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A young male university student in a lab coat examining a flask of fluorescent green bacterial culture in a biotechnology laboratory, with CRISPR gene editing software and a bioreactor visible, representing the applied genetic engineering focus of Biotechnology degrees

DEGREE GUIDE

Biotechnology

What do Biotechnology degrees involve?

Biotechnology degrees teach you how to use biological processes and technologies to develop solutions in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental science. You will explore key areas such as genetics, microbiology, bioinformatics, bioprocess engineering, and synthetic biology. These courses help you develop strong analytical, laboratory, and problem-solving skills while understanding how biotechnology is applied to industries like pharmaceuticals, food production, and sustainable energy. You will also gain hands-on experience with genetic engineering, fermentation technology, and molecular diagnostics. Through research projects, industry placements, and lab-based learning, you’ll build the expertise needed for careers in biomedical science, biotech innovation, and environmental sustainability.

     Example
Modules

  • Genetic Engineering: Learn how genes are modified using modern tools like CRISPR to study gene function, develop therapies and create genetically altered organisms.


  • Bioprocessing and Bioengineering: Explore how living cells and biological systems are used to produce vaccines, enzymes, fuels and other bioproducts on an industrial scale.


  • Molecular Biology: Study how DNA and RNA control cell function through replication, transcription & translation, forming the basis of modern biotechnology.

Common Degree Names

💼 Placement years are commonly available in biotech firms, food science labs or pharmaceutical companies.
🌍 Study abroad is offered at some universities.



BSc (Hons) Biotechnology
BSc (Hons) Applied Biotechnology
BSc (Hons) Biotechnology and Genetics
BSc (Hons) Biotechnology and Business
MSci Biotechnology



MSci is a four-year integrated Master’s available at several universities with a focus on lab and industry research.

A benchtop bioreactor with glowing green culture alongside fluorescent bacterial colonies, CRISPR gene editing guides, fermentation growth curves and a genetic engineering textbook, illustrating the industrial and genetic modification skills developed in Biotechnology degrees

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)


Biotechnology uses living organisms to develop products and technologies – from medicines to sustainable materials. The degree blends biology with chemistry and lab work.


You'll need:


  • Biology – essential for almost all Biotechnology degrees


Subjects that strengthen your application:


  • Chemistry – required or strongly preferred by many universities

  • Maths or Physics – useful for lab techniques or bioinformatics


✨ Biology and Chemistry together keep the widest range of options open. With Biology plus another science or Maths, choices may be more limited.


Universities may also accept:


  • BTEC Extended Diplomas in Applied Science (being phased out), with strong biology and chemistry content. Some universities may require an additional A-level in a relevant subject

  • BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside A-levels that meet the subject requirements above

  • T-Level in Science (Laboratory Sciences pathway) (limited acceptance), and may require an additional A-Level science

  • IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with Biology and ideally Chemistry at Higher Level among your IB subjects (minimum two, ideally three), alongside your Career-Related Study; an Applied Science pathway would be directly relevant


Subject combinations and grade requirements vary, so it’s always best to check the specific entry criteria on the university’s website.

Level 2 Qualifications (GCSE / MYP / National 5)


You’ll usually need:


  • GCSE English Language, Maths, and Science at grade 4/C or above, or equivalent qualifications such as National 5s or MYP


📘 If you studied Separate Sciences, that’s a strong foundation—but Combined Science is also widely accepted. 


Some courses may ask for a higher grade in Maths (e.g. 5 or B), especially if bioinformatics or statistics are involved.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

  • Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths

  • How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values

  • Career paths and where graduates end up

Full access to all self-discovery tools and guides. Cancel anytime.

Skills you would develop in X degree
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Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

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Not sure what these things are?  Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with a Biotechnology degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

Living Things & the Natural World: This is the foundation of the degree. You'll study how living organisms, from microbes to plants, can be understood and used to develop solutions in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental science.


Machines, Structures & How Things Are Engineered: Bioprocess engineering is a distinctive strand. You'll study how biological discoveries are scaled up from the lab into industrial production, from bioreactor design to manufacturing vaccines, fuels, and pharmaceuticals.


Chemicals, Materials & Reactions: You'll work with biological molecules at a chemical level, studying how enzymes catalyse reactions, how proteins are structured, and how molecular processes are harnessed to create new products.


The Environment & Sustainability: Sustainable applications are a genuine strand. You'll explore how biotechnology contributes to biofuels, biodegradable materials, bioremediation, and cleaner industrial processes.


The Human Body & How It Works: Medical biotechnology is a significant strand. You'll study how biological knowledge is applied to develop therapies, vaccines, and diagnostic tools that work with the body's own systems.

Careers a Biotechnology degree could lead you to

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