Study Biology abroad
An in-depth guide to studying biology as an international student.
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
How to study biology abroad
-
Universities & programs
Find the right program for you and your career aspirations
-
Application assistance
Be guided through your application process
-
Visa & embassy guidance
Maximise your chances of being granted a visa
-
Enrollment & travel advice
Get support all the way to your first day at university
Biology study abroad programs
Biology undergraduate programs
Bachelor's in biology
-
Environmental Biology Greenville University, USA
- Tuition fees per year 27,580 USD
- Program type Bachelor's
- Duration 4 years
- Start date January, August
-
Biology Fisher College, USA
- Tuition fees per year 31,992 USD
- Program type Bachelor's
- Duration 4 years
- Start date January, September
-
Biology (Pharmacology/Toxicology) Arizona State University, USA
- Tuition fees per year 28,453 USD
- Program type Bachelor's
- Duration 4 years
- Start date January, May, August
-
Biology University of Kentucky, USA
- Tuition fees per year 29,050 USD
- Program type Bachelor's
- Duration 4 years
- Start date January, August
-
Marine Biology University of Liverpool, UK
- Tuition fees per year 20,700 GBP
- Program type Bachelor's
- Duration 4 years
- Start date September
Associate in biology
-
Biology Oklahoma City Community College, USA
- Tuition fees per year 7,552 USD
- Program type Associate
- Duration 2 years
- Start date January, June, August
Biology graduate programs
Master's in biology
-
Biology (Biology and Society) Arizona State University, USA
- Tuition fees per year 24,318 USD
- Program type Master's
- Duration 2 years
- Start date August
-
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Helsinki, Finland
- Tuition fees per year 15,000 EUR
- Program type Master's
- Duration 2 years
- Start date September
-
Applied Ethology and Animal Biology Linköping University, Sweden
- Tuition fees per year 19,000 USD
- Program type Master's
- Duration 2 years
- Start date September
-
Science (Applied Biology & Biotechnology) research RMIT University, Australia
- Tuition fees per year 33,600 AUD
- Program type Master's
- Duration 2 years
- Start date February, July
-
Microbiology University of Otago, New Zealand
- Tuition fees per year 36,960 NZD
- Program type Master's
- Duration 2 years
- Start date February, July
Doctorate in biology
-
Applied Biology & Biotechnology RMIT University, Australia
- Tuition fees per year 33,600 AUD
- Program type Doctorate
- Duration 3 years
- Start date February, July
-
Cell and Molecular Biology American University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Tuition fees per year 27,900 LL
- Program type Doctorate
- Duration 3 years
- Start date January, August
-
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Clark University, USA
- Tuition fees per year 15,616 USD
- Program type Doctorate
- Duration 3 years
- Start date January, September
-
Molecular Biology and Genetics Koç University, Turkey
- Tuition fees per year 0 USD
- Program type Doctorate
- Duration 3 years
- Start date January, August
Certificate in biology
-
Secondary Science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) Bath Spa University, UK
- Tuition fees per year 13,300 GBP
- Program type Postgraduate certificate
- Duration 1 year
- Start date January, September
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.
