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Oxford University

Department of Biology

The Department of Biology is one of the leading UK university departments dedicated to research and teaching in biology, possessing world-class strengths across the breadth of modern biological science research.

View of Oxford in autumn from South Park

View of Oxford in autumn from South Park. Credit: Mihnea Dumitrascu / Graduate Photography Competition

Overview

The department’s research is organised into five sections:

  • Behaviour and Biomechanics
  • Ecology and Evolution
  • Evolution and Developmental Biology
  • Microbiology and Infectious Disease
  • Molecular Plant Biology

There is considerable overlap between these sections, with many members of the department working in more than one section, and many research projects that cut across section boundaries. Indeed, a key characteristic of the department is that it works as a well-integrated whole with collaborations developing naturally between researchers working on diverse topics.

Thinking of doing a postgraduate Biology degree at Oxford? Hear what the course has to offer from our current students.

The Department of Biology has research strengths spanning from evolution to ecology, behaviour to biomechanics, and development to disease. Researchers in the department work on wide range of organisms, including plants, animals and microbes. This diversity of research interests is reflected in the wide range of research facilities that are used by members of the department, including labs that are for cell and molecular biology, controlled growth facilities, field stations, and unique plant collections. Many of our students also carry out field work at in locations ranging from the Amazon rainforest to the Antarctic.

Within the department are several research institutes, including the Edward Grey Institute (EGI), the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS), and the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research (IOI).

In 2025, the Department of Biology is moving into the new Life and Mind Building. The Life and Mind Building will transform the education experience for students, providing new laboratories and meeting spaces for undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers, as well as lecture theatres, specialised support laboratories and opportunities for public engagement with our research. It will be the largest building project the University has ever undertaken and will be a catalyst for the advancement of psychological and biological science both at the University of Oxford and on a global platform.

There are several routes into undertaking your doctoral research at the department. You may apply directly to either the DPhil in Biology or the MSc by Research in Biology. Alternatively, you may apply to one of the University’s Doctoral Training Programmes. The latter are often fully-funded, four-year graduate training programmes which involve a training period of taught courses for around three to six months before deciding on a DPhil project. Applicants are encouraged to consider both entry routes.

Courses offered

Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division

MPLS is proud to be home to some of the most creative and innovative scientific thinkers and leaders in academia, whose interdisciplinary research is tackling major societal and technological challenges.

Discover your future in the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division at the University of Oxford.

The quality and impact of the division's work have been recognised by successive rounds of the national Research Excellence Framework and Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework exercises, and its departments frequently top the major higher education league tables. Its research is also regularly identified as one of the most significant recipients of grant funding in Europe.

The division’s 9 departments and interdisciplinary doctoral training centre span the full spectrum of the mathematical, computational, physical, engineering and life sciences, and undertake both fundamental research and cutting-edge applied work.

The MPLS Division has a vibrant and exciting research environment, offering frequent opportunities to share your research and engage with scientists working across the research spectrum. It has extensive links with other leading universities, research institutes, public sector bodies, business and industry, in the UK and abroad. Research at the interface between disciplines is strongly encouraged, both within the mathematical, life and physical sciences, and within the medical and environmental sciences.

Teaching is a major part of the division’s activities. It teaches around 7,300 students (including around 3,400 graduate students) and is playing a key part in training the next generation of leading scientists.

The division is striving to create and sustain an inclusive culture where diversity is valued and equity prevails, so that individuals of all backgrounds can fully contribute to its scientific community in a safe and supportive culture. All academic departments in the division hold Athena Swan Awards. Diversity matters and benefits everyone. Scientific and technological innovations change the world and everyone should have access to participate and engage in that change.

Further information