Core modules
A core syllabus is offered in the first year for all degree courses providing the essential foundations in biology, biochemistry, genetics and chemistry. The same content in the first year means that it is often possible to transfer between the different degrees at the end of the first year. Core and optional modules in the second and third years allow students to tailor their degree.
Our modules span human brain health and wellbeing, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, infection, and the biology of molecules and cellular systems, including recent advances in psychiatric conditions such as depression and schizophrenia. Other areas covered include CNS conditions such as epilepsy, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and neuromuscular disorders.
Most modules are core in the first year with optional modules in year two and three with the fourth year comprising of an Extended Research Project and Research Skills (training in advanced laboratory techniques, data handling and statistical analyses, critical analysis of the literature and designing research proposals).
Year One
Molecules, Cells and Organisms
You'll study this module as the essential foundation for most other modules taught in the School of Life Sciences. You'll gain the basic knowledge you need of molecular and cellular aspects of biology, and also become familiar with whole-organism and developmental biology, in the context of evolution.
Agents of Infectious Disease
You will start by gaining a thorough foundation in microbiology and virology, using infectious diseases as a common link to promote your understanding. Through your study of epidemiology, you will learn to appreciate the way that diseases spread and the methods used to investigate this spread. On completion, you can expect to understand the role of various structures associated with the bacterial cell in causing a range of diseases, and appreciate the structure of viruses and how this relates to their capacity to cause disease and the host response to viral challenge. This will equip you with the necessary theoretical foundations to underpin your future studies.
Physiology and Metabolism
On this module, you will learn how parts of the body function and work together in the whole organism. You will study the physiology of the nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system and special senses. Your study of metabolism will help you to understand the generation of energy within the body, anabolism, the role of enzymes, and specific functions such as glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway and photosynthesis. You will then combine your learning to gain a thorough understanding of the way the body adapts to environmental conditions such as altitude, depth, cold and heat.
Quantitative Skills for Biology
All biological scientists need to understand and analyse quantitative data. So, this module will see you learning to use statistical methods for analysing and summarising experimental data (for example, from your lab classes), and learning the basic principles for modelling biological populations.
Tutorials and Laboratories
Chemistry for Biologists - compulsory for entrants without A2 level Chemistry
Year Two
Tutorials and Laboratories
Molecular Cell Biology
On this module, you will gain a sound knowledge of the organisation, complexity and essential processes that occur in the genomes and information-processing mechanisms in all three domains of life. You will study the molecular biology that underlies fundamental cellular processes, including the cytoskeleton in cellular structure, function and motility, the mechanisms that control cell proliferation and genome stability, protein processing in secretory pathway organelles, and programmed cell death in eukaryotic cells.
Blood and Circulation
This module is designed to give you an all-round understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of two linked body systems, blood, the haematological system, and circulation, the cardiovascular system. You will cover the functioning of these systems in both health and disease.
Neurobiology
This physiology module provides an overview of neurobiology and includes an introduction to the physiology of the nervous system and detailed analysis of the cell and molecular biology underlying the development and functions of the nervous system.
Neurobiology of Disease
You will learn about the structure and function of the brain and the peripheral nervous system. You will gain an understanding of the neuropathology, anatomy and pathophysiology of diseases involved. You will be taught how physiological processes can be disrupted and the clinical consequences these disruptions cause.
Neuropharmacology
Neuropharmacology is the study of how chemical agents influence bodily functions in both health and disease, and indeed how the body deals with these chemicals. The module will concentrate on the use of drug-based therapeutics in a range of human diseases and will bridge the gap between basic cell signalling, biochemistry and the complex patho-physiology and treatment of the diseases.
Molecular Endocrinology
This module provides you with a foundation for the further study of endocrinology at the cellular and molecular level and a firm basis for understanding normal hormonal control.
Year Three/Four (Depending on if you do an industrial placement or study abroad)
Tutorials and Research Project
Integrative Neuroscience
By considering the important cellular components of the central nervous system this modules illustrates current knowledge of how these determine and contribute to the integrative function of the nervous system.
Modern Approaches to Human Disease
On this module, you will engage with two major themes in modern medicine: evidence-based medicine and medical ethnics. You will achieve this through in-depth study of the medical specialities of reproductive medicine, renal medicine and central nervous system (CNS) medicine.
Year Four
Research Skills Training
In this module you will receive training in practical lab skills, data analysis, and research proposal writing and evaluation. You will also take part in a number of journal club sessions, reading and discussing scientific literature.
Extended Research Project
You will carry out a research project, supervised by an academic on an area that interests you, between late October and April. This forms the main component of year four.
Optional modules
Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:
- Dynamics of Biological Systems
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Biological Clocks
- Synthetic Biology
- Science Communication
- Extreme Environment Biology
- Interdisciplinary and Business modules
- One World Health and Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Introduction to Secondary Teaching in Biology
