Biochemistry
Entry requirements
A level
Overall: BBB We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers. Required subjects: Chemistry or Biology and a second science or Mathematics. Applicants taking the Science Practical Endorsement are required to pass.
Access to HE Diploma
Overall: QAA recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits overall including 27 at Distinction and 18 at Merit. Required subjects: This must include 15 credits in Chemistry or Biology and 15 credits in a second science or Mathematics.
Extended Project
Applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) will receive our standard A level offer, plus an alternate offer of one A level grade lower, subject to achieving an A grade in the EPQ. The one grade reduction will not apply to any required subjects.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
English and Mathematics grade C (4) (or equivalent). Applicants must have achieved these GCSE grades at the time of making their application.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Overall: 32 Required subjects: HL5/SL6 in Chemistry or Biology and a second science or Mathematics. GCSE or Equivalent: English, HL4/SL4 (including MYP). Maths, HL4/SL4 (including MYP). Maths Studies, SL4. Applicants must have achieved these grades at the time of making their application.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Overall: DDM in Applied Science (please contact us if you are taking a different BTEC).
Scottish Advanced Higher
Overall: BBB Required subjects: Chemistry grade B or Biology grade B and a second science or Mathematics. GCSE or Equivalent: Scottish National 5: English Language - C Scottish National 5: Maths - C Applicants must have achieved the Scottish national grades at the time of making their application.
Scottish Higher
Overall: ABBBB Required subjects: Chemistry or Biology and a second science or Mathematics. GCSE or Equivalent: Scottish National 5: English Language - C Scottish National 5: Maths - C Applicants must have achieved the Scottish national grades at the time of making their application.
Overall: Pass overall with BBB from the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and two A-levels. Applicants taking an A-level science subject with the Science Practical Endorsement are required to pass the practical element. Required subjects: Chemistry grade B or Biology grade B and a second science or Mathematics.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Why choose this course**
-Explore the fundamental processes of life at a cellular level, from simple existence to the coordination of billions of living cells, finding the answers to everyday questions like ‘Why do we feel ill after getting a Covid jab?’
-Delve into advanced technologies in gene expression, immunology, human genetics, mechanistic toxicology and pharmacokinetics, neuroscience, pharmacology, systems biology and more.
-Play a crucial role in the development of new treatments for a range of diseases, including cancer, studying the chemical and physical principles of living things and biological processes.
-Learn from research-active biochemists who have expertise in ageing, genetic engineering, immunology, pharmacology, plasticity, sleep, toxicology and more.
-Complete an integrated masters and a laboratory-based dissertation, exploring topics like antibody class switching in B cells and neurodegenerative diseases, in preparation for a technical research career in industry or academia.
-Study among highly satisfied students, as we have 96% overall satisfaction for biochemistry in the National Student Survey 2022.
**What you will study**
Biochemistry is at the heart of life and the explanation of all life processes. Both health and disease and ageing and development are complex biochemical processes. By understanding more about these, we can generate more effective ways to help humanity.
During your first two years, you’ll develop a broad understanding of biochemistry, its methodology and some of its most intriguing applications. You’ll get to choose optional modules in bacteriology, biodiversity, neuroscience and virology.
In your third year, you’ll select five optional modules, exploring topics such as genetics, immunology, pharmacology, systems biology and toxicology. You’ll also complete a research project, bringing together all the practical, analytical and presentation skills you’ve developed. Previous students have had their work published in top-tier journals, including the European Journal of Neuroscience, the Journal of Virology and Sleep.
Modules
To see the full range of modules for this course please visit our website – the link is under the Course contact details. You will also find full details of the programme, including programme structure, assessment methods, contact hours and Graduate prospects.
Extra funding
The University of Surrey offers a range of scholarships and bursaries to support our students, please visit https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/scholarships-and-bursaries for more details.
The Uni
Stag Hill
FHMS - School of Biosciences and Medicine
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£22k
£29k
£34k
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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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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