Course overview

Biology is the science of living things and this course aims to develop an understanding of the key areas of animal, plant and micro-organism biology. It also provides an opportunity to explore, from a range of options, new concepts and developments in areas such as biotechnology, ecology, biochemistry and molecular biology, which offer both opportunities and challenges for the future.

Why study at Portsmouth?

The School of Biological Sciences has major pure and applied research groups that span environmental, aquatic, cell, developmental, micro and molecular biology disciplines. These are dynamic and highly successful research groups and the majority of their research was rated internationally excellent or world-leading in the last Research Assessment Exercise (2008), which surveys research quality in the UK.

They all make major contributions to the teaching of all aspects of biology and their input becomes particularly apparent during your third year when you will cover areas at the forefront of modern scientific endeavours taught by internationally- recognised research scientists. This research-led teaching is reinforced by the opportunity for you to carry out a third-year project in our research laboratories, using modern equipment provided by external funding totalling many millions of pounds.

Is this the right course for me?

The course is particularly suited to those who enjoy practical work and relish the challenge of studying a wide variety of organisms at many different levels, from the regulation and function of their genes, right through to how they interact with their environment and ecosystems. If you want to follow a broad biology course with a choice of second and third-year options covering most areas of biology, or have the option to specialise in certain subject areas (e.g. evolutionary ecology, biotechnology, microbiology, marine and terrestrial biology, biomolecular science and genomics), then this is the course for you.

Course content

Year one

You will join other first-year students on biology courses and study a common core curriculum covering a broad range of biological disciplines. Units on offer include:

• Experimental Biology
• Biodiversity and Evolution
• Marine and Terrestrial Ecology
• Biochemistry and Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology and Microbiology
• Graduate Skills I

At the end of this year you may elect to transfer to one of the other degree pathways (excluding the forensic biology degrees) within the School, should your interests change.

Year two

A broad grounding in the biological sciences in the first year leads to specialisation in the second and third year. Units on offer include:

• Plant Science
• Graduate Skills II
• Animal Science
• Plant Science and Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Marine Organisms and Ecosystems
• Ecology and Marine Residential Field Trip
• Macro Molecules
• Foreign Language (option)

Year three

In your final year you will carry out an individual project, perhaps an extended piece of experimental work, laboratory or fieldwork, or a dissertation on a subject that really interests and inspires you. Projects are usually related to the research interests of your supervisor so that you may work alongside postgraduate students studying for higher degrees or postdoctoral scientists.

Within the limits of the timetabling system, there are also a wide range of possible combinations of units:

• Individual Research Project
• Advanced Gene Organisation and Expression (option)
• Microbes in Decay and Disease (option)
• Coastal Ecosystems (option)
• Aquatic Microbiology (option)
• Genes and Development (option)
• Genomes in Molecular Medicine (option)
• Ecology and Conservation (option)
• Biomolecular Science (option)

Teaching and assessment

If you enjoy the challenge of practical work and are excited by learning new techniques, then you will enjoy this course. Laboratory-based practical work and a number of field trips underpin the theory learned in lectures, seminars and tutorials. Lectures and laboratory classes are reinforced by a personal tutorial system, in which small groups of students meet regularly with one of the lecturers. In your final year you will experience research first hand through the research project.

Each academic year is divided into three terms and you will study several subjects during each, with assessment at the end of the year. Various assessment methods are used including conventional exams, coursework and practical or project work.

Your personal tutor will be assigned on arrival and remains with you throughout the course. They can help you with any academic or pastoral problems should any arise.

Study abroad

You will be able to study in Europe under the Socrates and Erasmus schemes. The School has strong links with many European universities and institutes, particularly in France. Opportunities are also available for you to complete your fieldwork for a project during the second year summer break at other research facilities outside the UK and with various conservation and research schemes including Operation Wallacea, Global Vision and the Atlantic Whale Foundation. Read more about opportunities for studying and working abroad on our studying abroad page.

Career prospects

We give career development high priority. Extensive careers advice is available at all times and for up to five years after you graduate. One full course unit in your second year is also devoted to the development of professional and career skills.

A degree in biology is a suitable qualification for employment in:

• biomedical and clinical research
• the pharmaceutical and bio-technical industries
• environment control and management
• agricultural and horticultural research
• the food industry and product development
• quality control
• safety, communication and science promotion
• teaching
• academic research

Many of our alumni have also gone on to do higher degrees and are now involved in active research groups of their own or are leading figures in research-led industries. Degrees in biological sciences have also become increasingly accepted as an appropriate background to graduate employment in management, accountancy, marketing and IT. In fact, in any area where there is a requirement for logic, experience in problem-solving and for the communication and numeracy skills developed in this scientific discipline. Read what some of our alumni have gone on to do.

Facilities and features

Our facilities will enable you to gain practical skills using modern technology and methods. Lecture theatres are equipped with modern computing and audio/visual projection facilities, allowing staff to use animation, video-streamed material and elearning techniques. Teaching laboratories also include similar audio/visual facilities, but are supported by equipment and technology available from the research laboratories.

Due to high external investment in the School for research and development work, our research facilities are extensive and include:

• research vessels, exposure rafts and flow-through seawater systems for working with marine organisms
• microbiology and embryology laboratories (with state-of-the-art imaging and gene analysis equipment)
• chemical analysis facilities for detecting pollutants
• an X-ray diffractometer and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers for determining molecular structures
• confocal-laser scanning, scanning and transmission electron microscopes

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BSc (Hons) Biology for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).