Biological Sciences

Molecular biology is the science of life at its most fundamental level, examining how biological systems are built, regulated, and function through the molecules that constitute them, above all DNA, RNA, and proteins. Since the elucidation of DNA's structure and the development of whole-genome sequencing, molecular biology has transformed medicine, agriculture, and industry, providing tools to understand and address disease, improve crops, develop new materials, and create biological products with extraordinary precision.

At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year full-time degree draws on knowledge from across the biological sciences to develop your understanding of molecular processes in depth. You will study how genes are expressed, regulated, and inherited, how proteins are synthesised and modified, how cells communicate and respond to their environment, and how molecular mechanisms go wrong in disease. The programme connects these fundamental questions to their applications in medicine, including drug discovery, gene therapy, and personalised medicine, as well as in agriculture and industrial biotechnology.

The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study molecular biology in an international research environment and to develop the global scientific network that supports a research career. The typical entry tariff is 200 UCAS points.

Graduates of molecular biology programmes find careers in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic and clinical research, the NHS and other healthcare systems, agricultural science, environmental monitoring, and the regulatory agencies that oversee the life sciences sector. Edinburgh's strong reputation in biological research means graduates benefit from excellent connections with research institutions and industry. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study, including doctoral research, in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, or biomedical science, contributing to the rapid advance of understanding in fields that directly affect human health and wellbeing.