Marine Biology (with Foundation Year)

Highlights

Four-year course features an integrated foundation year to prepare you for degree-level study. You graduate with the same qualification as our three-year honours degree - a BSc (Hons) Marine Biology. Within EU Special Area of Conservation with access to rocky shores, sand dunes, beaches, intertidal sediments, salt marshes, estuaries, shellfish beds, sites where dolphins congregate seals haul out.

Excellent facilities include £3.5m Prince Madog research vessel, work boats, tropical/temperate marine and freshwater aquaria, an algal culture unit, and specialised nutrition and microbiological laboratories. Benefit from the latest marine science knowledge from our world-leading research into environmental challenges. Opportunities for fieldwork, including boat-based field work, land, and lab-based analysis.

Marine Centre Wales, based at the University, promotes discourse and research into aquaculture, coastal water quality, offshore renewable energy, fisheries, flood risk, marine data, and climate change.

Course overview

With a dedicated School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University is one of the largest and oldest university centres in Britain for teaching and research in marine sciences with some of the best specialist facilities and equipment. Situated within a few metres of the sea, with access to diverse habitat types and marine animals, it offers the ideal location for field work, experiments and analysis in estuaries, on the seashore and at sea. This BSc Marine Biology (with Foundation Year) provides an alternative route to undergraduate study if, for example, you cannot meet entry requirements or would benefit from a further year of academic preparation.

It provides an excellent introduction to studying a science subject at university, giving you a taste of learning at this higher level. You’ll gain essential knowledge of biology, mathematics, and chemistry, while building your confidence, academic and research skills. Throughout your degree studies, you’ll have access to our excellent teaching and research facilities, including our £3.5 million ocean-going research ship and state-of-the-art laboratories.

On this degree in Marine Biology, you will study the fundamental aspects of the biology of marine life and its associated ecosystems, as well as more specialised aspects like aquaculture, fisheries and marine biotechnology. You’ll be taught by staff involved in cutting-edge research into climate change, conservation and marine resource management, whose research takes them from to tropical coral reefs and the frozen polar seas. The University is home to the Marine Centre Wales, Environment Centre for Wales, and a partnership with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH).

We also host and British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Wales. We work closely with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT). You’ll never be short of things to do.

The Students’ Union offers a full range of student societies for those with an interest in all aspects of the natural world. Endeavour, our long-standing Ocean Sciences Society, Bangor University Zoological Society, Bangor Herpetological Society, Bangor University Birdwatching Society (BUBS), and Bangor University Entomology Society regularly collaborate on social and educational events. You can also learn to surf or dive.

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Placement year

What is the Placement Year? This exciting opportunity allows you to spend a year working with a self-sourced, professional organisation relevant to your studies. You'll typically start between June and September of your second year and finish by the following June or September.

Placements can be UK-based or even overseas. Why choose a Placement Year? Gain practical experience that complements your academic learning Make valuable industry contacts that could open doors for future careers Strengthen your employability by gaining real-world…