Natural Sciences (with placement year)

This accredited course offers flexibility to study a combination of physical sciences including chemistry, bioscience, mathematics, geography, physics and materials.

Building on the University’s established reputation in the fields of biosciences, chemistry, materials, mathematics and physics, our Natural Sciences MSci (Hons) course is a broad-based single honours degree that combines a variety of pathways from a range of life and physical science, as well as opportunities for interdisciplinary study.

Our Natural Sciences degree allows you the flexibility to study a combination of disciplines chosen across the physical sciences, including, Chemistry, Bioscience, Mathematics, Geography, Physics, and Materials, with increasing specialisation across the years*.

Developing the powerful skills needed to work between disciplines and communicate across them, our Natural Sciences degree is taught by academic staff who are internationally renowned experts in their respective fields and active in interdisciplinary research. You will be mentored to work independently and across the disciplines, conducting your own laboratory-based project.

The course is accredited by the Society for Natural Sciences.

Advances in the sciences are much more prevalent at the interface between the disciplines. This course offers students the chance to learn how to capitalise on the knowledge from multiple disciplines, with a focus on working and communicating across the sciences. These transferable skills are extremely relevant, and needed more and more for tackling real-world challenges.

By choosing to take the placement year option, you will be adding value to your degree by gaining hands-on industry experience in a real work setting. Not only will you be going back to study having advanced your knowledge of the area you are interested in and picked up transferable interpersonal skills, you will have gained experience to help you stand out from the crowd in the competitive graduate market.

The MSci concludes with a major research project and advanced level training in your chosen subject, giving you a solid grounding to continue a career in research or to go onto study a PhD.

*Some pathway combinations may not be possible.

What's the difference between MSci and BSc? The Natural Sciences BSc (Hons) degree course equips you for employment in scientific and other sectors, while our MSci course (4 year or 5 year sandwich) will prepare you for research work in industry or PhD research. The MSci provides more in-depth/complex teaching of the subject as the course progresses.