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Our BSc Life Sciences with International Study course is ideal if you are committed to studying the biological sciences, but have not yet decided on the area in which you want to specialise.

You can then make that decision from a position of greater knowledge at the end of the first year.

The combination of units taken in the first year will enable you to transfer to most of our biological and biomedical sciences courses.

In Year 3, you will have the opportunity to study overseas to gain a broader perspective on the topics studied, enhancing your employability. Optional units allow you to further 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.

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.

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

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.

Find out more about what it's like to study at Manchester on the

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 research facilities equipped with high-quality technology.