Marine Biology BSc (Honours)

Dive into the marine world and study the many exciting marine ecosystems, from the deep sea to coasts and estuaries and from the tropics to the poles. Through the course of your BSc in Marine Biology you will gain a thorough understanding of the diversity and biology of marine life from tiny cells and algae to invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals. You will experience research-led teaching from leaders in their fields and cover a broad range of topics including marine molecular ecology and microbiology, and the ecology, evolution, biology and behaviour of marine life.

You will be introduced to, and gain practice in, cutting-edge methods used to gather and analyse data from marine environments and the organisms inhabiting them.

St Andrews’ location on the shores of the North Sea makes it the ideal place to study marine wildlife in its natural habitat. Teaching takes advantage of this and you will have the opportunity to learn not only in the lab but also out in the field. The School of Biology has the world-renowned Scottish Oceans Institute, which incorporates world-class research groups such as the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) and the Sediment Ecology Research Group (SERG). Students will have the opportunity to interact with scientists working at the SOI and SMRU through small group teaching, practicals, research projects and community building events at the SOI.

Students interested in this course may also be interested in the Marine Biology Integrated Masters course, which allows you to graduate with a Master in Marine Biology.

Entry requirements

The University offers different entry requirements, depending on your background. Find out more about Standard, Minimum and Gateway entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.

• Standard entry grades:

  AAAB, including Biology (or Human Biology) and one other science from the following: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

  Minimum entry grades:

  AABB, including Biology (or Human Biology) and one other science from the following: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

  Gateway entry grades:

  Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades, but meet the University's contextual criteria, may be interested in one of the University’s Gateway programmes.

• Standard entry grades:

  AAB, including Biology and one other science from the following: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

  Minimum entry grades:

  ABB, including Biology and one other science from the following: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

• Standard entry grades:

  36 (HL 6,6,5), including HL6 in Biology and HL6 in one of the following subjects: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

  Minimum entry grades:

  36 (HL 6,5,5), including HL6 in Biology and HL5 in one of the following subjects: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.

General entry requirements

All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.

• SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing science
  • Geography
  • Applications of Mathematics
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

• GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing Science
  • Geography
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

Other qualifications

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes. Please see our entry requirements for more information.

More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

Students must have studied Biology (or Human Biology) at SQA Higher, GCE A-Level or equivalent. Preference will be given to candidates offering strong science qualifications over and above the stated minimum requirements.

Alternative study options

Direct entry to second year

Well-qualified school leavers may be able to apply for admission directly into the second year of this course.

Integrated Masters

It is possible to take Marine Biology as a five-year Integrated Masters course, allowing you to graduate with a Master of Science.

Gateway programmes

Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades but meet the University's contextual criteria may be interested in the Gateway to Science programme.

Study abroad

Marine Biology students can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to apply to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.

International applicants

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. Find out more about approved English language tests and scores for this course.

Careers

Graduates from the School of Biology have a wide range of skills sought by employers: 

• laboratory and field data collection 
• data handling and presentation 
• problem-solving 
• teamwork 
• planning 
• organisation and communication skills

Biology graduates have secured employment as: 

• clinical scientists 
• consultant ecologists 
• marine mammal scientists 
• museum curators 
• outreach coordinators
• scientific writers
• school teachers

Beyond biology, recent graduates have gained employment in a wide variety of business sectors such as marketing and finance. Others have gone on to study for a wide range of Masters and PhD programmes in the UK and overseas. 

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.