BA/BS in Biological Sciences

Biological sciences is offered by the College of Life and Environment and covers the basic knowledge and methods of biology alongside natural and social sciences. Students study botany, zoology, biochemistry, microbiology, plant and animal physiology, genetics, cell biology, molecular biology and ecology. Teaching combines laboratory work with field practice in plant and animal collections, ecology and microbiology. Training emphasises analytical methods at population, individual, cellular and molecular levels, together with a grounding in mathematics, physics and chemistry. Graduates may work in research institutes, schools, enterprises or government bodies, or continue with postgraduate study. Teaching staff supervise undergraduate research projects, competitions and innovation programmes that give students hands-on experience in the laboratory and the field. Students also gain practical experience through specimen work and laboratory technique, supported by the college's specimen museum and teaching centres.