Biological Sciences with Professional Training Year (BSc)

Why study this course

Our research-led Biological Sciences degree provides the greatest possible choice and flexibility, allowing you to choose modules across virtually the whole range of subjects on offer at the School.

We offer a wide choice of subjects across the biological sciences including: animal and plant biology; microbiology; genetics; systems biology; ecology; disease; behaviour; neuroscience; zoology; developmental and stem cell biology; and evolution. As part of our Ecology and Conservation module, we also run a range of subsidised field courses both within the UK and overseas, including River Ecology in Wales, Tropical Marine Ecology in Tobago, and Rainforest Biodiversity in Malaysia.

As part of this course you will spend your third year on placement at a field centre, zoological or botanical institute, museum, industrial research laboratory, or other approved establishment of your choice. This offers a great opportunity to gain first-hand professional research experience, and it has been shown to greatly enhance your degree and subsequent employment prospects.

Many placements are in the UK, but in recent years we have had an increasing number of students taking up placements in international locations, including Southeast Asia, South Africa, Germany, Italy, Australia, Madagascar, and the USA.

Your degree title remains flexible up until your final year, when you can either continue with BSc Biological Sciences, or switch to another of our BSc bioscience degrees. You can also choose to graduate with a more specialist degree title, including BSc Biological Sciences (Genetics) and BSc Biological Sciences (Zoology).

Your final degree title will depend on your module selection and your Personal Tutor will guide you through the options available to you. You may also have the option of switching to our MBiol integrated master's degree, which forms an excellent basis for a future career in scientific research.

Our Biological Sciences course provides an excellent foundation for careers within all areas of biological sciences, and offers strong training for research scientists. Our graduates have gone on to a range of exciting and fulfilling careers in both scientific and non-scientific related fields, including marine biology, ecology and conservation, scientific publishing, pharmaceutical industries, molecular biology, journalism, teaching and veterinary science. Many also choose to further their studies by pursuing a master’s degree or PhD.

Distinctive features

• Enjoy a flexible course structure that enables you to tailor your degree to match your interests and aspirations.
• Enhance your career prospects and gain professional research experience with a sandwich year placement.
• Develop your field research skills with one of our popular project-based field courses. Opt for one of our UK-based courses or choose to travel further afield to locations such as Tobago or Borneo.
• Experience the excitement of learning in active research environment, with teaching staff who are leading researchers in their field.
• Make use of the latest equipment, techniques and facilities in your project work.
• The School of Biosciences offers access to a wide range of exciting training opportunities with a field centre in Borneo, and strong involvement in Cardiff University research institutes, including Sustainable Places, Water Research, Cancer Stem Cell Research, and Neuroscience and Mental Health.

You may also be interested in the following courses:

• BSc Biological Sciences

• MBiol Biological Sciences (integrated master’s degree) with Professional Training Year

• BSc Biochemistry with Professional Training Year

Careers and placements

Career prospects

A significant proportion of our BSc Biological Sciences graduates go on to study PhD or master’s degrees. Many others enjoy successful careers in science-related fields such as research and development, conservation, environmental management, scientific research, medical or scientific publishing, agro-industry and wildlife management, amongst many others.

Our graduates also have many transferable skills that are attractive to a wide range of employers in more general areas of industry, commerce, public service, administration and management. Finally, a degree in the Biological Sciences can act as a stepping stone to further training in professional areas including teaching, medicine, dentistry, nursing, veterinary science, and accounting.

In 2016/17, 93% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported that they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduating. Experience has shown that students who have completed a Professional Training Year are particularly well-placed to obtain degree-related employment at the end of their studies.

Placements

This course includes a Professional Training Year (PTY) which gives you the opportunity to spend a period of 9-12 months in an academic, clinical or industrial research laboratory, or other approved establishment, in order to gain first-hand research experience.

Many placements are in the UK, but we have also had several placements in other locations in Europe, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Germany, Italy and the USA.
Finding a placement is a competitive process and success cannot be guaranteed. The process will primarily be driven by you since most placements depend on application and selection by the partner company or organisation. However, we provide advice and support, and to date we have been successful in placing the vast majority of our PTY students.

Should a placement not be available, or should you change your mind, you can switch from the four year degree with PTY to a three year BSc degree. Alternatively, after the second year and subject to academic progress and space availability, you may apply to change to the integrated Master’s MBiol degree.