Biological Sciences

Biological sciences is the broadest of the life science disciplines, encompassing the molecular and cellular mechanisms of life alongside ecology, evolution, genetics, microbiology, and development. It examines life from the level of genes and proteins through cells and organisms to populations and ecosystems, asking how living things function, interact, evolve, and respond to change. The discipline sits at the centre of contemporary scientific endeavour, with biological understanding driving advances in medicine, agriculture, conservation, and biotechnology.

At the University of Leeds, this three-year full-time programme places molecular and cellular biology at its core while being described as the most flexible and interdisciplinary of the biology degrees on offer. You will study how cells respond to and influence their environment, examine the molecular basis of inherited disorders and cancer, investigate how viruses replicate, and explore the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, all while building a broad and adaptable biological knowledge base. Leeds has world-leading researchers working on cancer, Alzheimer's disease, ageing, antibiotic resistance, and emerging viruses, and you will be taught by those researchers as the programme connects to active work at the scientific frontier.

A sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities are all available, giving substantial professional and international experience alongside the core academic content.

You will develop laboratory skills, experimental design competence, data analysis abilities, and scientific writing skills, alongside the critical thinking needed to engage with contemporary biological research.

Graduates from biological sciences programmes pursue careers in pharmaceutical research, biotechnology, conservation, environmental science, healthcare, teaching, science communication, and a wide range of other fields. The sandwich year often leads to direct employment. Postgraduate study in a specialist biological or biomedical discipline is a well-established next step.