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Applied Biosciences BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements


Access to HE Diploma

M:15

The Access to HE Diploma to include 15 Level 3 credits at Merit in Science Units. Plus GCSE English and GCSE Mathematics at grade 4 / C or above.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above to include English and Mathematics.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

28

to include Biology, Chemistry or Physics at Higher level.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D

in a Science based subject.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MMM

in a Science based subject.

UCAS Tariff

104

Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification, including a Science based subject.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Biological sciences

Chemistry

The BSc (Hons) Applied Biosciences degree course explores life at all levels from chemicals, molecules and cells to organ systems. You will also explore human health and illness and how they are managed in the context of contemporary research, as well as how populations, communities and the environment influence health and illness.

Course content and assessments have been designed to help you develop both theoretical knowledge and understanding, as well as the practical skills to enhance your career and academic opportunities.

Each year, the course is reviewed to ensure it includes the major causes of illness and death globally, as researched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as the major causes of sickness absence from the workplace, to give you a rounded understanding of the way disease affects human life.

Key course benefits;

* Upon completion of this course, you will receive a qualification awarded by Coventry University.

* You will receive support with applying for short and long-term placements, to gain the experience employers desire, with our in-house Careers & Employability department.

* You will have the opportunity for multi-campus learning in Coventry, London and Scarborough.

* In order to make higher education accessible to as many people as possible, we keep our tuition fees competitively priced.

* Small tutorial group sessions ensure that you receive the mentoring help and support you need.

* We deliver one module at a time during each block. This means you can dedicate your time to specialise in each subject without the distraction of numerous modules and multiple deadlines.

* This course is packed with skills employers seek, such as innovation and laboratory competency.

Modules

Biosciences are a varied, interesting and important area to study and we’ll explore technical theory from chemical and molecular level through to the human body as a whole.

Practical elements are another key focus of the course and you will be expected to perform advanced hands-on experiments which includes computer-based activities. Combining the two helps to solidify knowledge of the subject and prepares you for your career.

Year One
The first year explores the essential concepts such as chemistry, cell and molecular biology, microbiology and anatomy and physiology. You will also learn to use scientific vocabulary. The practical aspect focuses on vital laboratory skills specific to the subject which includes the safe use of complex equipment, report writing and the development of accurate lab skills. If you choose to leave the course after completing year one you are eligible for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Applied Biosciences.
Modules
Chemistry for Biosciences
Introduction to Microbiology
Applied Cell Biology
Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

Year Two
In year two you will develop knowledge gained in your first year. Specifically, this includes more advanced practical skills and expanding on concepts such as thermodynamics, electrochemistry and chemical kinetics. You’ll also discover infectious diseases and how they affect people on a personal and public level. The year concludes by focusing on human physiological systems and the mechanisms of the major causes of morbidity, mortality and sickness absence, which will include exploring cutting-edge genetic screening procedures. By using scientific journals you’ll further develop the critical skills of academic writing and data presentation, and the principles of good scientific writing and data presentation will be examined. Throughout your second year, you will further develop and enhance your academic, practical and analytical skills in preparation for year three, and build skills that are attractive to employers. Students who choose to leave the course after completing year two are eligible for a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Applied Biosciences.
Modules
Advanced Cell and Molecular Biology
Principles of Biochemistry
Advanced Microbiology
Principles of Pathophysiology

Placement Year
An optional placement or sandwich year gives you the chance to gain further insight into the industry or career you are seeking to follow, enabling you to apply your theoretical knowledge to the workplace. You can also choose to take an optional year abroad between years two and three. If you decide to take advantage of a placement year this version of the degree will help you acquire valuable work experience and gain an understanding of what employers seek in graduates. It is your responsibility to find a placement with an employer within your chosen sector.

Final Year
In this year, you will become confident enough to understand, criticise and design complex research projects both inside and outside the laboratory and how to apply this to the workplace or in future study. To build on years two and three you will study the applications of biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, microbiology and pathophysiology, and disease management. These areas are studied in context with the use of relevant examples so that you can apply knowledge directly to the workplace. You will also undertake an independent research project, from ideation to performing practical experiments to gather data, to analysing, writing up and presenting your findings. Students who complete year three will receive a BSc (Hons) Applied Biosciences.
Modules
Applications of Biochemistry
Analysis and Applications of Cell and Molecular Biology
Applications of Pathophysiology
Applied Biosciences Project

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

Assessment methods

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.

Assessment methods vary and include, practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, laboratory experiments, tutorial tasks and assessments, which take place at the end of each six-week block.

Course Breakdown:

Coursework
Presentations
Exams

The Uni


Course locations:

CU Coventry

CU London (Dagenham)

Department:

CU Group

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

89%
Biological sciences

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Biosciences (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

95%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
89%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
84%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

74%
Library resources
79%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
68%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

77%
UK students
23%
International students
31%
Male students
69%
Female students
79%
2:1 or above
14%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

Chemistry

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

84%
UK students
16%
International students
36%
Male students
64%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
A
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Biosciences (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
89%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

23%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
15%
Natural and social science professionals
13%
Science, engineering and production technicians

These stats refer to the prospects of graduates from general courses in biosciences. About a quarter go into further study and for those who go into work, bioscience, teaching and finance jobs are the most common types of employment. But you can go into most careers with this kind of degree — the majority of jobs for graduates don’t ask for a particular degree subject - and you will acquire a wide range of skills valued by many employers. If you want to find out more specifically about the prospects for your chosen subject, it might be a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates from your chosen subject went on to do.

Chemistry

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,720
low
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Other elementary services occupations
13%
Science, engineering and production technicians
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

Chemistry graduates are in demand from a wide range of industries, from the food, oil, chemicals and pharmaceuticals to consultancy, technical analysis and teaching. They're also prized by business and finance employers for their research and data handling skills — anywhere there is research and data to be explained, you can find chemistry grads. If you want a career in research, you need a doctorate, so start planning now if you fancy one of these exciting and challenging jobs - but good students can usually get grants to take a doctorate, so don't worry about the financing if you think you have what it takes. The recession wasn’t too kind to chemists, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry (one of the key employers for chemists), but things are getting back to normal for this flexible group and it's one of the few degrees that is bucking the current trend and increasing graduate numbers.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Biosciences (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£23k

£23k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here