Biological Sciences

Genetics is the science of inheritance, variation, and the molecular mechanisms through which biological information is stored and transmitted across generations. It touches almost every area of modern biology and medicine, from the identification of disease-causing mutations and the development of gene therapies to the understanding of evolution, population diversity, and the genetic basis of complex traits. As sequencing technologies have made it possible to read genomes rapidly and cheaply, genetics has become one of the most dynamic and practically consequential areas of the biological sciences.

At the University of Leicester this three-year, full-time programme focuses your studies within biological sciences on the discipline of genetics, examining how it functions across today's biosciences and what it takes to work at the forefront of the field. You will develop both theoretical knowledge and laboratory skills, learning to work with genetic data, molecular techniques, and the experimental approaches used in contemporary research. The programme includes the option to change your specialism in your second year, giving you the flexibility to explore related areas of bioscience before committing fully to genetics.

A sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities are all built in, giving you substantial experience in research or industrial settings and the chance to bring an international dimension to your scientific training.

Genetics graduates go on to careers across a very wide range of sectors. Many work in clinical genetics, genomic medicine, pharmaceutical research, or biotechnology, where the ability to interpret genetic data and apply molecular techniques is directly relevant. Others move into academic research, conservation biology, agricultural genetics, forensic science, or science communication.

The combination of analytical rigour and biological knowledge the degree develops is valued across the life sciences industry and in the growing field of personalised medicine. Postgraduate study in genetics, genomics, molecular biology, or a clinical specialisation is a natural next step for those who want to develop expert knowledge in a particular area.