Course description
Our BSc Biology with International Study course covers a diverse range of topics within the study of living organisms, allowing you to discover areas of interest early on in your degree and choose what you want to focus on.
You can keep your options open and cover a wide variety of areas, or you can identify those that interest and hopefully excite you to focus on particular biological topics.
A highlight of the course is the opportunity to go on a in the UK and abroad, travelling to locations chosen for the richness of their flora and fauna.
In Year 3, you will have the opportunity to study overseas to gain a broader perspective on the topics studied, enhancing your employability. You will take optional units, which will allow you to tailor your course around your interests and career ambitions. The application process for places at partner universities is competitive, and all opportunities will be subject to availability.
The year abroad is fully assessed by the host university. After your year at an international university, you will return to Manchester to complete the final year of your degree. This is a life-changing opportunity to live and study in another country, broadening your horizons, gaining new cultural experiences, and boosting your employability before you graduate.
Special features
A range of study options
It is possible to broaden your degree by taking units from the or in exchange for a few units from your degree.
Foundation Year available
You can prepare for the full degree course if you do not have the appropriate qualifications for direct entry by undertaking our foundation course first.
Flexibility to transfer between courses
You can transfer between most of our bioscience courses at the end of your first year or, in some cases, later.
Teaching and learning
You will benefit from a wide range of teaching and learning methods that suit the content and aims of each course unit.
These range from lectures and tutorials to practicals and research projects, including the final-year project.
Find out more about how you will learn and see a typical Year 1 timetable on our teaching and learning page
Coursework and assessment
Assessment methods vary widely to suit the nature of the course unit and each level of study.
- Lecture units are usually assessed by written exam (multiple choice or essay-based), which are held at the end of an academic semester in either January or May/June.
- Practical units are usually assessed by experimental report and/or short written assignment and/or written exam.
- The proportion of independent study assignments increases during each year of study.
There is also the opportunity to transfer from this course to one of the four-year courses, MSci or with International Study, at the start of Year 2.
Programme changes require a first-year average of at least 60%. The application process is competitive.
Year 1
Lecture units are usually assessed by e-learning activities during the unit and multiple choice exams at the end of the semester. Year 1 contributes 10% to your overall degree mark. You must achieve an average of at least 60% to be eligible for the with International Study programme.
Year 2
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam, and some units also include a coursework element. Year 2 contributes 30% to your overall degree mark.
Year 3
You will complete Year 3 in one of our partner universities. You will study bioscience-related course units, and depending on the options available at the partner university, you may also pursue some other subjects of interest. You will be assessed by the partner university and must pass all units studied. Marks obtained at the partner university will be recorded as pass/fail and do not contribute to the overall degree classification.
All opportunities to study at a partner university will be subject to availability.
Final year
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam. Students also take two honours papers: degree programme-specific examinations comprising essays and data-handling problems.
A significant part of the year is the project, which is assessed through a presentation and a written report.
The final year contributes 60% to your overall degree mark.
Course unit details
This course is modular. You will study compulsory course units and choose some optional units.
Most units are assigned 10 credits, and you will take 120 credits each year.
Course content for year 1
You will gain a broad introduction to biological sciences, covering key concepts such as:
- biodiversity and evolution
- biochemistry and cell biology
- genetics and molecular biology.
You can choose to go on a field course in the UK or abroad.
Year 1 also provides an introduction to the essential data handling and laboratory skills required for all biological scientists.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Tutorials Year 1 | BIOL10000 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Biochemistry | BIOL10212 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Molecular Biology | BIOL10221 | 10 | Mandatory |
| From Molecules to Cells | BIOL10232 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Introduction to Laboratory Science | BIOL10401 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Biodiversity | BIOL10511 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Genes, Evolution and Development | BIOL10521 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Writing and Referencing Skills (online unit) | BIOL10741 | 0 | Mandatory |
| Health & Safety online course | BIOL12000 | 0 | Mandatory |
| History of Biology | BIOL10381 | 10 | Optional |
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Course content for year 2
You will continue your studies in greater depth and begin to specialise. You will also undertake a Science Communication unit.
In the Research Skills unit, you have the opportunity to carry out techniques that are widely used in current biological science research.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Tutorials Year 2 | BIOL20000 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Organismal Biology EDM | BIOL21051 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Science Communication | BIOL21392 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Island Biodiversity RSM Field Course | BIOL20182 | 10 | Optional |
| Science & Society RSM | BIOL20302 | 10 | Optional |
| Biochemistry RSM | BIOL20312 | 10 | Optional |
| Cellular Biochemistry RSM | BIOL20322 | 10 | Optional |
| Genetics RSM | BIOL20332 | 10 | Optional |
| Microbiology RSM | BIOL20342 | 10 | Optional |
| Molecular Biology RSM | BIOL20352 | 10 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
You can apply to spend your third year studying at one of our trusted overseas partner universities, providing you with the opportunity to experience different cultures and develop a global mindset.
The application process is competitive for places at partner universities, and all opportunities will be subject to availability.
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Tutorials Year 3 | BIOL30000 | 0 | Mandatory |
| Biology - Essay Paper | BIOL40122 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Biology - Problem Paper | BIOL40322 | 10 | Mandatory |
| Projects | BIOL30030 | 40 | Optional |
| Life Sciences Enterprise Project | BIOL31080 | 40 | Optional |
| Science Communication Project | BIOL31220 | 40 | Optional |
| HSTM Project | BIOL31250 | 40 | Optional |
| Post-Genome Biology | BIOL31301 | 10 | Optional |
| Structural Biology | BIOL31311 | 10 | Optional |
| Glycobiology: Glycan Function in Health & Disease | BIOL31321 | 10 | Optional |
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Course content for year 4
Final year topics reflect the current hotspots of bioscience endeavour and the research interests of our staff, and are constantly being updated.
You will undertake an independent in-depth
that may involve supervised practical work in a laboratory, or you may choose to work on e-learning, educational, data analysis, bioinformatics or enterprise topics.
What our students say
Find out more about what it's like to study at Manchester on the
Facilities
Learning facilities
Our modern teaching labs are equipped for a range of biological and biomedical techniques.
The following are just a few of the techniques you could undertake during your degree: · polymerase chain reaction (PCR);
- DNA sequencing;
- gel electrophoresis;
- spectrophotometry;
- dissection and histology;
- electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG);
- immunofluorescence microscopy.
Our computing facilities include access to over 200 PCs in dedicated clusters and e-learning tools including online lecture notes, discussion boards, lecture podcasts and quizzes. You will also have access to the University's other facilities for undergraduate students.
Research facilities
As a final year student, you have the opportunity to undertake a project in the labs of our world-class bioscience researchers. To support our research, we have extensive
equipped with high-quality technology.
