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Biochemistry with a Year Abroad

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

Including Chemistry Subjects excluded: General Studies and Critical Thinking Please note: You will also be expected to achieve a Pass grade in the practical endorsement for any of the following A levels - Biology, Chemistry, Physics - if taken with one of the Awarding Bodies in England.

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma in a science discipline e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis, and we may request an interview. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements.

We consider applications from students offering an EPQ and may make an alternative offer to include three A levels, one grade lower than our usual requirement, along with a specific grade in the EPQ.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

A minimum of five GCSE passes to include English and Maths at grade C or 4 or an acceptable equivalent will be required.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

34

6,5,5 from three HL subjects including Chemistry at HL

UCAS Tariff

128

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time with time abroad | 2024

Subject

Biochemistry

Biochemistry – applying molecular concepts to complex biological systems – is the cutting edge of science in the 21st century.

At Queen Mary, you’ll be taught by world-leading researchers in both biology and chemistry, from two separate schools. You’ll develop advanced scientific understanding of both disciplines, and improve your practical skills with high-level lab work.

You’ll learn about key biochemical processes and the chemistry that underpins them, as well as studying real-world applications in biotechnology and medicine. Optional modules in the second and third years let you direct your studies to the areas that interest you most.

Choose your own pathway through this degree - you can add a year in industry or studying abroad, or carry out an additional year of advanced study to graduate with an MSci.

Modules

Year 1

Basic Biochemistry
Cell Biology
Essential Skills for Biochemists
Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry I
Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry II
Molecular Genetics
Physiology
Practical Biochemistry
Practical Molecular and Cellular Biology

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Assessment methods

Measuring attainment in our modules against the intended learning outcomes involves either a series of coursework elements (practical reports, field course reports, essays, problem sheets, online exercises and tests), an end of semester final summative assessment/written exam or a combination of both. Final-year students undertake a research or investigative project, assessed with a detailed written report, poster and interview.

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Queen Mary University of London

Department:

Biological and Behavioural 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.

64%
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

70%
Staff make the subject interesting
79%
Staff are good at explaining things
74%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
74%
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

77%
Library resources
81%
IT resources
87%
Course specific equipment and facilities
65%
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
33%
Male students
67%
Female students
93%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
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.

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.

£19,240
low
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
43%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

19%
Teaching and educational professionals
17%
Science, engineering and production technicians
8%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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.

£23k

£23k

£27k

£27k

£31k

£31k

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...

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Lower entry requirements
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BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time with time abroad 2024
UCAS Points: 112-120
Nearby 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.

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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