Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biology and Education

at Keele University United Kingdom

The LLM combines a set of foundational core modules in law and society with a flexible choice of electives. Studying the LLM supports a deep understanding of the relationship between law and society, provides training in innovative methods and the acquisition of transferable skills, and promotes genuine interdisciplinarity. 

This programme has been carefully developed for students who are interested in gaining advanced knowledge of psychological theory as this relates to social and political issues and the potential for such knowledge to generate progressive social change. The degree programme will equip you to engage critically and analytically with these issues and help you to develop novel ways of thinking about yourself, those around you and society at large. The theoretical and applied nature of this programme will offer you the opportunity to study how psychology helps interpret some of the most pressing social and political issues facing human society in the 21st Century and how it can contribute to tackling some of them.

In addition to your taught components, you will have the opportunity to undertake a dissertation project on a topic of your choice under the direct supervision of a member of staff. You will be able to use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method approaches.

A further unique feature of this degree programme is that it involves you in the design and implementation of an Action Research Project that is aimed at bringing a tangible, positive change on or off campus in collaboration with your fellow students and under the supervision of your Module Leader.

The programme is aimed primarily at students with a degree in Psychology but will also be valuable and relevant to students with an interest or background in Criminology, International Relations, Politics, Sociology, History, and other relevant Social Sciences degrees. Applicants without a degree will be considered on a case by case basis, where they can provide evidence of relevant professional experience or other experiential prior learning.

Astrophysics is active wherever the laws of physics are being tested to the limit – and beyond. Keele will help you to use astronomical observations, mathematical models and computer simulation to develop theories explaining some of the most complex phenomena.

You’ll develop your mathematics and computing skills, and apply them to solving a range of problems in the laboratory and beyond (you’ll have access to Keele’s own on-site observatory). We are committed to supporting you throughout your studies, providing you flexible access to our staff to seek advice or feedback.

For the Forensic Science element of the course, you will be taught by academics and forensic professionals, and gain valuable lab and crime scene experience, helping you to stay ahead in this fast-moving science. You will be taught in our modern laboratory facilities and have access to equipment and our dedicated Crime Scene House.

This course will provide you with a broad education in the core areas of forensic science. Your studies may explore key topics in forensic chemistry, analytical science, forensic biology and criminalistics science. You will develop your analytical science skills, enabling you to analyse a variety of evidence. This is complemented by additional emphasis on professional practice and an understanding of the roles of the crime scene investigator and the forensic scientist as an expert witness in the court.

Our forensic science combined honours programmes are recognised by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. 

Biology at Keele focuses on the amazing world of organisms – from how they’ve evolved to their relationships with the environment and each other. Keele takes a broad approach to biology, examining the diversity of life and its evolution from the geological past. You’ll consider a range of biological concepts which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels, and the related philosophical and ethical issues.

You’ll engage in activities to strengthen your skillset which may include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and in our well-equipped labs. Complete this course over three years, or it may be possible (subject combination dependant) to add an extra year with an applied life sciences work placement or a one year study abroad placement between the second and third year.

This degree is combined with the study of geology. Geology is a science fundamental to modern day living, with geologists discovering society’s major resource needs including metals, minerals, energy and groundwater. The combined honours geology course at Keele looks at rocks, minerals and fossils - how they were formed, how they might have been deformed or altered over geological time, and what they can tell us about the history of the Earth and its past environments.

The course will cover the fundamentals of engineering in medicine, introduce you to the latest developments in medical technology and expose you to the challenges of working with patients through clinical visits. Learning and teaching methods include lectures and demonstrations from medical and engineering specialists, practical classes using state-of-the-art facilities and seminars with leading national and international researchers.

Graduate destinations for our students could include: delivering non-clinical services and technology management in a hospital; designing, developing and manufacturing medical devices in the private sector; working for a governmental regulatory agency for healthcare services and products; undertaking further postgraduate study and research (PhD); pursuing a university-based, academic research career; or providing technical consultancy for marketing departments.

Is your imagination captured by the literature of the Renaissance and the Victorians, or the opportunity to know more about postcolonialism or postmodernism? As an English Literature student at Keele, you'll be encouraged to delve deep into a range of literary works, which may include authors such as Emily Bronte, Aphra Behn, Tsitsi Dangarembga and J M Coetzee.

Our intellectually stimulating and engaging approach to exploring novels, poetry, drama, graphic novels and other types of literature produce intelligent, perceptive, socially aware and compassionate individuals who are able to make a real impact. English Literature at Keele is a vibrant community of staff and students who are passionate in their belief that literature and culture are vital to understand the world around us.

For the Computer Science element on this course, you will learn the underpinning theories of software, hardware and computing techniques – and how to apply them in the real world. You’ll learn to use technology to create new opportunities and to solve a wide range of problems, benefiting every aspect of society from the home to business, government and beyond.

Our teaching is informed by research, and we also reflect what’s happening now in industry. Combined honours students can follow a set of modules providing a specialism in information systems, evolutionary systems, or creative computing, whilst single honours students cover all these strands. There’s a strong emphasis on programming – but don’t worry if you don’t have A Level Mathematics, because the course covers what you need to know. You’ll have access to our own computing labs, based on Microsoft Windows and Linux, plus a wide range of software. 

For the Physics element of the course, you will learn to apply mathematics and computing to formulate and solve a wide range of physical problems. You’ll use mathematics to describe the physical world, and learn to plan and conduct investigations before reporting your results. Your course will be informed by the research interests of your teaching staff and laboratory sessions will enable you to investigate unfamiliar phenomena and acquire specialist techniques, but you’ll also develop invaluable transferable skills such as communication, IT and interpersonal skills. We are committed to supporting you throughout your studies, providing you flexible access to our staff to seek advice or feedback.

You will have the opportunity to develop your creative practice skills alongside the analytical study of screen and literary texts. You will explore the core areas of Film Studies, with Keele’s combined emphasis on local and global film cultures, and its focus on the key concepts and issues in film history and theory. Looking across a range of films and filmmaking contexts, you will analyse, discuss and debate the cultural significance and creative possibilities of this powerful medium as well as having the opportunity to develop your screenwriting skills. Alongside this, you will study literature and creative writing in every semester, experimenting with prose and poetry to develop your skills and to become a mature practitioner. You’ll be taught by a team of researchers and practitioners who are active and experts in their fields, with a commitment to lively and innovative teaching methods.

On this course, you will develop a solid foundation of theory and practical skills, building to cover advanced concepts and contemporary issues in chemistry in later years. You will learn to use chemistry in problem solving and to to present your theories and findings confidently and imaginatively. You may also have the opportunity to tailor your studies to reflect your interests, and learn how to pursue your own research, as well as gain experience with scientific instruments and techniques.

Environmental Science at Keele draws on the expertise of scientists within the disciplines of life sciences, chemical sciences and geosciences. This course aims to develop your scientific understanding and practical skills needed to help tackle many of the world’s major environmental (and societal) problems such as climate change, food security, water resources, pollution and conservation. Alongside studying topical global environmental issues, you will have the opportunity to develop a broad range of practical, laboratory and field-based skills to take into future employment.

This course is aimed at developing your programming skills from a very basic level, using Python, so you can move onto more advanced programming concepts used in other modules. Our experienced lecturers will help you develop an advanced knowledge of software engineering methodologies, as well as data analytics and databases.

You will develop and extend the practical skills that are necessary for the designing, building, deployment and evaluation of distributed information systems and enterprise applications over the Internet, with a focus on security issues.