BSc (Hons) Genetics · University of GlasgowBachelor's degree · 4 years
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University of Glasgow · Undergraduate

BSc (Hons) Genetics Bachelor's degree at the University of Glasgow

BSc (Hons) Genetics at University of Glasgow covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.

BSc (Hons)
Award
4
Years
Full-time
Study mode
90%
in work/study (15m)

About this course

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BSc (Hons) Genetics is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at the University of Glasgow, based in Glasgow Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.

For Genetics graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,500. (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.

9.3
/ 10
Exceptional
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Exceptional93

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)

Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Exceptional90

Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Exceptional95

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (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
  • Biology 1ACore
  • Biology 1BCore
  • CHEMISTRY 1Core
  • Science Fundamentals-1XCore
  • Science Fundamentals-1YCore
Year 2 6 modules
  • Fundamental Topics in Biology 2Core
  • Genes, Molecules & Cells 2Core
  • Animal Biology, Evolution and Ecology 2Optional
  • Contemporary Issues in Biology 2Optional
  • Human Biological Sciences 2Optional
  • Microbiology and Immunology 2Optional
Year 3 2 modules
  • Genetics 3ACore
  • Genetics 3BCore
Year 4 15 modules
  • Life Sciences Investigative Honours ProjectCore
  • Life Sciences Outreach Honours ProjectCore
  • Life Sciences Dissertation Honours ProjectCore
  • Life Sciences Internship Honours ProjectCore
  • Current Topics in Genetics 4XCore
  • Current Topics in Biotechnology 4AOptional
  • Cancer 4BOptional
  • Human Molecular Genetics 4YOptional
  • Plant Biotechnology 4BOptional
  • Functional Genetics and Cellular Contexts in Model Organisms 4AOptional
  • Statistics for the Life Sciences (Sem 1) 4YOptional
  • Statistics for the Life Sciences (Sem 2) 4EOptional
  • Molecular and Cellular Microbiology 4YOptional
  • Genetics of Complex Traits and Disorders 4COptional
  • Bioinformatics and Data Analysis using R 4BOptional

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

You'll study the science of heredity, genes and genomes, building from cellular and molecular foundations to applied specialisms. Year 1 typically covers cell biology, biochemistry, genetics and evolution, alongside practical and data skills. Year 2 moves into molecular biology, physiology or microbiology depending on your direction, and introduces formal research methods through a lab project. Year 3 offers specialist options, such as biomedical science, molecular biology, ecology and conservation, biotechnology, microbiology or neuroscience, alongside current topics in bioscience and an extended research project. The course balances theory, hands-on laboratory work and independent investigation.

Who it's for

This course suits students with strong science foundations, most accepted entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications, typically with more than 240 UCAS tariff points. You should be prepared for a demanding, research-led programme at a Russell Group institution. The course is open to students meeting the university's entry criteria; check the admissions pages for specific subject requirements and any adjustments for alternative qualifications.

Careers & job market

Across Biological Sciences nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating, with 60% in highly skilled roles or continuing their education. Starting salaries typically range from £23,000 to £29,000 at the 15-month mark. After five years, graduates earn between £25,075 and £35,400 (these are national figures from Graduate Outcomes and Longitudinal Education Outcomes data, not university-specific guarantees). The degree is nationally recognised, opening pathways into research, industry, healthcare, and environmental sectors.

University & format

This is a BSc (Hons) Genetics degree offered by the University of Glasgow, a public Russell Group university founded in 1451, based in Glasgow. The course is 4 years long, studied full-time and taught in English. It is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your degree is nationally recognised. The university is.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
95%
Learning opportunities
95%
Assessment and feedback
85%
Academic Support
97%
Organisation and management
94%
Learning resources
96%
Student voice
87%

Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 93%.

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.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

  4. 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.

Show 5 later dates
  1. 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens

    Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.

  2. 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers

    Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.

  3. 2027 entryClearing opens

    Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.

  4. 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  5. 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

PlacementPublished placement option

Work placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent80% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: More than 240 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check the University of Glasgow's official course page for the current offer.

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

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent80%
an Access course15%
another higher-education qualification5%
Other5%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Competitive entry

Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.

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.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

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.

Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesA*A*A*+A-level equivalent admitted students held
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write 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.

  3. 3
    Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results 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.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask University of Glasgow whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

Internationalset by the university

Set under Scotland's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.

Check fees at University of Glasgow →

If you normally live in Scotland

For eligible Scottish-domiciled students at an eligible Scottish provider, SAAS can pay tuition directly. Living-cost support can combine bursary and loan and depends on household income and student circumstances. Students from elsewhere use their home funding body.

Check the current amounts with SAAS →

Paying for it

  • SAAS tuition payment: paid directly to the university for eligible Scottish-domiciled students, applied for through SAAS.
  • Living-cost support: a mix of bursary and loan from SAAS, depending on household income.
  • Repayment: only above the Scottish repayment threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
  • Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.

Scotland runs its own system through SAAS; check saas.gov.uk for current rates.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All University of Glasgow funding →

Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.

Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.

StudyKit · free

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.

Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

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

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£25,500£25,000 – £30,50010
3 years after£24,500£19,500 – £28,00035
5 years after£28,000£23,500 – £34,50035

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

90%
in work or further study 15 months on
60%
in highly skilled work or study
95%
continue past their first year
65%
find their work meaningful
65%
say work fits their future plans
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in biological sciences · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Biological Sciences nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£25,500
£23,000 – £29,000
After 3 years LEO
£24,500
£20,400 – £28,800
After 5 years LEO
£28,000
£25,075 – £35,400
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £19,000 – £36,500

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.

90 of 100

were in work or further study

15 months after graduation

50% working20% working and studying20% in further study60% in highly skilled work or study

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; 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.

This course £28,000Peer median £29,500Middle 50% £27,500–£33,000
35th percentile

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.

  • Natural and social science professionalsSOC 2020 211 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £44,243
  • Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
  • Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
  • Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760

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: 70%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.

Job market & outlook

How Biological Sciences graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.

85%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Biological Sciences courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
60%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
90%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

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.

Where they work

  • NHS & hospital labs
  • Pharma & biotech
  • Universities & institutes
  • Public-health bodies

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold.

📈

Where graduates go

90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,500. 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 9.3 out of 10: NSS 92.7% · in work or study 90% · continued 95%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

The University of Glasgow

All students38,710
International35.9%
Aged 25+26.3%

Biological and sport sciences across the UK

Students111,380
Aged 25+16.5%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Is Biological Sciences right for you?

Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.

International students

What applying to University of Glasgow from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is set per course by University of Glasgow; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. 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 University of Glasgow’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 University of Glasgow and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is competitive. Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was More than 240 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by the University of Glasgow. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Genetics graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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