What will I learn?

Our Biological Sciences and Psychology IFP is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills to be able to progress on to a range of related degree courses at university. You will consider the principles of Biology and Psychology, whilst also developing the relevant statistical analysis skills required in these subject areas.

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to develop your communication and team-working skills - key skills required to be successful in your undergraduate degree as well as throughout your career.

How will I learn?

You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, which is the same type of teaching you can expect at undergraduate level in the UK.

Lectures are where all students on a module are together (this can be up to 100 students on the IFP), and the academic tutor introduces the topic of study. Seminars are much smaller groups (typically no more than 15 students), where you have the opportunity to explore a subject in more detail with your academic tutor and classmates. In your seminars, you will be expected to engage in discussions and debates around the subject matter.

On the Biological Sciences and Psychology IFP there will also be some practical lessons in our laboratory classrooms.

How will I be assessed?

Across your modules you will be assessed through a range of methods including presentations, tests, reports and examinations.

The modules on this programme have been developed to give you a thorough preparation for a range of related undergraduate degrees.

Students on this route will study full modules in Biology: Principles and Practice and Psychology in addition to two half-modules: Chemistry for the Biosciences, and Statistics for Science.

The Biology module aims to develop your understanding of biological principles and processes, and you'll also learn how to apply your knowledge to current issues and problems in the Life Sciences. You will develop skills and experience in evaluating evidence, data analysis, and acquire awareness of ethical issues and debates in biology.

In the Psychology module, you'll be introduced to the key themes and theories of psychology, as well as the methods and classic studies that underpin the discipline. Topic areas that are covered during the module include models of mental illness, the biological basis of behaviour, and theories of memory. Throughout the module, you will engage in critical thinking and your understanding will be rooted in applied examples and relevant, real-world scenarios.

Our Inquiry and Research Skills for Science is a core module on this course, and is delivered in two parts to complement your other modules. The first part of this module looks at developing core research and inquiry skills including academic searching, using sources, teamwork, reflection and problem based learning inquiries. The second part of the module allows you to put everything you have learnt into practice through a research based project.

All students will also study an English for Academic Purposes module. This module is not about developing your conversational or everyday English skills; instead, it will develop your Academic English skills. You will consider how academic essays should be written, including looking at appropriate referencing and paraphrasing, as well as thinking about how presentations should be delivered in an academic context.

Please note that given the interval between the publication of these modules and enrolment, some of the information may change. You can find out more by reading our terms and conditions.

A list of our entry requirements, according to country, is available on our Application Information pages.

If you apply to this course, your Biology (or related) grades will be required to be at a high level and achieving specific grades in Biology may be a condition of your offer.

If you have any questions about your qualifications and whether they are suitable for this course, please contact the team.

Students on this course would typically be looking to progress to a range of undergraduate degrees such as Biology and Biomedical Science, Neuroscience, and Psychology.

Please note that if you wish to progress to BA/BSc Economics, Psychology, and Philosophy (EPP), you may be required to take an extra Maths test alongside the IFP assessments.