Biological Science

Biological science is the study of living organisms and the processes that sustain them, encompassing everything from the molecular machinery inside cells to the behaviour of ecosystems and the evolutionary history that has produced the diversity of life on Earth. It draws on chemistry, physics, and mathematics to understand how biological systems work, applying rigorous scientific method to questions that range from how genes regulate development to how populations respond to environmental change. Biology is a science that matters enormously for medicine, conservation, agriculture, biotechnology, and our understanding of ourselves as biological beings.

At Edinburgh Napier University, this part-time programme includes a year abroad as part of its structure, which is an unusual and valuable feature for a biological sciences degree. Studying biology is increasingly global in its orientation, with field sites, research collaborations, and professional networks extending across international boundaries, and the year abroad gives you exposure to a different academic and ecological environment that broadens your scientific perspective. Edinburgh Napier offers the programme in part-time mode, making it accessible to students who are managing work, caring responsibilities, or other commitments alongside their studies.

You will study the core areas of the biological sciences, including cell biology, genetics, ecology, evolution, physiology, and biochemistry, developing both theoretical understanding and practical laboratory and fieldwork skills. The part-time mode allows you to pace your learning to fit your circumstances while maintaining the academic rigour that a biological sciences degree demands.

Graduates of biological sciences programmes move into careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, environmental consultancy and conservation, ecology, the NHS and biomedical research, science teaching, and a wide range of other fields where biological knowledge and laboratory skills are valued. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in specialist areas of biology, ecology, or biomedical science.