Biological Sciences with Professional Experience

Biological sciences is a broad discipline that spans the full range of life on Earth, from the molecular machinery inside cells to the ecology of whole ecosystems. It encompasses genetics, physiology, cell biology, evolution, ecology, microbiology, and the study of organisms across all kingdoms of life. What unifies the field is a commitment to understanding living systems through observation, experiment, and theory, and the skills it develops, designing studies, collecting and analysing data, interpreting results critically, and communicating findings clearly, are genuinely transferable across a wide range of careers.

At the University of Reading, this four-year BSc Biological Sciences with Professional Experience degree allows you to develop your knowledge of biology around your specific interests while gaining valuable industry experience that is built into the programme's structure. Reading has a strong research environment across the biological sciences and benefits from its connections with industries in agriculture, food science, environmental science, and healthcare. You will be able to direct your study towards the areas of biology that interest you most, developing depth alongside the broad foundation in life sciences that the degree provides.

The professional experience element is a distinguishing feature of the degree, giving you structured exposure to professional environments and the chance to develop your employability alongside your scientific knowledge.

Biology graduates work across an exceptionally wide range of sectors. The pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences industries employ large numbers of biologists in roles ranging from research and development to regulatory affairs, quality control, and clinical trials. Environmental consultancy, conservation, public health, food science, and education are further major destinations.

The professional experience component of this programme strengthens your position in all of these markets by giving you something concrete to demonstrate alongside your academic credentials. Postgraduate study in a specialist area of biology, ecology, genetics, or biomedical science is a well-established next step. The typical entry tariff is 136 points.