Biology

BSc (C100) & MBiolSci (C109)

Entry Requirements: BSc: AAB, MBiolSci: AAA
 

Biology is the science of life: how living organisms function, develop, reproduce and evolve, from the scale of genes up to that of ecosystems. Biology addresses questions such as:

• How does evolution by natural selection work, and how can it explain behaviour?
• What determines biodiversity and how can we help preserve it?
• How can genomics inform us about diversity, behaviour and development?
• How do ecosystems operate, and how sensitive are they to pollution, diseases and invasive species?

The Biology (BSc or MBiolSci) degree course provides insight into the range and depth of topics that make up modern biology, spanning disciplines such as biodiversity, evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, global climate change, molecular ecology, environmental biology and genomics. By studying biological processes across plants, animals and microbes you will gain a fundamental understanding of how organisms work at the molecular level, how they behave and interact with each other, how they evolve, and the role they play in the functioning of ecosystems. The flexibility of the degree allows you to keep a broad interest in all aspects of biology - an important consideration for jobs as diverse as teaching or science journalism - or to develop more specialist interests if you find specific areas of biology that you want to pursue in more depth.

Why should I choose Biology?

The main feature that distinguishes Biology from our more specialised degrees is the breadth of coverage, and the degree of choice available. It is possible to keep this breadth throughout the entire degree, or progressively to concentrate your study on particular topics as you discover which areas of biology particularly interest you. Studying a broad range of subjects gives unique insight into the way that common features of biological systems, such as evolutionary processes or genetic mechanisms, unify our understanding of different types of organisms and ecosystems.

• Download course leaflet (pdf)

Why Biology at Sheffield?

We are one of the largest whole organism biology departments in the UK, with fully integrated teaching across animal, plant and microbial topics and state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities in these areas. The Department has outstanding modern facilities for studying genetic, physiological, evolutionary, ecological and biotechnological aspects of microbes, plants, terrestrial insects, aquatic invertebrates, and birds.

Many degree courses are restricted either to the study of specific types of organism (humans, animals, plants or micro-organisms) or to a particular level of biological organisation (biochemical, genetic, cellular, physiological or ecological). Our course allows studies across these specialisms by offering an unusually wide range of choice, in particular at Level 3 where two-thirds of the course is made up of options. These include a choice of field courses (in the UK or abroad), and the opportunity to chose modules from the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and the Department of Biomedical Science, as well as modules offered in Animal and Plant Sciences.

What does the Biology MBiolSci involve?

The 4 year MBiolSci is designed for students who wish to gain a more in depth experience of research. Years 1 to 3 are the same as the BSc but year 4 is devoted to an extensive individual research project and advanced courses in research and communication skills (full details are provided on a separate sheet). Examples of recent Level 4 research projects in Biology include: Can bacteria evolve resistance to the insect immune system? Coat colour polymorphism in Soay sheep, The effect of urbanisation on stream communities, Drought responses of C4 grasses.

• More about the MBiolSci course option

What can I do with a Biology degree?

The diversity of study routes through Biology is reflected in the wide range of careers pursued by Biology graduates, ranging from scientific research, through to conservation and science writing. An understanding of the scientific, ethical, political and technological issues raised by modern developments in biology provides an invaluable background for many careers which are not specifically biology-based and also provides an excellent background for teaching. Biology also provides training in transferable skills, such as data analysis, project planning, critical thinking and written and spoken communication, which are useful in whatever career direction you choose.