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BSc Biomedical Sciences with Foundation

  • UCAS code
    C742
  • Typical offer
    See entry requirements
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years

Study BSc Biomedical Sciences with Foundation and learn about the inner workings of the human body and take part in world-class research through this strongly practical course.

Are you keen to take our BSc Biomedical Sciences course but haven’t taken the necessary A level subjects? Our BSc Biomedical Sciences with Foundation is a four-year programme that includes a year of foundational study and leads directly into the three-year course.

Our BSc Biomedical Sciences course was developed in partnership with practising NHS laboratory scientists. All of our lecturers are involved in research and you will be taught by experts in their fields. 

You will learn about the systems that underpin all living organisms from a cellular, tissue, organ and whole body perspective. From this basis, you will study the diseases that affect each area and the mechanisms that the body uses to combat them. The flexible nature of the course will then allow you to pick specialist modules that match your interests. You will also have the chance to carry out a year-long industrial placement or a paid vacation studentship in order to gain valuable work and research experience.

The course has a strong practical basis, and you will learn key cellular, molecular and biochemical techniques, including live cell microscopy, and DNA and protein technology. During your final year will have the chance to spend 11 weeks working in a lab on a biomedical research project. Past projects have investigated coronary heart disease, gene therapy for muscular dystrophies, and the role of cell movement in the spread of cancer.

Our new £60m Health and Life Sciences building will open in 2020. As the new home of the School of Biological Sciences, it will offer state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, and plenty of study and social space, including a café. The building will also house the Cole Museum of Zoology. The collection, featuring over 3,500 natural history specimens, provides a fantastic resource for biological scientists and the wider community.

Placement

You will have the opportunity to carry out a year-long industrial placement between your third and final year. Student in previous years have worked at Diamond Light Source, Public Health England, GSK, and Covance. You can also choose to spend a year abroad, typically carrying out research in an academic laboratory.

You will have the opportunity to undertake paid vacation studentships funded by organisations such as the Wellcome Trust. These can take place over six weeks during the summer break, or be carried out part-time over a longer period. During studentships you will typically work on a set project and benefit from valuable training in techniques, experimental design and the interpretation of data.

Additionally, you can choose to take a work placement module.

Our department has a dedicated academic in charge of placements, who can provide you with advice and support. 

For more information, please visit the School of Biological Sciences website. 

Overview

Study BSc Biomedical Sciences with Foundation and learn about the inner workings of the human body and take part in world-class research through this strongly practical course.

Are you keen to take our BSc Biomedical Sciences course but haven’t taken the necessary A level subjects? Our BSc Biomedical Sciences with Foundation is a four-year programme that includes a year of foundational study and leads directly into the three-year course.

Our BSc Biomedical Sciences course was developed in partnership with practising NHS laboratory scientists. All of our lecturers are involved in research and you will be taught by experts in their fields. 

You will learn about the systems that underpin all living organisms from a cellular, tissue, organ and whole body perspective. From this basis, you will study the diseases that affect each area and the mechanisms that the body uses to combat them. The flexible nature of the course will then allow you to pick specialist modules that match your interests. You will also have the chance to carry out a year-long industrial placement or a paid vacation studentship in order to gain valuable work and research experience.

The course has a strong practical basis, and you will learn key cellular, molecular and biochemical techniques, including live cell microscopy, and DNA and protein technology. During your final year will have the chance to spend 11 weeks working in a lab on a biomedical research project. Past projects have investigated coronary heart disease, gene therapy for muscular dystrophies, and the role of cell movement in the spread of cancer.

Our new £60m Health and Life Sciences building will open in 2020. As the new home of the School of Biological Sciences, it will offer state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, and plenty of study and social space, including a café. The building will also house the Cole Museum of Zoology. The collection, featuring over 3,500 natural history specimens, provides a fantastic resource for biological scientists and the wider community.

Placement

You will have the opportunity to carry out a year-long industrial placement between your third and final year. Student in previous years have worked at Diamond Light Source, Public Health England, GSK, and Covance. You can also choose to spend a year abroad, typically carrying out research in an academic laboratory.

You will have the opportunity to undertake paid vacation studentships funded by organisations such as the Wellcome Trust. These can take place over six weeks during the summer break, or be carried out part-time over a longer period. During studentships you will typically work on a set project and benefit from valuable training in techniques, experimental design and the interpretation of data.

Additionally, you can choose to take a work placement module.

Our department has a dedicated academic in charge of placements, who can provide you with advice and support. 

For more information, please visit the School of Biological Sciences website. 

Entry requirements A Level See entry requirements

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Typical offer

  • BBB – for applicants without Biology/Chemistry and one other science
  • CCC – for applicants with Biology/Chemistry and one other science

Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science/Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science.

International Baccalaureate

  • 30 – for applicants without Biology/Chemistry and one other science
  • 24 – for applicants with Biology/Chemistry and one other science

If you would like to receive personalised advice on your eligibility for our Foundation courses, please ask us a question.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DMM

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Further requirements

If you are an international student planning to apply for one of our degree programmes, you may need to take a foundation course or pre-sessional course if you do not have qualifications that are equivalent to British A levels or if you need to improve your English language level.

  • Look at entry requirements by country.
  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme.
  • Learn more about our international foundation programme.

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Modules are dependent on which subject you choose, but may include:

  • Key skills for science research
  • Foundation: biology
  • Foundation: chemistry
  • Foundation: environment, ecology and sustainability
  • Foundation: mathematics
Please note that all modules are subject to change. 

Core modules include:

  • Building Blocks of Life
  • Key Skills in Biomedicine
  • Pathology
  • Laboratory and Study Skills for Biomedicine
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Introductory Microbiology
  • Bacteriology and Virology

Students without AS level Chemistry or an equivalent qualification must take: 

  • Fundamental Concepts in Chemistry 1 

Optional modules include:

  • Metabolic and Practical Biochemistry
  • Metabolic Biochemistry
  • Physical Processes for Biologists
  • Molecular Studies for the Life Sciences
  • Digestion and Nutrition
  • Fundamentals of Physics for Medicine
  • Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry for Biological Sciences
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Core modules include:

  • Clinical Biomedicine
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology
  • Cells and Immunity
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Key Skills in Biomedicine 2

Optional modules include:

  • Endocrinology
  • Medical Applications of Physics
  • Language module
  • Protein Structure and Function
  • Physiological Biochemistry
  • The Bacterial Cell
  • Venoms and Poisons
  • Summer Placement
  • Introduction to Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*

New international students: £24,500

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

This degree is geared towards biomedical careers, and you could go on to work as a biomedical scientist within a hospital or pharmaceutical laboratory. Alternatively, you could work in academic laboratories, scientific publishing or clinical trials. You may also decide to study for higher research degrees or commence a medical, dentistry or veterinary degree course. 

After two years of studying Biomedical Sciences I continue to find the complexity of the human body fascinating, from the intricate features of intracellular organelles to whole organ systems. I enjoy learning about how the human body functions and where things can go wrong in diseases.

Laura Moody
BSc Biomedical Sciences

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

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Related Subjects


  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Foundation programmes

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