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Queen Mary University of London

UCAS Code: C431 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

A,B,B

Including Biology Excluded subjects: General Studies and Critical Thinking Please note: You will also be excepted 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

32

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

UCAS Tariff

128

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

About this course

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Medical genetics

Discover breakthroughs in the genetic basis of diseases and explore the potential of targeted therapies and personalised medicine.

Driven to save lives and make an impact? Here you’ll learn how to do exactly that from pioneers in medicine and the sciences. One recent breakthrough by our genetics researchers could help develop treatments for cancer – scientists discovered a molecular lock that prevents genetic mistakes when cells divide. 

Taught by both the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, you’ll benefit from the strengths of both schools, their academic experts and their top facilities.  

This course will set you up for careers in biomedical or genetic research, biotechnology, and bioinformatics/data science. It's also one of the many possible pathways into medicine. 

Learn to carry out research  

Building a strong scientific understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of human health is central to the course. You’ll also look at the development of disease and explore the evolution of diseases within human populations.  

Our experts will discuss mitochondrial and human genomes while introducing you to medical research, genetic counselling, and bioethics. All this knowledge will help you design your own project. You’ll learn what it takes to become a researcher whose work saves lives and shapes the future. 

Modules

Year 1
Basic Biochemistry
Cells
Essential Skills for Biologists
Evolution
Molecular Genetics
Practical Biology
Practical Molecular and Cellular Biology
Physiology
Tissue Biology

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Assessment methods

Each module is assessed by written examinations and coursework (practical reports, field course reports, essays, problem sheets, online exercises and tests).

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
£9,535
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
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 the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

88%
Medical genetics

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.

Genetics

Teaching and learning

79%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
86%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
54%
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

71%
Library resources
70%
IT resources
82%
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?

78%
UK students
22%
International students
19%
Male students
81%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
0%
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.

Genetics

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.

£28,000
high
Average annual salary
95%
high
Employed or in further education
75%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Teaching and educational professionals
11%
Science, engineering and production technicians
8%
Natural and social science professionals

Only a few hundred people take genetics courses every year and graduates from these courses are amongst the most likely to go on to do a doctorate when they graduate, as that's the level of qualification you need to go into a career in research in this important and fast-moving field. Lab jobs were the most popular outcome for genetics graduates, but whilst other science and technical occupations were also common, you could also find genetics graduates in a range of other roles, particularly business and finance.

What about your long term prospects?

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

Genetics

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

£21k

£21k

£28k

£28k

£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...

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