BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences (Human Biosciences) Bachelor's degree at Oxford Brookes University
BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences (Human Biosciences) at OBU. Oxford Brookes' BSc Biological Sciences (Human Biosciences) is built around the growing importance of genomics in modern biology.
About this course
The BSc Biological Sciences (Human Biosciences) degree at Oxford Brookes will help you develop the skills you need in this new era of genomics. From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences (Human Biosciences) is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at OBU, based in Oxford Campus. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Biological Sciences graduates from this provider, 65% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Biological Sciences, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Sample size is not included in this snapshot. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 65% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 8 modules
- Cell Biology and GeneticsCompulsory
Module details
Cell biology is the study of how cells work and how they differentiate to form multicellular organisms. Introduction to cell function, cellular organelles, complexity and diversity of cell types through evolution. Also covers genetics: genes, cell division, DNA transcription into RNA and protein translation.
- Communicating ScienceCompulsory
Module details
Scientific research findings communication to researchers, policy makers and public through written reports and oral presentations. Personal and Academic Support Scheme tutorials. Development of key skills: reading, critical thinking, literature searching, reporting, presentation in various formats, presenting to varied audiences.
- Human Structure and FunctionCompulsory
Module details
Detailed insight into physiology and anatomy. Study of organ systems including cardiovascular, respiratory and renal systems. Systemic physiology and how the body maintains physiological equilibrium.
- Quantitative Skills for Life SciencesCompulsory
Module details
Key quantitative skills for science including hypothesis testing, designing scientific investigations, mathematical topics, principles and application of statistical methods, using statistical software, reporting in scientific research.
- Introduction to Biochemistry AOptional
Module details
Chemical principles that underpin cellular functions. Chemical concepts from stoichiometry and reactions, chemical bonds and structures through to chemical equilibrium and chemical change. Organic chemistry of cell macromolecules: DNA, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Lipids.
- Introduction to Biochemistry BOptional
Module details
Energetics and cellular metabolism to biochemical change including enzyme kinetics and mechanisms. Cellular macromolecules: bioenergetics, cellular metabolism, enzyme kinetics, protein structure and function.
- Introduction to NutritionOptional
Module details
Basic understanding of the Science of Nutrition. Human energy supply and energy expenditure, different nutrients. Training in assessment of dietary intake and nutritional adequacy, body size and body composition.
- Food GroupsOptional
Module details
Foods based on their biological origins, biochemical composition, culinary use, nutritional importance and how they contribute to the varied human diet. Changes to biochemical components in staple foods. Food commodities: cereals and pulses, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, dairy products, and tropical products such as cocoa, coffee, tea and spices.
Year 2 1 modules
- Molecular BiologyCompulsory
Module details
Cell biology at a molecular level. Genetic and molecular approaches leading to fundamental biological understanding.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
Who it's for
This course suits you if you have a strong interest in how human biology works at the molecular and cellular level, and you're curious about how genomic knowledge applies to real-world problems in medicine, research, or healthcare. You'll thrive here if you're methodical, enjoy hands-on lab work, and want to develop both technical expertise and broader research literacy. The part-time structure appeals to those balancing study with employment or other responsibilities, you won't be a full-time student in a lecture theatre all day. If you're seeking practical grounding alongside theoretical rigour, and you want to gain skills applicable to careers in clinical science, research, biotechnology, or related fields, this degree bridges those worlds.
Careers & job market
Across Biological Sciences courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Among those working, 60% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. National earnings data shows graduates in the field earned £23,000–£29,000 at the 15-month mark after graduation, rising to £25,075–£35,400 after five years. Career trajectories vary widely, many pursue postgraduate qualifications in specialist areas such as clinical science, genetics, or public health; others move into pharmaceutical, biotechnology, NHS, or research-institute roles. Keep in mind these are national figures across the discipline; your own path will depend on your choices, location, and the sector you enter.
University & format
Oxford Brookes University is a public university in Oxford. This BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences (Human Biosciences) degree is studied part-time and taught in English. The university is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body; your degree is nationally recognised. In the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework 2023, the university received a Bronze award for teaching quality.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
What is a contextual offer? Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at OBU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Biological Sciences graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in biological sciences · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Biological Sciences nationally
National figures for Biological Sciences graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Published threshold met. Sample size is not included in this snapshot. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Job market & outlook
How Biological Sciences graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Biological Sciences graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- NHS & hospital labs
- Pharma & biotech
- Universities & institutes
- Public-health bodies
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Biological Sciences graduates.
Head of School, Biological Sciences - Strategic Leadership & GrowthUNIVERSITY OF READINGEducation-Focused Assistant Professor, Biological SciencesUniversity of BirminghamBiological Structures Data Engineer I/IIIambicBiological Structures Data Engineer I/IIIambic Therapeutics, IncCrop Geneticist The James Hutton Institute, Department of Cell & Molecular SciencesEuropean Plant Science OrganisationRegional Lead, Life Sciences FM, UK, Ireland & NordicsJLLIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
65% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.7 out of 10: NSS 88.6% · in work or study 65%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Oxford Brookes University
Biological and sport sciences across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Oxford Campus
900 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Biological Sciences right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to OBU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £18,250 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check OBU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with OBU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at OBU
Common questions
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What do graduates go on to do?
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