Enhance your undergraduate degree with a year's placement in an industrial, commercial or research environment.
This programme is studied on campus.
Physiology is the study of how the body works. More than any other of the biological sciences, it involves using an understanding of biological process at the most basic level to explain how a whole organ or an entire body functions. It is this integrated aspect that puts Physiology at the centre of the biological and medical sciences.
Physiological studies of normal biological function provide the basis for understanding the abnormal function observed in human and animal disease and for developing new therapeutic treatments. The scope of physiology ranges from investigation of molecular actions in single cells to studying the way our body systems control our ability to think, eat, sleep and perform exercise. To achieve this, Physiologists must also use the related disciplines of anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, genetics and immunology.
In your fourth year you will undertake a year's industrial placement and graduate after five years with an MSci (an undergraduate Masters degree) instead of a BSc. Placements vary considerably but in general terms, you will be placed in an industrial, commercial or research environment where you will obtain a breadth of practical experience to complement your degree programme and enhance your employability.
A degree in Physiology is taught via a selection of compulsory and optional courses to enhance your learning and prepare you for a future career or further study. In each year you will take courses adding up to 120 credits. Depending on the number of compulsory and optional courses offered by your degree, you can also choose other eligible courses which fit your timetable.
In year 1 you will take courses in Medical Sciences and Chemistry for Life Sciences plus additional courses selected from science and other areas.
This course covers the foundations of chemistry that underpin the life sciences at a molecular level. The course aims to consolidate a general background in chemistry by putting chemical concepts into a life sciences context. The basic concepts of chemistry will be covered, along with organic molecules, acids and bases, and the basic principles behind the driving forces of reactions.
Laboratory classes introduce important practical techniques, with experiments that reinforce and complement the taught material.
The course will allow students to continue with other chemistry courses as part of their enhanced study by providing discipline breadth.Chemistry plays an important role in the life sciences, explaining the shapes and properties of biomolecules, and helping to provide an understanding of how biological processes work at a molecular level.
The shapes and function of important biomolecules will be covered. Organic molecule reaction mechanisms will give insight into how different types of molecules can be synthesised. The energetics and importance of equilibrium in driving reactions will be covered.
Methods of chemical analysis and measurement introduce other important topics linking the chemical and life sciences.
Workshops and labs complement lectures by consolidating learning and developing problem-solving and hands-on practical skills.This course, which is prescribed for level 1 students and optional for level 2 students, is studied entirely online and covers topics relating to careers and employability, equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing. During the course you will learn about the Aberdeen Graduate Attributes, how they are relevant to you and the opportunities available to develop your skills and attributes alongside your University studies. You will also gain an understanding of equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing issues. Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’ (non-completion will be recorded as ‘Not Achieved’). The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks and it will be available to you throughout the academic year.This course, which is prescribed for level 1 students and optional for level 2 students and above, is studied entirely online and covers topics relating to careers and employability, equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing. During the course you will learn about the Aberdeen Graduate Attributes, how they are relevant to you and the opportunities available to develop your skills and attributes alongside your University studies. You will also gain an understanding of equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing issues. Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’ (non-completion will be recorded as ‘Not Achieved’). The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks and it will be available to you throughout the academic year
In year 2 Human Physiology courses commence. Parallel recommended courses include Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, combined with courses delivering key skills applicable to Physiology.
Courses taken in year 3 enhance your understanding of the major physiological systems within the mammalian body and provide detailed insights into specific areas of mainstream physiology.
You will spend year 4 on placement in an industrial, commercial or research environment.
The Honours year aims to explore in depth, specific aspects of physiology. An important feature is the ten-week research project, carried out in research laboratories at the University or in local research institutes.
We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
You will be taught using a variety of methods and styles and we continually seek to make the teaching engaging, exciting and responsive to the latest research in your subject area. The research we carry out in the School directly informs and guides our teaching, particularly in the final Honours year. Our commitment to teaching is recognised by the range of University of Aberdeen Student-led Teaching Awards given to staff from our School.
As a student, your learning is supported by MyAberdeen, our virtual learning environment from which you can access the lecture Powerpoint slides, online practice tests, links to related reading, and tutorial support material.
We make innovative use of 'educational voting' handsets in class, remote control 'clickers' that allow each and every student to electronically respond in class by anonymous vote to questions posed by the lecturer.
Your academic development is supported from year 1 through to year 5 by an assigned personal tutor, who acts as adviser and mentor throughout your University career.
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, year of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
You will find all the information you require about entry requirements on our dedicated 'Entry Requirements' page. You can also find out about the different types of degrees, offers, advanced entry, and changing your subject.
SQA Highers - AAAB*
A Levels - ABB*
IB - 34 points, 6 at HL*
ILC - 5H with 4 at H2 and 1 at H3, with H2 and H3 from Chemistry and Biology, OR AAABB including AB from Chemistry and Biology. The grading within band B must be at B2 or above.*
*Including good performance in Chemistry and Biology.
Advanced Entry - Advanced Highers AAB or A Levels AAB, or IB 36 points (6 at HL), including Biology and Chemistry, one of which must be an A-grade.
Further detailed entry requirements for Sciences degrees.
To study for a degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
For international students (all non-EU students) entering in 2017/18, the 2017/18 tuition fee rate will apply to all years of study; however, most international students will be eligible for a fee waiver in their final year via the International Undergraduate Scholarship.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Home / EU | £1,820 |
| All Students | |
| RUK | £9,250 |
| Students Admitted in 2018/19 Academic Year | |
| International Students | £18,400 |
| Students Admitted in 2018/19 Academic Year |
Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Our next Open Day will be on
Find out MoreA degree in Physiology has wide applications. Many students will continue in research posts, where the intensive project work in the Honours year provides particularly valuable experience. Students also go on to pursue postgraduate studies in medicine and dentistry. Others will go on to a more vocational medical related MSc in, for example, Physiotherapy or Dietetics. Alternatively, some students use the communication and analytical skills embedded in the programme to apply for non-science jobs in industry.
Our degree programmes are built to enhance your employability and three flagship options give our degrees a distinctively different flavour from many others. All our degrees offer:
A Physiologist by trade, Prof. McEwan has interests within the broad field of membrane transport – particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. He has been working for the University of Aberdeen for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in teaching at all levels.
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
Physiology has been taught at Aberdeen since 1593! This heritage has given the subject incredible depth and excellence.
Focused on developing future effective therapies, the Institute of Medical Sciences houses nearly 400 researchers and support staff working on cutting-edge biomedical subjects aimed at understanding the human body's response to infection and disease.
The Foresterhill Health Campus is one of the largest clinical complexes in Europe which includes the Medical School, large teaching hospital, the Institute of Medical Sciences and the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health.
A dedicated Medical Library on the Foresterhill Health Campus and the fantastic facilities in the Sir Duncan Rice Library at King’s College, are complemented by online access to the key medical and health sciences journals and textbooks.
Unistats draws together comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study. The core information it contains is called the Key Information Set.
You can compare these and other data for different degree programmes in which you are interested.
