Biology and Mathematics

Biology and Mathematics - BSc (Hons)

From modelling the spread of a virus to exploring complex biological processes, our research active staff will guide you through a carefully crafted curriculum arming you with a flexible skillset to pursue a wide variety of careers.

Year of entry

2023 - for 2022 entry see here

Course type

Combined Honours

Location

Keele University campus

Subject area / School

School of Life Sciences School of Computer Science and Mathematics

UCAS code

CG11

Duration of study

3 years / 4 years with international or placement year

Enquire about this course Book an open day Chat to students

Why study Biology and Mathematics at Keele University?

5th for student satisfaction in England for Biology (National Student Survey, 2021)

Professional accreditation pathway available in Biology

Our 600-acre campus offers a fantastic natural environment to learn a variety of fieldwork skills and complete research projects

Develop your core biology practical skills in Keele's David Attenborough Laboratories

Internship, placement and year in industry opportunities

Course overview

Our combined honours Biology and Mathematics BSc will provide you with a breadth of knowledge and diverse skills across two exciting subjects.

The biology component of this programme covers a range of fundamentals topics, as well as themes such as physiology and anatomy, ecology and plant biology, animal behaviour and microbes, viruses and parasites. You will explore the adaptability of life to differing environments, the biology of pathogens, and will learn how to design an experiment and analyse data. You can also begin to tailor your degree to your own interests and career aspirations with a range of optional modules.

Within mathematics you will develop your understanding of core areas including calculus, algebra, probability and analysis. Particular attention will be given to making sure you have a solid foundation in mathematical methods and techniques. Mathematics can be related to almost every aspect of the world we live in. This is why our curriculum is carefully designed to ensure you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals of the discipline, so you can apply these principles to the real world. We will train you to think logically, construct rigorous proofs, introduce useful mathematical structures and think in abstract terms.

Mathematics teaching related module

If you are interested in entering the teaching profession after graduation, our 'Introduction to Mathematics Teaching' third-year module will provide you with the principles of the teaching of mathematics linked to current educational practice (includes time spent in school on work placement - subject to availability.)

Gain practical experience in industry

In an increasingly competitive job market, employers are seeking to recruit employees who have high-level knowledge, skills and an understanding of the workplace. From a year working in industry and paid internships to summer secondment research placements in the UK or overseas, our programme offers many opportunities to become familiar with the professional working environment, develop professional contacts and apply the biological skills and theories you have learnt. Please note as a combined honours student, if you are interested in undertaking a placement year you will be required to choose between a placement aligned to either Biology or Mathematics.

Student support

We offer a multi layered student support structure to help you meet your academic and personal needs. You will benefit from the support of an assigned academic mentor and a member of staff from Keele's Student Experience and Support team.

Societies

We have a wealth of student-led societies which cover a diverse range of interests. Joining a society related to your field is a great opportunity to continue to develop your skills away from your studies. This is another excellent way of demonstrating your genuine interest for the area and can be beneficial when it comes to applying for graduate roles. It’s also a great way to meet like-minded people, make friends and share interests with fellow students.

Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. This means we aim to create a diverse and inclusive culture in which you can thrive. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) agenda is embedded throughout our programme, and the School of Computer Science and Mathematics is proud to hold a school-level Athena SWAN Bronze Award in recognition for activities in this area.

Next Steps

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Related Courses

Accreditation and professional recognition

This programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology if you choose to specialise in Biology in your final year. If you choose to specialise in Mathematics there is no accreditaion available.

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Additional opportunities

Foundation year Placement year International year Explore more

There are a range of additional opportunities available when studying this course.
Please note, undertaking one may impact upon the availability of another.

Entry requirements

Keele strives to be a place where learning, living and working is a positive experience for our entire community, and we're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of 'alternative offer' schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer.

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.

Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom and International students.

A Level requirements

A Level requirement ABC (including Maths at grade A)

GCSE requirements

Maths at C (or 4)
English at C (or 4)

BTEC

BTEC requirements DDM
You must have taken sufficient Science and Mathematics units, please contact us for advice.

International Baccalaureate

30 points to include Higher Level Mathematics at 6 or above.

Access to HE Diploma requirements

Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 122 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 30 L3 credits at Distinction. You must also have taken sufficient Maths credits, please contact us for advice.

If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

Preparation programmes for international students

International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year programme.

These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

Next Steps

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"Having a Maths degree gives you a keen eye for detail and this is something employers love. My team working and presentation skills have been enhanced by working in groups for some modules as well as presenting to a panel of lecturers helped me interact with a variety of people and prepared me for the workplace."

Nadeem, Economics and Mathematics

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Learn from our campus - our own 'living laboratory'

Fieldwork is embedded into core modules throughout your studies to help you acquire key skills in surveying organism distributions and the identification of specimens. Our unique 600-acre campus offers a fantastic experimentation environment to perform fieldwork, test new ideas and discover solutions to real-world problems. It's also a great way to foster connections with academics and peers and apply your learning to real-world situations.
From our lake system, grasslands and woodlands to local zoos and nature reserves, you will have the opportunity to study in an authentic environment whilst practicing in a sustainable manner. You may also have the opportunity to study tropical biology on a field course in Malaysia. This is an optional course with additional costs and it takes place in the summer between years two and three.

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Sector-leading in environmental education

At Keele we're leading the sector in sustainability, not just in our ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2030 but also through our teaching and our ground-breaking research into climate change and renewable technologies. In 2021 we were awarded the prestigious title of Global Sustainability Institution of the Year (International Green Gown Awards, 2021).

Find out more about Keele’s commitment to sustainability.

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Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching in Biology

Within Biology we offer a hybrid delivery of teaching. Our core content is designed for online learning and this aims to provide you with the space and flexibility to digest at your own pace and to ask questions anonymously. To complement core virtual learning, laboratory practicals, tutorials, seminars and workshops will take place on-campus.
Methods of teaching include:

Fieldwork
Laboratory practicals
Live, campus-based seminars
Live, campus-based tutorials and workshops
Online lectures

Assessment in Biology

From creating a social media campaign and writing a manifesto to carrying out a habitat survey -the assessment methods within our programme aim to give you experience of work-related activities you will likely undertake in graduate roles.
Methods of assessment include:

Blogs or oral presentations
Final year independent research project
Habitat surveys
Journal clubs
Laboratory or fieldwork reports or research projects
Manifestos
On-campus fieldwork
Online end-of-year open-book exams
Online tests
Portfolio or literature reviews
Problem-based learning
Scientific posters

Teaching in Mathematics

In Mathematics we embrace online resources to supplement in-person sessions. By utilising gapped notes as a learning tool, you will benefit from seeing live input on calculations and interactive problem-solving in real-time. A large proportion of our academic experts are active in research. In additional to this, several staff members are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. Learning and teaching methods used on the programme vary according to the subject matter and level of the module.
Teaching methods include:

computer laboratory sessions
flipped classes
group work
online polling and quizzes
peer learning

Assessments in Mathematics

The wide variety of assessment methods used within Mathematics at Keele reflect the broad range of knowledge and skills that are developed as you progress through the degree programme. Teaching staff pay particular attention to specifying clear assessment criteria and providing timely, regular and constructive feedback.
Assessment methods include:

class tests
coursework
dissertations
project reports
short reports
unseen examinations
video and oral presentations

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Central Science Laboratories

Develop your practical skills in Keele's state-of-the-art Central Science Laboratories

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Foundation year

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year.

This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years' experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

The information within this page is for students wishing to start their studies in September. If you would like to start this course in January, please visit our January pages for further details.

Course content

Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills which will be invaluable in your academic studies and beyond. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will automatically progress into your Keele undergraduate degree with the confidence that you have the skills, and knowledge needed to successfully complete your course.

The Keele University Foundation Year is a two semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the BSc (Hons) Biology and Mathematics degree. For example, the Foundations of Life Sciences module looks at basic cell biology in terms of structure and function and goes on to examine how cells obtain their energy for example, by photosynthesis, and raw materials, for example via the nitrogen cycle. In addition, the Advancing Mathematical Methods module continues to develop your understanding of the key mathematical techniques and methods used across a wide range of applied mathematics, as well in other areas of pure mathematics. Course content has been developed in collaboration with degree teaching teams, so that by the time you begin Year 1, you will be ready to excel at your studies, as the majority of our Foundation Year students do.

Find out more about the Keele Foundation Year, including information about teaching and assessment methods by visiting the Foundation Year homepage.

Course Structure

The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

Semester One Modules

FYO-00185	Practical and Academic Skills in Science	15 credits
FYO-00189	Foundations of Life Sciences	15 credits
FYO-00217	Foundations of Mathematical Methods	30 credits

Semester Two Modules

FYO-00191	Advancing Life Sciences	30 credits
FYO-00229	Advancing Mathematical Methods	30 credits

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Between 40-56 UCAS points from at least 1 A level/level 3 qualification or equivalent, or
Relevant work experience

AND

GCSE English Language at grade 4 (C), or Level 2 Functional Skills, or
IELTS 5.5 (with 5.5 in all subtests)

AND

GCSE Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above

How to Apply

Students will need to apply for Biology with Foundation Year (UCAS code C103) through UCAS at www.ucas.com. You will be contacted to confirm your second subject by a member of our team.

Direct Entry Students

If you already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

Our International Foundation Year is delivered on campus through Keele University International College (KUIC). Find out more about the International Foundation Year options on the KUIC website.

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