Biological Sciences

Biological sciences encompasses the full span of the living world, from the molecular mechanisms that govern gene expression and cell function to the ecological processes that shape populations and ecosystems. It is a discipline of extraordinary breadth and genuine intellectual ambition, addressing fundamental questions about how life works, how it evolved, how it responds to environmental change, and how understanding it can help us protect biodiversity, develop new medicines, and improve food production for a growing global population.

At the University of Leicester you will study this three-year programme, moving across biological boundaries as you explore the complexity of living systems from the molecular level upward. The programme allows you to develop broad biological knowledge in your first year before specialising in areas that match your interests in your second year, giving you both range and depth across the curriculum. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, providing substantial professional and international experience that complements your academic development and strengthens your employability.

Biological sciences graduates enter a remarkably wide range of careers. Research and development in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, clinical and biomedical laboratory science, environmental and ecological consultancy, conservation biology, public health, agriculture and food science, education, science communication, and the growing field of bioinformatics all recruit biology graduates. Many go on to postgraduate study in specialist areas such as genetics, ecology, microbiology, conservation, or molecular medicine, or pursue graduate-entry routes into medicine, veterinary medicine, or allied health professions where a strong life-sciences foundation is valued.

The skills in scientific reasoning, data analysis and communication that the degree develops are broadly applicable across science, technology and beyond.