Biological and life sciences · Environment and geography
Ecology
BSc
Overview
Ecology studies how organisms interact with each other and with their environment. You learn survey methods, statistics, and how habitats change. Fieldwork is a real part of the course, including poor weather. It supports conservation and ecological consultancy, but a degree alone does not make you a consultant. Students who enjoy it like identifying patterns outdoors and are willing to learn the statistics that make a survey trustworthy.
You want organisms and habitats, with fieldwork, more than molecular lab work.
Environmental science includes more earth systems and policy. Zoology is more about animals than whole ecosystems.
People who like field studies and careful observation.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Organisms and habitats
- Evolution
- Field skills
Later years
- Population ecology
- Conservation
- Research project
Skills
Useful before you start
- Biology
- Comfort outdoors
- Basic numeracy
Developed during the degree
- Survey design
- Statistical thinking
- Habitat assessment
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Field courses, Data workshops.
Assessment often includes Exams, Field reports, Project.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate. Field weeks are denser.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBC–ABB. Biology is the strongest preparation. Some courses accept geography. Check. |
| IB Diploma | UCL publishes 34 points for ABB. The other end of this band is not in that table. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | That Manchester guide gives AP 5, 4, 4 for ABB. The other end of this band is not in the guide. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
Biology is the strongest preparation. Some courses accept geography. Check.
Often recommended: Biology.
Useful preparation: Geography, Mathematics.
GCSE and IGCSE
English and mathematics at GCSE or IGCSE are commonly requested. Science grades matter more for science degrees. No single national grade is stored. International GCSEs are not automatically accepted as GCSEs.
Indicative UK pattern only. Highly selective universities can ask for higher grades in the sciences than the typical band. Not an offer.
Other ways in
- Consultancy roles often expect species licences or extra experience after the degree.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.