Microbiology (with a year in industry)
University of Dundee
UCAS Code: C502 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
University of Dundee
UCAS Code: C502 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Including biology or chemistry. Plus biology and chemistry at GCSE C/4 and GCSE mathematics at B/6
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
28 points with 5,5,4 at Higher Level to include biology or chemistry. Plus Standard Level biology and chemistry at 4 and mathematics at 5.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
including biology or chemistry. Plus Ordinary Level biology, chemistry and mathematics at grade 3
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
A relevant BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma with MMM-MMP. Plus biology and chemistry at GCSE C/4 and GCSE mathematics at B/6
Scottish HNC
A relevant HNC with B in the Graded Unit and appropriate science units, plus National 5 Maths at B or equivalent.
Scottish HND
A relevant HND with AA in the Graded Unit and appropriate science units, plus National 5 Maths at B or equivalent.
Scottish Higher
including Higher biology or chemistry. Plus National 5 biology and chemistry at C and National 5 mathematics at B.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Microbiology is the study of microscopic organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Microbiology focuses on the biology of micro-organisms that are unicellular, multicellular, or acellular (without cells).
These include microbes like bacteria and fungi, and covers concepts like growth and regulation. It also includes how microbes react with each other and their environments.
On this course, we’ll look at how micro-organism work collectively to maximise their success. We'll look at how we can manipulate them and their behaviour with a view to improving health.
Our course curriculum is shaped by the work of our world-leading researchers to make sure you’re learning the latest advances. This will also help you gain an understanding of the fundamentals of the field.
This course also allows you to spend a year working in industry, for example, in a commercial laboratory. This allows you to gain real-world skills and improve your CV. It also presents you with the opportunity to network and build relationships. These are all things that could have a positive impact on your career upon graduating from university.
We’ll start with a broad-based curriculum where you’ll study a wide range of life sciences topics at Levels 1 and 2. We’ll explore core concepts such as:
- genetics
- cell biology
- biological organisation
- molecular mechanisms and processes
You will develop your practical skills such as laboratory skills, data analysis, and experiment design. This will prepare you for designing and carrying out projects later in your course.
You’ll then focus more on key aspects of microbiology at Levels 3 and 4, such as biochemistry, molecular structure, and gene regulation. Throughout the duration of the course, you have the flexibility to pick modules that appeal to you, highlighting to future employers where your interests lie.
The year in industry will occur between levels 3 and 4. We will support you to find a suitable placement, however if a placement is not found, you will have the opportunity to transfer to the standard four year course.
Assessment methods
Assessment methods can be viewed on the course webpage at dundee.ac.uk
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Dundee
School of Life Sciences
What students say
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
Sorry, no information to show
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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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.
£18k
£29k
£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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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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