Masters degrees in Biological Sciences explore the nature, development and behaviour of living organisms, from plants and animals to microorganisms and fungi. They provide expertise in advanced branches of biology as well as other applied fields.
It’s no cliché to say that this discipline is as diverse as life itself, exploring all aspects of human, animal, plant and micro-biology. Some courses also cross over into other disciplines, with specialisms including Biotechnology, Biophysics and Sport and Exercise Science.
Programmes may be either taught or research-based, with MSc, MRes and MPhil qualifications available, as well as Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas.
The flexible Master of Research (MRes) in Advanced Biological Sciences degree from Southampton offers graduates the opportunity to develop their knowledge and practical skills in an area of Biological Sciences of their choice. The one-year course, tailored to your particular interests, is a stepping stone to further study at PhD level or a gateway to many careers in industry (e.g agriculture, pharmaceutical and the healthcare sector), scientific services, science communication, the teaching profession or in scientific policymaking.
This is the course page for MRes in Advanced Biological Sciences degree at the University of Southampton. Find out everything about in Advanced Biological Sciences degree and what studying here involves.
In this course page we explain a range of key information about the course. This includes typical entry requirements, modules you can take and how assessment works. We also suggest career opportunities open to you as a University of Southampton graduate of MRes in Advanced Biological Sciences degree.
If you still have questions, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to answer any enquiries. See our contact us page for our telephone, email and address information.
This new course has at its core four taught modules at postgraduate level to enable you to broaden your scientific knowledge in your chosen area and enhance your hands-on skills in research, presentations and scientific communication. In addition, there is a novel independent research project in the University of Southampton’s modern Life Sciences research laboratories, supervised by a leading academic in the specialism. The transferable skills you gain will be invaluable later in your career whether you are aiming for academia, industry or non-traditional science careers.
We offer MRes courses in Biological Sciences with a focus in one of the following research areas:
View the programme specification document for this full time course
View the programme specification for this part time course
Best of all worlds
Biological sciences gives you expertise in a broad range of biological and fundamental sciences.
Find out more about the Master of Science parent structure.
When you study Massey’s Master of Science with a major in biological sciences you don’t have to focus on one particular type of science, but will gain expertise across a range of your interests.
If you are interested in subjects like microbiology, genetics and biochemistry, but don’t have all the prerequisites you need to specialise, or you want to open the door to a broader range of careers, a major in biological sciences gives you a broad-based degree that keeps your options open.
Within the degree you can focus on one particular area of science, or keep your study broad - the choice is yours!
At Massey you have the flexibility to choose from different locations for your study - either Manawatu or the Auckland campuses - as well as other research institutes such as AgResearch, Scion, and Plant & Food Research. This flexibility provides a great deal of project choice, as well as providing important industry linkages that enhance job prospects.
Whether you study on the Auckland or Palmerston North campuses, you will have access to world-class facilities. These include the Manawatu Microscopy and Imaging Centre and the Massey Genome Service (part of New Zealand Genomics Limited), our controlled environment plant growth facilities, the unique and extensive university orchards and state-of-the-art plant physiology and biology equipment. We have large animal units and there are extensive Massey farms that operate as commercial beef, dairy and sheep farms.
Massey has a dedicated tissue culture facility, real-time PCR instruments, specialised fluorescence microscopes and plate readers, as well as a microscopy centre, offering confocal, and scanning, transmission and epifluorescence microscopy services.
Genome sequencing services are also readily accessible with both the Massey Sequencing Service and a New Zealand Genome Limited laboratory housed on the university’s Manawatu campus. This service center is equipped with ABI3730 and Illumina MiSeq instruments and associated expertise. We house a full suite of protein purification, separation and analysis equipment, including DIGE imaging and access to mass spectrometers. There is also an X-ray diffraction laboratory and access to the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne.
Massey offers a very broad range of research areas in chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology and all the biological sciences, Genetics ranges from classical through molecular, biomedical, genomic and computational projects. These utilise a wide range of biological systems including microbial, plant, animal and human species.
You will also be able to utilise Massey’s broad range of expertise in the sciences, working with other departments and experts as you need to for your research.
A critical part of the postgraduate experience at Massey is being part of the vibrant, well-established community of fundamental scientists and students. We have active student groups where we work together to share discoveries and research and provide peer support.
Postgraduate study is hard work but hugely rewarding and empowering. The Master of Science will push you to produce your best creative, strategic and theoretical ideas. The workload replicates the high-pressure environment of senior workplace roles. Our experts are there to guide but if you have come from undergraduate study, you will find that postgraduate study demands more in-depth and independent study.
Postgraduate study is not just ‘more of the same’ undergraduate study. It takes you to a new level in knowledge and expertise especially in planning, time management, setting goals and milestones and undertaking research.
Refine your research skills and develop advanced scientific and technical expertise with a one-year Masters by Research programme in Biological Sciences.
Choose your preferred research area from Biomedical Sciences, Plant Molecular Sciences and Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour to learn alongside academic staff working at the frontiers of knowledge in their particular fields.
You’ll contribute to a renowned research culture, with Royal Holloway, University of London School of Biological Sciences ranked 25th in the UK for influential research output by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.
Study in our state-of-the-art laboratories, providing advanced equipment for bioinformatics, mass spectrometry and protein and gene sequencing. You’ll have access to on-site woodland and meadow field testing facilities, and our campus is within easy reach of sites of special scientific interest, including Windsor Great Park, Box Hill and Chobham Common.
Gain the generic skills and hands-on experience you need to continue into further study as a PhD student, or progress towards a research career in a variety of different sectors.
Find out more and read information on how to apply.
Taught element
This will develop your research skills in (amongst other things):
Research project
The project will be an opportunity to pursue your own independent research within the lab of your supervisor. All of our academic staff are research-active, and so all projects are at the cutting edge within their specific discipline. Day-to-day supervision will be provided by your supervisor or an experienced researcher within their lab, and you will become part of the research team – attending lab meetings and gaining an insight into other projects running alongside yours
Your understanding and interpretation of novel scientific data will be assessed in the form of a thesis, while your training in transferable skills (provided by the taught component) will be assessed by coursework.
A Masters in Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London is ideal for students who want to continue to further PhD study or pursue a research career in a variety of sectors. You will develop a range of advances research techniques as well as a range of transferrable skills, including experimental design and data analysis, as well as presenting research findings to an audience in the form of a conference presentation.
Our Masters graduates have gone on to secure PhD positions at Royal Holloway, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, the Max Plank Institute, Germany, St George's University of London and MRC Harwell, as well as prestigious careers including Senior Keeper in Herpetology at London Zoo and Species Recovery Officer at Plantlife International.
MBio Biological Sciences provides an additional year of study on top of our Biological Sciences BSc to provide an integrated Masters qualification.
The additional year focuses on a substantial research project, either within the School or industry. It also includes a Research Skills module which covers training in advanced laboratory techniques, data handling and statistical analyses, critical analysis of literature and designing research proposals.
An MBio degree will give additional skills to boost your employability because it provides the academic and transferable skills desired by employers, for example project management.
Our MRes Biological Sciences course offers a unique opportunity to experience research projects across a broad range of disciplines and laboratory environments before you start a career in research.
You will gain research experience and professional skills - perhaps in a different area to your first degree - before deciding on a future career in industry or academic research. This will allow you to make an informed choice about the research area you want to go into.
You choose two laboratory placements from a list provided by your programme director. Projects on this list come from any of our areas of research within the biological and biomedical sciences. As we have over 200 research-active labs, we can offer a wide range of projects to choose from. For an idea of the breadth of available projects, browse our Research pages.
Our course will also help you to develop transferable skills in essential areas such as experimental design, statistics, bioethics and science communication.
Wide range of research projects
Choose placements with more than 200 labs at the University to help you decide on an area to specialise in for your future research career.
We use a range of teaching and learning methods, including tutorials, workshops, seminars and research placements.
Find out more by visiting the postgraduate teaching and learning page.
We will assess your progress using:
The course starts in September and runs for 12 months. You require 180 credits to complete the course, of which:
Research projects
Your projects each run for 18 weeks starting in October and April.
Transferable skills
45 credits are achieved through completion of activities that develop your transferable skills in essential areas such as experimental design, statistics, bioethics (included in the tutorial and workshop unit) and science communication.
Experimental Design and Statistics runs at the start of the year to prepare you for your research projects. Elements of the other units run throughout the year alongside your research projects.
Disclaimer
Our units teach the current trends in life sciences. Consequently, details of our units may vary over time. The University therefore reserves the right to make such alterations to units as are found to be necessary. Before accepting your offer of a course, it is essential that you are aware of the current terms on which the offer is based. This includes the units available to you. If in doubt, please contact us.
"For me, the people were the highlight of the MRes. We had a really close bunch of people and we all got on so well and had a great social network."
Rachel Clapp / MRes Biological Sciences
You will be able to access a range of facilities throughout the University.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
MRes graduates acquire a vast array of subject-specific and transferable skills, and gain extensive laboratory research experience.
The University has a strong record of placing students in PhD programmes at Manchester and other universities, and several of our graduates have pursued research careers in industry.
Taught at our Parkgate Road Campus in Chester, this is a research-focused Master's training course in Wildlife Behaviour and Conservation.
Robust scientific evidence is a critical tool for conservation scientists responding to the challenges of mitigating biodiversity loss. This course focuses on developing investigative research skills while addressing applied questions in wildlife behaviour and conservation.
The course provides a strong foundation, giving you the opportunity to develop a career in academic or applied wildlife science. Our lecturers work with a diverse range of study species, including mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates, both in the wild and ex situ. Members of the team are recognised as conservation specialists by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and manage two European Endangered Species Programmes.
Our lecturers work with a diverse range of study species, including mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates, both in the wild and ex situ. Members of the team are recognised as conservation specialists by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and manage two European Endangered Species Programmes.
Your project will contribute directly to one of our partnerships with national and international in situ and ex situ conservation programmes.
Your individual supervisor will guide your acquisition of professional skills and facilitate networking and engagement in your specialist field. Our proactive, diverse and expanding research community provides extensive opportunities for peer-learning and collaboration in conservation research.
A compulsory wildlife research methods taught module provides advanced training in core specialisations, including project design, field techniques, statistical analysis and geographical information systems.
You will select a further taught specialist module relevant to your research project, which may include conservation genetics, wildlife behaviour or wildlife health.
The individual research project is undertaken throughout the year and is the primary focus of this course.
Please note these projects will require a student contribution in addition to course fees of a maximum of £3000.
Teaching is delivered through lecturers, laboratory practicals, field trips and seminars supplemented by online materials such as discussion boards and analytical exercises.
You will contribute to research seminars, a journal club and tutorials.
Modules consist of 32 hours of taught activities and 168 hours of self study.
Taught modules are assessed through coursework assignments.
The dissertation projects consists of at least 1,400 hours' study to produce a paper suitable for peer review publication.
Students apply to specific projects which change on an annual basis, but in recent years studies have studied in Ghana, Cambodia, the Philippines, across Europe and in the UK.
If you are interested in this courses we have a number of opportunities to visit us and our campuses. To find out more about these options and to book a visit, please go to: https://www1.chester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-visit-opportunities
If you would like to know more about the University please request a prospectus at: http://prospectus.chester.ac.uk/form.php
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