Biological Sciences

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, from the molecules and cells that make neurons function to the circuits and systems that generate perception, movement, memory, and consciousness. It is one of the most rapidly advancing areas of biology, driven by new technologies for recording and imaging neural activity and by a growing understanding of how alterations in nervous system structure and function produce neurological and psychiatric conditions. Understanding the brain and nervous system is not only one of the great intellectual challenges of our time but a prerequisite for developing effective treatments for conditions from Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's to depression and epilepsy.

At Leicester this three-year full-time biological sciences programme with a neuroscience specialism provides a grounding in the biological sciences alongside deep engagement with the structure and function of the nervous system. You will study how the brain is organised from the molecular level through to neural systems, how development shapes the nervous system, and how dysfunction at different levels of organisation leads to disease. The programme includes both theoretical study and practical laboratory work, developing your ability to design and conduct experiments and to analyse and interpret biological data.

A sandwich year gives you the opportunity to spend a full year working in a research or industry environment, and a year abroad allows you to study at an international partner institution. Work placements are integrated throughout, connecting academic learning to professional experience.

Graduates move into careers in academic and commercial research, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, healthcare settings, science communication, and roles in clinical research. Many continue to postgraduate study in neuroscience, neuropharmacology, or related biomedical sciences, building towards research or specialist professional careers.