- UCAS course code
- C741
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Medical Biochemistry with Industrial/Professional Experience
- Typical A-level offer: AAA-AAB including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: AAB-ABC including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: ABB-ABC including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 36-35 points overall with 6, 6, 6 to 6, 6, 5 at HL, including specific requirements
Course description
Our BSc Medical Biochemistry with Industrial/Professional Experience course will enable you to gain experience of the workplace on a year-long placement during your degree, making you more attractive to potential employers after graduation.
You will look at the functioning of normal and diseased organisms from a biochemical point of view, receiving a fundamental grounding in the principles of biochemistry, such as protein structure and function.
As you progress, optional course units may show you how biochemistry allows us to understand and treat diseases. Subject areas include the molecular biology of cancer, cell cycle control and genetic diseases.
In Year 3, you will have the opportunity to go on a placement with one of our `trusted partner' organisations in the UK or abroad. Alternatively, you can choose to arrange your own placement (subject to approval from the School of Biological Sciences).
Placements range from research project work to roles in education, the biotechnology industry and science communication.
Our course has Advanced Accreditation from the Royal Society of Biology , which recognises academic excellence in the biosciences and highlights degrees that educate the research and development leaders and innovators of the future.
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 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.
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.
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. 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
- anatomy
- physiology
- pharmacology
- molecular biology
You will also study chemistry topics relevant to biology.
Year 1 also provides an introduction to the essential data handling and laboratory skills required for all biological scientists.
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 - Molecular & Cellular Biology | BIOL10412 | 10 | Mandatory |
Body Systems | BIOL10811 | 10 | Mandatory |
Drugs: From Molecules to Man | BIOL10822 | 10 | Mandatory |
Health & Safety online course | BIOL12000 | 0 | Mandatory |
Chemistry for Bioscientists 1 | CHEM10021 | 10 | Mandatory |
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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 |
Molecular and Cellular Biology EDM | BIOL21041 | 10 | Mandatory |
Genome Maintenance & Regulation | BIOL21101 | 10 | Mandatory |
Proteins | BIOL21111 | 10 | Mandatory |
Cell Metabolism & Metabolic Control | BIOL21132 | 10 | Mandatory |
Molecules and Cells in Human Disease | BIOL21351 | 10 | Mandatory |
Science Communication | BIOL21392 | 10 | Mandatory |
Chemistry of Biomolecules | CHEM21162 | 10 | Mandatory |
Biochemistry RSM | BIOL20312 | 10 | Optional |
Cellular Biochemistry RSM | BIOL20322 | 10 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
You can apply to spend your third year on a placement with one of our partner organisations in the UK or overseas.
We have trusted partner organisations including pharmaceutical companies, research institutes and hospitals. Our Medical Biochemistry students have recently had placements with organisations such as GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca.
Our range of placements reflects both research career paths and the growing range of science careers outside of the laboratory in science enterprise, education and communication. We are unique in providing such a range of placements to our students.
Read more about our industrial/professional experience placements .
Course content for year 4
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, data analysis, bioinformatics or enterprise topics.
Course units for year 4
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 |
Biochemical Basis of Disease (E) | BIOL31332 | 10 | Mandatory |
Projects | BIOL30030 | 40 | Optional |
Life Sciences Enterprise Project | BIOL31080 | 40 | Optional |
Science Communication Project | BIOL31220 | 40 | Optional |
HSTM Project | BIOL31250 | 40 | Optional |
Protein Assembly, Dynamics & Function (E) | BIOL31311 | 10 | Optional |
Macromolecular Recognition in Biological Systems (L) | BIOL31341 | 10 | Optional |
Advanced Immunology (E) | BIOL31371 | 10 | Optional |
Cell Signalling (E) | BIOL31441 | 10 | Optional |
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What our students say
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;
- 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.