BSc Microbiology with Entrepreneurship / Course details

Our BSc Microbiology with Entrepreneurship course will enable you to combine science with business skills - a key driver of employability.

This course involves the study of microorganisms with particular emphasis on the biology of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoan parasites.

Microbiologists are needed to do the research required to battle against infectious diseases worldwide, understanding the environmental importance of microbes and to exploit them for food production, biotechnological and industrial applications.

The main focus of our course is the pathogenic potential of the organisms that cause disease in man. You will also cover aspects of the biochemistry, physiology and genetics of microorganisms.

You will spend your first year learning fundamental concepts before specialising in microbiology topics in your later years.

The entrepreneurship units will be offered via the Masood (Manchester) Enterprise Centre (MEC) of the Alliance Manchester Business School at the University, exposing you to key learning in business innovation. The course also includes a year in industry on a research or business placement.

Learn alongside other entrepreneurship students

Connect with other science students with an interest in business innovation.

Learn alongside other students taking a variety of degrees at the University, giving you the opportunity to practice your skills with your fellow students and make new friends.

Study abroad

Industry placements are available at home and abroad where you can use your entrepreneurship and/or subject skills in a range of ways including innovation work, biotech and marketing.

Foundation year available

You can prepare for the full degree course if you do not have the appropriate qualifications for direct entry by undertaking our foundation course first.

Flexibility to transfer between courses

You can transfer between most of our bioscience  degree courses at the end of your first year or, in some cases, later. You can only transfer onto this course if you have completed the required entrepreneurship units in Year 1.

The course consists of two-thirds of biological sciences learning and one-third entrepreneurship learning. You will learn your entrepreneurship alongside other students taking a variety of degrees at the University.

You will benefit from a wide range of teaching and learning methods that suit the content and aims of each course unit.

These range from lectures and tutorials to practicals and research projects, including the final year project .

Find out more about how you will learn and see a typical Year 1 timetable on our teaching and learning page .

Assessment methods vary widely to suit the nature of the course unit and each level of study.

• Lecture units are usually assessed by written exam (multiple choice or essay-based), which are held at the end of an academic semester in either January or May/June.
• Practical units are usually assessed by experimental report and/or short written assignment and/or written exam.
• The proportion of independent study assignments increases during each year of study.

Year 1

Lecture units are usually assessed by e-learning activities during the unit and multiple choice exams at the end of the semester. Year 1 contributes 10% to your overall degree mark.

Year 2

Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam, and some units also include a coursework element. Year 2 contributes 30% to your overall degree mark.

Placement year

You will write a scientific placement report, which is submitted and assessed when you return to University in your final year. The mark for the report, and the associated viva voce oral examination, contribute approximately 10% towards your overall degree mark.

Final year

Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam. You will also take two 'honours' papers and examinations comprising essays and data-handling problems.

A significant part of the year (accounting for one-quarter of the overall degree mark) is the project, which is assessed through a presentation and a written report.

The final year contributes 60% to your overall degree mark.

Find out what it's like to study at Manchester, read student stories on our blog .

Learning facilities

Our modern teaching labs are equipped for a range of biological and biomedical techniques. The following are just a few of the techniques you could undertake during your degree:

• polymerase chain reaction (PCR);
• DNA sequencing;
• gel electrophoresis;
• spectrophotometry;
• dissection and histology;
• electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG);
• immunofluorescence microscopy.

Our computing facilities include access to over 200 PCs in dedicated clusters and e-learning tools including online lecture notes, discussion boards, lecture podcasts and quizzes. You will also have access to the University's other facilities for undergraduate students.

Research facilities

As a final year student, you have the opportunity to undertake a project in the labs of our world-class bioscience researchers. To support our research, we have extensive research facilities equipped with high-quality technology.