Biological Sciences at Bristol

The current School of Biological Sciences was founded in 1990 from the fusion of the Departments of Zoology and Botany. Our teaching has been rated as excellent by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the combination of excellence in research and teaching places us in the top rank of UK biology departments.

Research

We have an international reputation for the outstanding quality of our research, all of which underpins our teaching approach. Many of our staff are world leaders in their fields, giving you the opportunity to learn about the most up to date perspectives from those involved in shaping the latest advances in biology.
We are very proud of both our research breadth and depth. With respect to breadth we literally go from enzymes to ecosystems and with regard to depth, you will be taught by international experts in animal behaviour, molecular biology, evolution and ecology.

Teaching

Our teaching standards have been rated as 'excellent' by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). You will be taught by lecturers who are actively engaged in projects at the cutting edge of their research specialisms. You will benefit from the expertise of the researchers who actively shape our degree courses, which progress from building a rigorous foundation in biology to covering the latest cutting-edge topics in the life sciences.

Facilities

The University has invested £56 million in an iconic new building that forms a research hub for interdisciplinary research, facilitating major advances across the sciences. The Life Sciences building is located at the heart of the University campus, adjacent to other core science and medical schools, it couples central positioning with the best in sustainable design and energy efficiency. It also has plants cascading from the balconies of the atrium on the inside and a large living green wall on the outside.

The imaginatively-designed building features multiple break-out spaces and a five-storey laboratory wing which will enhance the student experience by facilitating research-led study and staff-student interaction. This flagship project underscores the University's belief that many of the 21st century's most exciting discoveries will emerge from biology, and that the next generation of biology graduates will have opportunities unparalleled anywhere else.

Unit structure

The school offers many classes that are based in a single semester, and can therefore accept unit requests from Study Abroad students who want to join Bristol for just the autumn or spring semester.

Unit levels

The school offers units across all undergraduate levels of study: year 1 (level C/4), year 2 (level I/5), and year 3 (level H/6) units. Postgraduate units are not available.

Unit codes

Unit codes in the School of Biological Sciences begin with 'BIOL'. This is followed by a number indicating the year (1, 2, 3). For example:

• BIOL10000 = year 1 unit
• BIOL20000 = year 2 unit
• BIOL30000 = year 3 unit.

For more information about each unit, check the University's unit catalogue for 2023/24. Applicants on all study abroad programmes must review the unit details on the catalogue before listing unit choices on their application form. This includes checking the format of assessment for each unit. The unit catalogue for 2023/24 is expected to be updated by the end of April 2023.

Your unit choices cannot be guaranteed. Some units may not have capacity to accommodate all of the unit requests we receive. Registration on a unit also depends on whether you meet the pre-requisite conditions through prior study at your home university.

Units available on the study abroad programme in 2023/24

The following units from the School of Biological Sciences are open to inbound Study Abroad students.

Application queries

Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:

Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk