Human biology considers many diverse areas
of biology including cell biology, evolution,
physiology, anatomy, nutrition, disease and
ecology, to name but a few.
So I chose to study human biology at the University
of Birmingham because it enabled me to specialise
in the areas of biology that I was interested
in.
So I wanted sort of tailor my interest towards
humans and the human biology course here it
was really focused down to human biology and
human biochemistry.
In the first year we introduce you to a broad
range of topics that you may not have covered
at school to give you a taster of the different
aspects of human biology.
It keeps a wide variety so that you can sort
of angle yourself with what you're interested
in once you've had a taste of it.
In years two and three you can explore the
areas that you want to learn about and tailor
your course to suit your future career plans.
You could pick a lot more of the modules yourself
there wasn't, you didn't have to follow particular
pathways.
Our degree programme is driven by research-led
teaching. Experts in the field feed directly
into our course content.
Lecturers are always quite passionate about
what they're doing, especially if it's on
a topic that they know they will definitely
tell us like “Oh this is what I'm specializing
in” and I find that lovely and they incorporate
the cutting-edge research.
The lecturers here are really good, they know
exactly what they're on about.
My favourite part of the course has been my
third year research project. It was probably
this project that initiated my interest in
postgraduate research, which would basically
mean I get to stay here for another couple
of years.
We offer an international year for students
who wish to study in an overseas university
to gain knowledge in an area outside of our
specialism.
So there were two options where you can gain
an MSci qualification by four-year programs:
one is where you do a Professional Placement
in third-year and the second one is where
you do a research project in your fourth year
at the University.
I really think my placement year helped when
I was applying for PhDs because it gave me
an edge over other candidates who hadn't had
that scientific research experience. I feel
like it's made me a lot more competent in
the lab.
We have a wide range of different teaching
methods.
So it’s really varied, you can go to a lecture
and then you have a tutorial and then you
go and do something in a lab and even the
labs it's not just putting things in test
tubes, it's looking at specimens or making
models.
And the teaching labs are incredible like
they are ridiculously good. They're really
informative, they're really supportive for
people because, when you're coming in from
a level, you've never been a big lab like
this.
It helps you have decision-making skills and
being observant, being decisive and just getting
on with like having to read instructions is
a really really good skill.
It's a well ranked University, it's Russell
group, I like the city.
I love the campus, it's one of the like major
draws.
There are so many new things coming through
at the minute. There's the library, it's a
beautiful building and they put so much effort
into it and it's a brilliant space just to
sit and relax and do some work.
It's so green with all the trees but at the
same time you're like eight minutes away from
the city centre.
The personal touch here in the school of Biosciences
is very important. You’re assigned a personal
tutor at the start of your program and they
will guide you through your program and be
there to help you throughout. Come to us with
any problems, if we don't know the answer
we know somebody that does.
It's fun, it's versatile, you get a lot of
skills from, sort of, statistical coding to
video making, to essay writing. You get a
lot of skills to put on your CV. Go into,
sort of, whatever career you like and I just
really like it here.
We offer you flexible course content to take
you in the direction that you wish to go,
we’ll give you guidance along the way and
together we can help you to achieve your goals.
I think it's a very inclusive Uni and I think
it's perfect!
