School of Life Sciences

Overview

• A new and fascinating Dual Honours science course
• Relevant to science, health, the environment and industry
• A great combination with other science or humanities subjects
• The opportunity to study the systems of the body and how they are affected by disease

Human Biology involves the study of the human body and how it is adapted to its environment. This course is designed to equip students with a broadly based understanding of the human body in health and disease. The course begins with two modules shared with the Biology course, but in the second and third years the emphasis is on humans. Students will learn about the physiology of the major systems of the body, about the impact of nutrition and environment on health, and about human development and evolution.

The course includes practical classes that provide first-hand experience of biology, genetics and human physiology and anatomy. Students will also carry out research-based projects from a wide choice that involve either hands-on research or further study.

This degree course will equip its graduates with knowledge and understanding that will allow them to follow career paths in science, health or industry, depending on where their strengths and interests lie.

Four-Year Courses

Science Foundation Year and Sandwich Course
It is possible to add a fourth year to your course in order to tailor it to suit your individual needs. There are essentially two ways in which this can be done:

• a Science Foundation Year can be added prior to the start of the course
• a Sandwich Course can be taken, by including an Industrial Placement after two years of the course

Only one of these options can be selected.

Sandwich Course
We offer BSc students the opportunity to undertake a 48-week placement at the end of their second year, in an approved government or industrial establishment or field centre. This placement year can provide not only practical skills training, but also valuable transferable skills and time for personal development.

The experience gained may prove particularly beneficial when students return to the University and in the early stages of their career. While we will attempt to find suitable placements, this cannot be guaranteed and students will be encouraged to make their own contacts, which we will need to check prior to approval. Students will be required to reach defined standards in their second-year assessments to become eligible for the sandwich year.

Course Content

The course involves learning about the human body in health and disease and examines human health from a scientific and clinical perspective. It also covers environmental issues related to health, and how we impact on the environment.

First Year
Core modules provide the basic background needed for subsequent years. The modules Human Physiology and Human Physiology and Pathology provide an introduction to the major systems of the body and how they are affected by disease. Practical sessions associated with these modules include real-time physiological measurements, human anatomy and microscopy.

Cell and Molecular Biology examines the molecules and structures behind biological function.

In Genetics and Evolution the fundamentals of inheritance and evolution are studied.

Second Year
Nutrition and Energy Balance provides a fascinating insight into the requirements and importance of nutrition and the consequences of dietary deficiencies on human health and development. The Research and Analytical Skills module provides you with key transferable skills such as the use of databases and the statistical tools required to analyse and understand experimental results. In Human Genetics you will study how genetics influences human variation, and examine its relevance to disease. It also explores the clinical applications of modern genetic techniques and the significance of the human genome project. In Development and Evolution of Nervous Systems the development of the human nervous system and its evolutionary path relative to other nervous systems is studied.

Finally, in other modules, you will learn about how climate change and pollution are having an increasing impact on human health (Health and the Environment) and human impact on the environment with regard to ecological functioning and balance of the natural environment (Human Impacts on the Environment).

Third Year

There is a larger choice of modules in the final year. All students do a project - this can be either experimental in nature or a library project. There is also an option to do a project that focuses on the analysis of existing data.  All projects involve reading about the subject and reviewing the background literature. Students also choose three modules from the following taught modules. Behavioural Neurobiology aims to develop an understanding of behaviour in terms of the function of the nervous system.  This module focuses on the brains of mammals, especially humans, and on sub-cortical systems. Neurobiological Basis of Brain Disease, addresses the occurrence, cause, aetiology and neuropathology of a number of common neurodegenerative diseases and neurobiological conditions. In Clinical Pathology you examine the roles of molecular techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.  Human Parasitology examines transmission, pathogenesis, pathology, immune response, diagnosis, treatment and control of human parasitic diseases such as Malaria. Technologies that have impacted on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and control of relapse of a range of medical conditions are explored in Advances in Medicine; including stem cell research and personalised patient treatment. In Biology of Disease, you write an extended essay of a chosen disease or medical issue. Finally, Human Evolution examines the earliest origins of humans and their migration out of Africa.

Study Abroad

All students have the opportunity of spending a semester at a partner university in the USA, Canada, South Africa or Australia among others, replacing a semester of study.

Alternatively, if choosing the sandwich option, students can spend that year working at one of 16 European laboratories under the ERASMUS work placement scheme.

Codes and Combinations

All students who study a science subject are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science (with Honours) (BSc Hons).

Dual Honours Course can be combined with:

Foundation Course available:

Teaching and Assessment

The course is taught by a combination of lectures, laboratory classes and tutorials, with interactive computer-aided learning to provide additional back-up to the more formal group teaching. Students will be assessed by a combination of essays, practical work, in-course assessment and examinations.

Programme specifications (new window)

Skills and Careers

As well as learning about the fundamentals of Human Biology and developing an interest in this fascinating field, students will acquire a whole range of skills that will be useful in any career. These include: organisational skills in collecting and organising information from many different sources; planning skills; the ability to present information clearly and coherently; manipulative skills in carrying out delicate practical work and numerical skills in the handling of data. Students will also develop a scientific and analytical approach to solving problems that can be applied in many different situations, and will be of great value to any employer.

The most popular science subject combinations with Human Biology are Psychology, Biochemistry and Computer Science. These combinations offer opportunities for careers in, for example, medically related laboratory science, the pharmaceutical industry, or in information technology, and many students develop interests that lead to a higher degree and a career in research. However, non-science combinations with Human Biology also offer a wide range of opportunities.

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Human Biology and Biochemistry
Life depends on chemistry, and we are a complex collection of molecules working together. The combination of Human Biology and Biochemistry would allow you to get to grips with the chemical end of human life, from the gases we breath through proteins and cells to drugs and disease. A career in laboratory science, research, teaching or industry would potentially be possible.

Human Biology and Psychology
With this combination you will gain an understanding of the anatomical and physiological basis of human behaviour and of the choices and problems facing modern man. The Psychology course would complement Human Biology by providing an understanding of man’s most distinctive organ, his brain.

Human Biology and Human Geography

Human Biology is principally concerned with the Biology of humans, but human behaviour can impact on the environment and our changing environment is having an increasing impact on human health worldwide. With this combination you could fully explore this area with these two complementary subjects. Careers in world health, journalism and politics are possible choices.

Teaching delivered by research and clinical staff at Keele University, North Staffordshire University Hospital, and the Guy Hilton Research Centre (affiliated to Keele University and NHS), a world-leading centre for translational research.