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Biological Sciences with Placement Year at University of Sheffield - UCAS

Course options

Course summary

Choose what you study from a range of bioscience topics to build a degree that matches your interests. Then spend a year on a work placement, putting what you've learnt into practice, and testing out a career you're considering. Why study this course?

  • Top 100 in the world for life sciences (THE World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
  • Close links with the NHS: Complete research on cancer and ageing in partnership with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
  • Build connections and a career: Our students secure placements with organisations including GSK, P&G, Middlemarch Environmental, Paraxel Statistical Programming, Kew Gardens and Sydney Environmental Group.
Our four-year BSc Biological Sciences with Placement Year course offers you the flexibility to discover what kind of biologist you want to be. You'll then apply what you've learnt and gain real-world experience during a year-long placement as a recognised part of your degree. You'll start by studying a broad foundation in biological science. This will allow you to explore the subject and discover what excites you most. You can then choose to focus on areas including biodiversity and conservation, the anatomy or biochemistry of plants and animals, or the molecular basis of human health. At Sheffield, you’ll be encouraged to be creative, think independently and express your ideas. Depending on what modules you choose, you could be carrying out fieldwork in the Peak District, studying life at the atomic level, modelling the gene networks that resulted in speciation, or even working with scientists from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to diagnose cancer samples. No matter what areas of biological science you choose to study at Sheffield, you'll develop practical laboratory and transferable skills - such as project management, problem-solving, communication skills and data analysis - that make our graduates attractive to employers. Your placement year will give you the chance to test out a career path that you're considering. This will take place in year three. Our students have found placements in science and non-science-based roles with a range of organisations including GSK, P&G, Kew Gardens and Sydney Environmental Group. Some students have even been offered graduate-level jobs at the end of their placement. All this experience will prepare you for your final-year research project where you could be laboratory-based, field-based, focus on computer modelling, or even science communication.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
C105
Institution code:
S18
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

To find out if you're eligible for additional consideration or an alternative offer, visit: ww.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/access-sheffield

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate


English language requirements

You must demonstrate that your English is good enough for you to successfully complete your course. For this course we require: GCSE English Language at grade 4/C; IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component; or an alternative acceptable English language qualification

English language requirements for undergraduates

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/english-language


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
45%
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

England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
International £30570 Year 1

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

The annual fee for your course includes a number of items in addition to your tuition. If an item or activity is classed as a compulsory element for your course, it will normally be included in your tuition fee. There are also other costs which you may need to consider. Further guidance can be found here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees-costs
Biological Sciences with Placement Year at University of Sheffield - UCAS