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Biomedical Science

Entry requirements


120 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A levels including Human Biology, Biology or Chemistry at grade C or above.

122 UCAS Tariff Access to HE Diploma ‘Science’ with Distinctions in science specific modules not in generic learning modules

GCSE/National 4/National 5

5 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including Maths and English

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

DDM

Must be in a Science subject

120 points including at least two subjects at advanced higher level with a Science Subject at grade B

T Level

D

Merit in Science (with optional module in Laboratory Science only)

UCAS Tariff

120

120 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A levels including Human Biology, Biology or Chemistry at grade C or above.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Biomedical sciences

Biomedical Science staff are key members of healthcare – 70% of diagnoses in the NHS are based on pathology results provided by scientists in the lab. As a Biomedical Science student, you will explore the cutting-edge application of scientific investigation to human health.

A rapidly evolving and growing field, you will study and research a range of biomedical topics from organs systems and disease, right down to molecular biology. Throughout the course, you will explore the analytical skills needed for research and investigation, develop an understanding of the role biomedical science plays in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, and apply your knowledge and practical skills to a variety of clinical lab settings.

You will study key healthcare topics, such as infectious disease, cancer, and heart disease, building towards the final year, where we focus on clinical laboratory specialists, informed by current working professionals. Students also complete independent research projects in areas they are interested in, supported by leading academics in topics ranging from Alzheimer’s to Zika virus!

Students also have the option to undertake an additional placement year in a clinical or industry laboratory. As we are an IBMS accredited course, completing a clinical lab placement enables students to gain the necessary registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which is a requirement to become an NHS Biomedical Scientist.

A Biomedical Science degree is highly sought after in NHS clinical laboratories, research institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, as well as an ever-expanding range of healthcare related professions.

**Key features**

- Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.

- This course is professionally accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS).

You can become eligible to apply to the HCPC Register, by completing an HCPC approved Certificate of Competence portfolio with the IBMS, (this can be completed as part of your optional placement year).
- You will study a wide range of current and cutting-edge topics in Biomedical Science, including anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, cell biology, microbiology and the analytical skills of modern biomedical science.

- Gain industry experience during an optional placement year. Our students have worked in a number of NHS laboratories, as well as in research laboratories at organisations including the London School of Hygiene, Tropical Medicine and Public Health England, even working internationally.

- Our students benefit from an international experience through our DMU Global programme, which has seen students conducting Biomedical Science workshops on topics including malaria, sickle cell disease, and diabetes to school students in Zimbabwe and Bermuda.

- Our graduates have gone on to work in diagnostic laboratories in both the public and private sectors, NHS laboratories, research institutions and the biotechnology industry, in roles as biomedical scientists, laboratory assistants, associate practitioners, pharmacology technicians, lectures, researchers, or further graduate study such including Medicine, Dentistry, and Advanced Masters courses.

- The Biomedical Science BSc programme has a large and diversely skilled teaching team. Specialist areas of research expertise include cancer, immunology, genetics, toxicology, microbiology, chemical synthesis and drug design, musculoskeletal biology and medical physics. Staff are very research active, which directly informs many aspects of your teaching at UG and PG level.

Modules

We want to ensure you have the best learning experience possible and a supportive and nurturing learning community. That’s why we’re introducing a new block model for delivering the majority of our courses, known as Education 2030. This means a more simplified timetable where you will study one subject at a time instead of several at once. You will have more time to engage with your learning and get to know the teaching team and coursemates. You will receive faster feedback through more regular assessments and have a better study-life balance to enjoy other important aspects of university life.

**FIRST YEAR:**
Block 1: Professional & Practical Skills
Block 2: Chemistry & Biochemistry
Block 3: Anatomy & Physiology
Block 4: Microbiology

**SECOND YEAR:**
Block 1: Genetics & Molecular Pathology
Block 2: Emerging Techniques
Block 3: Organ Systems Physiology
Block 4: Human Health & Immunity
Optional Sandwich Placement Year: Students may apply for a supervised placement in a clinical, industry, or research laboratory, to gain valuable work experience, or (clinical labs only) to complete their IBMS training portfolio to become eligible for later HCPC registration.

**THIRD YEAR:**
Block 1: Research Projects
Block 2: Blood Science
Block 3: Infection & Immunity Sciences
Block 4: Cell Sciences

Assessment methods

Each module will be taught over a 7-week period, allowing you to focus on one topic at a time, before building on the next topic sequentially.

Each module will include its own schedule of taught sessions including lectures, tutorials, and workshops, practical sessions in the lab, and time for your own independent study.

Each topic or module will have a main assessment at the end of the module block. Assessments are based on real-world application of your skills, to try and best prepare you for the world of work, and include portfolios, presentations, case studies, lab reports, research papers, as well as quizzes and exams.

Contact hours in a typical week will depend to some extent on the optional modules you choose to study. However, typically you will have up to 20 contact hours of teaching.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,250
per year
International
£16,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Leicester Campus

Department:

Health and Life Sciences

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.

70%
Biomedical 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.

Biomedical sciences (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
80%
Staff are good at explaining things
70%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
71%
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

73%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
59%
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?

88%
UK students
12%
International students
36%
Male students
64%
Female students
54%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
D
C

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.

Biomedical sciences (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.

£21,000
low
Average annual salary
99%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

40%
Nursing and midwifery professionals
36%
Health professionals
5%
Therapy professionals

What about your long term prospects?

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

Biomedical sciences (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.

£23k

£23k

£25k

£25k

£32k

£32k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Kingston University | Kingston upon Thames
Biomedical Science
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-128
Lower entry requirements
University of Derby | Derby
Biomedical Science with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 72
Nearby University
Coventry University | Coventry
Biomedical Science
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 120

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Teaching Excellence Framework (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.

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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