Our new Biology curriculum
From September 2021, our Biology programmes will give you increased flexibility to tailor your degree so you can focus wholly on organisms and the environment, explore topics in biomedicine or molecular bioscience, or study a mix of all three.
Over the last year we’ve been working hard to enhance our Biology courses to give our students the greatest freedom to explore what they’re passionate about, across the full breadth of bioscience.
From September 2021, our Biology programmes will give you increased flexibility to tailor your degree so that you can discover what kind of biologist you want to be.
What does this mean for you?
- Nothing’s been taken away. You’ll still have all the exciting opportunities available to you that we told you about previously, from working with our world-leading academics on your own research projects, to embarking on a once-in a lifetime field course in the UK or abroad.
- We’ve expanded the range of optional modules available to you which are informed by our latest research, giving you greater choice across the breadth of bioscience.
- You can specialise as much or as little as you like, across topics from genes and molecules, to physiology and behaviour, biodiversity and ecosystems, and everything in between. We’ll support you to tailor your degree to your interests and career goals.
Skills training has always been at the heart of our courses. Our Biology programme now includes an enhanced skills module so from your very first week you’ll begin to learn the core practical field and laboratory skills that you’ll use throughout your time at Sheffield and beyond. We’ll also help you to develop the key transferable skills, like data visualisation and writing, that make our Biology graduates attractive to employers.
We are delighted to be offering our students an expanded set of modules to choose from, making it even easier to tailor your degree to your interests.
Professor Andrew Beckerman
Director of Recruitment, Biology, Ecology, Plant Sciences and Zoology
How you tailor your degree is up to you and your personal tutor will help you to choose from 15 optional modules in your first year that span the breadth of Biology. These modules are underpinned by the latest research discoveries and throughout your course, you’ll learn from top scientists who are working on global challenges from antibiotic resistance to food security, and from climate change to cancer and COVID-19.
Depending on your interests, you’ll have the chance to carry out your own research projects in the lab, using the latest cutting-edge equipment to analyse stem cells, sequence DNA and study proteins and enzymes. You might also choose to do field research projects in the Peak District National Park, or embark on a once-in a lifetime field course to study biodiversity in the UK or abroad. Or you can make the most of our links with the NHS, completing research in conjunction with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
Find out more about our new course structure
Professor Andrew Beckerman, Recruitment Director for Biology, Ecology, Plant Sciences and Zoology said, "We are delighted to be offering our students an expanded set of modules to choose from, making it even easier to tailor your degree to your interests. No matter what you are studying, you'll be tapping into our excellent teaching underpinned by world-class bioscience research that focuses on solving real world problems. Whether your interests are focussed or broad, we'll be here to help guide your choices as you progress through your degree."
If you have any questions about our new course structure or any other queries about what it’s like to study at Sheffield, you can email us at apsadmissions@sheffield.ac.uk.