Program Overview

If you are fascinated by all aspects of the living world, you will thrive on our BSc Biology degree here at Aberystwyth University. You will explore a whole host of diverse topics that cover the cellular and molecular up to whole organisms. You will also learn how biology can be used in practical ways that can contribute to improving the quality and sustainability of life – a subject that is highly relevant to the challenges posed by climate change. From proteins to puffins, our BSc Biology degree explores everything that the living world has to offer, and you will find that Aberystwyth University is located in one of the best places to uncover and understand the wonders of the natural world.

This four-year course is designed for prospective students who do not have a sufficient or relevant academic background. During the Foundation Year, you will learn the academic skills required to follow an undergraduate degree that will allow you to continue onto the full degree course with confidence.

On our BSc Biology degree course, you won’t have to limit yourself to just one area of Biology. You might be studying microbiology in the morning, and investigating the life found in sand dunes in the afternoon. Our degree structure is flexible and gives you the opportunity to keep your options open or to specialise.

You will be taught by passionate, engaged, and friendly staff who have expertise across the full range of Biology topics. Our staff are not only lecturers but also active researchers and their research interests feed into our courses, meaning that you will benefit from the very latest information. We have invested heavily in our research facilities over many years, and as part of the Research Project module, you may get the opportunity to work in the research units on the main campus, or in our dedicated research facility at Gogerddan just outside Aberystwyth.

Your academic studies will be bolstered by a wealth of laboratory and field classes which build real scientific skills essential for your future career. You will explore anatomy and structure, physiology and behaviour, alongside the scientific rationales for habitat requirements and ecosystem interactions. This is a practical course where you will sample, record and analyse data in our excellent, well-equipped laboratories as well as out in the field. Aberystwyth is situated amongst hills, wooded valleys, wetlands, sandy and rocky shores and, of course, alongside the pristine waters of Cardigan Bay.