BSc Immunology

Immunology is a highly dynamic field that impacts topical and emerging issues within both the biomedical and biological science disciplines.

Our BSc Immunology course will see you learn about the components, principles and mechanisms of a healthy immune system, and how they co-ordinate to mount safe and appropriate protection against infection. During your studies you will establish how the immune system can distinguish between healthy and damaged self and identify dangerous non-self, how it can tune responses to protect against different types of infectious agents and how these responses vary  in different anatomical sites, such as in the skin, gut and lung.

In addition to establishing the workings of a healthy immune system, you will also look at how the immune system can go wrong and cause inappropriate or insufficient immunity, such as in cases of allergy, autoimmunity and immune deficiency. Other topics covered will include the current and emerging use of immune molecules in diagnostic and clinical intervention strategies, including therapeutic manipulation of the immune system for cancer treatment, vaccine development and transplant tolerance.

The flexible, modular nature of our course means you can follow special interests within the broader topic at the same time as you build your core subject-specific knowledge. As a core centre for Immunology research in the UK, a range of world-leading lab options are available for you to explore for your final year project work. 

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.

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 a combination of coursework during the unit and essay-based exam at the end of the semester.

Year 2 contributes 30% to your overall degree mark.

Final year

Lecture units are usually assessed by coursework and an essay-based exam. Students also take two course specific honours papers: synoptic essay paper and a critical analysis problem paper.

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 more about what it's like to study at Manchester on the  Biology, Medicine and Health Student Blog .

Learning facilities

Our modern teaching labs are equipped for a range of biological, biomedical and immunological 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;
• enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA);
• histology;
• immunofluorescence microscopy;
• fluorescence activated cell separation (FACS).

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 immunology researchers. To support our research, we have extensive research facilities equipped with high-quality technology.