Biology and Psychology

Biology and psychology address complementary dimensions of what it means to be a living, thinking organism. Biology examines life at every scale, from the molecular mechanisms that drive cellular processes to the behaviour of organisms in their natural environments, encompassing genetics, physiology, ecology, and the study of disease. Psychology investigates the mind and behaviour, using scientific methods to understand perception, cognition, emotion, social interaction, and mental health.

Where biology asks how living systems work, psychology asks how experience and behaviour are shaped by those systems and by the environments in which organisms live.

This four-year full-time degree at the University of St Andrews develops genuine expertise in both disciplines simultaneously. You will engage with the core areas of biology, including molecular and cellular biology, ecology, and organismal biology, while also building rigorous grounding in psychological science, covering areas such as cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, neuroscience, and research methods. The combination is particularly well suited to understanding behaviour from a biological perspective, and to engaging with questions in neuroscience, animal behaviour, evolutionary psychology, and mental health that draw on both disciplines.

A typical entry tariff of 200 points reflects the academic demands of study at one of the UK's leading research universities.

Graduates from this programme are prepared for careers that span the biological and psychological sciences. Many go on to postgraduate training in clinical psychology, medicine, neuroscience, or ecology. Others pursue research in areas connecting biology and psychology, from animal behaviour and evolutionary biology to mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Careers in healthcare, biological research, conservation, pharmaceutical science, and science communication are also natural destinations for graduates who combine strong scientific training with an understanding of behaviour and mind.