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Open University

UCAS Code: Not applicable | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

Sorry, no information to show

About this course

Course option

3years

Distance learning | 2025

Subject

Biology

In this specialist route available in our BSc (Honours) Natural Sciences (Q64), you’ll explore diverse aspects of biology from cells to whole organisms, with further options to study subject areas such as human biology, or to explore the role of science in society. You’ll develop analytical and scientific literacy skills carrying out practical work and a research project.

**Key features of the course**
- Accredited by the Society for Natural Sciences (SNS)

- Awarded interim accreditation by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB)

- Covers a contemporary understanding of a wide range of biology subjects with study of the scientific method throughout

- Develops biological data handling, some statistical analysis and varied presentation skills, with report-writing and IT skills

- Delivers practical work through a range of home and field investigations, as well as virtual and remote experiments delivered via our award-winning OpenScience Laboratory

- Includes the opportunity to develop fieldwork and practical skills through optional short residential schools

Modules

This natural sciences degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.
In Stage 1, you’ll study two 60-credit modules.
In Stage 2, you’ll study two 30-credit modules and choose 60 credits of option modules.
In Stage 3, you’ll study one 60-credit module, choose one 30-credit module and complete a 30-credit project module.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£24,552
for the whole course
England
£23,352
for the whole course
EU
£24,552
for the whole course
International
£24,552
for the whole course
Northern Ireland
£7,440
for the whole course
Republic of Ireland
£21,996
for the whole course
Scotland
£7,632
for the whole course
Wales
£7,872
for the whole course

The Uni

Course location:

Distance Learning

Department:

The Open University

Read full university profile

What students say

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

89%
Biology

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Biology

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£27,000
high
Average annual salary
89%
med
Employed or in further education
79%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

The recession was tough on biology graduates, and although the jobs market has improved for them - a lot - it's still not back to where it was a few years ago. If you want a career in biology research — and a lot of biology students do - you'll need to take a doctorate, so give some thought as to where you might do it and how you might fund it (the government still funds doctorates for good students). A lot of graduates also take 1 year Masters courses to specialise in this wide and deep subject - most students take a standard biology course for their first degree and then specialise in subjects like ecology, conservation or marine biology later. Hospitals, universities, biotech firms, zoos and nature reserves and clinical and scientific testing are common industries of employment for biology graduates.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Biology (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£26k

£26k

£28k

£28k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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UCAS Points: -

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here