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Human Biosciences

Entry requirements


104 - 120 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 3 A Levels. Including Grade B in Biology/ Human Biology, and Grade C in a second Science. General Studies is excluded. Suitable second Science subjects are Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Psychology, Geography, Geology, and Applied Science.

Considered in combination.

Pass a named Access to HE Diploma (Science based) with at least 33 credits at Merit and/ or Distinction, to include 15 credits in Biology and 18 credits in further Science subjects at Merit and/ or Distinction. Suitable second Science subjects are Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Psychology, Geography, Geology, and Applied Science.

Considered in combination.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

28

To include Grade 5 in Biology at Higher Level and Grade 5 in a second Science at Higher Level. Suitable second Science subjects are Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Psychology, Geography, Geology, and Applied Science. English and Mathematics accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H3,H3

To include Biology and a second Science subject. Suitable second Science subjects are Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Psychology, Geography, Geology, and Applied Science. English and Mathematics accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

Considered in combination

Considered in combination

Considered in combination

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

DDM

with at least six specialist subject unit in Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

Considered in combination

120 UCAS Tariff points, including a minimum of 2 Advanced Highers. Including Grade B in Biology/ Human Biology, and Grade C in a second Science. Suitable second Science subjects are Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Psychology, Geography, Geology, and Applied Science. English and Mathematics accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

Considered in combination with Advanced Highers.

Accepted – preference pathways would be Health or Science. Typical offer will be confirmed once an application is received

UCAS Tariff

104-120

Including a minimum of 3 A Levels. Including Grade B in Biology/ Human Biology, and Grade C in a second Science. General Studies is excluded. Suitable second Science subjects are Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Psychology, Geography, Geology, and Applied Science.

Considered in combination.

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subjects

Biomedical sciences

Human biology

Will gene therapy become an established treatment for cancer? What are the potential benefits of stem cell research? How has the revolution in genome sequencing provided insights into human biology? On this flexible course, you’ll develop skills and knowledge across the spectrum of subject disciplines – enabling an understanding of these and other key questions relating to human biology, health and disease.

This course is delivered by the School of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Health and enhanced by links with healthcare professionals. You’ll benefit from a rich and varied learning environment. You will also have the opportunity to enhance your employability with an optional placement year.

- Delivered by the School of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Health and enhanced by links with healthcare professionals.

- A strong foundation in a broad range of bioscience disciplines underpinned by a biomolecular knowledge-base relevant to contemporary human biosciences today.

- Opportunities to include optional elements of psychology at each stage of the programme.

- Enables students to explore themes of personal interest within the biosciences at all stages.

- Staff with expertise in a wide range of biomedical research topics directly inform learning and teaching.

- Strong international reputation in translational research with significant financial investment in laboratory infrastructure.

- Emphasis on practical laboratory skills relevant to research and other scientific careers.

- Benefit from a rich and varied interdisciplinary learning environment, which includes collaboration with a wider health care education community at the University.

- Optional placement opportunities provide students with relevant work experience.

- Personal tutoring in modules throughout the programme of study.

- Equips graduates with the confidence, knowledge, skills and other attributes suitable for a wide variety of careers within this rapidly expanding field.

- This course has competitive entry for up to ten ring-fenced places at the end of stage one for progression onto medicine and dentistry. Applicants must meet minimum academic requirements for consideration. e.g. A levels - Minimum of AAB to include A grades in Biology, one other science from Chemistry, Maths, Physics or Psychology. General Studies will not be accepted.

Modules

In your first year, a foundation of theory and practicals will introduce you to the most important organism – Homo sapiens, and you'll develop key graduate skills in communication, data analysis and IT.

The focus in your second year will be to develop a deeper understanding of human physiology and neurobiology, genetics and molecular cell biology, metabolism, infection and immunology. You'll also enhance your knowledge and practical skills in experimental and investigative techniques with a methods module.

Enrich your experience and boost your career prospects by taking an optional work placement for a minimum six months full-time (or part-time equivalent). Once completed, you’ll receive the Certificate of Work Experience as valuable evidence for future employers.

In your final year, you will have a choice of two personal research project modules to suit your career aspirations. A wide range of modules will develop your critical understanding of cutting-edge research.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website

Assessment methods

57% of assessment is by coursework, 40% is by exams and 3% is through practical assessment.

For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly

The Uni


Course location:

University of Plymouth

Department:

School of Biomedical 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.

80%
Biomedical sciences
49%
Human biology

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

79%
Staff make the subject interesting
84%
Staff are good at explaining things
79%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
75%
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

80%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
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?

90%
UK students
10%
International students
31%
Male students
69%
Female students
78%
2:1 or above
14%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
D

Others in biosciences

Teaching and learning

58%
Staff make the subject interesting
63%
Staff are good at explaining things
63%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
49%
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

56%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
77%
Course specific equipment and facilities
49%
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?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
22%
Male students
78%
Female students
71%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
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.

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.

£22,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

55%
Nursing and midwifery professionals
14%
Therapy professionals
13%
Health professionals

Others in biosciences

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.

£16,800
low
Average annual salary
94%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Other elementary services occupations
12%
Science, engineering and production technicians
10%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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

£26k

£26k

£29k

£29k

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.

Others in biosciences

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

£19k

£19k

£22k

£22k

£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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of Plymouth | Plymouth
Biomedical Science
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-128
Lower entry requirements
Bournemouth University | Poole
Medical Science (with Foundation Year)
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 48-72

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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