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Marine Biology with a Year in Applied Research at Swansea University - UCAS

Swansea University

Degree level: Undergraduate

Marine Biology with a Year in Applied Research

Course summary

An academic understanding of ocean life across the world has never been more important. Our four-year Marine Biology degree with a year abroad is highly practical and fieldwork based and our unique location gives students easy access to a variety of study habitats including exposed rocky shores, steep cliffs salt marshes and estuarine mudflats. Marine Biology at Swansea University has a strong reputation and draws students from across the world and is based on our stunning Singleton Park campus overlooking Swansea Bay. 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 third year of this programme is spent 3 on a research project. Each students' experience and activity will depend on the field and specialism of the hosting organisation. Your Marine Biology Experience will include: • 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. • All second-year students receive training at sea. • Our state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities include the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research, a Zoological Museum, a custom-designed 18 metre catamaran-class survey vessel, and a unique visualisation centre that displays multi-dimensional information from animal tracking data. • Field courses available near and far allow you to work varied habitats. You can explore the spectacular marine coastal ecosystems of the Gower Peninsula on our doorstep, and natural life in distant lands such as India, Borneo and Puerto Rico. We are ranked: • 11th in the UK for Research Quality (Complete University Guide 2025) • 1st in the UK for Learning Opportunities (NSS 2024) *Based on the average positivity score across questions 5 to 9 in the NSS 2024 when ranked against universities featured in the Times Good University Guide.

Modules

Year 1: Areas studied typically include: Cellular & Microbial Biology, Core Skills for Biological Sciences, Botany and Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Life in the Oceans, Animal Diversity and Behaviour Year 2: Areas studied typically include: Marine Invertebrates, Boat Based Marine Biology, Ecological Data Analysis, Marine Biology Field Course, Ichthyology, Oceanography,Tetrapod Evolution You will spend Year 3 on a research project. Each students' experience and activity will depend on the field and specialism of the hosting organisation. In your final year: Areas studied typically include: Professional Laboratory Skills, Tropical marine ecology field course, Tropical marine ecology and conservation, Ecology of Marine Megafauna, Climate Change Biology, Fisheries and aquaculture, Macroevolution and Phylogenies, Sensory Ecology

Assessment method

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.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
C16R
Institution code:
S93
Campus name:
Singleton Park Campus
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

International applicants

If you are an International Student, please visit our International pages for more information about entry requirements: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/international/students/requirements/

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements


English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English we require a minimum overall IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent) and no less than 5.5 in each component.

English Language Requirements at Swansea University

https://www.swansea.ac.uk/admissions/english-language-requirements/


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
65%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

For the latest fee information, please check the individual course page on our website. Our full range of programmes are listed here: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/ Further information on tuition fees can be found here: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/
Marine Biology with a Year in Applied Research at Swansea University - UCAS