University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2019/20 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Plant Sciences (BSc) > Specification
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Programme code | 7BISC004U |
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Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Alistair Hetherington
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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 | 3 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 plant and biology related 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 plant sciences;
2. To foster in our students an enthusiastic and lifelong interest in plant sciences, 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 plant sciences 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 includes topics within plant biology from enzymes to ecosystems;
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 plant sciences programme is deliberately drawn broadly. Graduates will have developed subject-specific skills from a variety of areas within the field.
A plant scientist will gain knowledge in depth of the diversity, evolution and function of plants, with specialised knowledge of some taxonomic groups, and of the latest developments in functional genomics, bioinformatics, plant developmental biology, plant pathology, parasite biology, cell signalling, pollination biology, ecology, plant conservation and systems biology.
Students transferring from the MSci Plant Sciences programme into the BSc Plant Sciences 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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Students are taught through a combination of lectures, supervised practical classes, field work, workshops, tutorials, and seminars. In addition, students are required to undertake independent learning through reading and experimental work both in the lab and in the field. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Aptitude, learning, skills and understanding are assessed through a combination of assessed practical work, projects, tutorial work, essays, open and closed examinations. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Such skills are taught throughout the teaching programme, but in particular are addressed through tutorial, practical, field and project work. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Tutorial, practical and project work is designed to test such skills, is assessed according to School guidelines and forms the continuous assessment element of the taught units. Many of these skills in year 3 are measured in the Fieldcourse and Practical Project reports, and the Literature Review. Closed examinations – particularly in years 1 and 2 – are also designed to test components of these skills.
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Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Such skills are taught through tutorials, practical work and field/lab work throughout all three levels and in the Literature Review, Practical Project and Fieldcourse units in year 3. Specific units in year 1 (Key Concepts) and 2 (Science and Success) have been specifically designed to teach and assess such important transferable skills. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Time management is assessed through successful completion and submission on time of coursework; teamwork is assessed through successful completion of group activities in practical and field work; written and spoken skills are assessed both through tutorials and examinations. These skills are also assessed in year 3 in the Literature Review and Practical Project through the oral presentations associated with both units, and the activities associated with final project planning and reporting. |
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 2 students build on the foundation that they established in level 1, 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 sub-disciplines within 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. |
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.
Workload Statement
Success as an undergraduate student depends on you being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. The programmes offered in the Faculty 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 from staff. But at the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing, whether in the library or at home. It is this skill of independent studies, above all others, that will serve you best when you leave the University.
Student workloads in the Faculty of Life Sciences are calculated on the assumption that you will work at least an average of 40 hours per week over the academic year. This workload includes all types of activity related to the delivery and assessment of taught units.
A major component of this workload in the early years of your programme is the time that you spend in class, in contact with the teaching staff, which includes lectures, laboratories, tutorials and practical classes. Outside classes you will need to undertake two types of academic activity. One type is that directed by your unit (such as eBiolabs pre- and post-lab quizzes, practical class reports and project work). The other type requires you to pursue self-motivated independent learning in order to build your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. Such independent activities include reviewing lecture material, reading textbooks and the scientific literature, and revising for examinations. In later years of your programme, timetabled teaching will make up a smaller proportion of your overall workload and you will spend much of your time pursuing independent study.
Wednesday afternoons are set aside for students to engage in extracurricular activities, such as sporting activities. Note also that formal teaching is undertaken on Wednesday mornings, which in some programmes may preclude absences for travelling to sporting events.
You will be expected to work during most University vacations. All students are expected to use the Christmas and Easter holidays to revise for the examinations held in January and May/June, respectively. Should you be unsuccessful in the examinations, you should expect to set aside sufficient time over the summer vacation firstly to consolidate your understanding and then to revise intensively for the resit examinations held in August/September (resit examinations are not available in the final year of BSc programmes). Certain components of the teaching and assessment are mandatory - for details see individual programme regulations.
The Life Sciences BSc programmes conform to the University modular framework where 10 credits represent about 100 hours of student work. We recognise that many students have to take paid employment to fund their studies. In order 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.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is 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.
Please note that BIOL11000 and BIOL12000 are must pass units.
For the definition of a must pass unit please see the Glossary of Terms from Annex 1 to the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes at http://www.bris.ac.uk/esu/assessment/annex/glossary.html.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Biology 1A: Diversity of Life | BIOL11000 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Biology 1B: Life Processes | BIOL12000 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Key Concepts for Biologists | BIOL10002 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Units from the following list totalling 20 credit points | ||||
Current Topics in Biology | BIOL10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Big Ideas in Science | CHEM10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
World in Crisis? | GEOG16001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Fundamentals of Body Function | PHPH10014 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Science of Happiness | PSYC10014 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 |
Introduction to Social and Developmental Psychology | PSYC10012 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Introduction to Cognitive and Biological Psychology | PSYC10013 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Sustainable Development | UNIV10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 |
Inequality, Crisis and Prosperity: How to Make Sense of the Global Economy | UNIV10003 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 |
City Futures: Migration, Citizenship, and Planetary Change | UNIV10005 | 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 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Science and Success: Writing, Speaking and Communicating Science | BIOL20017 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-1A |
Molecular Genetics | BIOL20015 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Evolutionary Biology | BIOL20212 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-1B |
Quantitative and Computational Methods | BIOL20020 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
At least 30CP chosen from: | ||||
Plant Disease | BIOL20008 | 10 | Optional | TB-2C |
Cell and Developmental Biology | BIOL20011 | 10 | Optional | TB-2D |
Ecology | BIOL20012 | 10 | Optional | TB-2C |
Green Planet | BIOL20013 | 10 | Optional | TB-2D |
Conservation Biology | BIOL20401 | 10 | Optional | TB-2C |
A maximum of 30CP chosen from: | ||||
Acquisition of Behaviour | BIOL20103 | 10 | Optional | TB-2C |
Behavioural Ecology | BIOL20104 | 10 | Optional | TB-2D |
Brains, Behaviour and Evolution | BIOL20019 | 10 | Optional | TB-2C |
Insect Biology | BIOL20204 | 10 | Optional | TB-2D |
Sensory Biology | BIOL20016 | 10 | Optional | TB-2D |
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Practical Project | BIOL30202 | 30 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Field Course or Laboratory Workshop | BIOL30001 | 10 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Literature Review | BIOL30002 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
At least 30CP chosen from: | ||||
The Ecology of Food Production and the Farmed Landscape | BIOL30009 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Tree of Life | BIOL30004 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Plant Evolution, Development and Diversity | BIOL30007 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Agricultural Biotechnology | BIOL31129 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Plant Environmental Adaptation | BIOL30005 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Plus a maximum of 30CP chosen from: | ||||
Sensory Ecology | BIOL31132 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Sex, Behaviour and Life Histories | BIOL30013 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Oceans | BIOL30011 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Social Evolution: Genes to Societies | BIOL30003 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Communication and Cognition in Animal Societies | BIOL30012 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Staying Alive: The Behaviour, Psychology and Ecology of Predator-Prey Interactions | BIOL30010 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
The Biology of Colour | BIOL30014 | 10 | Optional | TB-4 |
Plant Sciences (BSc) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
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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