Biological Sciences
Biological sciences is the broad study of living organisms and the processes that sustain life, encompassing everything from molecular biology and genetics to ecology, evolution, physiology and microbiology. It is a discipline built on observation, experimentation and quantitative analysis, asking fundamental questions about how organisms are built, how they function, how they evolved and how they interact with each other and their environments. The insights of biological science underpin medicine, agriculture, environmental management, biotechnology and the conservation of biodiversity.
At Northumbria University in Newcastle, this three-year full-time programme is structured to provide a particularly rich set of professional and international experiences alongside the academic content. The course includes a sandwich year with embedded work placement opportunities and a year abroad, giving you sustained professional experience in a biological or life science context and the opportunity to study in a different country. The combination of these two features makes the degree distinctively broad in the opportunities it opens up.
The typical entry tariff is around 136 UCAS points.
You will build a strong grounding in the core biological sciences, studying cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, ecology and evolution before moving into more specialist areas. Laboratory skills are developed throughout the programme, and you will engage with scientific literature, data analysis, experimental design and scientific writing in ways that prepare you both for professional roles in life science industries and for postgraduate research. The international year and placement year extend your professional competence and cultural awareness significantly.
Graduates of biological sciences programmes work across the life sciences sector in research, development and technical roles in pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, environmental consultancies, public health laboratories, the NHS, nature conservation organisations and education. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in specialist areas including ecology, cell biology, genetics, microbiology, biomedical science, conservation biology or environmental science. The placement and international year experiences at Northumbria typically help graduates stand out in competitive graduate recruitment processes.