BSc Biological Sciences with Study in Continental Europe

From day one, you’ll be immersed in hands-on, globally enriched learning—starting with state-of-the-art laboratories and active classroom engagement, then shifting to a full year studying biology in French, Spanish, or German. This carefully designed progression ensures you build practical skills, sharpen your adaptability through cultural immersion, and return ready to undertake independent, research-based projects.

Here’s how these real-world experiences unfold:

• Dynamic Teaching Techniques: Experience interactive, flipped lectures combined with polling and team discussions—all enhanced through recorded content and online participation.

• Hands-On Practical Classes: In structured 3-hour lab sessions, you’ll work at your own pace alongside researchers, using top-tier facilities to develop lab technique and experimental confidence.

• Research-Driven Projects: Later years offer opportunities to engage in authentic research, collaborating with PhD students and researchers—deepening your scientific thinking and skills.

• Field Courses: Optional immersive experiences like glacial ecology in Norway or aquatic adaptations in Pembrokeshire bring environmental biology to life and broaden your fieldwork competence.

• Leading Research Facilities: The School of Biosciences offers access to premier resources including the Advanced Mass Spectrometry Facility, Advanced Light Microscopy (BALM), Biomolecular Characterisation (BBCF), Environmental Omics, Daphnia Facility, and Fly Genetics Facility—supporting hands-on research at the molecular and ecological levels.

• European Academic Immersion: In Year 3, you’ll deepen your understanding by studying your core biology curriculum in English within a European institution, while living and learning in a foreign-language environment as part of Erasmus exchanges.

Graduates commonly move into dynamic roles like Research Scientist, Environmental Consultant, Clinical Laboratory Technician, or Biotechnologist, empowered by strong practical training and global insights from the continental study year. This degree also benefits from dedicated career support services that elevate your readiness for competitive industries:

• Careers Network & Recruitment Support: Through the university’s Careers Network, you'll access tailored career coaching, recruitment fairs (both virtual and in-person), internship opportunities, and ongoing employability support.

• High Graduate Employment & Salaries: Approximately 88% of Biosciences graduates secure work or continued study within 15 months. Median starting salaries sit around £27,500 (15 months post-graduation), rising to £26,500 at 3 years and £34,500 by 5 years.

• Industry Exposure & Employer Recognition: Birmingham biosciences alumni have taken roles in organizations like GSK, AstraZeneca, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Amgen, Wellcome Sanger Institute, the UK Health Security Agency, and The Binding Site.

• Degree Accreditation: The programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, reinforcing the credibility and professional standards of your qualification.

• Graduate Satisfaction & Meaningful Work: Among biosciences alumni, 80% say their work is meaningful, 60% feel it aligns with their future goals, and 35% apply what they learned directly in their current role.

Further Academic Progression:

This global degree also sets you up ideally for further study. Many graduates go on to MSc or PhD programmes in fields such as genetics, ecology, molecular biology, or conservation science. Others leverage their international experience and research projects to enter healthcare-related professions, competitive research roles, or higher-level professional pathways.