School of Life Sciences

We’d love to welcome you to the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex, where we tackle real-world problems and create meaningful impact through our groundbreaking research. Our world-leading experts are here to train the scientists of tomorrow.

Explore our postgraduate courses

You’ll find that research lies at the heart of our teaching. We offer a range of Masters courses, delivered by faculty working at the forefront of cancer biology, drug discovery, neuroscience, biodiversity, sustainability and conservation research.

• Animal Behaviour MRes
• Cancer Cell Biology MSc
• Conservation Biology MRes
• Drug Discovery, Design and Synthesis MSc
• Genetic Manipulation and Molecular Cell Biology MSc
• Global Biodiversity Conservation MSc
• Neuroscience MRes
• Neuroscience MSc

Listen to our Podcast episode 1 - Drug discovery: From molecules to medicines with the University of Sussex

Research in the School of Life Sciences

We’re home to a community of scientists who are striving to make the world a better place through science. Their research tackles some of society’s biggest challenges. They’re influencing policies on the pesticides that kill our wildlife, protecting endangered species, and working towards ending the despair of cancer and dementia. As well as helping to improve the lives of those living with genetic conditions and rare diseases.

Our research impacts communities both locally and globally. In fact:

• 100% of our Biological Sciences research was graded as ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ for the quality of its impact in REF 2021.
• We’re ranked 8th in the UK for the impact of our research outputs in Chemistry in REF 2021 (Times Higher Education)
• We’re also ranked in the top 20 in the UK for our research overall in Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience in REF 2021 (Times Higher Education).

Our dedicated research centres include –

• Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics
• Genome Damage and Stability Centre
• Sussex Centre for Sensory Neuroscience and Computation
• Sussex Neuroscience
• Sussex Drug Discovery Centre

You will benefit from having access to the latest research equipment we have at Sussex, including Cryo-electron microscopy, next generation sequencing, NMR spectrometers and X-ray crystallography diffractometers.

Prepare for your future career

Our Masters' courses equip you with a diverse set of transferable skills, advanced knowledge, and research experience to prepare you for a high-level career. Our graduates enjoy a variety of roles across a range of industries, including health, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, medical research, energy, environment and conservation.

Our campus

Our beautiful, green campus is home to a welcoming, international community. You’ll find us close to the south coast city of Brighton and the South Downs in the UK, within a UNESCO Living Coast Biosphere Reserve. We’re near to Gatwick airport and just over an hour from London.

As well as being beautiful, our campus is like a large village, with everything you need for day-to-day life. The spacious Student Centre is a hub for student life, with support and information services, social areas and retail outlets.

Take a look around our campus and local area

Brighton: A vibrant city

A sunny seaside city famous for its sense of inclusivity – there can be few better places to be a student than Brighton. It offers everything students could want for an enjoyable university experience – culture, entertainment and an abundance of shops and restaurants. The city centre Is just a few minutes train ride from our campus.

How to apply

Explore our Masters courses, and apply through our postgraduate application system.