Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biology and Geology

at Keele University United Kingdom

At Keele, you’ll develop a deep appreciation of human disorders and diseases from a scientific and pathology practitioner’s perspective. Your studies will integrate human physiology, biochemistry, pathology, immunology, neuroscience, and molecular and cell biology, benefiting from research-led teaching. Your degree will be accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science and the Royal Society of Biology, assuring you of the quality of the programme as preparation for a career in Pathology.

You may be eligible to engage in a placement opportunity which may include a one year work placement or a summer’s research in the UK or abroad.

Based within the School of Life Sciences, our excellent academic staff ensure that we remain at the forefront of international research. You’ll love working in our fantastic labs, working with state-of-the-art equipment and developing cutting-edge techniques.

Previous students have enjoyed our opportunities for studying abroad, industrial placements and international projects. It all adds up to superb preparation for your future career, whether you choose to work in industry, healthcare, research or academia, or go on to further study.

This course will fully immerse you in the discipline of psychology by offering a personalised learning experience with abundant choice across compulsory and elective modules.

You will share closely the excitement of new discoveries in psychology working alongside academic staff on research projects from brain electrophysiology to studies on alcohol, and from conflict resolution and forgiveness to how young people respond to advertising.

Our students tell us how much they value the psychology-specific learning support on offer from our Academic Support Team, from essay writing workshops to support with project work and rapid response advice over email.

You will learn to apply psychology in situations ranging from negotiating personal relationships to influencing judgments about matters of global significance such as climate change. You will graduate ready to use your psychology skills and knowledge to make a real difference.

The goal of medicinal chemistry is to support the search for new drugs to treat conditions such as heart disease and cancer. You’ll work in well-equipped laboratories, and learn to conduct effective independent research, and explore complex chemical and biological processes involved in the design and manufacture of drugs and other therapies for treating disease. You’ll develop essential skills for employment, such as problem solving, presentation and communication.

Taking Physics as part of a Combined Honours degree, will allow you to explore the subject fundamentals, including quantum mechanics, relativity and electromagnetism, and apply this knowledge to solve problems, plan investigations, analyse results and to report and present your work.

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.

This Environmental Geoscience pathway through the Geology degree combines the study of the geological aspects of the Earth, including its structure, formation, composition, history, processes, hazards and materials, with key topics in environmental science, including climate change, contaminated land and remediation, water, soil and air quality, and the sustainable use of resources.

Environmental Geoscience is a practical subject with an emphasis on critical analysis and problem-solving. The learning environments we use include the traditional lecture setting, but you will spend more time with hands-on learning in labs, practical classes and on fieldwork using a wide variety of equipment and software. A diverse range of specialist topics are covered, and you will conduct your own research projects. All of our single honours students are offered a work placement module in year 2.

You will acquire a wide range of transferable skills, including communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, evaluate and synthesise information from diverse sources.

On this course, you will integrate understanding of our physiology with the holistic and behavioural approach of psychology. You'll cover a broad range of topics which may include health and disease, social, cognitive and biological psychology and research methods. Human Biology provides a broad understanding of the physiology of the body’s major systems as well as human health and disease and the relationship between the human body with the environment.

You will be challenged with exciting ideas and findings from psychology and human biology. In Psychology, you will deal with social and developmental psychology, cognitive and biological psychology and research methods. You will explore issues that relate to our ever changing lifestyles and will be taught through a multidisciplinary approach that is supported by input from experts in their field. You’ll benefit from a supportive environment as well as fantastic lab facilities and equipment.

On this course, you’ll be studying life at the molecular level, investigating the most exciting areas of contemporary life science and medical research. You might explore the secrets of the human genome, or the individually tailored molecular therapies of the future.

Particular emphasis is placed on human and mammalian biochemistry, especially relating to health and disease. This Single Honours course includes more Biochemistry modules and also includes choices from a pool of elective modules (either directly related or free choice). You also have the opportunity to do a work/industrial placement year between the second and third year, making it a four year degree. 

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.

Our Medicinal Chemistry graduates have excellent employment prospects, whether at the cutting edge of drug discovery or in a wide range of related fields. You might go to work for a pharmaceutical company, either as a research scientist or in a more business related role. Alternatively, you might work in a different organisation as a development chemist, a research assistant, or a site chemist.

Modern industrial society depends on geologists to find natural resources such as minerals, hydrocarbons, metals, aggregates and water, for designing foundations, tunnels and other engineering projects, and environmental projects such as radioactive waste disposal or carbon dioxide sequestration. You will acquire a wide range of transferable skills, including communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, evaluate and synthesise information from diverse sources. You will develop subject specific-skills like the ability to manipulate, analyse and present geospatial data using industry standard GIS and drawing software. You might choose to work in geological, geophysical or environmental consultancy, in construction, mining, in the energy sector, planning or insurance. Many of our graduates go onto further study at Master's/PhD level.

This course draws on the expertise of scientists within the disciplines of life sciences, chemical sciences and geosciences. You will develop the scientific understanding and practical skills needed to 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.

Combining this course with BSc (Hons) Geography allows you to focus specifically on your preferred area of physical geography. You will explore the Earth's varied landscapes and the complex, potentially fragile, global systems that connect them. You will also learn about the rapidly evolving science at the heart of global environmental change and discover new ways of understanding and appreciating the natural world around us. This programme has been accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers).

This programme is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES), meaning you can gain free membership of the IES to support your personal and professional development in the environmental sector. The programme is also accredited by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and therefore you may apply for free Student Membership of the IEMA which provides a range of benefits.

In this programme, you will be taught in our modern laboratory facilities and have access to equipment and our dedicated Crime Scene House. By studying this course you will develop a detailed understanding of the physiology and anatomy of the major systems of the human body. These concepts will build your understanding of Forensic Science, especially in areas such as forensic identification. The analysis of the unique biological molecules produced by the bodies of both the victim and perpetrator is often the key to solving a crime.

You will learn to use biological and forensic concepts to link a suspect to a scene. You will develop not only experience in forensic investigation, but also knowledge and skills in biological and analytical science. You will be working alongside academic and technical staff, supported by contributions from forensic professionals, in our modern laboratory facilities.