Programmes The Edinburgh School of Biology offers four-year Degree programmes leading to a B.Sc. Detailed regulations about the levels of courses to be taken, entry requirements to later courses, etc. Students are encouraged to attend courses in highly diverse areas of biology during their first three years. The final choice of Honours specialisation is generally deferred until the end of third year.
Many students incorporate at least one non-biological course into their degree programme.
Students specialise progressively in second and third years, leading towards particular Honours specialisations. Even so, the final choice of Honours usually is not made until mid way through the third year, and even at this stage many students will have retained the option to enter any of several Honours Schools. Guidance on all these matters is provided by each student's personal Director of Studies - a member of staff who serves as friend, counsellor and adviser throughout a student's university career, and who will ultimately be the person best suited to write a reference for a job or further degree. All the courses, from year 1 to year 4, have their own particular flavour as well as specific subject content. Almost all of them have a substantial laboratory component - a particular strength of Edinburgh biology that is valued by employers.