Bachelor of Science (BSc)

BSc Immunology with Entrepreneurship

Develop your entrepreneurial skills while you study immunology to enhance your employability.
  • Duration: 4 Years Full Time
  • Year of entry: 2026
  • UCAS course code: C55N / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Study abroad
  • Study with a language
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Overview

Course overview

  • Improve your employability by combining business, enterprise and entrepreneurial skills with your degree.
  • Use your entrepreneurship skills in the world of work on a year-long placement.
  • Understand how the immune system protects us, and also how it can go wrong and cause disease, as in autoimmune conditions and allergies.
  • Learn about ways the immune system can be used to prevent disease, as in vaccines, and to promote better clinical outcomes, as in situations of transplant and cancer therapy.
  • Apply for membership of the Royal Society of Biology at Member (MRSB) level after just two years of practice instead of three thanks to our Advanced Accreditation status.

Open days

Attending an open day is a great way to find out what studying at Manchester is like. Find out about our upcoming open days.

We also operate campus tours where a student ambassador will tell you all about life at the University. You may also meet with admissions staff, subject to staff availability. These tours run on most days and are open to anybody thinking of applying for any of our courses in biosciences.

To book, please email the Admissions Office at least two weeks before you wish to have a tour to allow us sufficient time to arrange this ug.biosciences@manchester.ac.uk

Contact details

School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Telephone
+44 (0)161 529 4539
Email
Website
https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/biomedicine
School/Faculty overview
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

A-level

AAA - AAB, including two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics (the Core Sciences ). You must have a minimum of grades AB in at least two Core Sciences.

Applicants predicted/who have achieved AAB in their A levels will receive an offer of AAB, while those predicted/who have achieved AAA or higher will be eligible for an offer of AAA.

If you are taking only one of the above Core Science subjects, we can consider you for an AAA offer if you are also sitting an A level in at least one of Geography, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Physical Education in place of the second Core Science. If your predicted grades are one grade below our minimum entry requirements we may still make you an aspirational offer if you meet our contextual criteria .

Subjects with overlapping content are not normally considered as separate A-levels. For example, Further Mathematics is not considered alongside Mathematics and Human Biology is not considered alongside Biology. If you are concerned there is too much overlap in your A level subjects, please contact us for advice before applying.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

A-level contextual offer

AAB- ABC including specific subjects.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

  • live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
  • live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
  • have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

UK refugee/care-experienced offer

ABB - ABC including specific subjects.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

  • have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
  • have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

International Baccalaureate

35 - 36 points overall. 6, 6, 5 to 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects, including two science subjects, normally Biology and Chemistry

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

GCSE/IGCSE

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 4 or C in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.

Other entry requirements

Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.

Country-specific entry requirements

We welcome applications from overseas students. Please see our international entry requirements page for individual country requirements.

English language requirements

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade 4/C, or;

IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.5 in any one component, or;

An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Tuition fees are considerably lower for your placement year. Please see the fees page for full details.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Students participating in placements outside the UK may be able to apply for funding from the UK's Turing scheme depending on eligibility. Priority will be given to students from low income households.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply through UCAS .

Advice to applicants

We would normally only consider applicants who obtained the relevant qualification within the three years prior to entry.

Applicants who have left education for more than three years would normally be recommended to take an Access course or exceptionally considered for the Foundation Year.

Applicants should contact the Admissions Office to discuss their particular circumstances.

You should not usually apply for more than one of the bioscience courses offered by The University of Manchester. Please contact us for advice if you are planning to do so.

Home-schooled applicants

If you have followed a non-standard educational route and have been, for example, educated at home, your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course to which you applied. You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the academic entry requirements as specified for the course. We will also require a reference which should be written by somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. Please refer to UCAS for further information: UCAS reference guidelines

Non-standard educational routes

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences. Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester. The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to. Further information for mature students can be found here

How your application is considered

Applications are considered on the basis of the UCAS form. Some candidates may be interviewed online or by telephone, or asked to complete an alternative admissions statement.

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are considered equally to other applications up to the point of confirmation. Deferred entry is granted at the discretion of admissions staff, and is normally granted for one year only and two years at the maximum. Some English Language test results, such as IELTS or TOEFL, are only valid for two years from the test date. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications

The University will consider applicants who have re-sat individual modules. If you have re-sat your final examinations we may consider your application in exceptional circumstances. We would generally require a minimum grade of an A for any subject being re-sat. Please contact us to discuss this before you apply.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course. If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course. If you are applying through clearing you are required to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.

Course details

Course description

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

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

You will 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.

You will establish how the immune system can distinguish between healthy and damaged self and identify dangerous non-self targets, how it can tune responses to protect against different types of infectious agents and how these responses varies when these agents are encountered in different anatomical site, 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 entrepreneurship units will be offered via the Masood 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.

Visit The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation to find out more about immunology research at The University of Manchester.

Special features

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 anatomical 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.

Teaching and learning

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 .

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 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.

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.

You will be marked out of 110% for your whole degree. 

Final year

Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam. You will also take two degree specific honours papers: a 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.

Course unit details

This course is modular. You will study compulsory course units and choose some optional units.

Most science units are assigned 10 credits and you will take 120 credits each year.

You will need to acquire 20 entrepreneurship credits per year, and there is some choice in which units you choose after Year 1.

Course content for year 1

You will gain a broad introduction to biological sciences, covering key concepts such as:

  • biochemistry
  • microbiology
  • molecular biology

In addition, you will study fundamental concepts of entrepreneurial skills and business management. The Alliance Manchester Business School will deliver core knowledge of enterprise, markets and finance, and you will build entrepreneurial skills by writing your first business proposal.

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.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
BIOL10000 10 Mandatory
BIOL10212 10 Mandatory
BIOL10221 10 Mandatory
BIOL10412 10 Mandatory
BIOL10532 10 Mandatory
Writing and Referencing Skills (online unit) BIOL10741 0 Mandatory
BIOL12000 0 Mandatory
MCEL10001 10 Mandatory
MCEL10002 10 Mandatory
BIOL10232 10 Optional
BIOL10521 10 Optional
BIOL10811 10 Optional
BIOL10822 10 Optional
BIOL10832 10 Optional
CHEM10021 10 Optional
CHEM10022 10 Optional
CHEM10111 10 Optional
Displaying 10 of 17 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 practical unit, you will have the opportunity to carry out techniques that are widely used in current immunology research.

You will gain more choice in entrepreneurship units, for example, Enterprise Strategy and Marketing or Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development.

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.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
BIOL20000 10 Mandatory
BIOL20952 10 Mandatory
BIOL21061 10 Mandatory
BIOL21192 10 Mandatory
BIOL21242 10 Mandatory
BIOL21351 10 Mandatory
BIOL21381 10 Mandatory
BIOL21392 10 Mandatory
BIOL21101 10 Optional
BIOL21111 10 Optional
BIOL21121 10 Optional
BIOL21132 10 Optional
BIOL21141 10 Optional
BIOL21152 10 Optional
BIOL21252 10 Optional
BIOL21302 10 Optional
BIOL21361 10 Optional
BIOL21371 10 Optional
BIOL21742 10 Optional
MCEL30001 10 Optional
MCEL30002 10 Optional
MCEL30022 10 Optional
MCEL30051 10 Optional
MCEL30052 10 Optional
MCEL30122 10 Optional
UCIL24002 10 Optional
Displaying 10 of 26 course units for year 2

Course content for year 3

Subject to satisfactory academic performance and placement availability, you will spend this year on your entrepreneurship placement. This may be in the UK or abroad.

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.

You will continue your entrepreneurial training and can specialise in healthcare or more broadly in feasibility and strategy.

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.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
BIOL30000 0 Mandatory
BIOL31371 10 Mandatory
BIOL31802 10 Mandatory
BIOL30030 40 Optional
BIOL31080 40 Optional
BIOL31220 40 Optional
BIOL31250 40 Optional
BIOL31301 10 Optional
BIOL31321 10 Optional
BIOL31332 10 Optional
BIOL31341 10 Optional
BIOL31351 10 Optional
BIOL31381 10 Optional
BIOL31411 10 Optional
BIOL31441 10 Optional
BIOL31612 10 Optional
BIOL31792 10 Optional
MCEL30001 10 Optional
MCEL30002 10 Optional
MCEL30011 10 Optional
MCEL30012 10 Optional
MCEL30022 10 Optional
MCEL30051 10 Optional
MCEL30052 10 Optional
MCEL30122 10 Optional
Displaying 10 of 25 course units for year 4

What our students say

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

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

Graduates with skills in business and innovation are extremely desirable to employers who require significant relevant work experience.

In the growing field of bioscience research collaborations, graduates with entrepreneurship skills are at a distinct advantage.

Our graduates go into a wide range of sectors. Many secure jobs as researchers and business leaders in academia and industry, while others go into lab-based careers that do not involve research.

Others choose careers in the healthcare sector such as pharmaceuticals and medicine, most of which require further study, while some take up positions in other sectors entirely, eg education.

Find out more about how we help our students prepare for the workplace and the careers our graduates go into within and outside the lab.

Global Careers

Studying a bioscience course is a great way to explore your interests and prepare for an exciting array of careers.

Our graduates progress into roles across the globe. Here are a few examples of the range of careers our bioscience students have progressed into:

  • Zoology graduate Anish is the founder of Think Wildlife Foundation (Biodiversity Conservation) in India.
  • Pharmacology graduate John is a business-focused marketer working in New York.
  • Biology graduate Mark is Vice President at Pfizer Vaccines R&D in New York.
  • Medical Biochemistry graduate Laura Ann is a communications consultant in Singapore.
  • Zoology graduate Rosie is a Creative and Content Marketing Manager in Valencia, Spain.

Discover more about bioscience careers .

Accrediting organisations

This course has   Advanced Accreditation  from the Royal Society of Biology.

Advanced Accreditation recognises academic excellence in the biosciences, highlighting degrees that contain a significant research element and educate the future leaders of research and development.

The criteria require evidence that graduates meet defined sets of learning outcomes, including gaining substantial research experience.

In recognition of this, a graduate of an advanced accredited course can apply for membership of the Royal Society of Biology at   Member (MRSB)   level after just two years of practice, rather than the usual three.

These graduates can attain the qualifications of Chartered Biologist or Chartered Scientist one year sooner than graduates from other courses.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.