Biological Sciences undergraduate courses

Get ahead in your career with courses that have an excellent reputation for quality and give you a head start in fascinating, rewarding and varied careers. 

• Expert teaching team: Learn from a highly qualified team who are supportive, friendly and approachable. They are keen to pass their knowledge on to you. They include active international researchers whose work is shaping debates in biological sciences areas including ecology, entomology and biodiversity.
• Opening doors partnerships: Organisations such as Sea Life, Derby Museums, Royal Derby Hospital, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Twycross Zoo give you great opportunities for relevant work experience and internships. You’ll also have the opportunity, on a competitive basis, to help with our teaching team’s research. Previously our students have secured roles at the Leukaemia Research Foundation in London, Royal Derby Hospital, The Institute of Cancer Research in London and local pharmacies.
• State-of-the-art laboratories: Hone your practical skills in our newly-upgraded learning and high-specification laboratory facilities such as the Facility for Omics Research in Metabolism (FORM), a glasshouse with plants from diverse habitats, an insectary housing many different species and a brand new Aquatic Research Facility. We are also currently developing a new Biomedical Super Lab.
• Exciting fieldwork opportunities: Previous students have studied animal interaction at Twycross Zoo, conducted ecological projects in Majorca and have undertaken scientific investigations in the Maldives.
• Quality learning: Benefit from high academic standards, our BSc (Hons) Biology and BSc (Hons) Zoology are accredited by the Royal Society of Biology and our Zoology course also has Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) accredited degree pathways.

Specialist facilities

You can hone your practical skills in our modern and well-equipped facilities:

• Class ll containment suite to grow and manipulate bacteria and viruses
• Insectary housing many different species
• Aquatic Research Facility 
• Glasshouse with plants from diverse habitats
• Student research laboratory dedicated for your independent study project

 "One of the things I really liked about Derby was that in my second and third years I was able to choose which modules I wanted to take, meaning I could focus on what interested me most. I particularly enjoyed my third-year independent study module where I was able to design my own research project. I am now studying my PhD. I would never have made it this far were it not for the help and encouragement I received. Choosing to study a Biological Sciences course has been one of the best decisions I've ever made." 

Samuel Hardman, BSc (Hons) Biology graduate

What our Biological Sciences graduates do

Career opportunities open to graduates include:

• educational assistant
• medical and biotechnology industry
• graduate ecologist
• medical research
• trainee animal technician
• lecturer
• health charities
• laboratory technician
• research scientist
• scientific writing
• senior assistant healthcare scientist
• pre-registration pharmacy technician
• animal care assistant
• teaching assistant
• health sector

Biology and Zoology - your questions answered

Programme Leader for Biology Dr David Elliott answers your frequently asked questions about Biology and Zoology.