Life Sciences (with Dundee and Angus College)

Description

Why study Life Sciences at Dundee?

This new and exciting Widening Access Co-curriculum programme, run in collaboration with Dundee & Angus College, gives you the opportunity of securing a place at the University of Dundee if you currently fall short of our entry requirements but meet our Widening Access criteria.

Dundee & Angus College

The aim of the first year, taught primarily at Dundee & Angus College, is to provide you with a strong foundation in basic science, giving you the core knowledge and skills to continue in your Life Sciences studies. Key areas will be supplemented through sessions supplied by the College of Life Sciences which will be taught on the University campus.

You will matriculate as a University of Dundee student with full access to all of the resources and facilities. On successful completion of first year you will transfer directly into year 2 of the Life Sciences programme at the University of Dundee.

Staff at both Dundee & Angus College and the University operate an open-door policy and students are encouraged to approach staff as and when they wish for help and support.

Research-led teaching

Leading scientists are involved both in the planning and teaching of our courses, and we have up-to-date and well-equipped facilities for practical work.

Undertaking an Honours laboratory research project will provide you with an opportunity to experience work as part of a real research team.

What's so good about Life Sciences at Dundee?

An excellent reputation

Our research is rated 1st in Europe for biology and biochemistry, and 4th for molecular biology and genetics (By Thomson Scientific), and we are ranked 85th in the World's Top Universities for life sciences by the QS World University Rankings 2011.

Our excellent reputation also extends to the quality of our teaching. In the 2010 National Student Survey we were ranked No. 1 in the UK for student satisfaction in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, with 100% of our students saying they were satisfied with the quality of their course. In biochemistry and biological sciences we were ranked No. 1 in Scotland.

Flexibility and choice

The curriculum is highly flexible and permits you to keep most degree options open until halfway through Level 2. Even at the end of Level 3 you may still have at least two degree options open to you. You will be able to defer your final decision until you are in a position to choose in the light of experience.

Degree pathways

The diagram below shows the various degree pathways that you can take. To read about this in further detail, please visit the 'teaching & assessment' section of this webpage.

Please note that although you apply for a BSc in Life Sciences, you will have the opportunity to specialise in a particular area and graduate in a specialist subject.

"The Medical School is part of the Ninewells Hospital and it is a wonderful opportunity for us students to be able to go on wards, ask for advice from doctors, and see patients from the very beginning of our studies. The curriculum at Dundee Medical School suits my learning style perfectly and I am so glad I am a Medical student at the University of Dundee!"

Anda Bularga

Employability

A degree from the College of Life Sciences offers excellent job prospects after graduation. The University has one of the highest graduate employment rates in the UK.

To find out more about career options, please visit the individual course webpages.

Detailed Course Facts

Application deadline January 15th Tuition fee

The fees you pay will, in most cases, depend on your current country of residence.

The fee shown is annual, and may be subject to an increase each year.

Fee category

Fees for students starting September 2015

Scottish students

£1,820 per year of study (for Sept 2014 entry). Fees for September 2015 will be confirmed by the Scottish Government in early 2015.

Rest of UK students

Not applicable

EU students

£1,820 per year of study (for Sept 2014 entry). Fees for September 2015 will be confirmed by the Scottish Government in early 2015.

Overseas students (non-EU)

Not applicable

Not specified Start date September 2015 Course Starts in September Duration full-time 48 months Partnership Joint Languages Take an IELTS test

• English

Delivery mode On Campus Educational variant Full-time

Course Content

This course is taught collaboratively in first year by the Dundee & Angus College Applied Sciences team and the University of Dundee Life Sciences team, based in the College of Life Sciences.

Our staff have many contacts in environmental management and consultancy, with expeditions and other academic units, all of which can be used to provide invaluable experience for students in their final-year projects.

What you will study

Honours Degree

An honours degree normally takes four years, full time, you study levels 1-4, as described below.

Typical Degree Programme

Visit the BSc overview page to learn more about our BSc programme.

Levels 1 and 2

The first two years will provide you with a broad-based working knowledge and understanding of living organisms at all levels of organisation: from molecules and cells through tissues and organs to the organisms themselves and the ecosystems in which they live. In all cases, you will be encouraged to consider how evolution through natural selection has acted to shape the living and extinct organisms that you encounter in their studies.

Level 1

Compulsory modules at Dundee & Angus College:

• Presentation Skills in Science
• Statistics for Science
• Information Technology Applications Software 1
• Fundamental Chemistry: Theory and Practice
• Cell Biology: Theory and Practice DNA Structure and Function Microbiology: Theory and Practice
• Quality and Health & Safety Systems in Science Industries
• Applied Sciences: Graded Unit 1
• Biochemistry: Theory and Practice

Optional modules at Dundee & Angus College:

• Fundamental Chemistry: An Introduction
• Genetics

Optional modules at University of Dundee:

• Introduction to the Life Sciences: The Early Years
• Introduction to the Life Sciences: Why go multicellular?
• Life : Building the organism
• Life : The Underlying Structures

Level 2

Compulsory modules at the University of Dundee:

• The Evolution of Modern Life
• The Gene and the Cell
• Laboratory and Research Skills 2A
• Laboratory and Research Skills 2B
• Biomedical Sciences
• Biological Sciences
• Laboratory and Research Skills 2C

Optional modules at University of Dundee:

• Active Living
• Skills for Life Sciences
• Introductory Anatomy

Level 3

Level 3 (equivalent to SCQF 9) is based around two themes, the Biological Sciences and the Biomedical Sciences.

The Biological Sciences theme supports your development as a broader life scientist, and allows you to focus on current areas of research excellence in the College - many of these use the same principles and technologies to study different problems and, as the year progresses, you will be choosing which areas interest you more, and therefore which of several degree streams is best for you.

These include:

• biochemistry
• molecular biology
• molecular genetics
• microbiology
• biological chemistry
• drug discovery

The Biomedical Sciences theme prepares you for degrees in subjects in which subject-specific knowledge has a stronger role, while still being within the research excellence of the University, and which are focussed more on the human condition:

• anatomical sciences
• forensic anthropology
• neuroscience
• pharmacology
• physiological sciences
• sports biomedicine

At the end of Level 3, you may leave with a non-Honours degree in Biological or Biomedical Sciences, an excellent foundation for many careers.

Between Levels 3 and 4, you have the opportunity to take a year out of Dundee, either studying abroad, or on a full-time work placement. Both of these can give you a 'real world' perspective on your studies, while further developing your CV.

Level 4

Level 4 (equivalent to SCQF 10) continues the specialisation of Level 3, focussing strongly on your degree choice, and with a significant laboratory and skills element, through the Honours project and seminars and presentations. Because the Honours year is that much more challenging, entry to Level 4 from Level 3 requires a minimum grade average.

At the end of Level 4, you will either graduate with an Honours degree in a named single subject, or a more general Honours degree in Biological Sciences or Biomedical Sciences.

Specialisation in two subjects will be recognised in your degree title, for example BSc Biomedical Sciences (Pharmacology and Physiological Sciences). The title of your degree will reflect the specialist subject(s) you have studied and the project undertaken.

Integrated Masters (Level 5)

We are currently developing the Level 5 curriculum, which will provide an opportunity for extensive development of your research and analytical skills in the subject area you feel most passionate about.

This level, the Integrated Masters, may consist of an extensive research project, coupled with in-depth analytical seminars and research training, which will prepare you for the world of biotechnology and pharmaceutical research, both in and out of the academic world; or it may focus on the specialist knowledge in e.g. anatomical or forensic sciences, that will prepare you to be a practitioner on graduation.

If you want to do the Masters year, you will need to achieve high scores throughout your studies, as progression into this part of the course will be competitive.

Transferable Skills

Throughout your scientific studies you will be developing transferable skills.

At Levels 1 to 3 you will be taught transferable skills, either embedded within the core curriculum, or as part of the pastoral and academic tutorial system. Your degree programme will involve a combination of independent learning and team work, through which you will develop your skills in information processing, use of computers, problem-solving, experimental design, analysis and critical evaluation of scientific literature, report writing, making presentations, communication and time management. These are important elements of all of our degree programmes, and they will help to ensure that you have the skills to make you attractive to a wide range of employers.

How you will be assessed

All modules are assessed by a combination of in-course and end-of-course procedures. Regular in-course assessments (e.g. practical reports, computer-based exercises, essays and data processing exercises) provide feedback on your progress and help you prepare for end-of-module examinations.

Progression to your chosen specialisation at level 3 will depend on your overall performance in each module.

Requirements

See Course Homepage for Full Details

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than University of Dundee.