Ecology and Conservation Biology BSc
AAB at A level, Biology or Environmental Science, plus a second science subject; graduates earn a median £26,500 three years on.
Typical A level offer
AAB
Biology or Environmental Science, plus a second science subject · 85% of entrants came with A levels · 100% stay on after year 1 · York course page, Discover Uni
Year 13 · applying
What do you need to get in?
AABtypical A level offer; we accept the following subjects as a second science: chemistry, computer science, environmental science, further mathematics, geography, geology, mathematics, physical education, physics, psychology
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. Contextual offer: BBB, for applicants from under-represented backgrounds.
York course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
- 1Biology or Environmental Science, plus a second science subject
Who actually got in: 85% with A levels, 10% with other higher education. Based on 15 entrants.
Other qualifications5
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 36 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit or higher. Must include Level 336 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit or higher. Must include Level 3 modules in Biology or Environmental Science, and a second science. Please contact us for information on the units we ac | — |
| BTEC | DDDDDD We consider BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science (2016 syllabus) with all 7 mandatory units. We consider BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science (2010 syllabus), please contac | — |
| IB | 35 points35 points including 5 in Higher Level Biology or Environmental Systems and Societies, plus either 5 in another Higher Level science or mathematics subject, or 5 in two Standard Level science or mathem | — |
| Scottish Highers | BB | — |
| Advanced Highers | BB in Biology and a second Science/Mathematics plus | — |
Years 1–3
What do you study?
6compulsory modules in year 1
Compulsory modules this year: natural sciences 65% · transversal skills 10% · language & communication 10% · green & sustainability 5%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
York course page · optional modules vary by year
Year 1 · 6 core · 120 credits ≈ 1,200 hours
- Life on Earth
What you learn (16)
- describe the evolutionary timeline of major organism groups
- explain how modern ecosystems developed over time
- explain how organism structure relates to adaptive function
- compare how organism function varies across species and environments
- explain the role of plant evolution in human food supply
- explain the role of plant evolution in medicine and fuel production
- describe methods used to study animal behaviour and species interactions
- explain how species interactions shape community structure within environments
- explain present and emerging threats to biodiversity
- design a simple biological experiment to test a hypothesis
- collect and analyse experimental data using appropriate methods
- present experimental findings in a suitable scientific format
- identify case studies illustrating employability skills in science
- explain examples of effective science communication practice
- identify case studies relating to equality, diversity and inclusion in science
- explain how wellbeing issues are addressed within scientific practice
- Becoming a Bioscientist: Grand Challenges
What you learn (16)
- perform additional core laboratory techniques competently
- combine multiple laboratory techniques to tackle novel experimental problems
- design an original investigation addressing a major scientific challenge
- formulate testable hypotheses with appropriate experimental controls
- explain the ethical principles governing biological research
- describe how researchers resolve ethical dilemmas in practice
- select an appropriate univariate statistical test for a given scenario
- judge when a chosen statistical test is unsuitable for the data
- analyse datasets in various formats reproducibly using R
- produce graphical representations of statistical results using R
- write a scientific report presenting research findings
- deliver an oral presentation of research findings
- identify personal strengths relevant to bioscience study
- reflect on how personal strengths influence academic performance
- collaborate with peers to conduct scientific research
- collaborate with peers to communicate research outcomes
- Becoming a Bioscientist: Core Skills
What you learn (16)
- carry out core laboratory techniques following set protocols
- apply good laboratory practice during experimental work
- describe the main stages of the scientific method
- explain how the scientific method is used in bioscience research
- locate relevant scientific information from peer reviewed sources
- interpret findings reported in peer reviewed scientific sources
- discuss the significance of scientific findings with others
- record experimental procedures systematically in a lab book
- organise experimental data for analysis
- explain the features of effective scientific writing for dissemination
- communicate experimental results using a scientific poster
- collaborate with peers to conduct an experimental investigation
- present experimental results as part of a team
- identify the importance of honesty and proper attribution in research
- set personal learning goals for skill development
- reflect on progress towards personal learning goals
- Genetics
What you learn (12)
- apply knowledge of DNA replication to solve molecular biology problems
- apply knowledge of DNA manipulation techniques to solve molecular biology problems
- apply knowledge of genetic transmission to solve Mendelian genetics problems
- explain how gene-gene and gene-environment interactions shape phenotype
- interpret examples of genetic inheritance patterns
- explain the key mechanisms driving evolutionary change
- use population genetics methods to illustrate evolutionary processes
- use phylogenetic methods to illustrate evolutionary relationships
- design experimental approaches for investigating molecular genetics questions
- design experimental approaches for investigating classical genetics questions
- design experimental approaches for investigating population genetics questions
- evaluate ethical issues arising from genetics research and applications
- Dynamic Earth
What you learn (10)
- describe the major stages in Earth's geological and biological evolution
- describe the dynamic processes that continuously reshape the planet
- explain the causes of extreme geological and environmental events
- explain the consequences of catastrophic natural events
- describe how different components of the Earth system interact
- explain how human activity affects the Earth's habitability
- describe fundamental processes that shape the Earth
- identify different types of rocks
- describe the concept of systems within Earth science
- explain positive and negative feedback mechanisms in natural systems
- Ecological principles
What you learn (9)
- explain the ecological principles governing ecosystem stability
- explain the ecological principles governing population growth
- describe the rationale underlying methods for sampling biological populations
- apply field techniques to measure biological populations
- analyse ecological data to identify patterns and relationships
- produce a scientific report presenting ecological data findings
- identify factors shaping local and regional patterns in biological communities
- identify factors shaping global patterns in biological communities
- describe current approaches used in biodiversity conservation
Year 2 · 2 core, 7 optional · 40 credits ≈ 400 hours
- Becoming a Bioscientist: Experimental Design and Communication
What you learn (9)
- collaborate with peers to design a research project
- formulate testable hypotheses for a biological question
- conduct a short investigation into a biological problem
- apply relevant laboratory or field techniques to answer a research question
- select appropriate statistical models for a given dataset
- use R software to perform reproducible data analyses
- present analysis results using graphical outputs
- design suitable media to communicate research findings
- adapt communication style to different audiences
- Becoming a Bioscientist: Research in Action
What you learn (8)
- describe specialised techniques used within the discipline to answer a research question
- design a preprocessing workflow for univariate and multivariate datasets
- design an automated analysis and visualisation pipeline for complex datasets
- apply R software to analyse datasets in multiple formats reproducibly
- present analysis results using graphical outputs generated in R
- interpret combined experimental findings against the wider scientific literature
- communicate research findings effectively to a scientific audience
- reflect on personal skills and attributes gained through a research project
7 optional modules
- Practical Ecology
What you learn (15)
- select appropriate sampling techniques for plant and animal populations
- apply chosen sampling techniques to collect population data
- critique the suitability of different sampling techniques
- select suitable analysis methods for ecological sampling data
- apply statistical methods to ecological sampling data
- critique the appropriateness of analysis methods used on ecological data
- interpret patterns in ecological populations and communities
- relate observed ecological patterns to ecological theory and habitat context
- evaluate the effectiveness of sampling experiment designs
- explain how an experiment addresses a specific ecological hypothesis
- collaborate with peers to plan a field research project
- carry out a field research project as part of a team
- communicate fieldwork methods and results to a scientific audience
- discuss the implications of fieldwork findings
- reflect on personal development gained through fieldwork
- Ecological Solutions for Global Challenges
What you learn (9)
- explain how organisms respond to changes in their physical and chemical surroundings
- explain how organisms alter their physical and chemical surroundings
- explain how organisms influence the structure of ecological communities
- explain global processes contributing to major environmental challenges
- explain local processes contributing to major environmental challenges
- use ecological models to describe mechanisms driving ecosystem processes
- evaluate the usefulness of models in explaining ecological mechanisms
- describe ecological approaches used to address global environmental challenges
- evaluate the effectiveness of ecological solutions to global challenges
- Population Genetics and Evolution
What you learn (9)
- describe processes that change allele frequencies in populations
- describe genomic changes occurring within a species over time
- describe genomic differences that arise between species
- distinguish simple traits from complex traits
- explain how simple and complex traits evolve differently
- combine concepts from the module into a coherent argument
- collect and analyse biological data
- design a simple experiment to test a hypothesis
- apply basic evolutionary models to solve problems
- Behavioural Ecology
What you learn (9)
- describe core concepts of behavioural ecology
- identify factors influencing animal behavioural strategy choices
- interpret how various factors shape animal behavioural decisions
- describe evolutionary outcomes arising from animal behaviours
- interpret evolutionary consequences of specific behavioural patterns
- analyse connections between distinct subfields of behavioural ecology
- design experiments to investigate behavioural ecology questions
- analyse and interpret experimental data on animal behaviour
- apply basic mathematical models to solve ecological problems
- Geographical Information Systems
What you learn (4)
- identify different types of spatial data
- describe core functions available in GIS software packages
- process satellite imagery to classify land cover types
- conduct spatial analysis of environmental datasets using GIS software
- Ecosystem Management and Conservation
What you learn (6)
- explain the concept of natural capital
- explain how social, economic and historical factors shape ecosystem distribution
- analyse how ecosystems support human needs over time
- identify limitations of different ecosystem management approaches
- describe techniques for monitoring ecosystem management outcomes
- evaluate the effectiveness of ecosystem management using monitoring data
- Enhancing Biodiversity
What you learn (11)
- locate current UK legislation on site and species protection
- interpret UK legislation relevant to biodiversity enhancement
- apply protected site and species legislation to practical scenarios
- evaluate site biodiversity value using standard mapping tools
- assess conservation status of sites using biodiversity databases
- discuss emerging technologies used in species management
- discuss emerging technologies used in habitat management
- describe key principles for managing important UK habitats
- describe key principles for managing important UK species
- explain the relevance of landscape-scale approaches to biodiversity
- apply landscape-scale approaches to enhance biodiversity
Year 3 · 1 core, 8 optional · 40 credits ≈ 400 hours
- Bioscience Capstone Project
What you learn (12)
- formulate testable hypotheses for a research question
- carry out an original investigation to address formulated hypotheses
- apply safe laboratory practice while conducting project work
- apply ethical standards when conducting a research project
- manage own project work efficiently to meet objectives
- apply relevant laboratory or field techniques to a bioscience investigation
- select suitable methods to collect research data
- critically analyse collected data to draw conclusions
- present research plans orally to an audience
- discuss research plans in response to questions
- produce a formal written report of research findings
- evaluate own research work within a written report
8 optional modules
- Conserving Biodiversity in the Anthropocene
What you learn (9)
- explain the drivers of biodiversity change in the Anthropocene
- retrieve relevant conservation literature using appropriate search strategies
- evaluate conservation literature to determine priority actions
- evaluate the suitability of scientific methods for conservation research
- identify gaps in existing conservation knowledge
- formulate testable hypotheses addressing conservation questions
- design experiments to investigate conservation problems
- evaluate evidence relating to contested conservation issues
- compose a well-structured research proposal on a conservation topic
- Current Research in Ecology
What you learn (8)
- explain how ecological processes interact to shape ecosystem function
- evaluate the relative contribution of different ecological processes to ecosystem function
- apply novel methods to investigate ecological questions
- interpret results generated by new ecological approaches
- critique the quality and validity of ecological research studies
- summarise key findings from ecological research literature
- identify gaps in existing ecological knowledge
- design a research programme to address an identified ecological gap
- Evolution
What you learn (9)
- evaluate factors that shape rates and patterns of evolutionary change
- evaluate how population ecology and genetics jointly drive evolutionary outcomes
- evaluate genetic consequences arising from interactions between populations or species
- analyse processes driving diversification of species
- analyse consequences of diversification for biological systems
- design an original research study using advanced evolutionary biology methods
- critique current research publications in evolutionary biology
- interpret findings presented in recent evolution research papers
- solve problems arising in evolutionary biology research
- Ecology (field course - Biology)
What you learn (10)
- design a robust ecological study to test a hypothesis
- search scientific literature relevant to a research question
- appraise the quality and relevance of published studies
- select an appropriate statistical method for ecological data
- apply chosen statistical techniques to analyse field data
- resolve practical issues arising during experimental design
- resolve issues of data collection and analysis in the field
- apply ethical and safety considerations to fieldwork challenges
- design a robust ecological study to test a hypothesis
- evaluate personal development of fieldwork skills during the course
- Genomics
What you learn (8)
- describe the features and workflows of different genomic technologies
- evaluate the strengths and limitations of genomic technologies
- explain how genomic methods are applied across different areas of biology
- design an experiment applying genomic technology to address a biological problem
- analyse genomic datasets using appropriate computational tools
- derive new biological conclusions from newly generated sequencing data
- critically evaluate published research papers in genomics
- explain ethical issues arising from genomic research and technology
- Biodiversity and Society
What you learn (3)
- describe approaches for linking ecological and social systems
- explain fundamental ecological principles
- identify tools used in wildlife conservation and management
- Tackling Britain's Environmental Challenges (field course - Environment and Geography)
What you learn (5)
- apply field research techniques to study a real-world environmental issue
- analyse evidence gathered to explain the causes of an environmental issue
- collaborate within a multi-disciplinary team to examine an issue from different viewpoints
- design potential solutions to an environmental problem collaboratively
- explain complex environmental concepts clearly to a non-expert audience
- Sustainability Clinic (Semester 1) or Sustainability Clinic (Semester 2)
What you learn (12)
- collaborate within multi-disciplinary teams to address real-world challenges
- scope a real-world sustainability project with clear objectives
- plan the stages and resources needed to deliver a live project
- carry out a live sustainability project from start to finish
- identify a client's requirements through professional engagement
- manage client expectations throughout a project
- produce realistic and accurate outputs tailored to client needs
- analyse complex information relevant to sustainability issues
- evaluate sustainability information across multiple dimensions
- design outputs intended to drive positive sustainability change
- reflect on personal growth gained through project work
- evaluate their own role as a leader serving the public good
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
After graduating
Where does it lead?
£26,500median pay three years after graduating
Lower quarter£21k
Median£27k
Upper quarter£33k
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 140 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 12, 23, 22
Half of graduates earned between £21,000 and £33,000. Five years on, the median is £33,500. 84% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 70% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 10% left | 100% | 10 |
| In work or study, 15 months on17% studying | 84% | 170 |
| Professional or managerial job | 70% | 100 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £27,000 | 70 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £26,500 | 140 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £33,500 | 155 |
Money
What does it cost?
£10,050a year for UK students, 2027/28 entry
Tuition fee loan — paid straight to the university; repayments start the April after you leave, at 9% of income above the threshold. UK fees are capped by government and rise with inflation; placement and study-abroad years are usually charged at a lower rate.
York fees page · source
About £30,150 in fees over 3 years, covered by a tuition fee loan you repay only when earning above the threshold. International students: £33,500 a year (2027/28).
National Student Survey 2025-26
What do students say?
89%agreed the course was good overall (question 26)
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 80% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 340 students answered
Highest: 96% agreed on question 1; lowest: 63% on question 14.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 96% |
| Question 2 | 86% |
| Question 3 | 93% |
| Question 4 | 86% |
| Question 5 | 89% |
| Question 6 | 90% |
| Question 7 | 85% |
| Question 8 | 71% |
| Question 9 | 88% |
| Question 10 | 76% |
| Question 11 | 84% |
| Question 12 | 76% |
| Question 13 | 84% |
| Question 14 | 63% |
| Question 15 | 91% |
| Question 16 | 89% |
| Question 17 | 85% |
| Question 18 | 89% |
| Question 19 | 92% |
| Question 20 | 83% |
| Question 21 | 90% |
| Question 22 | 93% |
| Question 23 | 87% |
| Question 24 | 68% |
| Question 25 | 66% |
| Question 26 | 89% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of York’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of York is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.