Course summary

This Master in Biology is an extended undergraduate programme which allows students to graduate either with BSc (Hons) at the end of the third year or with a Masters degree at the end of the fourth year. If at the end of Year 2 a sufficient standard is achieved, then progression onto the Masters year will be permitted following completion of Year 3. The fourth year offers a unique opportunity to conduct an extended research project either in the laboratory or in the field, and to further develop or expand upon the skills and interests already developed. Biology covers the entirety of life on earth, and considers the unity and diversity of organisms. In our biology degree, you will learn about microbes, plants and animals, and receive a thorough grounding in cell and molecular biology, ecology and evolution. You will also be able to take modules from across a wide range of disciplines and subject areas – the options range from marine ecology to medical genetics. This degree strongly emphasises evolutionary, ecological and environmental aspects of the life sciences, and students can choose to focus more on fundamental biological processes and mechanisms, theoretical developments or applied biology. Alternatively, you can stay broad and pick modules to suit your own interests. Our degrees benefit from our exceptional local range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and we have our own botanical gardens and natural history museum to use in practical classes and field trips. We are also part of the Environment Centre Wales, which is a partnership venture between Bangor University and the Natural Environment Research Council’s Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). This partnership and the wide and varied areas of expertise of our biology staff allow us to offer a diverse set of biological modules and projects to all our students. This Biology degree provides an excellent foundation in plant and animal biology from the molecular level to the community and biosphere. We provide a diverse set of laboratory and field experiences, supporting the development of transferable skills in data analysis, writing and presentations, IT applications, group work and more. Once you reach years two and three, your optional modules come into their own and you can specialise in one or more of the many areas where Bangor academics do cutting-edge science – including aspects of stress biology, energetics, adaptation to change, population genetics, biogeography, molecular ecology, climate change and carbon stores, cell and genomic biology, environmental micro-biology, neurobiology and development. As a biology student can also choose optional modules from related subjects like forestry, conservation and the human sciences, and can tailor their degrees to deliver the combination of experiences, skills and knowledge they are most interested in developing. ‘Placement Year’ and 'International Experience Year’ options are available for this course. You will have the opportunity to fully consider these options when you have started your course at Bangor and can make an application for a transfer onto such a pathway at the appropriate time. You can find more information about these options on our website and if you have any questions, please get in touch. If you don’t have the required qualifications for this degree-level course or are looking to re-enter education after time away from study, then a Foundation Year Programme might be the right choice for you. Please see Biology (with Foundation Year) C10F.