Biological Sciences (Biotechnology with Enterprise) MBiol, BSc

At Leeds, you won’t just learn about biotechnology and enterprise from a textbook — you’ll live it. From your very first year you’ll be in the lab, working with real biological systems, using advanced tools, and learning how to apply your ideas in practice. As you progress, the balance shifts from guided classes to independent projects, giving you the confidence to step into real research or even start building your own business ideas.

Here’s what that looks like in action:

• Hands-on labs from day one – weekly practical classes let you try core techniques such as PCR, electrophoresis, microscopy and bacterial culture, while applying concepts from genetics, microbiology and molecular biology.

• Access to cutting-edge facilities – by later years you’ll be using research-grade equipment like flow cytometers, cryo-electron microscopes, bio-imaging suites, protein production and biomolecular interaction labs, and even a nuclear magnetic resonance facility.

• Big data meets biology – in modules like Omics and Big Data Biology you’ll learn to handle complex genomics and proteomics data, supported by high-spec computer clusters and specialist software.

• Enterprise and teamwork – modules such as New Enterprise Planning and Enterprise Consultancy put you in groups to tackle live business challenges, often working with real organisations, helping you sharpen your communication and project management skills.

• Year in Industry or Study Abroad – the chance to spend a year applying your skills in a biotech company, research lab, or at an international partner university, adding valuable experience to your CV.

• Digital and library support – Leeds’ Minerva learning system gives you online access to study materials before classes, while the university’s world-class libraries and computing spaces are there whenever you need them.

Graduates from this course go on to do some exciting things. Many step into roles as research scientists in universities or industry, while others move into careers as biotechnologists, consultants, or science communicators. Thanks to the enterprise side of the degree, some even take their first steps into launching their own ventures or joining the business development side of healthcare and biotech.

And at Leeds, you’ll have plenty of support along the way:

• The Faculty Student Opportunity Team and the University’s Careers Centre run CV and interview workshops, connect you with alumni, and help you secure placements or graduate roles.

• A Year in Industry or Study Abroad option gives you the chance to gain real-world experience and build international connections before you graduate.

• Strong partnerships with employers like AstraZeneca, GSK, Labcorp and NHS laboratories mean you’ll be studying in a place where industry links are active and relevant.

• The course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, which signals to employers and postgraduate programmes that your degree meets recognised professional standards.

• Leeds graduates progress into a wide range of careers — from scientific research and teaching, to medicine, policy and business — showing the flexibility of this pathway.

Further Academic Progression:
If you’d like to continue your studies, this degree sets you up really well. You could take on a Master’s in biotechnology, molecular biology or enterprise innovation, or move directly into a PhD if research is your goal — especially if you’ve completed the MBiol year. And if the business side excites you most, postgraduate study in entrepreneurship, technology transfer or even an MBA is a natural next step.