Careers in bioscience

Whether you study with us for a masters or a PhD, you'll have access to specialist training from world-class academics using state-of-the-art facilities. Develop the skills that employers want and see where your masters can take you.

Postgraduate students in the court yard at Firth court

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Develop in-demand skills

A masters degree is a great way to build up your CV with extra skills to help you stand out in a competitive job market. There is growing demand for skilled, multi-disciplinary bioscientists and our graduates work all over the world, with a great track record of finding jobs in areas ranging from conservation and science policy in government and NGOs, to PhD programmes worldwide, the NHS, and infection controls roles for biotechnology or pharmaceutical giants.

Who our graduates work with

By choosing the School of Biosciences for your postgraduate study you will also join our global alumni network, where 93% of our Bioscience graduates are employed in life sciences or related fields across the globe. Please navigate around the map below to see the fantastic careers of our graduates.

As you can see, our graduates secure exciting roles with high-profile employers, including:

GSK
KPMG
Lonza
AstraZeneca
Pfizer
NHS Scientist Training Programme
Russell Group universities
Covance
Max Planck Institute
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Stemcell Technologies
Mouchel
Keystone Environmental
BresMed
Almac Group
Hansen Wade

Careers support

Whether you are studying for a masters programme or PhD, you can visit the Careers Service to help you to explore your options through their online, one to one and group support. The Careers Service will then continue to support you for as long as you need them.

Working abroad

The Careers Service has expert teams working with employers all over the world to find out what skills they are looking for in graduates along with the Labour Market Information to support our graduates looking to work overseas or return to their home countries to further their careers. Our subscription to Going Global (accessible once you start your course) for registered students, provides you with useful information on over 120 locations worldwide, including useful country-specific information on recruitment practices, insider tips from local experts and global job search resources.

World-leading research

At Sheffield, you’ll learn from scientists who are helping to solve some of the biggest global challenges, from understanding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our food systems, to repairing breaks in DNA, associated with cancer and Motor Neurone Disease.

We work with organisations all over the world, putting our students at the forefront of crucial research to meet pressing global challenges, including combating infectious diseases like COVID-19 and antibiotic resistance in MRSA.

Unlocking the human inner ear for new therapies to improve hearing loss and deafness

An international team of scientists and surgeon has discovered a secure clinical pathway to the inner ear, which will enable the application of a range of regenerative therapies to restore hearing.

8 November 2022

Sugar beet at a farm in South East England, cultivated with basalt

Managing UK agriculture with rock dust could absorb up to 45 per cent of the atmospheric carbon dioxide needed for net-zero, research shows

Adding rock dust to UK agricultural soils could absorb up to 45 per cent of the atmospheric carbon dioxide needed to reach net zero, according to a major new study led by scientists at the University of Sheffield.

25 April 2022

Breaks in what was historically thought to be ‘junk’ DNA give insight into neurological disease

‘Junk’ DNA could unlock new treatments for neurological disorders as scientists discover how its breaks and repairs affect our protection against neurological disease.

27 September 2022

School of Biosciences