Biological Sciences with Foundation Year

Biological sciences is the study of living systems across all scales of organisation and complexity, from the molecular mechanisms that underlie cellular function to the ecology of populations and ecosystems. It is one of the most diverse and rapidly advancing of the scientific disciplines, and it touches on questions of profound practical importance, from the mechanisms of disease and the development of medicines to the conservation of biodiversity and the challenge of feeding a growing global population in a changing climate. At the University of Plymouth, this four-year programme with foundation year gives students who need additional scientific preparation the grounding required before progressing into the full degree.

The foundation year introduces you to major global environmental challenges and helps you develop an independent, reflective approach to scientific study, including scientific writing, mathematical skills and time management, before you engage with the full biological sciences curriculum. You will study molecules and cells, physiology, genetics, evolution and ecology, developing both theoretical understanding and practical laboratory and fieldwork skills. The programme builds your capacity to engage with the breadth of modern biology, and the scientific formation it provides is applicable across a wide range of careers and further study routes.

Graduates of biological sciences programmes enter careers across the life sciences, healthcare, environmental and education sectors. Research roles in academic and industrial settings, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, are common destinations for those who wish to build specialist scientific expertise. Environmental consultancy, conservation, ecological survey work, science education and healthcare support roles are also well-established directions.

Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in a specialist biological discipline, clinical research, ecology, conservation biology or bioinformatics, using the broad scientific foundation of the undergraduate degree as the basis for more focused advanced work.