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Biochemistry (Placement Year)

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

A level Chemistry and one other science subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics

Access to HE Diploma

D:36,M:9

in a relevant subject

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

35

with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including 6 in HL Chemistry and 6 in one further HL science subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics

Considered alongside A level Chemistry

UCAS Tariff

136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time with year in industry | 2024

Subject

Biochemistry

Biochemistry examines the structure and function of living organisms at the molecular level. It is an exciting and rapidly developing subject and the primary investigative science within biology and medicine.

The BSc Biochemistry (Placement Year) includes core modules in biochemistry and chemistry combined with a solid background in related fields.

This four-year degree is ideal if you wish to gain work experience as part of your biochemistry degree. It provides you with support to secure a paid placement for twelve months working in the type of organisation that you might aspire to join when you graduate. The placement offers you the opportunity to work as a full time employee of the organisation with the same training and opportunities as other employees, whilst still receiving both academic and pastoral support from Lancaster University.

To prepare students for their work placement year, our Careers and Placements Team will provide advice and guidance on: the skills required to create effective CVs, cover letters and applications; tips and techniques on how to make an impact at interviews and assessment centres; how to create a relevant digital profile; and how to research employers and career sectors of interest. In addition, there is great emphasis placed upon developing self-awareness and on how to present yourself in a professional manner to employers. This optional provision will be delivered via a blend of traditional and digital methods including face-to-face workshops, online webinars, e-courses and 1:1 appointments.

Although you will be supported by professional careers staff in preparing your industrial placement application, due to the competitive nature of these placements it is possible that not all students will be successful in securing these nationally-advertised opportunities. Students who have not secured an industrial placement will automatically be transferred over to the degree without the placement year - the BSc Biochemistry.

In the first year, you will study core modules such as Protein Biochemistry, Cell Structure and Function, and Genetics – all designed to give you a good overview of key modern biochemical concepts.

In your second year, you’ll focus on a range of biochemistry modules, including Cell Biology and Medical Microbiology, as well as some more practically oriented modules designed to equip you with the laboratory skills and knowledge required by a successful biochemist.

You will spend your third year on an industrial placement, which may be science or non-science based.

Returning to Lancaster University, you will have the flexibility to tailor your fourth year to your biochemical interests and can select from a diverse range of subjects including Cell Signalling, Cancer, Biology of Ageing, and Neurobiology. During your degree, you’ll conduct your own laboratory-based project and benefit from the research experience of our internationally renowned academics.

The facilities for studying biochemistry at Lancaster University are excellent. We have invested over £4 million in new life science teaching laboratories which you will use for practical learning and your dissertation project. Around 50% of the contact time on the degree is used for practical and workshop activities in the laboratory or in PC labs.

The Uni


Course location:

Lancaster University

Department:

Biomedical and Life Science

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.

94%
Biochemistry

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.

Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry

Teaching and learning

100%
Staff make the subject interesting
94%
Staff are good at explaining things
94%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
69%
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

94%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
94%
Course specific equipment and facilities
79%
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
43%
Male students
57%
Female students
81%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

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.

Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry

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
100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

16%
Teaching and educational professionals
16%
Science, engineering and production technicians
16%
Other elementary services occupations

Around 2,500 graduates got degrees in this demanding but valuable subject last year. Graduates who want a career in research usually take postgraduate qualifications - over a third of graduates in the subject took this option - but those who want to start work when they graduate have a lot to choose from. Laboratory work and other jobs in the biosciences are popular, as well as in education, but many biochemistry graduates find their way into the finance industry and as a consequence, graduates from these disciplines are particularly likely to get jobs in London and the South East.

What about your long term prospects?

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

Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry

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

£20k

£20k

£24k

£24k

£27k

£27k

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.

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Higher entry requirements
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Same University
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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