Course summary

The relationship between the subcellular realm and an organism is a delicate and fragile one: tiny changes can have a huge impact which may manifest as disease or system malfunctions. Effective drug treatment requires an understanding of the underlying, normal function of systems in living organisms. On the MBiolSci, you will hone your research and laboratory skills and extend your medically specialised BSc programme into a fourth year of masters level study. Physiology is the study of how organisms work from the subcellular level up to the whole animal. In disease, pathophysiological mechanisms interfere with the function of an organism’s systems. Pharmacology is the study of drug design, drug targets and drug therapies. On this course you will learn how drugs interact with cells and tissues to control disease. This is a rapidly developing field with wide-ranging applications, particularly for medical, plant and veterinary science, where the study of disease requires a good understanding of both the underlying physiology and the relevant pharmacology. On this course you will pay particular attention to cellular communication, neuroscience and cardiovascular science. Physiologists and pharmacologists study these processes in all types of organisms and discover how errors in them can cause disease, and they help discover the impact of microbes across the biological sciences. You will also gain a broad understanding of fundamental biological processes, while developing analytical skills and gaining experience in handling complex information. By studying microbiology in the context of a broad programme of options in other biological sciences, you will be able to apply your knowledge across the boundaries of traditional disciplines and gain a valuable and powerful asset in scientific environments and in many other walks of life. The first three years of this course are identical to the Biological Sciences (Physiology with Pharmacology) BSc, including the option to spend a Year in Industry or a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3. Your fourth year then lets you focus on refining your research and lab skills - while also putting into practice your employability skills - by conducting a research project in one of six specialist areas. The analytical and critical skills you acquire by studying an MBiolSci in Biological Sciences are particularly valued by PhD supervisors, researchers and employers in non-scientific fields. What's the difference? At the University of Leicester, we offer seven Biological Science subjects and four Medical Bioscience subjects, all as both BSc (three years) and MBiolSci (four years), plus a Foundation Year option, giving you an impressive range of 23 different courses to choose from. Biological Science covers major aspects of biology and molecular science across a wide range of organisms from bacteria and fungi to humans and plants. All 14 courses share a common first year so you can change to a different degree before the end of Year 1. Medical Science allows you to select specialist modules that focus more closely on the application of biological principles to medicine. All eight courses share a common first year so you can change to a different degree before the end of Year 1. It is possible to switch between a Biological Science course and a Medical Bioscience course during the first half of your first year, but after that the two fields diverge.