Home

Biosciences MRes

London, Bloomsbury

Whether it’s neuroscience, computational biology, stem cell biology or the origins of life, take the opportunity to hone a biosciences specialism of your choice with an MRes that mimics the life of a first-year PhD student. Launch your research career by undertaking a major project in any of the 10 subject streams offered within the UCL Division of Biosciences. 

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£20,500
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£39,800
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences, life sciences, or related subject area, or a medical degree (MBBS), or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants with an appropriate professional qualification and relevant work experience may also apply.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g., Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance. This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place. Please note that ATAS processing times can take up to six months, so we recommend you consider these timelines when submitting your application to UCL.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


You’ll choose from one of ten available research streams, ranging from computational biology to integrative anatomy, and embed yourself within one of our world-leading research groups. You’ll be in the lab or working on your project at least four days a week under the supervision of an expert senior investigator.

In addition to completing your year-long research project, you’ll develop your research independence and science communication skills through taught modules. You’ll also learn how to peer-review published papers on your specialist topic and communicate your research findings to a range of audiences.

You’ll graduate from this programme with all the skills and knowledge in place to progress to a PhD in your preferred area of biosciences.

Who this course is for

The Biosciences MRes is ideal for graduates who’ve identified a specific area of interest within the biosciences that they’d like to explore through postgraduate and doctoral research. 

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Begin your biosciences career and contribute to novel research, with a uniquely structured research master’s that places the entire breadth of UCL biosciences expertise at your disposal.

With access to more than one hundred and thirty research groups, the Biosciences MRes allows you to find your place in one of the world’s best research environments (ranked sixth in the world in the 2024 QS rankings for biological sciences).

What you will gain from this course:

  • Study within the UCL Division of Biosciences, one of the world’s foremost centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences.
  • Gain first-hand insight into globally significant research across a diverse range of biosciences disciplines.
  • Spend a full year designing and implementing your own major practical research project in your chosen specialism.
  • Learn from the perspectives, experience and culture of a diverse mix of early and mid-career researchers in the supportive environment of a world-leading research group.
  • Develop the skills needed to peer-review research submissions and critically analyse scientific papers, through regular seminars, exercises and discussion sessions.
  • Hone your ability to communicate scientific discoveries and research stories, bringing science to life through presentations, posters and video logs to educate decision makers and inspire the next generation of scientists.
  • Explore the fascinating world of biosciences, with a series of seminars designed to broaden your knowledge, encourage multidisciplinary thinking and complement your specialist learning and research activities.
  • Leave well equipped to pursue a PhD, or to take up research-related roles in commercial labs across a broad range of industries.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

As a graduate of the Biosciences MRes, you’ll be ideally positioned to progress onto doctoral study in your chosen biosciences specialism, either here at UCL or at another academic institution.

You’ll also be well-prepared for a number of research or consultancy roles working with local, national and international government agencies and NGOs.

Graduates of this course are now employed by the Institute for Cancer Research, University of Oxford, Procter and Gamble and UCL.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2019-20, 2020-21 cohorts

Employability

The Biosciences MRes programme is designed for students who wish to undertake a PhD degree, or to convert from other relevant disciplines, and for those who wish to enter employment in an advanced capacity in industry or the public sector in the field of Bioscience.

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and build professional contacts as part of your master’s.

  • Get involved in projects and events run by partner organisations and institutes, such as the Francis Crick Institute.
  • Take part in careers events through UCL Careers during the academic year, and enhance your CV writing and interview skills.
  • Attend conferences and other department events as a fully-fledged member of your research group.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, interactive group teaching and seminars. Assessment is through essays, reports, popular science articles, videos, scientific posters, examinations, oral presentations, and the research project dissertation.

The programme is delivered through lectures, seminars and tutorials, combining research-led and skills-based modules. The compulsory modules are assessed by assignments and coursework, whereas the optional module will also have an examination element. The research project is assessed by an oral presentation, submission of a dissertation and is subject to oral examination.

Students take three compulsory and one optional module. These run for ten weeks and typically have two hours of time in lectures/workshops per week with a further six-eight hours of independent study. Most of your time is spent on the research project which runs from approximately October-September. The number of contact hours in the project depends on the nature of the research that is undertaken.

Modules

The major component is a year-long research project. You will also take some taught elements that are designed to support your project and develop your professional skills. The degree is split into ten subject streams for you to select one to graduate in:

  • Biology of Ageing and Age-related Disease
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Circuits and Systems Neuroscience
  • Computational Biology
  • Evolution and Origins of Life
  • Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
  • Stem Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Structural Biology and Biophysics
  • Integrative Anatomy: Vertebrate Form, Function and Evolution

Compulsory modules






Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MRes in Biosciences.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £20,500
Tuition fees (2025/26) £39,800

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

Students will not face any additional costs.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 26 June 2025
Value: Tuition fees plus £16,000 stipend ()
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Biosciences at graduate level
  • Why you want to study Biosciences at UCL
  • What particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • Where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please indicate as the first line of your personal statement, your preferred subject stream, from: 

  • Biology of Ageing and Age-related Disease, 
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
  • Cell Biology, 
  • Circuits and Systems Neuroscience,
  • Computational Biology, 
  • Evolution and Origins of Life,
  • Molecular Cell Neuroscience,
  • Stem Cell and Developmental Biology,
  • Structural Biology and Biophysics,
  • Integrative Anatomy: Vertebrate Form, Function and Evolution.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Division of Biosciences
Division of Biosciences

biosciences_pgt_admissions@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.