Nottingham Trent University
UCAS Code: C503 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
72 UCAS Tariff points from three A-Levels or equivalent qualifications
Pass your Access course with 60 credits overall with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English grade C/4 GCSE Maths grade C/4
72 UCAS Tariff points from your BTEC Level 3 National Diploma and one A-Level or equivalent qualification
72 UCAS Tariff points from your BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate and two A-Levels or equivalent qualifications
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
MMP from a BTEC Extended Diploma
We will consider T Levels for entry to this course, either as stand-alone qualifications or in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications, in accordance with the specified course tariff points.
UCAS Tariff
72 UCAS Tariff points from three A-Levels or equivalent qualifications
About this course
During the foundation year, you’ll develop core bioscience and study skills using an active and collaborative approach to your learning. This will enable you to build your confidence as you move onto BSc (Hons) Microbiology in Year Two. Learn about the micro-organisms associated with global health issues such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB) and influenza. Focusing on microbes of medical importance, you’ll explore their impacts on food safety, biotechnology and infection diagnostics.
At NTU, it’ll all start with getting to know your way around a lab – picking up all the techniques, tests and applications a future employer could wish for. Then we’ll replicate workplace-like experiences for you, whatever area of microbiology you are interested in whether it is medical research, biotechnology, food safety or infection diagnostics. In each area, you will learn how to analyse and communicate your results.
We’ll also show you how microorganisms influence the world around us, and how microbiology knowledge can help solve big global problems such as climate change, pollution and antibiotic resistance.
If you change your mind at the end of your foundation year you can transfer onto one of our other BSc Bioscience courses at NTU.
**Why study Microbiology at NTU?**
**Get industry experience**
Through group work and the Practical Techniques for Biology and Professional Skills in Microbiology modules, you’ll start designing your own experiments and trying things out. Problem solving skills are valuable for any graduate and we make sure you develop these right from the start of your course, with lots of opportunities to test things out and learn by doing. We’ve also embedded employability skills in the course, so you are not only learning theory and skills, but you know where to find your dream job and how to apply for it.
In your second year you’ll take part in the Microbiology Society’s Unearthed Scheme. Through testing your own soil samples you’ll be trying to isolate antibiotic producing bacteria. Your results will be used as part of the data collect from around the world.
**Take a work placement**
Placements tell future employers you know how to do it as well as why. Our industry connections as well as the support you'll get from our Employability team all add up to a valuable work placement experience.
In Year Three, you’ll be encouraged to take a year-long placement overseas, or in the UK. Our recent students have taken placements across a wide range of companies including the NHS, Scancell and GlaxoSmithKline. They secured varied roles such as Research Assistant, Trainee Biomedical Scientist (Microbiology) and Assistant Project Worker.
You'll be supported throughout your placement year and will write a reflective report and diary during your placement. When you successfully complete your placement, you will be eligible to receive an additional award of a Diploma in Professional Practice.
**Develop your portfolio**
While you are at NTU you’ll create a skills portfolio. This is where you’ll keep evidence of all the techniques and skills you’ve mastered. These portfolios help you to document and develop your skills while you are with us. And they are a valuable tool when you graduate too, as they can be used to show future employers you are ready to work in a professional environment.
The Uni
Clifton Campus
School of Science and Technology
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.
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.
Microbiology and cell science
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Microbiology and cell science
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.
Top job areas of graduates
If you want a career in microbiology, then this is the degree to take. The recession hit the job market for microbiologists particularly badly, but things have improved very significantly since then, and microbiologists are now amongst the most employable biological sciences graduates. We don't produce many graduates in the subject every year and a lot take further qualifications on graduating. Microbiology graduates who want to leave the lab can find jobs in most industries - not just in health and hospitals, but in the food and drink, water and ecology sectors, too.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Microbiology and cell science
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
£25k
£26k
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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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?
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