Skip to content

Subjects

Breadcrumbs navigation

Master in Biology (Honours) Biology


MBiol (Hons) Biology: First year
Code Module name Credits
BL1101 Biology 1 20 AND
BL1102 Biology 2 20 AND
Remaining credits from Level 1000 options

Further requirements

Choose 120 credits in the academic year
MBiol (Hons) Biology: Second year
Code Module name Credits
^ BL2300 Research Methods in Biology 15 AND
^ View list 45 credits from Module List: BL2301 - BL2311 AND
BL2301 Cell Biology 15
BL2302 Molecular Biology 15
BL2303 Evolutionary Biology 15
BL2304 Invertebrate Zoology 15
BL2305 Cell Systems 15
BL2306 Biochemistry 15
BL2307 Ecology 15
BL2308 Vertebrate Zoology 15
BL2309 Applied Molecular Biology 15
BL2310 Comparative Physiology 15
BL2311 The Oceans 15
Note:
- Not all modules are available in every academic year and/or semester
- Individual modules may have requisites to satisfy to be eligible to select them

For further details, see the module catalogue entry for each individual module above
Remaining credits from Levels 1000 and 2000 options

Further requirements

Choose 120 credits in the academic year
Choose a minimum of 80 Level 2000 credits

Automatic entry to Honours requires

  • pass and have an average grade 15 or better in modules marked ^

Entry to Honours

Students who meet the requirements specified above, and who meet all other programme requirements, will be given automatic entry into Honours programmes.

Qualified entry to Honours is not available for Integrated Masters programmes.

Students who do not meet the requirements for automatic entry to Honours in an Integrated Masters programme may be eligible for automatic or qualified entry to Honours in a related BSc programme.

See: www.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/teaching-and-learning/policies/honsentry.pdf )

Integrated Masters

The general requirements are 600 credits over a period of normally five years to include a period of placement in the fourth year approved by the School of Biology.

MBiol (Hons) Biology: Third year
Code Module name Credits
BL3320 Statistical and Quantitative Skills for Biologists 10 AND
( BL3000 Field Course 10 OR
BL3322 Basic Biochemistry Laboratory 10 )
View list 100 credits from Module List: BL3301 - BL3319, BL3323-BL3324, PN3312 - PN3313
BL3301 Protein Structure and Function 20
BL3302 Gene Regulation 20
BL3303 Membranes and Cell Communication 20
BL3307 Evolution 20
BL3308 Methods in Aquatic Biology 20
BL3309 Ecosystems and Conservation 20
BL3311 Infection and Disease 20
BL3315 Genes, Cells and Development 20
BL3316 Co-evolution: living together 20
BL3318 Biology of Marine Organisms 20
BL3319 Animal Behaviour: A Quantitative Approach 20
BL3323 Terrestrial Zoology 20
BL3324 Advanced Biochemistry 20
PN3312 Neuropharmacology 20
PN3313 Neuroscience 20
Note:
- Not all modules are available in every academic year and/or semester
- Individual modules may have requisites to satisfy to be eligible to select them

For further details, see the module catalogue entry for each individual module above

Further requirements

Choose 120 credits in academic year
MBiol (Hons) Biology: Fourth year
Code Module name Credits
( BL5000 Biology Distance Learning (MBioChem/MBiol) 30 OR
BL5443 Biology Distance Learning (MMarBiol/MBiol) 30 ) AND
BL4603 External Research Placement 90

Further requirements

Choose 120 credits in academic year
MBiol (Hons) Biology: Fifth year
Code Module name Credits
(( BL5411 Advanced Topics in Biology 30 AND
BL5498 Advanced Research Project (MMarBiol/MBiol) 60 ) OR
( BL5603 Advanced Topics in Biomolecular Sciences 1 15 AND
BL5604 Advanced Topics in Biomolecular Sciences 2 15 AND
BL5499 Advanced Research Project (MBiochem/MBiol) 60 )) AND
View list 30 credits from 30 credits from Module List: BL4210 - BL4301, ID4001, PN4230 - PN4235, PS4107
BL4210 Practical Skills for Molecular Biology and Biochemistry 15
BL4211 Antimicrobials - Mode of Action and Resistance 15
BL4212 How Enzymes Work 15
BL4213 Molecular Virology 15
BL4215 Bacterial Virulence Factors 15
BL4216 Structure-based Drug Discovery 15
BL4222 Metabolic and Clinical Biochemistry 15
BL4223 Molecular and cell biology of eukaryotic DNA replication 15
BL4224 Molecular Mechanisms of Membrane Trafficking 15
BL4225 Advanced Microscopy and Image Analysis - Seeing is Believing 15
BL4226 Chromatin and Genome Stability 15
BL4249 Scientific Diving 15
BL4251 Tropical Marine Biology 15
BL4254 Fisheries Research 15
BL4255 Marine and Environmental Biotechnology 15
BL4256 Marine Bioacoustics 15
BL4258 Foraging in Marine Mammals 15
BL4259 Marine Mammals and Man 15
BL4260 Biological Oceanography 15
BL4262 Environmental Drivers of Marine Habitats 15
BL4263 The Question of Culture in Animals 15
BL4266 Conservation Research Methods 15
BL4268 Science Communication of Biodiversity and Conservation 15
BL4270 Plant-environment Interactions 15
BL4273 Computational Genomics 15
BL4274 Evolutionary Developmental Biology 15
BL4278 Biology of Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Vertebrates 15
BL4279 The CRISPR system for Antiviral Defence and Genome Engineering 15
BL4281 Animal Communication and Cognition 15
BL4282 Biology and Behaviour of Social Insects 15
BL4285 Complex Systems in Animal Behaviour 15
BL4286 Advanced Topics in Evolution 15
BL4288 Major Review Paper in Evolutionary Biology 15
BL4289 Animal Cognition 15
BL4294 Biomolecular Sciences Public Engagement 15
BL4301 Polar Ecology: Antarctica 15
ID4001 Communication and Teaching in Science 15
PN4230 Maladaptive Changes in the Nervous System 15
PN4231 Neuromodulation 15
PN4232 Neuroethology 15
PN4234 Synaptic Transmission in Health and Disease 15
PN4235 Motoneurons: From Physiology to Pathology 15
PS4107 Evolution of Human Behaviour and Culture 15
Note:
- Not all modules are available in every academic year and/or semester
- Individual modules may have requisites to satisfy to be eligible to select them

For further details, see the module catalogue entry for each individual module above

Further requirements

Choose 120 credits in academic year

Other information

With the permission of the Director of Teaching up to 20 credits per programme may be taken in a module outwith the specified modules in all School of Biology Programmes. Where there are choices between modules in the programmes, some options may have pre-requisites therefore the 1000- and 2000-level modules taken may limit choices. The availability of 4000-level modules in the School of Biology will be dependent on sufficient student demand.

Study abroad

In the case of students who spend part of the Honours programme on a recognised Study Abroad scheme, the Programme Requirements will be amended to take into account overseas courses which are approved by the relevant St Andrews School in the Learning Agreement (see www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/study-abroad/academic ).