Biological & Chemical Sciences (BSc (Hons))

University College Cork

Ireland, Cork

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Home/Ireland/Cork /University College Cork/Biological & Chemical Sciences (BSc (Hons))

University College Cork

Ireland , Cork

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

CK402

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines9-Sep-2024

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

EUR 23,000 / year

Next Intake 9-Sep-2024

Biological & Chemical Sciences (BSc (Hons))

About

Why Choose This Course

In secondary school I loved chemistry and biology...

Ailbhe Woods

Click & Listen to Ailbhe's testimonial

The biology route introduced me to a wide range of subjects from genetics and ecology, to computational and molecular biology...

Ronan Harrington

Graduate

Find Out More

The biology route introduced me to a wide range of subjects from genetics and ecology, to computational and molecular biology. I chose Microbiology because I was excited to study a diverse range including the role of various microbes in food production, medicine, biotechnology and environmental applications.

It's very much like the Arts of Science... You go into it as a broad course and then you specialize each year as you go on...

Aaron Blake, Graduate, BSc Biological & Chemical Sciences

A unique aspect of the Biological and Chemical Sciences programme is the large degree of flexibility available to you after you have entered the programme.

You will have ten different degree streams available to you and you can choose to be flexible regarding what course you want to study until the end of Year 1. Depending on what route you decide to pursue, your final decision on which area you wish to focus your studies will be made at either the end of Year 1 or the end of Year 2.

Skills and Careers Information

An extremely wide variety of career opportunities are available to graduates of the degree streams. For further information on career opportunities from each are of study, please see the information for the relevant degree programme.

Requirements

Leaving Certificate entry requirements:

At least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H4 in one subject, minimum grade H5 in one subject and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish.

The following are considered Lab Science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physics with Chemistry and Agricultural Science.

Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:

English	Irish	Maths	Lab Science	Note:
O6/H7	O6/H7	O6/H7 or H4*	O6/H7 or H4*	H4 in either a Lab Science subject, Maths or Applied Maths or Computer Science*

* If the H4 is in Maths, Applied Maths or Computer Science an 06/H7 in a Lab Science subject is also required.

Mature students: Applicants should apply directly to the CAO, include a statement of interest and may be called for interview. Applicants must have studied a Laboratory Science subject at second-level or QQI/FETAC level or demonstrate involvement in Science related areas. Approximately eight places are available on this course for mature students.

International Students should visit the International Education website.

FETAC Requirements.

Non-EU Candidates

Non-EU candidates are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate. In addition, where such candidates are non-native speakers of the English language they must satisfy the university of their competency in the English language.

To verify if you meet the minimum academic and language requirements visit our qualification comparison page.

Refer to our International Office page for more information on how to apply to UCC.

Fees and Costs

Course fees include a tuition fee, student contribution fee and capitation fee. The state will pay the tuition fees for EU students who are eligible under the Free Fees Scheme. The annual student Contribution and Capitation Fees are payable by the student. In 2022/23 the Student Contribution Fee will be €3,000 and the Capitation Fee will be €138.

Please see Fees Office for more information.

For International Fees see our Fees Schedule page.

How Do I Apply

EU Applicants: Application to Year 1 of the degree programme is made directly through the Central Applications Office (CAO). Applicants should apply online at www.cao.ie. The normal closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of entry.

Non-EU Applicants

Mature Applicants: Application is made through the CAO and the closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of proposed entry. Find out about the mature entry requirements here.

EU Applicants: The Central Applications Office (CAO) processes applications for undergraduate courses in Irish Higher Education Institutions. Refer to the CAO page for further information.

Mature Applicants (age 23 or over): See the CAO Mature Applicants page and the Mature Students Admissions Pathway (MSAP) page for essential information on the application process for mature students.

QQI FET/FETAC Applicants: See our QQI FET/FETAC Applicants page.

Non-EU Applicants: Non-EU applicants apply online via the UCC Apply portal. See our International Office page.

All Applicants: Please note that the modules listed are indicative of the current set of modules for this course and are subject to change from year to year. Please check the College Calendar for the full academic content of any given course for the current year.

In UCC, we use the terms programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Our Biological and Chemical Sciences degree programme is the largest and most flexible entry route for you in science, with eight degree streams available through it.

Our programme is carefully constructed to foster an interdisciplinary approach across a wide range of biological, biotechnology, medical, chemical and pharmaceutical research areas.

If you enjoy Biology and/or Chemistry as Leaving Certificate subjects, enjoy working in a laboratory environment and like the challenge and excitement of scientific research and development, then Biological and Chemical Sciences, with its broad range of opportunities, may be the CAO entry route for you.

Modules

All modules are 5 credits unless otherwise stated.

Year 1 Modules:

BC1001 Introduction to Biochemistry and the Biological Basis of Disease
BL1002 Cells, Biomolecules, Genetics and Evolution
BL1004 Physiology and Structure of Plants and Animals
MB1003 Microbiology in Society
CM1200 Fundamentals of Modern Chemistry Part 1 (10 credits)
CM1201 Fundamentals of Modern Chemistry Part 2a (10 credits)
MA1001 Calculus for Science Part 1
MA1002 Calculus for Science Part 2
PY1010 Physics for Biological and Chemical Sciences (10 credits)

Years 2, 3 & 4 Modules:

Students select one degree stream (depending on choice of Year 1 Electives) from:

Applied Plant Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Chemistry of Pharmaceutical Compounds, Chemistry with Forensic Sciences, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Physiology

The subjects you will study from Year 2 onwards depend upon which programme you enter from the options above. Please see the individual course information pages for details of each of these programmes.

See the College Calendar for more detailed information on the Programme and the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of the Programme Modules.

Disciplines

Science

Engineering and Food Science

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Recognised Qualification

Tawjihiyah (General Secondary Education Certificate) PLUS 1 Year at Bachelor degree level from a recognised university with competitive grades in specific relevant subjects

Band 2 Programmes

Minimum Entry Requirements

Minimum average of 90% in Tawjihiyah (General Secondary Education Certificate) PLUS competitive grades in year 1 at Bachelor degree level.

International Baccalaureate

English Program Requirements

English Language Requirements (for Non-Irish EU applicants)

Teaching in Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is normally through the medium of English; therefore all applicants are required to demonstrate a high level of competence in the English Language.

Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of equivalent competence in English Language through their school leaving examination or matriculation examination or by achieving the minimum standard (there may be higher levels for matriculation and/or particular programmes in individual institutions) in a recognised English language test, as specified below (note applicants are assessed on the results of a single sitting only):

UCC Language Centre Pre-sessional Programmes

These programmes are available to assist students who:

Have not achieved their required level of English for acceptance onto their undergraduate or postgraduate programme
Feel they do not have the academic or general English language skills necessary to succeed at the University

Find out more about the Language Centre's Pre-Sessional Programmes.

Career

This course comprises a combination of lectures, practicals (experiments) and tutorials/workshops.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

EUR 23,000 / year

How to Apply

1. Check Dates: Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

For Irish and EU applicants we operate a rounds system and you can check the rounds closing dates here.
Note that not all our programmes are subject to the rounds system so check the opening and closing dates for your specific programme in the fact file boxes above.

2. Gather Documents: Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC;
Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply Online: Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.
In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.
Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.