Undergraduates may access further information on Blackboard course 'SBS Undergraduate Information Site'

 

Biology	Biochemistry	Pharmacology	Biomedical Science	Zoology

Biological Sciences covers a wide range of disciplines from biochemistry to the environment. To find out about these different subjects and the degree programmes available please select any one of the icons displayed.

The School of Biological sciences is internationally renowned for its quality and range of expertise. In addition to the academic staff there are a number of specialist research centres in the building which also contribute to the teaching. In addition to lectures, seminars, tutorials etc., you will also have the opportunity to develop your own experimental expertise relevant to the degree programme of your choice via practicals, (including a 2 week fieldcourse in Spain for Biology and Zoology) to the final year research project or research dissertation.

The School of Biological Sciences operates a common year for many degree programmes, thus you are not committed to the degree programme you entered on your UCAS form, in many cases you can change to another degree programme offered by the School of Biological Sciences at the end of the first year. Biologists who graduate from Southampton take up a wide range of employment from professional Biological Scientists to non-scientific jobs unrelated to Biology. During your degree to will be trained in a wide range of skills that can be applied to real life.

During your time here we provide pastoral care through our tutorial system. Your Tutor is your point of contact with the academic and administrative machinery of the university. He or she will inform other staff in the Honours School and elsewhere in the university when you are incapacitated by illness, will listen to (and try to help sort out) your worries, and will write references for you after you have graduated. In addition, your Tutor will act as an academic guide when you choose your unit courses and will assist you in planning your workload in all three years of your degree. He or she is one of the people who will be able to put you in touch with the University's welfare services, such as the Counselling Service, should you ever find yourself in need of that kind of advice.

The overall aims of all the degree programmes are to provide you with:

· a stimulating, informed learning environment through a wide range of interesting and contemporary courses, with flexibility of choice, allowing you to study all levels of biological organisation;

· a sound scientific knowledge base relevant to the degree programme;

· training in relevant laboratory and/or field work skills;

· training in a range of transferable skills;

· the ability to think critically and to pursue independent study;

· an opportunity to undertake an independent research project;

· an education and training suitable for a wide variety of careers, including specialist training in preparation for higher degrees and careers in biological sciences research

On successful completion of our degree programmes you should be able to:

· demonstrate relevant knowledge of core concepts, terminology and methodology;

· describe the principles of the subjects studied;

· critically evaluate biological information;

· locate and retrieve information from a range of sources;

· collect, record and critically evaluate sound scientific data;

· show knowledge of good laboratory/field practice and work safely in the laboratory and/or field;

· practise and effectively apply a range of transferable skills including oral and written communication, IT and numeracy.