Spotlight on Environmental Biology

With clearing coming up next week and A-level students starting to think about university applications, we thought it might be useful to give a little insight into a couple of our courses outside the formal setting of the University course pages.

Our Environmental Biology degree is an exciting course to study giving a good background in Biology, Biodiversity and Ecology and relating those to the contemporary issues of climate change and the impact that Man has on the planet. We are really keen on practical skills and the course offers a unique mix of field and lab work which allows our students to go on to good jobs in the environmental sector where skills attained during your degree in areas such as Ecotoxicology, Microbiology and Biochemistry can be combined with field Biology and Ecology. Given the breadth of the degree, there are numerous employment and further study opportunities. Our lab facilities will give you access to cutting edge techniques like genomics and proteomics as well as the classics of lab biology. We also have excellent links with local, national and international organisations that will give you the opportunity to interact with biology professionals and if you want to take the opportunity, you can undertake a placement year at the end of your second year.


The course features two overseas, residential field courses, one in the first year to Roscoff in France and one at the beginning of the second year to the beautiful Azores where students get hands-on experience of both field and lab techniques and the integration of the two practical sides. We make the activities as realistic as possible to give you the best introduction to what working in environmental consultancy or management would really be like.

These are the kinds of things that students tell us about this degree when they leave us at the end of their degree:

'What I have learnt will shape the rest of my life.''Thank you for expanding my mind. I have really enjoyed every module.' 'The teaching has been superb and many of the staff truly inspirational.' 'I found the course inspiring, challenging and motivating, exceeding my highest expectations. The most rewarding three years of my life!'

'An excellent and worthwhile hands-on residential field course in a wonderful part of the world.'

'I hope that other students will be given such a good opportunity to learn with enjoyment.'

Try reading a full testimonial from one of our students who is currently carrying out a PhD in New Zealand.

Group Photo - Azores

Reforestation monitoring of native Laurisilva forest, reclaimed from the Cryptomeria monoculture (background) for protection of the endemic Azores Bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina) - Azores

Amphipod briefing on the sand - Roscoff