Genetics BSc (Hons)

Modules

• Year 1 at Sussex

  Your modules

  Core modules

  Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

  Autumn teaching

  • Cells, Organisms and Systems
  • Physiology and Disease
  • Skills, Ethics and Society

  Spring teaching

  • Biochemistry and Metabolism
  • Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Research Methods in Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry

  Options

  Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

  While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

  Spring teaching

  • Biodiversity & Ecology
  • Neuroscience and Behaviour

  Your degree

  In your first year, you’ll build a solid foundation in topics relevant to genetics. You’ll learn about the biology of living systems and the molecular and cellular mechanisms supporting life. You’ll be introduced to experimental methods, key quantitative and computational skills, the principles of scientific reasoning and you’ll explore the ethics of science within society. This includes the use of AI.

  Teaching

  Teaching methods typically include a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops, and practicals (both laboratory practicals and workshops).

  

  60%: Lecture
  15%: Seminar
  25%: Practical

  Assessment

  Assessment methods typically include written pieces, reports, problem sets, online tests and multiple-choice question-based exams.

  Contact hours and workload

  This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 200 hours of contact time and about 1,000 hours of independent study.

  Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.

• Year 2 at Sussex

  Your modules

  Core modules

  Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

  Autumn teaching

  • Human Genetics and Genomics
  • Research and Professional Skills I: Biomedicine
  • Structural Basis of Biological Function

  Spring teaching

  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Research and Professional Skills II: Genetics & Biochemistry

  Options

  Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

  While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

  Autumn teaching

  • Immunology & Infectious Disease
  • Principles of Neuronal Function

  Spring teaching

  • Cell Regulation and Pharmacology
  • Neural Circuits

  Your degree

  In Year 2, you’ll explore genetics in depth. This includes the human genome, development, genetic disease, evolution, gene therapy, and the role of protein structure in gene function. You’ll choose options in disease and pharmacology, or in neuroscience. You’ll develop your technical and analytical skills in laboratory practical classes, teamwork and computer workshops. A genetics project will give you opportunities to produce and analyse experimental data.

  Teaching

  Teaching methods typically include a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops, and practicals (both laboratory practicals and workshops).

  

  65%: Lecture
  5%: Seminar
  30%: Practical

  Assessment

  Assessment methods typically include written pieces, reports, problem sets, group presentations and short answer-based exams.

  Contact hours and workload

  This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 250 hours of contact time and about 950 hours of independent study.

  Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.

• Experience Year

  Study abroad (optional)

  Apply to study abroad – you’ll develop an international perspective and gain an edge when it comes to your career. Find out where your course could take you

  If your application to study abroad is successful, you’ll have to meet the academic requirements at Sussex and also at the partner university. Find out more about studying abroad as a Sussex student

  Placement (optional)

  To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can provide you with information and advice. If you’re successful in obtaining a placement, this will form part of your course.

  Find out more about placements and internships

  Recent Life Sciences students have gone on placements at:

  • AkzoNobel
  • Pfizer
  • the NHS.

  Please note that if you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t transfer to the version of your course with an optional study abroad period in any country or optional placement in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid

• Year 3 at Sussex

  Your modules

  Core modules

  Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

  Autumn and spring teaching

  • Third Year Bioscience Research Project

  Autumn teaching

  • Regulating Gene Expression

  Spring teaching

  • Genome Instability in Disease and Cancer

  Options

  Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

  While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

  Autumn teaching

  • Cell Signalling and Therapeutics
  • Communicating STEM
  • Drug Discovery & Chemical Enterprise
  • Immunology in Health and Disease
  • Programming for Life Sciences
  • Synaptic Communication

  Spring teaching

  • Genomics and Bioinformatics
  • Innovation in Bioscience and Medicine
  • Molecular Basis of Infectious Disease
  • Molecular Neuropharmacology
  • Neurobiology of Brain Disorders
  • Structural Basis of Protein Mechanism

  Your degree

  In Year 3, you’ll choose from a broad range of advanced topics taught by leading researchers. You’ll be supported to develop graduate-level scientific skills, such as critical analysis of primary research, science communication, and innovation in scientific methods. Central to this is an individual research project, under the direct supervision of an academic. You’ll choose your project from a range of topics and types. These may include experimental wet-lab projects, systematic literature reviews, computer-based data analysis or public outreach activity.

  Teaching

  Teaching methods typically include a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops, and practicals (both laboratory practicals and workshops). The individual research project primarily involves one-to-one teaching in the form of dissertation supervision.

  

  55%: Lecture
  10%: Seminar
  10%: Practical
  25%: One-to-one

  Assessment

  Assessment methods typically include written pieces, reports, problem sets, presentations (both individual and within a group), group written submissions, online tests, a dissertation, and exams requiring longer answers and analysis of data.

  Contact hours and workload

  This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 250 hours of contact time and about 950 hours of independent study.

  Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.