Introduction

The bachelor's degree in Biology provides training in the structure and functional dynamics common to all living beings with the aim of establishing the general laws that govern organic life and its basic explanatory principles.

The bachelor's degree in Biology provides basic training in scientific disciplines such as biochemistry, anthropology, cell biology, botany, zoology, plant and animal physiology, genetics, microbiology, metabolism, experimental design and data analysis, ecology and evolution. Students can likewise pursue minors in Biodiversity and in Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology. It aims to train professionals and researchers in the study of the properties, origin and evolution of living matter.

The final stage of the degree is based on internships, research groups, laboratories, nature centres, etc., in Barcelona or other locations, including Erasmus exchanges in European universities to complete practical training and develop the bachelor's thesis.

The teaching staff boasts specialists in each topic, who are also researchers in the field of biology. Many are internationally renowned, ensuring that students are kept abreast of the latest developments in the field.

Basic information

TypeBachelor's degrees
Faculty or schoolFaculty of Biology
Branch of knowledge
  • Sciences
  • Health Sciences
Mode of delivery

face-to-face

Credits240
Number of places available

160

Length of course4 academic years
Language(s) of instructionCatalan 77,3%, Spanish 19,9%, English 2,7%
Admission grade

11,034 (July 2023, start of process, via official entrance examinations/vocational training)

 

Approximate price per credit18,46 €
Compulsory placementsNo
CoordinatorANTONIO ARCAS PONS
E-mailbiologia@ub.edu
Course detailsIndicators
SpecializationsYes

Objectives and competences

Objectives

  • To acquire the knowledge required to identify living beings, in their different degrees of organization and diversity: definition and origin of life, chemical structure of living beings, types and degrees of organization, genetics and inheritance mechanisms and biodiversity, evolutionary mechanisms and development .
  • To recognize different activities undertaken by living beings and the underlying mechanisms to these tasks: metabolism, replication, transcription, translation and modification of genetic material, cell signalling, regulation and integration of physiological processes.
  • To learn to recognise, analyse and interpret the adaptive responses of living organisms to surrounding conditions (physical habitat, structure and dynamics of populations and communities, energy and material flows).
  • To know, analyse and solve problems, while also being able to conduct essays.

Competences

  • Understanding the concept of life, its physical and chemical principles and the mechanisms involved in its origin and evolution.
  • Knowledge of the types and organizational levels of living beings.
  • Understanding of the inheritance mechanisms and the genetic bases of biodiversity.
  • Understanding of biodiversity (humans, animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms and viruses) and the systematic and phylogenic classification tools.
  • Knowledge of the structure and functioning of living beings at a molecular, cell and tissue levels,and understanding of regulation and integration of functions in organisms.
  • Understanding of relations between living beings and with the environment.
  • Knowledge of mechanisms involved in biological cycles, development and growth of different kinds of organisms.
  • Knowledge of the physical environment of development for living beings: water, atmosphere and land.
  • Capacity to describe the structure and dynamics of populations and communities.
  • Ability to identify energy flows and biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems.
  • Knowledge of the applications of biological systems to human activities.
  • Capacity to identify organisms and their levels of organization.
  • Ability to collect, handle, conserve and study organisms.
  • Ability to handle, analyse and characterize biological samples, including human samples.
  • Capacity to catalogue, assess and manage natural resources.
  • Ability to isolate, analyse, identify and quantify biomolecules and evaluate. Ability to prepare cell, tissue and microorganism cultures.
  • Ability to conduct bioassays and functional tests and determine the main parameters.
  • Ability to carry out animal and plant production and improvement studies.
  • Ability to analyse and interpret behaviour of living beings.
  • Ability to sample, characterize and manipulate populations and communications.
  • Ability to manage, conserve and restore populations and ecosystems.
  • Ability to interpret and design landscapes.
  • Ability to obtain, handle, analyse, integrate and communicate biological information from bibliographic sources and databases.
  • Ability to obtain information, design experiments and interpret experimental results.
  • Ability to implement, manage and report on processes, services and projects related to biology in a range of economic and service sectors.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

What you will need Successfully completed school leaver studies in subjects of science and technology, especially biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. English language skills.

Access requirements and conditions

Admission for students with studies completed outside Spain.

Applicants holding higher educational qualifications from a university outside Spain should consult the page Admission with foreign qualifications to find out about specific admission requirements.
 

Pre-enrolment

Students that have studied abroad and who wish to study at the University of Barcelona may be admitted to EHEA bachelor's degree courses. Procedures for gaining admission will depend on the qualifications held by each applicant.

For further information about admission, consult the page Admission with foreign qualifications.
 

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online via the Món UB portal. To find out the date and time you have been assigned, check the specific information for your course. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned.

Academic information

 

Welcome

Support and guidance

Pre-enrolment information and events

 

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Basic training 60
Compulsory 108
Optional 60
Compulsory placements 0
Compulsory final project 12
TOTAL 240

List of subjects

Subject Language Type Credits
Biology I 1st semester Basic training 6
Chemistry 1st semester Basic training 6
Mathematics 1st semester Basic training 6
Physics 1st semester Basic training 6
The Earth System 1st semester Basic training 6
Biological Anthropology 2nd semester Compulsory 6
Biology II 2nd semester Basic training 6
Cytology and Histology 2nd semester Compulsory 6
Statistics 2nd semester Basic training 6
Structural Biochemistry 2nd semester Basic training 6
Subject Language Type Credits
Animal Physiology Annual Basic training 12
Botany Annual Compulsory 12
Microbiology Annual Compulsory 12
Zoology Annual Compulsory 12
Molecular Genetics 1st semester Compulsory 6
Genetics: Genetic Analysis 2nd semester Compulsory 6
Subject Language Type Credits
Plant Physiology Annual Compulsory 12
Cell Biology 1st semester Compulsory 6
Evolution 1st semester Compulsory 6
Evolutionary Ecology 1st semester Compulsory 6
Metabolic Biochemistry 1st semester Compulsory 6
Ecology of Communities and Ecosystems 2nd semester Compulsory 6
Subject Language Type Credits
Experimental Design and Data Analysis 1st semester
2nd semester
Compulsory 6
Final Project 1st semester
2nd semester
Compulsory final project 12
Subject Language Type Credits
Advanced Analysis of Physiological Systems 1st semester Optional 6
Advanced Genetic Engineering 1st semester Optional 6
Algae and Bryophytes 2nd semester Optional 6
Analytical Biochemistry and Clinical Analysis 1st semester
2nd semester
Optional 6
Animal Ecophysiology 1st semester Optional 6
Animal Production Technology 1st semester Optional 6
Animal Reproduction Technology 2nd semester Optional 6
Applied Immunology 2nd semester Optional 6
Aprenentatge Servei, Compromís i Transformació Social 1st semester Optional 6
Aquaculture 2nd semester Optional 6
Arthropod Biology 1st semester Optional 6
Bioactive Molecules extracted from Animals, Plants and Fungi 1st semester Optional 6
Biochemistry of Nutrition 1st semester Optional 6
Bioethics 1st semester Optional 3
Biogeography 2nd semester Optional 6
Bioinformatics 2nd semester Optional 6
Biological Systems: Principles, Methods and Application 2nd semester Optional 6
Biology of Marine Invertebrates 2nd semester Optional 6
Biotechnology of Plant Production 2nd semester Optional 6
Cancer Biology 1st semester Optional 6
Cell and Gene Therapy 2nd semester Optional 6
Cell Biology and Pathology 2nd semester Optional 6
Cell Cultures and Tissue Engineering 2nd semester Optional 6
Climate Change Diagnosis 2nd semester Optional 6
Coastal System Management 1st semester Optional 6
Conservation of Biodiversity 2nd semester Optional 6
Cordate Biology 1st semester Optional 6
Cormophytes 2nd semester Optional 6
Developmental Biology 2nd semester Optional 6
Diagnostic and Image Techniques 1st semester Optional 6
Environmental Education 2nd semester Optional 6
Environmental Impact Assessment 1st semester Optional 6
Environmental Restoration 2nd semester Optional 6
Fauna Management 1st semester Optional 6
Forestry Management 1st semester Optional 6
Genetic Engineering 2nd semester Optional 6
Genetic Principles of Diseases 1st semester Optional 6
History of Biological Thought 2nd semester Optional 6
Human Biodiversity 2nd semester Optional 6
Human Evolution 1st semester Optional 6
Immunology 1st semester Optional 6
Industrial and Food Microbiology 1st semester Optional 6
Integrated Plant Physiology 1st semester Optional 6
Limnology 1st semester Optional 6
Management of Harmful Species 1st semester Optional 6
Marine Ecosystems and Global Change 2nd semester Optional 6
Metabolic Regulation 2nd semester Optional 6
Microbial Ecology 1st semester Optional 6
Microbial Molecular Biology 1st semester Optional 6
Models for Physiological Integration 2nd semester Optional 6
Mycology 1st semester Optional 6
Neurobiology 1st semester Optional 6
Neurological Disorder 2nd semester Optional 6
Nutrition 2nd semester Optional 6
Open Space Reserve Management 2nd semester Optional 6
Pest Control and Plant Diseases 1st semester Optional 6
Pharmacology 2nd semester Optional 6
Plant Ecophysiology 1st semester Optional 6
Plant Matabolism and Development Control 1st semester Optional 6
Population Biology 2nd semester Optional 6
Practicum I 1st semester
2nd semester
Practices 6
Practicum II 1st semester
2nd semester
Practices 6
Soil Science 1st semester Optional 6
Toxicology in Basic and Applied Research 1st semester Optional 3
Transgenesis and Animal Improvement 1st semester Optional 6
Transgenesis and Plant Improvement 2nd semester Optional 6
Vegetation and Habitats 1st semester Optional 6
Virology 1st semester Optional 6

Pathways and specializations

Specialization in Biodiversity
Specialization in Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology
Check the planning of the different pathways of the degree

Previous years

Placements

Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment.They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
 

Institutional information

Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

Fields in which you can work

  • Healthcare, including biology internships, medical laboratory testing, human reproduction, public health, nutrition and dietetics, and veterinary medicine and plant science.
  • Research and development in experimental sciences and biosciences.
  • Production and quality management in the pharmaceutical, agrofood and chemical industries.
  • Stockbreeding and optimization of vegetable crops, animals and fungi, and area studies for natural resource exploitation.
  • The environment, including land management, conservation and control, natural resource management, waste management, impact studies development and restoration ecology.
  • Information, documentation and dissemination, including the management of museums, natural and zoological parks, specialist publications and media agencies, companies, science foundations, press and television.
  • Trade and marketing of products and services with biological applications.
  • Business management and organization in the training of biologists.
  • Secondary and higher education, and vocational training.

Access to the labour market

Data from the university system in Catalonia

Contact us

Faculty of Biology

Diagonal, 643 - 08028 Barcelona

Secretary: 934 021 087
secretaria-biologia@ub.edu

 

Questions mailbox