Program Overview

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BSc Neuroscience

Overview

Our BSc Neuroscience course examines how the brain and nervous system work to generate behaviour, perception, movement, sleep, memory and other key functions.

The course also covers new technological advances that have been at the forefront of recent breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience, including biomedical imaging, genetic manipulation and functional recording at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels.

There have also been major advances in our understanding of the biology of higher brain function and the pathogenesis of a variety of neurological disorders, such as mental health disorders and neurodegenerative disease eg Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

You will study a range of topics during the course, including pharmacology, physiology, motor systems, sensory systems and more, with the opportunity to choose optional units in particular areas of interest.

You will spend your first year studying fundamental principles before going on to specialise in your second and final years.

Special features

• A range of study options
• Foundation Year available
• Flexibility to transfer between courses

Teaching and learning

You will benefit from a wide range of teaching and learning methods that suit the content and aims of each course unit.

These range from lectures and tutorials to practical and research projects, including the final year project.

Coursework and assessment

Assessment methods vary widely to suit the nature of the course unit and each level of study.

• Lecture units are usually assessed by written exam (multiple choice, short-answer or essay-based), which are held at the end of an academic semester in either January or May/June.
• Practical units are usually assessed by experimental report and/or short written assignment and/or written exam.
• The proportion of independent study assignments increases during each year of study.

Course content for year 1

You will gain a broad introduction to biological sciences, covering key concepts such as:

• Fundamentals of neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Pharmacology
• Molecular biology

Year 1 also provides an introduction to the essential data handling and laboratory skills required for all biological scientists.

Course units for year 1

• Academic Tutorials Year 1
• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• From Molecules to Cells
• Introduction to Laboratory Science
• Introduction to Experimental Biology - Human Biology
• Genes, Evolution and Development
• Writing and Referencing Skills (online unit)
• Body Systems
• Drugs: From Molecules to Man
• Excitable Cells: the Foundations of Neuroscience
• Health & Safety online course
• History of Biology
• Biodiversity
• Microbes, Humankind and the Environment
• Chemistry for Bioscientists 1
• Fundamentals of Chemistry
• Science & the Modern World
• Bodies in History: An introduction to the History of Medicine

Course content for year 2

You will continue your studies in greater depth and begin to specialise. You will also undertake a Science Communication unit.

In Year 2, you will learn about different aspects of neuroscience including how the brain controls movement, how we sense the world, how the brain develops and how different drugs can affect the brain.

In the Research Skills unit, you have the opportunity to carry out techniques that are widely used in current neuroscience research.

Course units for year 2

• Academic Tutorials Year 2
• Neuroscience RSM
• Human Sciences EDM
• Drugs & the Brain
• Membrane Excitability: Ion Channels & Transporters in Action
• Motor Systems
• Sensory Systems
• Science Communication
• How to Make a Brain
• Cell Membrane Structure & Function
• Principles of Developmental Biology
• Principles of Infectious Disease
• Immunology
• Parasitology
• Body Systems 2
• Animal Physiology
• Human Anatomy & Histology
• Clinical Drug Development
• Molecules and Cells in Human Disease
• Haematology
• Organismal Genetics
• Introduction to Virology
• Animal Behaviour
• Introduction to Cancer

Course content for year 3

In Year 3 you will delve deeper into how the brain works, for example, you will learn about sleep and biological rhythms, learning and memory, what happens in disease and how we can cure the brain.

Final year topics reflect the current hotspots of bioscience endeavour and the research interests of our staff, and are constantly being updated.

You will undertake an independent in-depth research project that may involve supervised practical work in a laboratory, or you may choose to work on e-learning, educational, data analysis, bioinformatics or enterprise topics.

Course units for year 3

• Academic Tutorials Year 3
• Projects
• Life Sciences Enterprise Project
• Science Communication Project
• HSTM Project
• Bioethics: Contemporary Issues in Science & Biomedicine
• Neuroinflammation in Health & Disease
• Neuropharmacology of Human Health
• Clocks, Sleep & the Rhythms of Life
• Learning, Memory & Cognition
• Hormones & Behaviour
• Cutting-edge Methods in Biomedical Sciences

Entry requirements

A-level

• AAA - AAB, including two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics (the Core Sciences).
• You must have a minimum of grades AB in at least two Core Sciences.
• Applicants predicted/who have achieved AAB in their A levels will receive an offer of AAB, while those predicted/who have achieved AAA or higher will be eligible for an offer of AAA.

International Baccalaureate

• 35 - 36 points overall.
• 6, 6, 5 to 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects, including two science subjects, normally Biology and Chemistry.

GCSE/IGCSE

• Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 4 or C in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Mathematics.
• GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Other entry requirements

• Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.
• Scottish requirements
• Welsh Baccalaureate
• Foundation year
• Pearson BTEC qualifications
• OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
• Access to HE Diploma
• T Level
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Fees and funding

Fees

• Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Additional expenses

• There are no additional expenses for this course.

Application and selection

How to apply

• Apply through UCAS.

Advice to applicants

• We would normally only consider applicants who obtained the relevant qualification within the three years prior to entry.
• Applicants who have left education for more than three years would normally be recommended to take an Access course or exceptionally considered for the Foundation Year.
• Applicants should contact the Admissions Office to discuss their particular circumstances.

Careers

Career opportunities

• Our graduates go into a range of careers.
• Around one-third of graduates work in scientific research and development, which may require significant postgraduate study, usually a PhD.
• The rest of our graduates go into a diverse range of careers, including teaching or communicating science, as well as careers unrelated to biological sciences including management, finance, marketing and the civil service.
• Some of our graduates progress into laboratory-based careers in clinical or technical roles that do not involve research.

Global Careers

• Studying a bioscience course is a great way to explore your interests and prepare for an exciting array of careers.
• Our graduates progress into roles across the globe. Here are a few examples of the range of careers our bioscience students have progressed into:
  • Zoology graduate Anish is the founder of Think Wildlife Foundation (Biodiversity Conservation) in India.
  • Pharmacology graduate John is a business-focused marketer working in New York.
  • Biology graduate Mark is Vice President at Pfizer Vaccines R&D in New York.
  • Medical Biochemistry graduate Laura Ann is a communications consultant in Singapore.
  • Zoology graduate Rosie is a Creative and Content Marketing Manager in Valencia, Spain.