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Postgraduate Taught
| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 years full time |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Biosciences |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | At least a 2:2 Honours degree or equivalent in Biology or a relevant science subject |
|---|---|
Top 20 in the UK for world-leading research in Biological Sciences
REF 2021, based on 4-star research
Opportunity to specialise with a choice of pathways
Advance laboratory skills with specialist techniques training
Substantial research project within one of our world-leading research groups
Top 20 in the UK for world-leading research in Biological Sciences
REF 2021, based on 4-star research
Opportunity to specialise with a choice of pathways
Advance laboratory skills with specialist techniques training
Substantial research project within one of our world-leading research groups
The suite of programmes naturally builds on our internationally-leading undergraduate degrees, providing a rich and focused research-led experience. It works both ways - a fantastic opportunity for students to enhance their specialist training, while welcoming a new cohort of enthusiastic, budding scientists into our Departmental community.
Professor James Wakefield
Head of Biosciences
The MRes Advanced Biological Sciences programme is a research-driven programme that will be taken over two academic years enabling you to complete two research projects.
In year one, you will receive training in laboratory methods and transferable skills, take three taught modules and complete your first 45 credit research project. In year two, you will be supported in submitting UK-wide PhD studentship applications, learn how to write effective research proposals, take a core Advanced Topics module plus one other module from an extensive suite of options, and undertake your second, more extensive research project (75 credits).
The core modules will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to develop your research projects which will be supervised from within two of our world-leading research groups, determined by your research project focus.
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
75 credits of compulsory modules and 45 credits of optional modules
a You cannot choose the same optional module in Stage 1 and Stage 2
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOM509 | Professional Skills | 15 |
| BIOM549 | Advanced Laboratory Skills | 15 |
| BIOM550 | Research Project 1 | 45 |
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MRes Advanced Biological Sciences Stage 1 optional modules 24-25 [See note a] | ||
| BIOM543 | Ecology of Environmental Change | 15 |
| BIOM544 | Ecotoxicology | 15 |
| BIOM545 | Frontiers in Plant Biology | 15 |
| BIOM546 | Living in a Microbial World | 15 |
| BIOM547 | Frontiers in Molecular Cell Biology | 15 |
| BIOM548 | Cell Biology of Disease | 15 |
| BIOM551 | Biology of Marine Vertebrates | 15 |
| BIOM553 | Current Issues in Marine Biology | 15 |
| BIOM554 | Advanced Applications of Physiology | 15 |
| BIOM515 | Cellular Basis of Immunity | 15 |
| BIOM516 | Bioinformatics | 15 |
| BIOM567 | Application of Genomics in Infectious Disease | 15 |
| BIOM568 | Blue Planet | 15 |
| BIOM570 | Beyond the Frontiers of Medical Mycology | 15 |
| BIOM571 | Molecular Biology of Bacterial Infection | 15 |
| GEOM149 | Green Planet | 15 |
| CSC3011 | Medical Genomics | 15 |
| CSC3009 | Pharmacogenomics | 15 |
| HPDM041 | Bioinformatics, Interpretation and Data Quality Assurance in Genome Analysis | 15 |
| NSCM005 | Mathematical Modelling in Biology and Medicine | 15 |
| BIOM555 | Bioimaging | 15 |
| PSYM205 | Advances and Methods in Animal Behaviour | 30 |
| PSYM213 | Current Research Issues in Animal Behaviour | 15 |
105 credits of compulsory modules and 15 credits of optional modules
a You cannot choose the same optional module in Stage 1 and Stage 2
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOM569 | Research Project | 90 |
| BIOM527 | Research Grant Proposal | 15 |
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MRes Advanced Biological Sciences Stage 2 optional modules 24-25 [See note a] | ||
| BIOM515 | Cellular Basis of Immunity | 15 |
| BIOM543 | Ecology of Environmental Change | 15 |
| BIOM544 | Ecotoxicology | 15 |
| BIOM545 | Frontiers in Plant Biology | 15 |
| BIOM546 | Living in a Microbial World | 15 |
| BIOM547 | Frontiers in Molecular Cell Biology | 15 |
| BIOM548 | Cell Biology of Disease | 15 |
| BIOM551 | Biology of Marine Vertebrates | 15 |
| BIOM553 | Current Issues in Marine Biology | 15 |
| BIOM554 | Advanced Applications of Physiology | 15 |
| BIOM516 | Bioinformatics | 15 |
| BIOM567 | Application of Genomics in Infectious Disease | 15 |
| BIOM568 | Blue Planet | 15 |
| BIOM570 | Beyond the Frontiers of Medical Mycology | 15 |
| BIOM571 | Molecular Biology of Bacterial Infection | 15 |
| GEOM149 | Green Planet | 15 |
| CSC3011 | Medical Genomics | 15 |
| CSC3009 | Pharmacogenomics | 15 |
| HPDM041 | Bioinformatics, Interpretation and Data Quality Assurance in Genome Analysis | 15 |
| NSCM005 | Mathematical Modelling in Biology and Medicine | 15 |
| BIOM555 | Bioimaging | 15 |
| PSYM213 | Current Research Issues in Animal Behaviour | 15 |
During your MRes you can, if you wish, choose to specialise in one of seven specialist pathways:
You will receive advice about the specialisms once you’re at Exeter so you don't need to make any decisions in advance.
To be awarded a bracketed specialism on the MRes, at least 45 credits should be selected from the specialist modules grouped below. Your research projects (modules BIOM550 and BIOM518) must both also be relevant to the specialist field.
You may take optional modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows, and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.
*You cannot choose this module if you have already taken the undergraduate version.
| Code | Module title | Credits | Compulsory |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOM551 | Biology of Marine Vertebrates (variant of BIO3098)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM553 | Current Issues in Marine Biology (variant of BIO3083)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM554 | Advanced Applications of Physiology | 15 | No |
| BIOM4043 | Rewilding the UK | 30 | No |
| PSYM205 | Advances and Methods in Animal Behaviour | 30 | No |
| PSYM213 | Current Research Issues in Animal Behaviour | 15 | No |
| Code | Module title | Credits | Compulsory |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOM516 | Bioinformatics (variant of BIO3092)* | 15 | Yes |
| BIOM567 | Applications of Genomics in Infectious Disease | 15 | Yes |
| CSC4007 | Medical Genomics | 15 | No |
| CSC4005 | Pharmacogenomics | 15 | No |
| HPDM041 | Bioinformatics, Interpretation and Data Quality Assurance in Genome Analysis | 15 | No |
| NSCM005 | Mathematical Modelling in Biology and Medicine | 15 | No |
| Code | Module title | Credits | Compulsory |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOM568 | Blue Planet | 15 | Yes |
| BIOM544 | Ecotoxicology (variant of BIO3067)* | 15 | Yes |
| BIOM543 | Ecology of Environmental Change (variant of BIO3037)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM4043 | Rewilding the UK | 30 | No |
| BIOM554 | Advanced Applications of Physiology | 15 | No |
| Code | Module title | Credits | Compulsory |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOM545 | Frontiers in Plant Biology (variant of BIO3046)* | 15 | Yes |
| BIOM546 | Living in a Microbial World (variant of BIO3097)* | 15 | Yes |
| GEOM149 | Green Planet | 15 | Yes |
| Code | Module title | Credits | Compulsory |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOM525 | Molecular Basis of Infection (variant of BIO3079)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM515 | Cellular Basis of Immunity (variant of BIO3078)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM534 | Medical Mycology | 15 | No |
| BIOM567 | Applications of Genomics in Infectious Disease | 15 | No |
| Code | Module title | Credits | Compulsory |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOM525 | Molecular Basis of Infection (variant of BIO3079)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM515 | Cellular Basis of Immunity (variant of BIO3078)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM547 | Frontiers in Molecular Cell Biology (variant of BIO3077)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM548 | Cell Biology of Disease (variant of BIO3086)* | 15 | No |
| NSCM009 | Bioimaging | 15 | No |
| Code | Module title | Credits | Compulsory |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOM568 | Blue Planet | 15 | Yes |
| BIOM551 | Biology of Marine Vertebrates (variant of BIO3098)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM553 | Current Issues in Marine Biology (variant of BIO3083)* | 15 | No |
| BIOM554 | Advanced Applications of Physiology | 15 | No |
*You cannot choose this module if you have already taken the undergraduate version.
Minimum 2:2 Honours degree with 55% and above or equivalent in a relevant science subject.
Relevant subjects include: Biological Sciences, Cell Biology, Ecology, Ecology and Conservation, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Marine Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Plant Science, Zoology.
A 2:2 degree below 55% in a related discipline will also be considered.
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
The MRes programme at Exeter is research focussed and you will complete two research projects in our world-leading research laboratories which is an excellent preparation for a research career. If you wish, you can specialise in an area of Biology you are most interested in, or you can do your research projects in two different areas thereby broadening your research portfolio.
Programme Director and Senior Lecturer
£11,500 full-time
£16,600 full-time
The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships*.
For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
*Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.
The programme consists of core modules that provide you with a theoretical and applied learning framework for directed student-centred learning in which you will develop skills of synthesis, critical analysis, and interpretation. In addition, you will receive professional skills training tailored to the areas most relevant to your academic and professional development.
You will carry out your independent supervised research projects in one of our world-leading research laboratories. Research projects are individual and can be based on laboratory work, field work or in silico (e.g. bioinformatics).
The research projects will give you first-hand experience in many aspects of research work including data generation, analysis, and interpretation as well as science communication in written, poster and oral presentations.
Depending on your chosen modules and research project topics, you may have access to the following facilities:
You will be allocated a personal tutor who is available for advice and support throughout your studies. There is also a postgraduate tutor available to help with further guidance and advice. In addition, the programme director will offer every student a meeting each term to review academic progress.
Taught modules are assessed through essay examinations, individual and group-based coursework assignments, oral presentations, in-module tests and reports or essays. A significant proportion of the marks are based on your substantial research projects and the associated papers.
This programme will provide you with a diversity of skills that will equip you for a range of sectors of work but it will particularly prepare you for PhD study or a career in research.
Skills include:
Our careers teams at the Career Zone can help guide you through a wealth of information to match your skills and interests to a career that will suit you. Our staff work with regional, national and international employers to develop new work placement, project and graduate opportunities.
Information for:
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