Course Overview
Swansea was one of the first universities in the world to offer a single honours undergraduate degree in Marine Biology.
With our unique coastal location, we have easy access to a wide range of study habitats.
The course is highly practical and fieldwork based.
Our inshore research vessel is widely used for teaching.
All second year Marine Biology students receive training at sea.
All Marine Biology students attend a residential field course at the end of Year Two. Currently, this is based at Millport Marine Station, Isle of Cumbrae.
All final year students carry out an individual ten week research dissertation module based either in Swansea or on an overseas placement. In the last few years these have included locations such as Bermuda, Mexico, Indonesia, the USA and Australia.
The course has an emphasis on the development of personal and transferable skills to assist in employability.
Key features
- Zoology at Swansea is TOP 5 in the UK and 98% for overall satisfaction [National Student Survey 2017]
- Biology at Swansea is Top in Wales and 97% for overall satisfaction [NSS 2017]
- We are 16th in the UK for graduate prospects [Complete University Guide 2018]
- 97.3% in graduate employment or further study six months after leaving University [HESA data 2013/14]
- We are 7th in the UK for Research Excellence [Research Excellence Framework 2014]
- £4.2m investment in state-of-the art Science laboratories
- £1.3m Visualisation Centre which displays and manipulates multi-dimensional information from animal tag monitoring - unique in the world!
- £1.3m investment in a purpose-built 18 m catamaran-class survey vessel equipped with state-of-the-art survey and research equipment
- Degrees accredited by the Royal Society of Biology
- Top University in Wales [Times & Sunday Times University Guide 2017]
Course description
- Swansea was one of the first universities in the world to offer a single honours undergraduate degree in Marine Biology.
- With our unique coastal location, we have easy access to a wide range of study habitats including exposed rocky shores, steep cliffs enclosing sandy sheltered bays, salt marshes and estuarine mudflats.
- The course is highly practical and fieldwork based.
- Our inshore research vessel, the R.V. Noctiluca, is widely used for teaching and offers a platform for project work at sea.
- All second year Marine Biology students receive training at sea.
- All Marine Biology students attend a residential field course at the end of Year Two. Currently, this is based at Millport Marine Station, Isle of Cumbrae.
- All final year students carry out an individual ten week research dissertation module based either in Swansea or on an overseas placement. In the last few years these have included locations such as Bermuda, Mexico, Indonesia, the USA and Australia.
- The course has an emphasis on the development of personal and transferable skills to assist in employability.
Career prospects
As scientists in training you will be taught a full range of core skills and practises by leading experts that will enable you to successfully pursue a career within biology and ecology.
Every year we survey our recent graduates to ascertain their employment status. The data is more commonly known as the Graduate Destinations Survey and is reported to HESA (the Higher Education Statistics Authority). Here are some examples of job titles from the recent survey:
- Ecologist (Jacobs Engineering & CSA Environmental)
- Delivery Officer (Biotechnology & Biological Science Research Council)
- Project Officer (Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Trust)
- Hydrometry and Telemetry Officer (Natural Resources Wales)
- Benthic Taxonomist (Oceanology Ltd)
- Wildlife and Education Officer (Ipswich Borough Council)
- Crop Technician (Humber Growers)
- Animal keeper (All Things Wild)
- Quality Control Associate (Amgen Biovex Ltd)
- Royal Navy Officer (Britannia Royal Navy College)
- Research Assistant (TRP Research)
Find out more about employability
Swansea Marine Biology Graduates
Ever wondered what our marine biology students do after they have graduated from Swansea University? Check the Swansea Marine Biology Graduates Facebook Page for job, PhD and masters profiles. Also included are useful web links to marine biology job related sites:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Swansea-Marine-Biology-Graduates/151661738225359
