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University of East Anglia UEA

UCAS Code: CC7P | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

B,B,B

including Biology or Human Biology. Contextual Offer: BCC Including Biology or Human Biology. Where applicable Science A Levels awarded by an English Exam board require a pass in the practical element. Not accepted: Critical Thinking and General Studies.

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

at Level 3 including 12 credits in Biology. Contextual offer: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with Merit in 30 credits at Level 3 and Pass in 15 credits at Level 3 including 12 credits in Biology at Merit.

Principal subjects and A-level combinations are considered - please contact us.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

31

with HL 5 in Biology.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

in Applied Science, Applied Science (Medical Science), Forensic and Criminal Investigation or Countryside Management OR DDM in any subject plus A-Level grade B in Biology or Human Biology. Contextual Offer: DMM in Applied Science, Applied Science (Medical Science), Forensic and Criminal Investigation or Countryside Management OR DMM in any subject plus A-Level grade B in Biology or Human Biology. Forensic and Criminal Investigation applicants MUST be studying ONE of the following modules: Physiology and Human Body Systems, Environmental Forensics, Forensic Genetics, Microbiology and Microbiological Techniques Please see UEA website for further information on accepted combinations. Excludes Public Services, BTEC Uniformed Services and BTEC Business Administration.

Scottish Advanced Higher

C,C,C

including Biology or Human Biology.

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B

including Biology or Human Biology.

Obtain an overall Merit. Accepted subjects: Science.

UCAS Tariff

120-147

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2026

Subjects

Genetics

Molecular biology

**Overview**
After the enormous advances made in the last few years, this is the perfect time to study molecular biology and genetics. Studying this BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics with a Placement Year will provide you with a fundamental grounding in biology while allowing you to determine which areas of molecular biology or genetics best align with your interests.

You’ll study alongside students from other biology courses and will have the flexibility to shape your degree to reflect the areas of biology you want to explore. This may include specialising in medical genetics, biotechnology, or agriculture, as well as their applications in fields such as human health and disease, microbial or plant molecular biology, cellular signaling, and evolutionary biology.

This four-year programme follows the structure of our BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics while giving you the opportunity to spend your third year on a work placement of your choice. A placement year makes an invaluable addition to your scientific knowledge and skills, increasing your employability and giving you the chance to put your first two years of learning into practice. Your placement can be in the UK or abroad, with recent students traveling to Europe, Australia, and North America. Previous students have worked in large pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline, small biotechnology companies such as Phico Therapeutics, or research institutes like the John Innes Centre, the Quadram Institute, and the Earlham Institute.

At UEA, you’ll benefit from our enviable position as an integral partner of the Norwich Research Park, which is home to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and independent, world-renowned research institutes: the John Innes Centre, the Sainsbury Laboratory, the Quadram Institute (a food and health research centre), and the Earlham Institute (a genomics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology research centre).

In your final year, you’ll have the chance to further develop your skills with an independent research project in a unique area of science and could even see your research published. 

**Disclaimer**
Course details are subject to change. You should always confirm the details on the provider's website: **www.uea.ac.uk**

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
International
£27,900
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

The Uni

Course location:

University of East Anglia UEA

Department:

School of Biological Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

83%
Molecular biology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below 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.

Genetics

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.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

68%
UK students
32%
International students
47%
Male students
53%
Female students
89%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry

Teaching and learning

79%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
79%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

81%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
94%
Course specific equipment and facilities
66%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

68%
UK students
32%
International students
47%
Male students
53%
Female students
92%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

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.

Genetics

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.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
82%
low
Employed or in further education
65%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

10%
Other elementary services occupations
8%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
7%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

Only a few hundred people take genetics courses every year and graduates from these courses are amongst the most likely to go on to do a doctorate when they graduate, as that's the level of qualification you need to go into a career in research in this important and fast-moving field. Lab jobs were the most popular outcome for genetics graduates, but whilst other science and technical occupations were also common, you could also find genetics graduates in a range of other roles, particularly business and finance.

Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry

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.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
90%
high
Employed or in further education
80%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

10%
Other elementary services occupations
8%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
7%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

Around 2,500 graduates got degrees in this demanding but valuable subject last year. Graduates who want a career in research usually take postgraduate qualifications - over a third of graduates in the subject took this option - but those who want to start work when they graduate have a lot to choose from. Laboratory work and other jobs in the biosciences are popular, as well as in education, but many biochemistry graduates find their way into the finance industry and as a consequence, graduates from these disciplines are particularly likely to get jobs in London and the South East.

What about your long term prospects?

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

Genetics

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

£20k

£20k

£27k

£27k

£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.

Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry

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

£20k

£20k

£27k

£27k

£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.

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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