Biological Sciences (Microbiology) MBiolSci

Microorganisms may be small, but they tell us more about life on Earth than almost any other life form. On this degree you will learn how and why microorganisms cause disease and how microbes have been used for millennia in everything from food production to sewage treatment. On the MBiolSci, you will hone your research and laboratory skills and extend your medically specialised BSc programme into a fourth year of masters level study.Microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa) play a crucial role in many of the Earth's physical and biological processes. They help to purify our waste water and clean up pollution, and humans have used them for thousands of years in the production of foods and drinks – but other types can cause new devastating diseases. Microorganisms are the oldest inhabitants of the Earth, yet we have only discovered a small fraction of all the microbes that exist. Now microbiology is at the forefront of a technical revolution: incredibly sensitive molecular tools, coupled with sophisticated computer informatics, provide powerful new approaches to unlocking the secrets of life. On this course you will work with leading microbiologists who are investigating some of the most important questions in microbiology research in order to gain insight into the microbial world and develop broad appreciation of the biology and uses of organisms of microscopic size and of the mammalian immune response to infection. Microbiologists study these processes in all types of organisms and discover how errors in them can cause disease, and they help discover the impact of microbes across the biological sciences. You will gain a broad understanding of fundamental biological processes, while developing analytical skills and gaining experience in handling complex information. By studying microbiology alongside options in other biological sciences, you will be able to apply your knowledge across the boundaries of traditional disciplines and gain a valuable and powerful asset in scientific environments and in many other walks of life.This flexible and broad-based 4-year degree allows you to shape your course to focus your study on microorganisms and their essential roles in good health and undesirable roles in disease. The first 3 years are the same as the BSc in Biological Sciences (Microbiology), including the option of a year spent abroad or working in industry. In your final year you will specialise further, upgrading your degree to a Master of Biological Sciences and experiencing a seamless transition to specialised higher level study with a focus on microbial research and transferable employability skills.Our Biological Sciences degrees are actually seven degrees in one. You can apply for this degree or any of the five specialist degrees listed below - or a general degree in Biological Sciences. Whichever degree you choose, your first year will be the same and you will have the same choice of modules in your second year and again in your final year. Selecting particular modules will steer you towards one of our specialist degrees (which doesn't have to be the one you originally applied for). Or you can make your own selection of modules in those years and graduate with the broad knowledge that comes from a non-specialised degree.The other available specialisms are:Biological Sciences (Biochemistry)Biological Sciences (Genetics)Biological Sciences (Neuroscience)Biological Sciences (Physiology with Pharmacology)Biological Sciences (Zoology)Or a general degree in Biological Sciences.Our Biological Sciences degrees cover major aspects of biology and molecular sciences across a wide range of organisms from bacteria and fungi to humans and plants. Our four Medical Sciences degrees focus more closely on the application of those bi