Natural Sciences (with placement year)

This accredited course offers flexibility to study a combination of physical sciences including chemistry, biosciences, mathematics, geography, physics and materials.

The complex problems we face in the modern world increasingly require scientists to adopt a multidisciplinary approach in the search for solutions. Our BSc Natural Sciences degree is designed to give you the flexibility to gain skills and knowledge in more than one science.

Building on the University’s established reputation in the fields of biosciences, chemistry, materials, mathematics and physics, our Natural Sciences is a broad-based single honours degree that combines a variety of pathways from a range of life and physical science, as well as opportunities for interdisciplinary study.

Our BSc Natural Sciences degree allows you the flexibility to study a combination of disciplines chosen across the physical sciences, including, Chemistry, Bioscience, Mathematics, Geography, Physics, and Materials, with increasing specialisation across the years*.

The course is accredited by the Society for Natural Sciences.

Developing the powerful skills needed to work between disciplines and communicate across them, our Natural Sciences degree is taught by academic staff who are internationally renowned experts in their respective fields and active in interdisciplinary research. You will be mentored to work independently and across the disciplines, conducting your own laboratory-based project.

Advances in the sciences are much more prevalent at the interface between the disciplines. This course offers students the chance to learn how to capitalise on the knowledge from multiple disciplines, with a focus on working and communicating across the sciences. These transferable skills are extremely relevant, and needed more and more for tackling real-world challenges

BSc Natural Sciences carries the option of a placement year. By choosing to spend a year on placement, you will be adding value to your degree by gaining hands-on industry experience in a real work setting. Not only will you be going back to study having advanced your knowledge of the area you are interested in and picked up transferable interpersonal skills, you will have gained experience to help you stand out from the crowd in the competitive graduate market.

*Some pathway combinations may not be possible.

What's the difference between MSci and BSc?
The Natural Sciences BSc (Hons) degree course equips you for employment in scientific and other sectors, while our MSci course (4 year or 5 year sandwich) will prepare you for research work in industry or PhD research. The MSci provides more in-depth/complex teaching of the subject as the course progresses.

For a full list of areas studied, see the 'What You'll Study' section of the course page on our website.

Depending on the nature of the material, some modules are assessed by a mixture of coursework and examination.

Some modules may be assessed for example 25% coursework and 75% examination, whilst other modules are assessed by 100% coursework or 100% by examination. Coursework is based on a variety of tasks including individual essays, projects, laboratory work, contribution in tutorials, group work and presentations.