subject from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths, Nutrition and Food Science, PE, Geography, Environmental Technology/Science. Chemistry or Biology is preferred. Applied Science Double Award also acceptable. Provided the subject requirements are met you can substitute a combination of alternative qualifications recognised by the University for one of the A level grades.

Access to HE Diploma

D:12,M:30,P:3

Pass science-based Access course with an overall mark of at least 60% including 60% in each level 3 module to include a 20 credit Level 2 Mathematics module, passed at 40% or successful completion of NICATS Mathematics as part of the pre-2021 Access Diploma

GCSE/National 4/National 5

Candidates must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first degree course and hold a GCSE pass in English Language at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent). Also, candidates must hold a GCSE pass in Maths at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent) and GCSE Double Award Science (or equivalent) at grades CC is also required. Please note that for purposes of entry to this course the Level 2 Essential / Key Skill in Application of Number is NOT regarded as an acceptable alternative to GCSE Maths.

Pass Science based HND with overall Merit to include 30 distinctions in level 5 credits/units may be specified Pass Science based HNC with overall Distinction to include 60 distinctions in level 4 credits/units may be specified.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

Overall International Baccalaureate profile minimum 24 points to include 12 points at higher level including 5 points at higher level in one of the following subjects: Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths, Home Economics, PE, Geography.

104 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English and Maths at H6 if studied at Higher level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level. Course Specific Subject requirements : To include one from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths, Home Economics, PE, Geography. Chemistry or Biology is preferred.

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

DMM

RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma Award profile of DMM Essential Subjects (You will need one of the following): OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma in Applied Science (RQF) (603/0695/6) Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Applied Science (RQF) (601/7437/7) We will also accept smaller BTEC/OCR qualifications (i.e. Diploma or Extended Certificate / Introductory Diploma / Subsidiary Diploma) in combination with A Levels or other acceptable level 3 qualifications. To find out if the qualification you are applying with is a qualification we accept for entry, please check our Qualification Checker - https://www.ulster.ac.uk/study/entrance-requirements/equivalence We will also continue to accept QCF versions of these qualifications although grades asked for may differ. Check what grades you will be asked for by comparing the requirements above with the information under QCF in the Applied General and Tech Level Qualifications section of our Entry Requirements - https://www.ulster.ac.uk/study/entrance-requirements/undergraduate-entry-requirements

Scottish Advanced Higher

C,D,D

To include one subject from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths, Home Economics, PE, Geography. Chemistry or Biology is preferred.

Scottish Higher

C,C,C,C,C

To include one subject from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths, Home Economics, PE, Geography. Chemistry or Biology is preferred.

UCAS Tariff

104-105

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Biology

Biology is the study of living organisms from the molecular level to ecosystems. Our full-time undergraduate BSc Hons Biology course covers fundamental areas of biology with a focus upon the biomedical, molecular and environmental sciences. During the first year you will study fundamentals of biology such as biodiversity, plant and animal physiology, chemistry and biochemistry, as well as cell biology. In the first semester of your first year you will also receive tailor-made training in subject specific as well as transferable core skills in a small group teaching environment. In Year 2 you will study more specific biological science disciplines such as marine biology, genetics, microbiology and biotechnology, which will build upon knowledge acquired in first year but also underpin study in the final year. The final year is driven by the very strong research expertise and interests of the lecturing staff and provides an opportunity to carry out an extensive research project in a specific biological topic.

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,320
per year
International
£16,320
per year
Northern Ireland
£4,750
per year
Republic of Ireland
£4,750
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Coleraine

Department:

Coleraine Campus

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.

83%
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

83%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
75%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
50%
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

67%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
55%
Course specific equipment and facilities
50%
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?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
41%
Male students
59%
Female students
78%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
B

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.

£17,680
med
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

35%
Natural and social science professionals
30%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
9%
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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Sheffield Hallam University | Sheffield
Biology
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Sandwich 2024
UCAS Points: 112-120
Same University
Ulster University | Coleraine
Pharmaceutical Biosciences
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Sandwich 2024
UCAS Points: 120-123

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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?

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