So, you enjoy biology, but is this enough of a reason to continue studying it in the UK? Yes! But there are many more reasons for studying one of the many bioscience subjects available today. The world really is your oyster with a bioscience degree under your belt.
A quick scan of degree directories reveals just how many courses are on offer with a biological sciences reference, and a brief perusal of the titles indicates how versatile a subject it is.
Applied Biology, Animal Behaviour, Biotechnology, Conservation Biology, Environmental Biology, Human Biology, Forensic Science, Marine Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology…and it doesn't end there. You could even find a joint honours course, combining Biology with a language or Computer Science, Psychology, Maths, Media Communication, Sociology, etc. The list goes on and on because biologists are working in so many disciplines to explore all aspects of life and to advance human knowledge and understanding.
Whether you're interested in conservation or cancer, catching criminals, curing disease or communicating discoveries, this is an exciting time to be involved in the biological sciences. Just look through the newspaper to see how many stories are bioscience related - GM crops, vaccination, the genome project and cloning are only some of the hot topics that bioscientists are covering.
A degree in the biological sciences will typically give you the opportunity to sample a range of topics before providing more specialised options towards the final year. While studying a bioscience, you may be unaware that you are also building up skills you may think are unrelated, such as communication, organisation, IT, problem solving and numeracy, increasing your versatility.
Finding a course to suit you requires preparation. Consult degree directories, the UCAS website, university prospectuses and websites to find out what the different available courses can offer you in terms of tuition, experience and skills. You will also want to know what the universities offer more generally in terms of support, accommodation, student life, etc. With so many popular courses on offer you have a good chance of finding one to suit you, but be prepared to do a little research!
Once you're there, don't expect the biosciences to be an easy option! This whole area is competitive and there is a lot of information to take on board. Not to mention the new discoveries that you can expect to be made during the three to four years that you are studying. In addition to lecture time, you should also be getting valuable practical experience. Many universities and colleges will be able to provide access to sophisticated equipment and machinery. You may even get the chance to become involved with cutting edge research alongside PhD students in your final year projects.
After graduation, you will find that there is a world of postgraduate opportunities open to you. You could specialise with a Masters degree or develop your research skills with a PhD.
A few years after your studies you could be: working for a law firm specialising in biotechnology, e.g. drafting patents for genetically-engineered micro-organisms; involved in the process of licensing new medicines; co-ordinating clinical trials of drugs; working as an environmental consultant; using knowledge of biological remains and ecology in archaeological investigations; a freelance science writer or a manufacturing manager.
A quick scan of degree directories reveals just how many courses are on offer with a biological sciences reference, and a brief perusal of the titles indicates how versatile a subject it is.
Applied Biology, Animal Behaviour, Biotechnology, Conservation Biology, Environmental Biology, Human Biology, Forensic Science, Marine Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology…and it doesn't end there. You could even find a joint honours course, combining Biology with a language or Computer Science, Psychology, Maths, Media Communication, Sociology, etc. The list goes on and on because biologists are working in so many disciplines to explore all aspects of life and to advance human knowledge and understanding.
Whether you're interested in conservation or cancer, catching criminals, curing disease or communicating discoveries, this is an exciting time to be involved in the biological sciences. Just look through the newspaper to see how many stories are bioscience related - GM crops, vaccination, the genome project and cloning are only some of the hot topics that bioscientists are covering.
A degree in the biological sciences will typically give you the opportunity to sample a range of topics before providing more specialised options towards the final year. While studying a bioscience, you may be unaware that you are also building up skills you may think are unrelated, such as communication, organisation, IT, problem solving and numeracy, increasing your versatility.
Finding a course to suit you requires preparation. Consult degree directories, the UCAS website, university prospectuses and websites to find out what the different available courses can offer you in terms of tuition, experience and skills. You will also want to know what the universities offer more generally in terms of support, accommodation, student life, etc. With so many popular courses on offer you have a good chance of finding one to suit you, but be prepared to do a little research!
Once you're there, don't expect the biosciences to be an easy option! This whole area is competitive and there is a lot of information to take on board. Not to mention the new discoveries that you can expect to be made during the three to four years that you are studying. In addition to lecture time, you should also be getting valuable practical experience. Many universities and colleges will be able to provide access to sophisticated equipment and machinery. You may even get the chance to become involved with cutting edge research alongside PhD students in your final year projects.
After graduation, you will find that there is a world of postgraduate opportunities open to you. You could specialise with a Masters degree or develop your research skills with a PhD.
A few years after your studies you could be: working for a law firm specialising in biotechnology, e.g. drafting patents for genetically-engineered micro-organisms; involved in the process of licensing new medicines; co-ordinating clinical trials of drugs; working as an environmental consultant; using knowledge of biological remains and ecology in archaeological investigations; a freelance science writer or a manufacturing manager.
