University of South Wales
UCAS Code: FC16 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
to include Chemistry AND Biology but to exclude General Studies
Pass Access to HE Diploma in Science with a minimum of 104 UCAS Tariff points to include Chemistry AND Biology modules
GCSE/National 4/National 5
The University normally requires Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C/4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
to include Chemistry AND Biology modules
T Level
Pass (C and above)
Passing the Science T Level with Pass (C or above in the Core)
UCAS Tariff
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
and BC at A Level to include Chemistry AND Biology but to exclude General Studies
About this course
Medicinal and biological chemistry is the foundation of modern medicine. The life sciences industry is one of the largest industrial sectors in the UK, where you could use your skills to have a positive effect on health and wellbeing worldwide.
This is a truly multidisciplinary science. While chemistry forms the core of this Medicinal and Biological Chemistry degree, you’ll also study biology, physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology to understand the links between human disease and its prevention and treatment through drug design.
To prepare you for the workplace there’s a significant amount of simulated work-based learning as part of this course, as well as employability and professional development activities. In your final year, for example, you can complete a major project in the workplace or pursue an industry-linked project.
The first year provides an excellent grounding in all three branches of chemistry – inorganic, organic and physical – as well as fundamental biology topics. In your second and final years, you’ll progress to study topics at the interface of chemistry and biology, such as drug design, toxicology, biochemistry and heterocyclic chemistry.
Graduates will be ready for a career as a scientist, researcher or technician in the life sciences, which includes the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. You could also explore opportunities in the chemical industries and other medical-related employment.
You’ll also develop a wide range of transferable skills as part of your studies, including analytical problem solving, team work and communication. As such, graduates from chemistry-based degrees can find employment in alternative disciplines such as teaching, management, law, finance and business.
Our Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science courses are based at Glytaff. Glyntaff is surrounded by green open spaces. Our students say they love the relaxed atmosphere and beautiful views.
Home to our health, nursing, police, sport and science students, Glyntaff has state-of-the-art facilities including the latest science laboratories. You will also find a library, two cafes and a free regular shuttle bus to USW Treforest.
The Uni
Pontypridd
Health, Sport & Professional Practice
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.
Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry
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This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.
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.
£21k
£19k
£30k
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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Course location and department:
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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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