Biology with a Year Abroad

A deep academic understanding of life on Earth is now more important than ever. Studying living organisms in all their amazing variety is fascinating and helps us to identify critical threats and major opportunities, from the smallest scale to the largest. This four-year biology degree gives you the flexibility to explore natural life wherever your interests lie.

Local, residential, and international field courses allow you to work in varied habitats. You can explore the spectacular marine coastal ecosystems, freshwater environments, and terrestrial habitats of the Gower Peninsula on our doorstep.

You will benefit from excellent teaching facilities for ecological, physiological, and molecular studies, including new laboratory facilities, the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research, a zoology museum, a custom-designed 18-metre research vessel, and a unique visualisation suite to explore in unrivalled detail complex animal movement and behaviour data. In your final year, you will complete a research project which may be field-based, laboratory-based or purely analytical.

Your learning will be shaped by inspirational and internationally-renowned academics including Professor Rory Wilson – Chief Scientific Consultant behind National Geographic’s Great Migrations, and Dr Richard Unsworth – advisor on the globally acclaimed BBC series Blue Planet II.

The BSc Biology course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, and covers themes including animal and marine welfare and conservation, the biological control of invertebrate pests, microbiology, and ocean and climate.

A flexibly structured degree path means you have the opportunity to study abroad, work in industry or undertake research for a year, either locally, nationally or overseas.

These placement years increase our students confidence and communication skills as well as help them to gain valuable experiences that will ultimately enhance their employability.

Our department has strong connections with international and national organisations such as Natural Resources Wales, The British Mammal Society and The National Wetlands Centre Wales which will add value to your studies.

Course Modules

Year 1: Areas studied typically include: animal diversity; form and function; cellular and microbial biology; marine and terrestrial ecology and animal behaviour; molecular and evolutionary biology; plants and algae – diversity, form and function and core skills for bioscientists.

Year 2: Areas studied typically include: animal physiology; cell and immunobiology; coastal marine ecology; ecological microbiology and the cycles of life; ichthyology; molecular ecology; parasitology; plant ecology; terrestrial vertebrates; field ecology (residential) and animal conservation and welfare.

You will spend Year 3 at one of our partner institutions abroad. This is a marvellous opportunity to experience a different culture and, depending on the destination, to develop valuable language skills.

Year 4: Areas studied typically include: biodiversity; biological control of invertebrate pests; epidemiology of infectious diseases; physics for biologists; plant conservation and ecology; sensory ecology; laboratory or field professional skills, phylogeny and macroevolution, hormones and behaviour, international field courses.

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars and discussion groups supported by practical classes and field courses. You will be assessed through a variety of methods, including examinations, coursework and a practical research project.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Royal Society of Biology