Biological Sciences

Our flexible BSc lets you tailor your degree to your interests and career goals. Choose to focus on organisms and the environment, form and function of plants or animals, human health, or the molecular basis of life, before putting your skills and knowledge into practice in the lab and field.

Why study this course?
- Top 100 in the world for life sciences (THE World University Rankings by Subject 2025)

- Close links with the NHS: Complete research on cancer and ageing in partnership with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

- Real lab experience: Complete an extended laboratory project or field course in the UK or abroad, then bring all your knowledge and skills together with your third-year research project.

Our three-year BSc Biological Sciences course offers you the flexibility to discover what kind of biologist you want to be.

You'll start by studying a broad foundation in biological science. This will allow you to explore the subject and discover what excites you most. You can then choose to focus on areas including biodiversity and conservation, the anatomy or biochemistry of plants and animals, or the molecular basis of human health.

At Sheffield, you’ll be encouraged to be creative, think independently and express your ideas. Depending on what modules you choose, you could be carrying out fieldwork in the Peak District, studying life at the atomic level, modelling the gene networks that resulted in speciation, or even working with scientists from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to diagnose cancer samples.

No matter what areas of biological science you choose to study at Sheffield, you'll develop practical laboratory and transferable skills - such as project management, problem-solving, communication skills and data analysis - that make our graduates attractive to employers.

All this experience will prepare you for your third-year research project where you could be laboratory-based, field-based, focus on computer modelling, or even science communication.

Gain extra experience as part of your degree
You can add an extra year of research experience with an integrated masters (MBiolSci), or spend a year on a work placement and gain transferable skills working with a top employer.