Why study with us?
Why study Biology and Zoology?
- Bangor has a long tradition in teaching and research in the Biological Sciences.
- Research submitted by Biological Sciences has been recognised as being within the top 20 in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014).
- Our students enjoy being here and expressed their praise for the quality of the teaching and pastoral care provided by Biological Sciences
- The staff have a strong commitment to providing excellent teaching and care for their students.
- We have excellent facilities for the study of both flora and fauna - these include snake, lizard and fish collections a Botanic Garden and a Natural History Museum.
- We offer a wide range of degrees in the Biological Sciences encompassing "traditional" disciplines such as Zoology and Biology to Biomedical Science, Medical Biology and Biology with Biotechnology.
- We offer the opportunity to study at a university in the U.S. for all or part of the second year.
Why choose to study in the School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography?
Our Reputation
We provide a wide range of undergraduate degrees in both traditional and interdisciplinary subjects, with staff expertise in geography, forestry, agriculture, environmental science and conservation. Bangor University havs a well-deserved national and international reputation for teaching, research and wider engagement with industry, government and the public. You will be taught by lecturers with a passion for their subject, many of whom are working on world-leading research.
- 6th in the Guardian university league tables 2018 for Agriculture, Forestry and Food.
- 19th in the Guardian university league tables 2018 for Student Satisfaction (course) in Geography and Environmental Studies.
- Global top 100 university for Agriculture and Forestry in the QS World University Rankings 2017.
- 95% working or in further study (Forestry) National Student Survey 2016.
- 95% overall satisfaction (Environmental Science) National Student Survey 2016.
Unrivalled location and fieldwork opportunities
North Wales has been named fourth best regions in the world to visit by the travel guide Lonely Planet due to its stunning location. Our university is uniquely located between the stunning North Wales coastline and the spectacular mountains of Snowdonia. It is the natural environment for learning, and we are ideally placed to study the outstanding surrounding landscape. The Snowdonia National Park is less than 20 minutes away and provides a living laboratory on our doorstep for much of our teaching and research.
As well as upland and lowland areas, internationally recognised for their landscape and geomorphology, North Wales contains 10 National Nature Reserves and 83 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, including several of the highest significance at a European level, 4 Heritage Coasts and 2 designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You will find plenty of places to visit in Snowdonia and on the Isle of Anglesey, a World Heritage Site due to its geology. We are also within easy reach of Liverpool or Manchester, and only a short ferry trip from Dublin for days out or shopping trips.
We organise many UK and overseas field courses, including our introductory first year course where you will spend a week enhancing your field skills and knowledge through our Making Snowdonia module. All compulsory fieldwork is provided free of charge, with optional overseas third year trips to Tenerife, Spain or Ghana. By participating in a variety of local and international field courses you will gain a wealth of experience and develop key skills.
Teaching and Learning
Our lecturers are teaching-innovators and we take pride that many of our staff are award-winning lecturers, nominated by our own students. Many of our staff are world-leading researchers, so you will be learning at the forefront of research into key global issues. You will be taught by experts through a variety of lectures, seminars, laboratory practicals and fieldwork, all to develop your knowledge, understanding and expertise in your chosen subject.
Depending upon your degree you will receive training in important professional tools such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and MATLAB. You will also gain skills in data handling, retrieval and presentation, statistical analysis and social data methods. You will learn how to explore spatial relationships between environmental, climatic, biological and social datasets. We have conveniently located computing suites, and have access to high-level GIS software and extensive spatial data and maps.
World-leading research and facilities
Research submitted by our staff has been recognised as being in the top 20 in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014). As well as securing a high national ranking, more than 80% of the research material submitted was rated as internationally excellent, including 25% as world-leading.
The Environment Centre for Wales (ECW) is a partnership between the UK Government’s flagship Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the University, bringing together 60 leading environmental scientists with a wide range of knowledge and experience. You will have access to our laboratory in ECW for student project (dissertation) work with a wide range of plant, soil and other environmental analytical facilities available. These include climate-controlled growth rooms, radioisotope and environmental microbiology laboratories, and equipment to monitor environmental samples for pollution, contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, and DNA.
We have our own field station, Henfaes Research Centre, located just outside Bangor, with land rising from salt marsh and agriculturally improved lowland on the coast to open mountain grazing at 1000 metres above sea level. Henfaes has extensive field, glasshouse and laboratory research facilities, and hosts a number of important international and national network research experiments such as Bangor DIVERSE and COSMOS-UK. It is also a commercial upland sheep farm, which includes agri-environment schemes agreed with the Welsh Government, with a proportion of the land comprising the Coedydd Aber National Nature Reserve.
We also works closely with Treborth Botanic Garden, a spectacular site on the shores of the Menai Strait that has been owned by Bangor University since 1960. The garden has 15 ha of native woodland, 2 ha of species-rich unimproved grassland, a 1 ha managed orchard and many mature trees and shrubs. There are also six glasshouses of varying temperatures, with special collections including orchids, cacti, succulents and carnivorous plants. Our students have the opportunity to establish their own research projects (dissertations) at the garden, and to develop their botanical and ecological skills through garden workshops, specialist courses and internships.
Why choose Bangor University?
Academic and research excellence
Established in 1884, Bangor University combines traditional academic excellence with cutting-edge research and equipment and has been named within the top 20 for Research Quality - Complete University Guide 2022
Student Satisfaction
Top 10 for Student Satisfaction - Complete University Guide 2022 and 1st in Wales for Student Satisfaction – NSS 2021
Spectacular Setting
Your work-life balance can be key to the success of your postgraduate study. Situated between the mountains, lakes and forests of the Snowdonia National Park and miles of dramatic coastline, Bangor provides one of the most attractive study locations in the UK, and is a great base for all kinds of outdoor sports and activities.
Conveniently located
Bangor is at the heart of the region’s transport network, with quick road and rail links taking you across to Liverpool and Manchester in just 90 minutes. Bangor’s location on the London to Holyhead main line means that the regular ferry service from Holyhead Port to Dublin is just 20 minutes away, while a direct train will take you to the centre of London in little over 3 hours.
*excluding specialist institutions and single-submission universities.