Course summary

Biology is the study of life. Life on earth is fascinating, astonishing, diverse and beautiful, and the course aims to provide you with a detailed knowledge of all living organisms, how they work and how they function together with the environment they live in. However, all life is currently under threat, with man-made (anthropogenic) change affecting the earth and all its systems. Biological sciences offer us a number of tools which can be used to alleviate these effects, and preserve our natural environment, both for the benefit of plants and animals, and for current and future generations. This degree, Biological Sciences with Sustainability, is a multidisciplinary degree focussed on the biological sciences, preparing you to evaluate aspects of all life on earth, and provide solutions to ensure a sustainable future. Sustainable Development is defined as an aspirational ongoing process of addressing social, environmental and economic concerns to create a better world.. We need to recognise the interdependence of environmental integrity, social justice and economic prosperity, while acknowledging that environmental resources are finite and provide the foundation for our society and economy. The United Nations has defined seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which define the areas to direct efforts to ensure a sustainable future. This course will give you a solid ground in aspects of sustainable development, focussed around these SDGs, and centred on the biological sciences. In the first year of this course, you’ll study the building blocks of life, from molecules to cells to organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. You’ll also be taught about the planet – its history, geology, chemistry, physics and climate, which dictate how life has evolved. Genetics and evolution are central to understanding biodiversity, and therefore underpin everything else. We shall also introduce you to the basic concepts of sustainability, centred on the three principles of environment, society and economy. These principles underpin teaching throughout the course. In your second year, you’ll study the systems in which life exists, and the interconnectivity of life, embedded in the principles of ecology, and the applications of different aspects of biological sciences such as conservation, ecosystem resources, biological resource production (agriculture, forestry, bioreactors for production of food, wood, pharmaceuticals etc), as well as the threats posed to life by anthropogenic (man-made) factors such as climate change, pollution, use of pesticides etc. We will also focus in more detail on the three main aspects of sustainability (society, environment and economics) and develop your competency in systems thinking. For those interested, you’ll have the opportunity to study health and disease in man or animals, a central pillar of sustainable development. You will also develop a research proposal for your final year project, working with a supervisor of your choice on a project based on their field of research. In your final year, you‘ll apply the biological knowledge and skills you have acquired to meet the challenges posed by the need for sustainable development. There will be a range of optional modules for you to choose from, depending on your particular interests. These include topics such as Behavioural Ecology (the study of behavioural interactions between individuals which affects their evolutionary fitness); Human Pathology (for those interested in human diseases); Tropical ecology and management (which includes an international field trip, which you would need to pay for); Food security (for those concerned about production of food and its sustainability); Wildlife Conservation – and many others. You’ll also study policy, internationalisation and economics so that you can understand the driving forces behind decisions made by governments and the constraints within which we all need to work.