Study biology abroad

An in-depth guide to studying biology as an international student.

Explore biology programs abroad

Biology degrees abroad

Biology is a diverse subject that covers a wide range of areas concerned with living organisms. A biology degree can cover environmental issues, cellular studies, genome sequencing, disease, and many more topics. You can study biology abroad, or you could choose to study a specialized area of the subject like microbiology, human biology or cellular biology.

If you’re interested in the diversity of life in the natural world and how our bodies work, biology could be the perfect subject for you. As a biology graduate you’ll be well placed to pursue a career that could see you help fight disease or improve our health and well-being.

Studying biology abroad comes with a range of advantages that could improve your learning experience and help you in your future career. It can give you access to some of the most highly ranked programs, cutting-edge facilities and expose you to new environments you wouldn’t find at home.

Biology program structure

As biology is such a huge topic that covers many areas, the content and structure of each program is likely to be different at each university. Many programs will focus on the core areas of the subject in the first year or two of the program, and then allow you to follow a specialized path.

You will get the option to choose from a range of optional or elective modules on most biology programs. This allows you to tailor your program to suit your interests and career aspirations and means you could focus on human biology, marine biology, ecology, biodiversity, or many other areas.

Biology degrees are usually taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical laboratory sessions. Many programs will include field trips which let you get your hands dirty and learn practical skills. You will be assessed through essays, written examples and practical assessments.

At undergraduate level you will study biology as a BSc over three or four years, depending on where you’re studying. Some universities offer an MBiol (Master of Biology), that you can study at undergraduate level over five years and combines a bachelor’s and master’s program.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you can study a master’s in biology (MSc) over one or two years. If you want to gain a PhD in biology, most doctorate programs can take up to five years to complete.

Here’s some of the modules you can expect to study on a biology degree program:

Cell and molecular biology
Genetics
Human biology
Ecology and environmental science
Diversity of life
Laboratory skills for biology
Anatomy
Animal physiology
Biotechnology

Types of biology degrees

Best countries to study biology

- USA
- UK
- Canada
- Finland
- Fiji
- Australia
- Lebanon
- Germany
- Ireland
- Belgium

Best universities to study biology

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How to study biology abroad

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Biology study abroad programs

Biology undergraduate programs

Biology graduate programs

Future biology careers

There’s a wide range of careers you can pursue with a degree in biology, but exactly what you can do may depend on the level of degree you obtain. For example, certain roles in medicine would require additional qualifications, but a bachelor’s in biology will give you plenty of transferable skills that open up a number of career paths, including:

Research scientist
Biotechnologist
Pharmacologist
Microbiologist
Marine biologist
Forensic scientist

A bachelor’s degree in biology can be a good foundation for a number of medical careers. For example, in the US you could go on to study medicine or dentistry after completing a biology degree.

Understanding what career you’d like after graduation can help you work out which program and country of study is right for you. Make sure the program you choose covers the areas you’d need to study to start the career you want.

Study biology abroad

Explore biology programs abroad

Bachelor's programs inbiology

Master's programs inbiology

PhD programs inbiology

Biology degrees abroad

Biology program structure

Types of biology degrees

Best countries to study biology

Best universities to study biology

How to study biology abroad

University & program search

Application guidance

Visa & travel advice

Biology study abroad programs

Biology undergraduate programs

Biology graduate programs

Other life sciences, medicine & health degrees

Future biology careers

Bachelor's programs in
biology

Master's programs in
biology

PhD programs in
biology