University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2021/22 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Zoology with a Professional Placement (BSc) > Specification
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Programme code | 7BISC006U |
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Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Jane Memmott
|
Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Biosciences (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
Our primary aim is to equip our students with the broadest range of intellectual and practical skills, to fit them to confront the diverse biological questions they will meet in their future careers.
We aim:
1. To offer a stimulating environment that will encourage our students to attain their full academic potential, with teachers who undertake research at the cutting edge of their fields, and who focus their teaching on the latest developments in many disciplines of zoology;
2. To foster in our students an enthusiastic and lifelong interest in zoology, through a developing understanding of the diversity of life and of its processes and mechanisms;
3. To provide the foundations essential for further training and for development of skills and knowledge in our students' future careers, whether in specific areas of zoology or in any other discipline or vocation;
4. To train our students to analyse complex problems of diverse kinds, so that they can reach considered and appropriate conclusions on the basis of the widest range of evidence, and can communicate their conclusions to others;
5. To offer an undergraduate degree programme which covers diverse topics of organismal, environmental and functional biology;
6. To make available to our students clear and accurate information on our teaching programmes, on what is expected of them, and on how successfully they are achieving the goals we demand of them.The zoology programme is deliberately drawn broadly. Graduates will have developed subject-specific skills from a variety of areas within the field.
A zoologist will gain knowledge in depth of the diversity, evolution and function of animals, with specialised knowledge of some taxonomic groups, and of the latest developments in cutting-edge research on animal biology.
Students transferring from the MSci Zoology programme into the BSc Zoology programme having taken unit BIOL30006 Advanced Practical Skills rather than BIOL30202 Practical Project will also be deemed to have satisfied the intended learning outcomes for this programme at the BSc level of study.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Lectures Asynchronous online learning resources Workshops Seminars Practical classes Drop in sessions Padlet boards for discussions Training in quantitative and computational methods including how to use the programming software ‘R’ |
Methods of Assessment | |
Exams Timed multiple choice question (MCQ) exams for year 1 and for numeracy assessments, to test breadth of scientific knowledge acquisition and competency in data skills respectively. Essay based exams in years 2-3 to test your higher order skills including synthesis and critical evaluation. Continuous assessments in all years of various formats with formative opportunities for each mode – essays, practical reports, posters, mock interviews, oral presentations, graphical abstracts, podcasts, debates, literature reviews and dissertations. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Practical classes Practical research projects Asynchronous online learning resources Workshops Seminars Drop in sessions Padlet boards for discussions |
Methods of Assessment | |
Exams Essay based exams in years 2-3 to test higher order skills including synthesis and critical evaluation. Continuous assessments in all years of various formats with formative opportunities for each mode – essays, practical reports, experimental design tasks, posters, mock interviews, oral presentations, graphical abstracts, podcasts, debates, literature reviews and practical project reports. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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|
Interactive Assessment and Feedback Portfolio – contains interactive online assessment maps for students to manage their time for working on and completing assignments. Communication and science writing workshops Excel and ‘R’ workshops Working in pairs and teams on specific tasks |
Methods of Assessment | |
Oral communication – presentations, debates, and podcasts Written communication - Essays and science communication assignments (e.g., abstracts) Digital literacy - Infographics, posters, graphical abstracts, competent use of excel and ‘R’. |
Embedded within the curriculum |
Year 1 - Key Concepts – general transferable skills – written and oral communication, teamwork, introduction to biology field work. Year 2 - Science and Success - all students explore biology-specific careers resources and placement opportunities, have sessions on CVs and cover-letters, oral & written communication skills, authentic science editing workshops (run by freelance science editor) & mock interviews. Year 3 and 4 – practical research projects prepare students for designing experiments and reporting the outcomes, literature reviews are conducted to develop synthesis and critical evaluation skills. Students have the option to develop other skill sets (e.g., they get training in qualitative research methods for education-focused projects, or in advanced data analysis and/or bioinformatics in other types of projects). All years - Personal academic tutorials - personal development and self-reflection, using feedback to feedforward, CVs, applications, opportunities to discuss their own aspirations and career goals with an academic member of staff and an allocated postgraduate student. |
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Co-curricular opportunities |
Café Bio – weekly academic social event for staff and students, invited speakers from different career paths and organisations. Faculty of Life Sciences Careers Panel Events – Panels of speakers from different professions with live Q&A. Careers Service – run many events that are suitable for Biology students (e.g., ‘green week’, SMEs, sustainability), online self-directed learning materials available and they offer drop-in sessions. Our students are encouraged to do the Bristol PLUS award to build up experiences to boost their CVs. PASS sessions – peer-assisted study skills sessions – students can discuss careers and opportunities with their near-peers (one academic year ahead of them). Our students have access to a page on blackboard specifically dedicated to collating resources on biology-focused careers and placements in the ‘information for staff and students’ section. This BB page has recently been updated by the careers and employability lead in the school to provide hyperlinks to useful external resources e.g., summer studentship, internships, volunteering opportunities and learned societies that offer membership benefits to students. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Students are expected to have a sound and broad-based knowledge and understanding of biological principles, have learnt to analyse scientific problems and to draw objective conclusions, and have gained self confidence in written, verbal and organisational skills, including communication, teamwork, and computer literacy. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
At level 5, students build on the foundation that they established in level 4, and are expected to develop subject-specific skills such as data handling, statistics, molecular methods and experimental design (depending on unit choice). Students should be able to apply these skills widely and to undertake more in-depth analysis of scientific problems and be able to review their own progress. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Graduates will have developed subject-specific skills from a variety of aspects of the subject, including those specific to zoology and plant sciences; they will have expanded their breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding of biological systems and will have become confident in their ability to design experimental protocols, collect and evaluate data, analyse complex scientific problems and communicate their findings both verbally and in writing. |
Level M/7 - Masters |
Students graduating at level 7 will be able to demonstrate a systematic understanding and critical awareness of the forefront of their field of study, and are expected to develop a comprehensive and practical understanding of techniques and the application of knowledge to a focused research project; they will show self-direction, autonomy and initiative in decision-making, and demonstrate personal responsibility and an awareness of how to develop their continuing professional skills independently. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
UG Workload Statement
Success as an undergraduate student depends on you being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. Programmes are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with units in which timetabled teaching, such as lectures and practical classes, provides the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving on to individual research-based work. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning, guided by the feedback on your work that you will receive. At the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing and it is this skill of independent studies, above all others, that will serve you best when you leave the University.
Most programmes use credits and a 20 credit unit broadly equates to about 200 hours of student input. This includes all activities related to the teaching, learning and assessment of taught units.
A component of this is the time that you spend in class, in contact with the teaching staff, which includes activities such as lectures, laboratories, tutorials and fieldwork. Some of this activity may be online and could consist of activity that is synchronous (using real-time environments such as Blackboard Collaborate) or asynchronous (using tools such as tutor moderated discussion forums, blogs or wikis).
In some programmes there are field courses and/or placements that will take place in concentrated periods of time.
Outside scheduled activities you are expected to pursue your own independent learning to build your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. Such independent activities include, reviewing lecture material, reading textbooks, working on examples sheets, completing coursework, writing up laboratory notes, preparing for in-class progress tests and revising for examinations.
We recognise that many students undertake paid employment. To achieve a sensible balance between work and study, you are advised to undertake paid work for no more than 15 hours per week in term-time.
Professional Programmes
Many undergraduates in the Faculty of Health Sciences will be following the professional programmes of:
For these professional programmes, full time attendance is compulsory unless absence is formally approved. Academic activities are timetabled throughout the 5-day week and student workload is around 40 hours per week on average. Where possible, students in the early years are permitted Wednesday afternoons for sport and extra-curriculum activities. This may not be available in later years of professional programmes as when a student progresses through the curricula there is an increasing exposure to clinical and professional activities. Students in clinic or on placements may need to stay later than core times of 08.00 – 18.00 or even overnight to observe out-of-hours activities. This increasing exposure to clinical activities means that students on these professional programmes often have longer term dates than the University standard. Individual years within programmes are likely to vary in length (for example because of the timings of placements) and further information on this will be found in individual programme regulations. Another important point to note is that many of the assessments sit outside of the standard University examination timetable and are likely to be more frequent meaning that students will more oftentimes be engaged in revision activities and self-directed learning.
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty Assessment and Feedback Statement for Undergraduate Students. University of Bristol access only.
The School of Biological Sciences maintains a series of world-class research specializations across a broad base and is particularly strong in studies at the whole organism level; modern molecular techniques are also applied across diverse fields from microbiology, molecular and cell biology, plant biology to animal behaviour and ecology. Much of its teaching is research oriented, and it offers a wide, diverse range of units which delivers a broad biological education, although the opportunity also exists to focus on particular areas of interest. The School has extensive links with local organisations such as the Veterinary School at Langford, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Avon Wildlife Trust, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and the BBC. Such collaborations further the research of the School and inform its teaching.
Additional Costs
In addition to the fees for the programme, a student may encounter the following costs:
All students on this programme take a mandatory field course. Costs depend on the field course students select and are subsequently allocated to.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Life Processes Part A | BIOL10009 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Diversity of Life Part A | BIOL10010 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Diversity of Life Part B | BIOL10007 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Life Processes Part B | BIOL10008 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Key Concepts for Biologists | BIOL10002 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Units from the following list totalling 20 credit points. Please note the open unit chosen must take place in TB2: | ||||
Current Topics in Biology | BIOL10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Sustainable Development | UNIV10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
City Futures: Migration, Citizenship, and Planetary Change | UNIV10005 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Creative Futures: Tools for Changing the World | UNIV10007 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Understanding global problems using data: inequality, climate change and the economy | UNIV10008 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Big Ideas in Science | CHEM10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Introduction to Cognitive and Biological Psychology | PSYC10013 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Science of Happiness | PSYC10014 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 |
Decolonise the Future! | HUMS10012 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Any other Level 1 UWLP (University-Wide Language Programme) unit - 20 credit points. Please see http://www.bristol.ac.uk/sml/study/uwlp/ for more details. | ||||
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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