Course summary

Plants provide an essential foundation for life on earth and have a crucial role to play in solving some of the most serious problems facing the human race, such as food shortages and rising carbon emissions. Never before has there been such urgency to train a new generation of plant biologists who can develop future technologies and approaches to respond to these challenges. On the Plant Biology degree at Aberystwyth University you will study all aspects of plant life, from the molecular to the landscape levels, while also examining global issues relating to plants. You will discover how plant-based technologies can help us meet the demands of a growing human population and respond to global threats including food security and climate change. BSc Plant Biology will provide you with real-life opportunities to challenge your knowledge and think creatively. You will benefit from many fieldwork opportunities, including the possibility of studying temperate, tropical and Arctic-Alpine flora. At Aberystwyth you will be studying in an area rich in a variety of stunning landscapes, providing excellent fieldwork opportunities in natural and semi-natural habitats and ecosystems including the Cardigan Bay coastline, freshwater environments, woodlands, heaths, moorland and alpine habitats. Many nature reserves are within easy reach, including Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons National Parks.  Our world-class facilities include botany gardens with a wide range of temperate and tropical plants, an extensive range of growth rooms and glasshouses, a museum of historic botanical specimens, and plant genetic resources collections and databases. We are also home to the National Plant Phenomics Centre, giving you the possibility of engaging with our world-leading plant breeding programmes. The taught component of the Plant Biology with integrated year in industry degree (C202) is identical to its three-year sister course BSc Plant Biology (C200). The year in industry is taken in your third year in the UK or overseas, is supervised and assessed, and will count towards your degree grade. During your year in industry, you will pay a discounted tuition fee. This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.