BSc (Hons) Biological Science University of Hertfordshire

"Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, examinations may be replaced by an alternative form of assessment during the academic year 2021/2022. Please refer to the Programme Specification on these pages for further details."

Why choose this course?

Interested in the biological phenomena of life? Intrigued by the functions of microorganisms, plants, human beings, and other animals? If your answer is ‘yes’, then we need you in the world of Biological Science. Gain the technical, analytical, and practical skills for examining molecular and cellular processes present in all living organisms. You’ll learn biochemical, blood, and microbial analyses in our modern £30m science building. You’ll also have exclusive access to IT rooms for bioinformatics. You’ll even have the chance to experience our broad, flexible range of optional modules before committing to the Biological Science pathway.

You will explore many new areas in this degree. Rest assured, we are with you all the way. You will have the time of a personal tutor, who will support you in gaining subject-specific skills in scientific writing, data interpretation, and communication. Take advantage of peer support too in group workshops. Share your breakthroughs and discuss patient case studies. This programme is the stepping-stone into a wide range of scientific careers with plenty of transferable skills to enter broader fields like teaching or business.

What's the course about?

We are proud of our TEF Gold rating, which recognises our excellent teaching and support. You have 20 hours of contact time with lectures and workshops taking up about 6-10 hours per week.

In your first year, you will gain a solid foundation in topics areas such as physiology, biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology in lectures, seminars, and tutorials. You will use your theory to build on your practical skills in a well-equipped, modern laboratory.

In your second year, you will start to specialise. You will choose from a range of modules from across our Biosciences courses so you can shape your learning journey.

Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too.

In your final year, you will find that you have grown to love certain topics that you just need to delve deeper into. You can select from all modules, whether this is disease, blood, or medicine, and focus your major project or dissertation in this area.

Throughout your degree, you will be assessed in a variety of ways. This will include exams, literature reviews, portfolios, lab reports, practicals, and presentations. Coursework assessments are generally 50-100% per module. You will also take part in a 15 -credit work experience, complete with a final portfolio.

Your main campus is College Lane

This is where the creative arts, science, and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists, and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.

This course includes the options of:

• Work placement
• Study abroad