- UCAS course code
- B940
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course description
Our BSc Biomedical Sciences course will give you a grounding in a range of medically related disciplines, including physiology, pharmacology, neuroscience, cell biology, microbiology, anatomy and histology, genetics, biochemistry and immunology.
You will learn how to apply biology-based science for medical use through research, health monitoring or treatment. You will benefit from the course's strong focus on practical experience, which provides a sound basis for a career at the forefront of medical research, as well as other roles both within and outside the lab.
You can choose to supplement your degree with an integrated master's, modern language learning or a year in industry, enabling you to enhance your CV and stand out from other candidates in the competitive graduate employment market.
Please note, this degree is not accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science. We have chosen not to have our degree accredited to give you maximum flexibility in your choice of course units. If you are interested in a career as a biomedical/healthcare scientist in the NHS, you can undertake the NHS Scientist Training Programme after you have completed this Biomedical Sciences degree.
Special features
A range of study options
You can extend your degree by a year to undertake an integrated master's , gain industrial/professional experience , study with entrepreneurship or learn a modern language .
It is possible to broaden your degree by taking units from the University College , Business and Management for all Programmes or the University Centre for Academic English in exchange for a few units from your degree.
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 courses at the end of your first year or, in some cases, later.
Teaching and learning
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 practical 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.
Coursework and assessment
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.
Final year
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam. Students also take two 'honours' papers: degree programme-specific 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.
Course unit details
This course is modular. You will study compulsory course units and choose some optional units.
Most units are assigned 10 credits and you will take 120 credits each year.
Course content for year 1
You will gain a broad introduction to biological sciences, covering key concepts such as:
- biochemistry;
- genetics;
- microbiology;
- anatomy;
- physiology;
- the cells of the nervous system;
- pharmacology;
- molecular biology.
Year 1 also provides an introduction to the essential data handling and laboratory skills required for all biological scientists.
At the end of Year 1, you are encouraged to consider transferring to one of our more specialised courses if this is how your interests or career plans are developing.
Popular courses for transferring students include Pharmacology, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Medical Physiology and Immunology.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Academic Tutorials Year 1 | BIOL10000 | 10 | Mandatory |
Biochemistry | BIOL10212 | 10 | Mandatory |
Molecular Biology | BIOL10221 | 10 | Mandatory |
From Molecules to Cells | BIOL10232 | 10 | Mandatory |
Introduction to Laboratory Science | BIOL10401 | 10 | Mandatory |
Introduction to Experimental Biology - Human Biology | BIOL10422 | 10 | Mandatory |
Microbes, Humankind and the Environment | BIOL10532 | 10 | Mandatory |
Body Systems | BIOL10811 | 10 | Mandatory |
Drugs: From Molecules to Man | BIOL10822 | 10 | Mandatory |
Excitable Cells: the Foundations of Neuroscience | BIOL10832 | 10 | Mandatory |
Displaying 10 of 17 course units for year 1 | |||
Display all course units for year 1 |
Course content for year 2
You will continue your studies in greater depth and begin to specialise. You will also undertake a Science Communication unit.
In the Research Skills unit, you have the opportunity to carry out techniques that are widely used in current biological science research.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Academic Tutorials Year 2 | BIOL20000 | 10 | Mandatory |
Human Sciences EDM | BIOL21061 | 10 | Mandatory |
Science Communication | BIOL21392 | 10 | Mandatory |
Science & Society RSM | BIOL20302 | 10 | Optional |
Biochemistry RSM | BIOL20312 | 10 | Optional |
Cellular Biochemistry RSM | BIOL20322 | 10 | Optional |
Genetics RSM | BIOL20332 | 10 | Optional |
Microbiology RSM | BIOL20342 | 10 | Optional |
Molecular Biology RSM | BIOL20352 | 10 | Optional |
Clinical Sciences RSM | BIOL20902 | 10 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 51 course units for year 2 | |||
Display all course units for year 2 |
Course content for year 3
Final year topics reflect the current hotspots of bioscience endeavour and the research interests of our staff, and are constantly being updated.
You will undertake an independent in-depth research project that may involve supervised practical work in a laboratory, or you may choose to work on e-learning, educational, science communication, data analysis, bioinformatics or enterprise topics.
Please note the course units listed below are just a small selection and do not represent the number and breadth of course units available on this course.
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Academic Tutorials Year 3 | BIOL30000 | 0 | Mandatory |
Projects | BIOL30030 | 40 | Optional |
Life Sciences Enterprise Project | BIOL31080 | 40 | Optional |
Science Communication Project | BIOL31220 | 40 | Optional |
HSTM Project | BIOL31250 | 40 | Optional |
Biochemical Basis of Disease (E) | BIOL31332 | 10 | Optional |
Current Topics in Microbiology (E) | BIOL31351 | 10 | Optional |
Advanced Immunology (E) | BIOL31371 | 10 | Optional |
Gene Regulation & Disease (E) | BIOL31381 | 10 | Optional |
Human Genetics & Evolution (E) | BIOL31402 | 10 | Optional |
Displaying 10 of 46 course units for year 3 | |||
Display all course units for year 3 |
What our students say
As a biomedical scientist, I was able to choose from a wide range of units and could expand my knowledge of a variety of subject topics that I was interested in. I particularly enjoyed the Physiology Research Skills unit that I did in Year 2, as it gave me an opportunity to have a key role in designing and implementing scientific research.
Ana Das
I enjoyed the anatomy lectures and practicals which allowed us to work within the dissecting rooms using the cadavers. This not only increased my passion for medical science, but also drove me to work harder.
Moses Chidowe
Find out more about what it's like to study at Manchester on the Biology, Medicine and Health Student Blog .
Facilities
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;
- electromyography (EMG) 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 will 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.