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Evolution and Behaviour
School of Biosciences,
Faculty of Science
Course description
The connection between how organisms have evolved and how they behave is a fundamental principle of biology. It can show us why organisms are the way they are, and answer deep questions about the diversity of life on earth.
Our world-class research in this area spans topics including animal behaviour, molecular ecology, sexual selection and sexual conflict, speciation, the evolutionary genomics of adaptation, evolutionary developmental, ecological immunity, and bioinformatics and life history evolution, giving you the opportunity to carry out cutting-edge research in an area of evolution and behaviour that interests you most.
Research experience
This research-focused course allows you to spend an academic year embedded in one of our research groups, working alongside students and staff who are at the forefront of their research field. Throughout your course, you’ll develop your research skills, giving you the opportunity to contribute new knowledge in your chosen area.
Whether you complete your research in the field, the lab or in industry, in the UK or abroad, you’ll be provided with a research budget for your project. Previous students have conducted fieldwork in locations including Brazil, South Africa and Sweden as well as closer to home in the wonderful Peak District National Park on our doorstep.
Example research projects include:
- The diet restriction response in Drosophila melanogaster: precise mechanisms and a novel genetic screen using fecundity
- The effect of breeding interactions on the post-breeding social system of a cooperative bird
- Reconstructing ROMA population history
Potential supervisors
We have a wide range of MRes academic supervisors who specialise in subjects including animal behaviour, animal evolution, plant evolution, population modelling and microbial evolution. To find out more about the projects available for 2024-25 please contact us.
Modules
Core modules:
- Research Project
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This module allows students to develop skills relevant to a career in biological research. It will consist of a laboratory, field-based or computational research project where each student will work under the supervision of a member of academic staff. The student will formulate the hypotheses and questions to be addressed and plan and carry out experiments to test these hypotheses. The project will be written up in the form of a scientific paper and the student will keep a notebook of the research.
120 credits - Literature Review
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The literature review requires the student to write a critical review of a biological topic of choice. The literature review will involve extensive reading of original research papers, reviews and books together with information extracted from other media. The student will be required to critically analyse hypotheses in the field and critically analyse the quality of the evidence used to support them. Where controversies exist the student should be prepared to indicate which side has the stronger case. The literature review should also identify gaps in our current knowledge and understanding and make suggestions for the future developments in the field.
15 credits - Scientific Skills and Project Management
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The aim of this module is to provide students with advanced training in the use of statistical methods and computers to visualise and analyse biological data which is necessary to pursue a research career in whole organism biology. Advanced principles of programming for data analysis, data interpretation and statistical analysis, and graphical presentation are stressed. The course is based on the statistical programming language R and the Integrated Development Environment RStudio. The course is comprised of eight introductory sessions delivered in Semester 1, and then a choice of two out of six specialist modules selected to support student-specific requirements in research. Semester 1 content is delivered as a mix of online recorded videos (watch this), a set of readings (read this) and a practical exercise (do this). This is supported by a weekly live mini-review lecture and Q andamp; A, and a help session. Semester 2 content is delivered live via three to four 3-hour practical computing sessions (1 specialist module/week, 3-4 sessions per week).
30 credits - Science Communication for Researchers
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This module provides training in the skills and approaches necessary to effectively communicate science. The module has three main components:
15 credits
1. An intensive science communication workshop focusing on interactions with the print and broadcast media;
2. A poster presentation, where students design and produce a poster to communicate their research project to a target audience (e.g. general public,
research audience);
3. A formal oral presentation, where students present their research results to their peers.
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Open days
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses. You'll find out what makes us special.
Duration
1 academic year full-time
Teaching
You’ll learn through a mixture of working in a research laboratory or on a field-based research project, tutorials, discussion groups, seminars, and statistics and other workshops.
Your extended research project will span both semesters of the academic year where you’ll be working alongside academic experts and professional scientists This will give you first-hand experience of designing your own experiments, analysing results and culminating in you presenting your findings to colleagues.
Assessment
Most assessment is through coursework. Your assessment includes, but is not limited to, a project report, literature review, poster presentations, oral presentations, written grant proposals and online statistics exams.
Your career
This degree provides an ideal springboard for a research career in your chosen field, including crop and soil science, evolutionary and behavioural research, genomics and related technologies and ecological and environmental research.
Past students have gone on to study for PhDs, as well as taking up positions in government science, environmental consultancy and industry including:
- PhD Student in Conservation Biology
- PhD Student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Assistant Ecologist, Peak Ecology Ltd
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of St Andrews
- Senior Project Manager, The RSPB
Department
School of Biosciences
The School of Biosciences brings together more than 100 years of teaching and research expertise across the breadth of biology.
It’s home to over 120 lecturers who are actively involved in research at the cutting edge of their field, sharing their knowledge with more than 1,500 undergraduate and 300 postgraduate students.
We carry out world-leading research to address the most important global challenges such as food security, disease, health and medicine, ageing, energy, and the biodiversity and climate crises.
Our expertise spans the breadth and depth of bioscience, including molecular and cell biology, genetics, development, human physiology and pharmacology through to evolution, ecology, biodiversity conservation and sustainability. This makes us one of the broadest and largest groupings of the discipline and allows us to train the next generation of biologists in the latest research techniques and discoveries.
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:1 BSc honours degree in biology or a closely related quantitative subject.
In addition, you should be able to demonstrate evidence of aptitude and enthusiasm for research, for example, through an undergraduate research project.
Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.
How to apply
Because of the research-intensive nature of this course, we ask you to include a short supporting statement of 500-700 words with your application. This should:
- Explain how your interests and experience relate to the evolution and behaviour research we do in the School of Biosciences.
- Explain why you want to do a research-intensive masters degree and how this fits with your career plans.
- Include which particular supervisors or research groups you would be most interested in working with and why. If you have already been in contact with a prospective supervisor, please let us know.
Please submit your application by 15 August if you require a student visa and by 31 August if you do not require a visa.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Fees and funding
Apply
Because of the research-intensive nature of this course, we ask you to include a short supporting statement with your application. Please see the course description above for more details.
Contact
biosciences-pgt@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 2341
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.