Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change between different courses?
Yes – indeed, our courses are specifically designed so that you can change easily from one MBB course to another. However, change to or from other courses within the University of Sheffield (for example, Medicine) is usually not possible without starting again.
Can I change between 3-year BSc and 4-year MBiolSci courses?
Yes. We recommend that all students register for the 4-year course to keep their options as open as possible. Only about 20% of students actually stay on for the fourth year, implying that most students change their registration to the three-year course at some point: this is very simple to do.
Can I transfer into the course?
This is sometimes possible, but would depend on your qualifications and whether there is space available. We advise you to contact us (see link on left).
Can I enter directly into year 2?
This is sometimes possible, but would depend on your qualifications and whether there is space available. We advise you to contact us (see link on left).
Can I do the fourth year in industry?
We encourage students to do this, because it is a valuable learning experience. We have good contacts with industry and will assist you to find a suitable placement. However, ultimately it is competitive to get a place, and it is up to you.
Can I study abroad?
Our courses do not have a specific pathway to do this. The fourth year project can be done abroad, and it is always possible to intercalate a year abroad between levels two and three. We are supportive of these routes, and suggest that you contact us to discuss options in more detail. There are opportunities to take language modules as part of your degree.
What sort of class sizes do you have?
In the first year, we teach all of our students together, giving a class size of just over 100. The more specialist options in subsequent years are smaller. You also receive teaching in tutorials, which is either in groups of 5-6 or individual; teaching in practicals, usually on an individual basis; and teaching in projects, individually or in pairs.
What is the workload like?
You will have about 8 hours of lectures and 9 hours of practicals a week. You are however expected to do much more work than this in your own time. Our programmes are of a high academic standard, and we expect students to work hard.
How will I be assessed?
Most modules are assessed by formal exams at the end of the module, which is in January for modules taught in the first semester, and May/June for modules taught in the second semester. Practicals are assessed throughout the year. Many modules have some element of coursework, while some (notably the laboratory projects and long essay in level 3) are assessed entirely by coursework, such as a dissertation, poster presentation, or oral presentation.
Do I need my own computer?
There are excellent facilities in student residences and on the central campus, meaning that there is no need to have your own computer. We do however find that about 75% of our students do have their own computer, and do find it useful. We make a lot of additional material available on the University website, and generally require coursework to be typed. We use emails extensively to communicate with students.
Do you have your own library?
There is no departmental library. The University´s undergraduate library (the Information Commons) and its main postgraduate library (the Western Bank library) are within 5 minutes´ walk of the department and have excellent facilities: the Information Commons is open 24 hours a day. Much of our required reading is available electronically.
How much do I need to spend on books?
You do not need to buy any books, though we strongly recommend that you do. We have negotiated a deal with publishers, to provide a package of our 4 recommended books, which should be the only books you need to buy. This package currently costs £160.
What does the personal tutor do?
All academic staff within the department have groups of tutees, typically 5 students in each year. Your tutor is your main contact within the department. You will meet your tutor about 11 times in the first year and 9 in the second, some as a group and some as individual sessions. Tutorials are generally used for material not directly related to lectures, such as essay writing, presentation skills, calculations, CV writing and careers advice. At the start of your course, your tutor will be mainly teaching you academic skills. However towards the end of your course, he or she will be spending much more time on career advice.
What A level subjects do you recommend?
We recommend you to study subjects you enjoy! We normally require Chemistry A level or its equivalent (or in some cases AS), and at least one other science. We consider maths and psychology as science subjects, but not geography. We are happy to consider other qualifications:
Can I study a language with my degree?
Yes. You can study a language in the first year as part of your degree programme; and you can take additional language courses at any time. The Modern Languages Teaching Centre provides a very wide range of languages: see the link below.
What proportion of your students graduate with a First or 2.1?
This varies from year to year, but in a typical year about 15-20% get a First and 60% a 2.1. We would like to think that this fairly high proportion reflects on the high quality of the intake, as well as the high quality of our teaching!
What do your students do after graduating?
About half go on, either directly or after a year or so, to do PhDs. This is because most jobs that involve research in biosciences either require you to have a PhD or have much greater career prospects with a PhD. Some go into teaching and some to a Masters or a degree in medicine. Some go direct into industry, and the rest have a wide variety of jobs from banking, accountancy and management to ski instructor. You can find more details on our careers links (on the left).