The School of Biological Sciences enjoys a long tradition of teaching and research. One of the largest biology departments in the UK, the School offers 18 Honours programmes at undergraduate level and 7 postgraduate MSc programmes, providing a wide choice for all. Our teaching has been independently rated as excellent in every respect. The School is at the leading edge in fundamental biological re
search and innovative multi-disciplinary science. In the most recent national Research Assessment Exercise (RAE, 2008), 90% of the research output from the School was rated by an expert panel as “of international standard”. Staff are members of one of the School’s six research-focussed Institutes; Cell Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Immunology and Infection Research, Molecular Plant Sciences, Stem Cell Research and Structural and Molecular Biology. Many also participate in one or more cross-disciplinary Research Centres and the School places a strong emphasis on developing collaborative and interdisciplinary research. More than 200 PhD and research masters students contribute to the research community and the School has an active programme of support and development opportunities for early-career researchers. The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top 20 universities with a rich heritage of delivering education for over 400 years. Staff and students in the School of Biological Sciences contribute to a vibrant academic community whose visions are shaping tomorrow’s world. The University has been home to some of the most notable names in the biological sciences, both living and historic, these include:
Charles Darwin – Naturalist
Aubrey Manning – Emeritus Professor of Natural History
Steve Jones – Geneticist and author
James Ashworth – Professor of Zoology and of Natural History
Spread over two sites at the University Medical School and King’s Buildings campus, the community is served by excellent libraries, computing laboratories and other student facilities. The School has invested significantly in facilities for teaching and research. In addition to this the City of Edinburgh is one of the most exciting places to study in the world and the University attracts a multinational student body from the UK, EU and overseas.
