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This Master in Biology is an extended undergraduate programme which allows students to graduate either with BSc (Hons) at the end of the third year or with a Masters degree at the end of the fourth year. If at the end of Year 2 a sufficient standard is achieved, then progression onto the Masters year will be permitted following completion of Year 3. The fourth year offers a unique opportunity to conduct an extended research project either in the laboratory or in the field, and to further develop or expand upon the skills and interests already developed.

Biology covers the entirety of life on earth, and considers the unity and diversity of organisms. In our biology degree, you will learn about microbes, plants and animals, and receive a thorough grounding in cell and molecular biology, ecology and evolution. You will also be able to take modules from across a wide range of disciplines and subject areas – the options range from marine ecology to medical genetics.

This degree strongly emphasises evolutionary, ecological and environmental aspects of the life sciences, and students can choose to focus more on fundamental biological processes and mechanisms, theoretical developments or applied biology. Alternatively, you can stay broad and pick modules to suit your own interests. Our degrees benefit from our exceptional local range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and we have our own botanical gardens and natural history museum to use in practical classes and field trips. We are also part of the Environment Centre Wales, which is a partnership venture between Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ and the Natural Environment Research Council’s Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). This partnership and the wide and varied areas of expertise of our biology staff allow us to offer a diverse set of biological modules and projects to all our students.

This Biology degree provides an excellent foundation in plant and animal biology from the molecular level to the community and biosphere. We provide a diverse set of laboratory and field experiences, supporting the development of transferable skills in data analysis, writing and presentations, IT applications, group work and more. Once you reach years two and three, your optional modules come into their own and you can specialise in one or more of the many areas where Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ academics do cutting-edge science – including aspects of stress biology, energetics, adaptation to change, population genetics, biogeography, molecular ecology, climate change and carbon stores, cell and genomic biology, environmental micro-biology, neurobiology and development. As a biology student can also choose optional modules from related subjects like forestry, conservation and the human sciences, and can tailor their degrees to deliver the combination of experiences, skills and knowledge they are most interested in developing

Why choose Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ for this course?Ìý

• Our excellent facilities include a botanical garden; our own natural history museum containing a comprehensive collection of invertebrate and vertebrate material and extensive marine and freshwater aquaria; and the Robert Edwards Laboratory for teaching cell and molecular biology.Ìý
• Our location makes it an ideal place to study biology – the range of soil types, climate and topography provides numerous diverse habitats, all within easy reach for field-based studies. Ìý
• TV presenter Steve Backshall is now part of our teaching team.

Additional Course Options

You will be required to take 120 credits each year made up of lectures, practicals and interactive exercises, as well as field courses and tutorials in years 1 and 2. The final year includes a dissertation project, supervised by a staff member in an area you choose. Modules become more specialised as the degree progresses and the number of compulsory modules varies between years. Assessment is by a mixture of formal examination and continuous assessment. Welsh medium modules are also available.

The number of credits is given in brackets after the name of each module. Some modules will include lectures, practicals and interactive exercises. This Biology degree offers a particularly wide choice of optional modules, especially in year 3.

On the MBiol degree, the fourth year offers an in-depth, specialist project in an area of particular interest for individual students. This is supervised by a staff member with expertise in the subject, and can be based on fieldwork, laboratory research or desk-based studies, e.g. modelling or phylogenetics.

Modules for the current academic year

Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Biology MBiol Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

General University Costs

Home (UK) students

• The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,250 per year (2025/26).
• The fee for all integrated study abroad years is Ìý£1,385 (2025/26).
• The fee for an integrated year in industry as part of a sandwich programme is £1,850 (2025/26).

More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.

International (including EU) students

• International Student Tuition Fees
• International Student Living Costs and Scholarships

Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:

• If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
• If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).

Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:

1. Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
2. Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
3. Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.

General University Requirements

To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see .

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.

All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.

As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.

We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ section of the website.

EU and International Students' Entry Requirements

For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.

Biologists pursue a range of careers from being environmental consultants to working in research and development, the health service and further education.

Opportunities at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ

The University’s Careers and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions.Ìý

Internships

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.

Student Volunteering

Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the .

A 'with Foundation Year' option is available for this course. Apply forÌýBiology (with Foundation Year).