BSc (Hons) Biology Bachelor's degree at Sheffield Hallam University
BSc (Hons) Biology at SHU. You'll study core biological theory alongside research methods, applied practice and specialist options, culminating in an independent project that develops your professional skills.
About this course
<p>Get research and industry-ready on our sustainability-focused biology course – from animal and plant physiology to biochemistry, genetics, evolution and data-science.<p> From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Biology is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at SHU, based in City Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Biology (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 70% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 70% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 80% (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 5 modules
- Animal, Plant And Environmental BiologyCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module develops your knowledge and understanding of key concepts in animal, plant, and environmental biology. You will investigate comparative anatomy to understand animal adaptation to their environment as well as the diversity of animal life on Earth. You will explore plant diversity, the varied reproductive strategies plants used to thrive in their evolutionary niches and the cellular biology that allows them to adapt and respond to their environment. You will build knowledge to understa
Assessment: Exam ( 100% )
- Biochemistry And GeneticsCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module uses physiological examples to explain biochemical and genetic concepts. You'll focus on the genetic, cellular and molecular regulation of the human body – and their impact on physiological function.
Assessment: Coursework ( 100% )
- Demonstrating Professional Skills For ScientistsCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module develops the fundamental professional and practical skills you'll need as a scientist. You'll learn through seminars, workshops, tutorials and practical classes.
Assessment: Coursework ( 100% )
- Fundamentals Of Life SciencesCompulsory40 credits
Module details
This module develops your knowledge and understanding of the core bioscience concepts and fundamental processes of biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, microbiology, anatomy, physiology and genetics. You'll also explore the underpinning knowledge of basic organic and physical of chemistry, learning from seminars and tutors.
Assessment: Coursework ( 50% ), Exam ( 50% )
- Introducing Professional Skills For ScientistsCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module introduces the fundamental professional and practical skills you'll need as a scientist, within a programme of seminars, workshops, tutorials and practical classes.
Assessment: Coursework ( 100% )
Year 2 6 modules
- Applying Professional Skills For ScientistsCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module enables you to apply your lab, practical and professional skills – demonstrating strong scientific practice and the employability qualities you'll need as a scientific graduate. Through course-focused lab-based projects, you'll incorporate work-integrated learning using real problems and scenarios seen within the scientific industry. You'll apply learning and skills to: Technical activities, experimental design and project management Sustainability and sustainable lab practice within
Assessment: Coursework ( 100% )
- Developing Professional Skills For ScientistsCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module enables you to apply your practical and professional skills to demonstrate strong scientific practice and the employability qualities you'll need as a scientific graduate. You'll undertake lab-based work-integrated underpinned by subject module theoretical knowledge. You'll apply skills and learning such as: Ethical considerations and technical activities Experimental design and project management Use of appropriate information sources and technologies Effective communication, presen
Assessment: Coursework ( 100% )
- Ecology, Evolution And Animal BehaviourCompulsory20 credits
Module details
This module will develop your understanding of current ecology, evolution and animal behaviour principles and concepts. You will learn how laboratory, field and computational techniques are used to investigate and advance knowledge across animal, plant and environmental biology. You will apply this learning to contemporary issues in in applied ecology, conservation, evolution, animal behaviour and sex.
Assessment: Coursework ( 100% )
- Molecular And Cellular BiochemistryCompulsory40 credits
Module details
This module covers fundamental principles of biochemistry and cellular processes including the structure and function of biomolecules, energy production and gene expression. Through lectures, tutorials and practical sessions, you'll learn about cell biology, cycle regulation and the relationship between cellular biochemistry and disease.
Assessment: Coursework ( 50% ), Exam ( 50% )
- Global Climate EmergencyOptional20 credits
Module details
The Global Climate Emergency module aims to enable students to learn in a multi-disciplinary and international environment, focussed on introducing the biggest challenge in the world – the Climate Emergency. The module will develop applied knowledge, skills and values that empower students to understand climate action and act as informed, engaged, responsible and responsive global citizens.
Assessment: Coursework ( 100% )
- Immunology And MicrobiologyOptional20 credits
Module details
This module provides knowledge of the immune system, its components
Assessment: Practical ( 100% )
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.
What you'll study
This course emphasises sustainability within its biology curriculum, covering animal and plant physiology, biochemistry, genetics, evolution and data science. You'll usually begin with cell biology, biochemistry, genetics and foundational practical skills. Year 2 typically introduces molecular biology and physiology or microbiology, alongside research methods and a lab project. In Year 3, you'll choose from specialist options such as biomedical science, molecular biology, ecology and conservation, biotechnology, microbiology or neuroscience. You'll engage with current research literature and undertake an extended independent research project, preparing you for both research and industry roles.
Who it's for
You're interested in how living systems work at every scale, from molecules to ecosystems. You're comfortable with scientific reasoning and enjoy practical lab and fieldwork. You're drawn to sustainability challenges and want skills that employers recognise across research, healthcare, environmental management and biotechnology. Expect hands-on learning: you'll work through data analysis, design experiments and develop independence through your final-year project.
Careers & job market
Across Biological Sciences nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 60% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking postgraduate study. National graduate earnings in Biological Sciences are £23,000–£29,000 at the 15-month point, rising to £25,075–£35,400 after five years. Your trajectory depends on your specialism, location and sector, verify current opportunities with careers services.
University & format
This is a full-time Bachelor's degree (BSc Hons) at Sheffield Hallam University, a university founded in 1992 and based at City Campus. The course runs for 3 years and is taught in English. Sheffield Hallam is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, and this course holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 assessment.
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.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| an Access course | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
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 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. 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 SHU →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 earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £25,000 | £21,000 – £28,000 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £23,000 | £19,000 – £26,500 | 75 |
| 5 years after | £26,500 | £23,500 – £34,500 | 95 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
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: 2021-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Biological Sciences courses at the same study level.
Compared with 771 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 40; response rate: 65%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BSc (Hons) Biology worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BSc (Hons) Biology earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The model remains below break even after 30 years. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
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
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. 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
70% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.8 out of 10: NSS 83% · in work or study 70% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Sheffield Hallam 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 City Campus
3,427 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 SHU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £18,000 / 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 SHU’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 SHU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at SHU
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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