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Discover how you can solve some of the most challenging problems facing our planet.
Year of entry: 2025/26
Show year of entry: 2026/27
Explore topics from climate change and biodiversity loss to sustainable food production and the ecological and environmental impact of human activities.
You'll gain interdisciplinary knowledge from teaching across The Department of Biology and Environment and Geography. Through hands-on field courses and research projects, you'll build the skills needed to address urgent challenges in conservation and environmental biology. You'll graduate with scientific training and gain a thorough practical experience in research.
All long standing undergraduate courses in the Department of Biology have received accreditation (BSc) or advanced accreditation (integrated Masters) from the Royal Society of Biology. We are currently in consultation with the Royal Society of Biology to add our new Ecology and Conservation Biology courses to this portfolio of accredited degrees.
The placement year and year in industry are highly encouraged by the Department of Biology. They send a large number of students out on placement every year and have done so for years so the process is really streamlined and there is lots of support available.
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
You will study four option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
You will study four option modules. You can only study one of the 'field course' options. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Core modules
Option modules
You will either complete the Research Project (Biology) or the Environmental Management in Practice (Environment and Geography) with a dissertation option.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
Textbooks and course books are all available in the library or online. We do recommend books you might find useful, reading lists are provided to you when you start your modules, but it is not compulsory for you to buy the books.
Costs for students going abroad or into industry will vary depending on what sort of placement it is and what sort of financial assistance is available.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
Just four UK universities are rated Gold for teaching and top ten for research* in the latest national assessment exercises.
* Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Teaching is delivered by academic scientists. Throughout your course there will be strong links between your studies and scientific research. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. You may be taught by the following methods:
Cutting-edge research informs all our teaching activities and our friendly, approachable, and accessible staff are experts in their respective fields. Small-group teaching is an important part of our course, in tutorials, skills-based and research project modules and in taught modules with group work elements. This approach helps develop your scientific writing, problem solving and communication skills, as well as being a great opportunity to have informal scientific discussions with members of staff about topical issues.
You will attend lectures where we will deliver stimulating and thought-provoking perspectives on ecology and conservation biology.
Practicals are designed to help you to develop laboratory and field skills and to become familiar with a wide range of practical techniques for the lab and the field, training you to use methods precisely and encouraging you to objectively assess the reliability of your results.
Workshops are also an important feature of our programme, and they provide an additional dimension to most modules. You will often collaborate in small groups in problem solving and other learning activities in our flexible learning workshops. You will design your own experiments and work together on the findings from the latest research papers, or investigate the application of new technologies to the global challenges in the field.
Several modules available offer the chance to study outside undertaking field courses. In past years we’ve offered opportunities to study coastal biology environments and colourful flora and fauna in locations around the UK.
Each semester during the first two years, students take modules designed to develop more generic scientific and transferable skills. Some modules focus on specific scientific techniques, while others develop skills in problem solving, experimental design and data analysis.
We encourage you to develop important communication skills, including working in groups to plan and carry out experiments that investigate a scientific problem, and you will present your work as an oral presentation or poster.
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures | 2-4 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Workshops | 3-5 hours per week |
| Practicals | 3-6 hours per week |
| Field trips | 1 week |
| Small-group teaching | 5 hours per semester |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
Teaching and learning in the Department of Biology is based in a £23m facility, which is equipped with laboratories, a flexible workshop and creative learning lounge, computer rooms, specialist tissue culture and fluorescence microscopy suites.
Our teaching labs are equipped with a range of biological techniques that you could engage with while studying your degree including polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis, immunofluorescence microscopy, cell culture and flow cytometry.
In the Department of Environment and Geography; our bespoke building contains purpose-built labs, lecture theatres and seminar rooms.
This course is based in the Department of Biology and Department of Environment and Geography which is on Campus West. The majority of teaching takes place within Biology, with some additional teaching taking place at other locations on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
You will be assessed via a mixture of closed exams, online open exams, and continuous assessment. Although you must perform to a satisfactory level, Stage 1 (which is your first year) does not count towards the final degree, which is determined by work in Stage 2 (25%), Stage 3 (37.5%) and Stage 4 (37.5%). If you undertake a year abroad or in industry this is marked by pass/fail.
Throughout your course we will provide you with feedback on your work and assignments, which will give you an indication of the progress you are making in your studies.
This visit to Askham Bog, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve is part of the Year 3 Ecology Field Course module.
Our £23m dedicated, state-of-the-art facility hosts a range of teaching and learning spaces.
Take a virtual tour of one or our modern, dedicated laboratories showing a typical range of lab equipment and facilities that you'll use.
A degree in Biological Sciences provides an excellent platform for a wide range of career choices and destinations including science or health-related sectors. Graduates take up a wide range of other occupations and professions from management and finance, to journalism and medical writing and teaching as well as data sciences and analytics.
Studying in Biological Sciences at Masters level will develop your critical thinking and research skills, and prepare you to be competitive for entry into relevant postgraduate degree courses, and in particular a research degree including a PhD.
Employment opportunities are diverse: ranging from biological and biomedical research and development, to careers in science communication and public engagement, the national health service, forensic science, environmental health and wildlife conservation. Our graduates are not confined to science-related careers, and a significant number enter jobs within finance, public and private sector management, social and health service work, the media and law.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| A levels | AAA including Biology or Human Biology and a second science We accept the following subjects as a second science: Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Further Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology or Statistics. |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | 39 credits at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit or higher. Must include Level 3 modules in Biology and a second science. |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | BTEC National Extended Diploma DDD. We consider BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science (2016 syllabus) with all 7 mandatory units. We consider BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science (2010 syllabus), please contact us for information on the units we accept. |
| Degree | We are currently not accepting T Levels for this course unless additional A Levels (or equivalent qualifications) in Biology and a second science or mathematics subject have been taken. |
| European Baccalaureate | 36 points including 5 in Higher Level Biology plus either 5 in another Higher Level science or mathematics subject, or 5 in two Standard Level science or mathematics subjects. If English is not your first language then we require 5 in English B. |
| T levels | 85% overall including 8.5 in Biology and a second science or mathematics subject. |
| Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | Advanced Highers - AB in Biology and a second Science/Mathematics plus Scottish Highers - AB We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications. |
| International foundation programme | Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative. |
| Other qualifications | To secure a place as a mature student on this course you will need recent qualifications in Biology and another science at a sufficiently advanced level, together with evidence of some of the key skills needed for studying at degree level. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
| Criteria | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation. |
| Contextual offer | ABB including Biology and a second science. |
| EPQ | If you achieve B or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
| Core Maths | If you achieve B or higher in Core Maths, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, with a minimum of 126 in each component |
| Duolingo | Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component |
| GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C / Grade 4 |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | B2 Communicator with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
| Other English language qualifications | We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates. |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Get in touch if you have any questions
