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CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2023/24
2024/25
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Undergraduates
Postgraduates

Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre & Performance

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise
  • Creative Writing

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre & Performance

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise
  • Creative Writing

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Biological Sciences

See the other subjects we offer

Explore the inner workings of microbes, discover how medicines work, study the chemistry of life or learn how to protect delicate ecosystems.

Through our biological sciences courses at the University of Reading, you'll embark on the fascinating study of the science behind life itself, and humanity's interactions with the natural world.

Topics explored range from the detailed structures of complex biological molecules to the growth and development of multicellular animals and plants. Biology underpins important human services and industries including healthcare, agriculture, commercial manufacturing and energy.

Our biological sciences courses do not have a common first year, so you will be able to study your chosen subject right from the start. You'll also be able to tailor your studies to suit your interests through a range of optional modules.

Our courses also have a strong practical element, and you can learn a range of laboratory and fieldwork skills. You may even have the chance to take part in research with a global impact.

As the home of the School of Biological Sciences, our new £60m Health and Life Sciences building offers state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, and plenty of study and social space, including a café. The building also houses the Cole Museum of Zoology. The collection, featuring over 3,500 natural history specimens, provides a fantastic resource for biological scientists and the wider community.

There is also a wonderful array of wildlife on our award-winning Whiteknights campus, creating many opportunities for fieldwork on site. Additionally, you can apply your scientific knowledge to a range of other habitats through our optional field courses. These normally last between one and two weeks and take place in locations such as Devon, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Iceland, Spain and Colombia.

All of our lecturers are involved in research and you will be taught by experts in their fields. Our courses have a strong practical basis, and you will learn key cellular, molecular and biochemical techniques, including live cell microscopy, DNA and protein technology, microbial and molecular genetics, and cell culture. In the National Student Survey 2021, 87% of our students said that staff were good at explaining things. 

During your final year, you will have the chance to spend 11 weeks working in a lab on a research project. Past projects have included topics such as coronary heart disease, gene therapy for muscular dystrophies, stem cell biology, mosquito ecology and public understanding of evolution.

Courses


  • BSc Biochemistry

    Full Time: 3 years, with the option to include a placement year

  • BSc Biochemistry with Foundation

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Biochemistry with Professional Experience

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Biological Sciences

    Full Time:  3 Years

  • BSc Biological Sciences with Foundation

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Biological Sciences with Professional Experience

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Biomedical Sciences

    Full Time:  3 Years

  • BSc Biomedical Sciences with Foundation

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Biomedical Sciences with Professional Experience

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Microbiology

    Full Time:  3 Years

  • BSc Microbiology with Foundation

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Microbiology with Professional Experience

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BEng Biomedical Engineering

    Full Time:  3 Years | Other: You have the option to include a placement year

  • BSc Ecology and Wildlife Conservation

    Full Time:  3 Years

  • BSc Ecology and Wildlife Conservation with Foundation

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Ecology and Wildlife Conservation with Professional Experience

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Medical Science

    Full Time:  3 Years

  • BSc Medical Science with Foundation

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Medical Science with Professional Experience

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Zoology

    Full Time:  3 Years

  • BSc Zoology with Foundation

    Full Time:  4 Years

  • BSc Zoology with Professional Experience

    Full Time:  4 Years

After two years of studying Biomedical Sciences I continue to find the complexity of the human body fascinating, from the intricate features of intracellular organelles to whole organ systems. I enjoy learning about how the human body functions and where things can go wrong in diseases.

Laura Moody
BSc Biomedical Sciences

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

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Related Subjects


  • Zoology
  • Medical Sciences
  • Food

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