Biology

Are you the kind of person who finds every aspect of the living world fascinating? The kind of person who one minute is marvelling at the machinery of gene expression, and the next minute wondering about the flight of birds? If you are that kind of person, then Biology at Aberystwyth is the degree for you.
From proteins to puffins our course covers everything that life has on offer. Aberystwyth is situated amongst hills, wooded valleys, wetlands, sandy and rocky shores and, of course alongside the pristine waters of Cardigan Bay. You might be studying microbiology in the morning, and investigating the life found in sand dunes in the afternoon.

You will be taught by passionate, engaged, friendly teaching staff in laboratory and field classes, which build real scientific skills essential for your future. Your academic studies will be bolstered by a wealth of laboratory and field classes which build real scientific skills which are essential for your future. Our outstanding teaching and E-learning facilities provide you with outstanding study resources. The majority of teaching staff at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences are qualified to PhD level and are research active. Vocational courses also have staff whose background lies within the industry.

The Institute has a large number of research only staff with whom students may have contact. You will be assigned a personal tutor who can guide you through your time at Aberystwyth and help you to settle in when you first arrive.

In your first year, you will explore a wide range of topics from Biochemistry to Animal Diversity, from Microbial Diversity to Vegetation and Ecosystems. These are all designed to give you a firm footing in your second and third years and allow you to try out topics you might never have considered before. There is a wide range of modules on offer in years two and three, more so than in any other scheme we offer. In these years you can specialise, perhaps taking a more molecular or environmental route choosing modules such as Applied Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics or Ecological Surveying. On the other hand, you can keep your options open by mixing and matching topics like Biochemistry and Pharmacology with Population and Community Ecology.

Our students leave Aberystwyth University with skills including; research and data analysis skills, enhanced mathematical and computational skills, effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills; a thorough grounding in information technology skills; the ability to work independently, time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines; the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form; self-motivation and self-reliance and team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement.

Our graduates are strong candidates in the following fields: Research Science; Clinical Molecular Genetics; Nature Conservation and Education. Students who have completed a biology degree could also progress to further training in Dentistry, Medicine and Scientific Journalism.