Biological Sciences

The first year is spent studying for the Biology Honours Moderations. This course is divided into three compulsory sections: Cells and Genes; Organisms; and Ecology, together with an introductory course in Quantitative Methods. The first year course offers a grounding in all the most essential areas of Biology. The Finals course is designed to be progressive and, by covering a wide range of subject areas, to allow students to develop their interests in particular areas of Biology. In the second year there are two compulsory courses (Evolution; Quantitative Methods) and six themes (Adaptations to the Environment; Animal Behaviour; Cell and Developmental Biology; Disease; Ecology; Plants and People) of which students take at least 80% of the lectures. There are six practical topics of which students take a minimum of three. In the third year, students choose 6-8 specialist options from a selection of 20-24 options covering the full breadth of active research in the departments. Several courses involve residential field courses in the UK or abroad. All undergraduates complete a research project, either of their own devising or from the very wide range offered each year.