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Research


We advance and apply our understanding of the natural world through excellence in research


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Undergraduate Courses


Entry to our undergraduate degree programmes is through the CK404 and CK412 CAO entry streams


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Masters Courses


Taught and research masters degree courses are available in a number of areas


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PhD Opportunities


The School of BEES has a strong research tradition and is an excellent place to pursue a PhD in biological, earth and environmental sciences


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School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES)

Committed to advance and apply our understanding of the natural world through excellence in research, teaching and innovation.

News from the School of BEES

Prof. Andy Wheeler and Prof. Maria McNamara with the fossiliferous Carboniferous limestone block in UCC's Geological Garden
08 Oct 2025

New fossil addition to the UCC Geological Garden

The School of BEES are thrilled to reveal the newest addition to the UCC Geological Garden, a 3 metre-long block of extremely fossiliferous Carboniferous limestone. The 300 million-year-old slab has an extraordinary fossil content, including many ancient marine creatures such as colonial and solitary corals, clam-like brachiopods and web-like bryozoans.  
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The Asian Hornet spotted by Dr Dave O'Leary in July 2025 (Image: Dr Dave O'Leary)
10 Sep 2025

BEES graduate discovers Asian Hornet leading to national biosecurity alert

Dr Dave O'Leary, a graduate of the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences discovered the insect in July and reported his sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
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Reconstruction and illustration of Mirasaura in its natural forested environment, hunting insects. Copyright: Gabriel Ugueto
23 Jul 2025

UCC palaeontologists discover a new Triassic “wonder reptile” that challenges ideas of skin and feather evolution

An international team of researchers including UCC palaeontologists have discovered a new species of fossil reptile from the Triassic period that had a large crest made of complex plume-like structures, long before modern-type feathers evolved. This dramatic breakthrough shakes our view of the evolution of skin and feathers in reptiles.
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Tracked movements of marine megafauna at the global scale. Map of the total number of 12,794 individual track locations in the global dataset at 1° resolution showing the global coverage of 71.7% of the global ocean. (Sequeira et al., 2025)
11 Jun 2025

New Research: Global tracking of marine megafauna space use

BEES researchers Dr Mark Jessopp, Dr Tom Doyle, Luke Harman and Prof John Quinn were part of an international team of almost 400 scientists from 50 countries whose research has just been published in the leading scientific Journal ‘Science’.
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Undergraduate Courses in BEES

With an internationally recognised culture of equality, inclusion and diversity, the School of BEES welcomes applications from all students through traditional (CAO) and non-traditional (DARE, HEAR, Mature Student, International Student) entry routes.

School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences

An Scoil Eolaíochtaí Bitheolaíocha, Domhaneolaíocha agus Comhshaoil

Distillery Fields, North Mall, University College Cork, Ireland , T23 TK30

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