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University of the West of Scotland

UCAS Code: B940 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

B,C,C

Including Biology or Human Biology. Year 2 entry with A Levels in BBC including Biology.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

including 3 subjects at H4 (one of which should be Biology or Human Biology) For year 2 entry, 30 points including Biology/Human Biology and Chemistry at Higher Level

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H3

Including Biology or Human Biology

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MMM

Scottish Advanced Higher

B,B,C

Year 2 entry: Advanced Highers in Biology plus Chemistry at least at National 5 Grade C

Scottish HNC

Pass

Year 2: Applied Science; Biomedical Science/Applied Biomedical Science; Industrial Biotechnology.

Scottish HND

Pass

Year 3: Biomedical Science; Biological Science; Applied Biological Science.

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B

Including Biology or Human Biology

T Level

M

For year 2 entry, in relevant subject

UCAS Tariff

108

Including Biology or Human Biology

About this course

Course option

4years

Sandwich | 2025

Subject

Chemistry

Overview

UWS’s BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science and BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science programmes will equip you with the skills and experience needed to play a vital role in modern healthcare provision.

These programmes have been developed to provide a pathway to help you become a professional biomedical scientist. Biomedical scientists play an essential role in the identification of diseases and improving the provision of healthcare.

You’ll receive a grounding in biology, chemistry and data analysis, before progressing to study advanced aspects of biomedical science. Key strengths of the programmes are the development of practical laboratory and research skills.

Programme highlights

• These programmes are designed to prepare you for a career working at the forefront of modern healthcare, where you’ll play a vital role in the effective diagnosis, monitoring, treatment and prevention of disease.
• These programmes have been developed in partnership with the National Health Service, with both programmes being accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), and the Applied Biomedical Science programme also approved by the HCPC. Teaching includes expert tuition from NHS staff.
• A range of placement opportunities are available allowing you to apply your knowledge in a real-world laboratory setting.

Careers

UWS graduates are well qualified to enter a range of related medical professions including:

• NHS hospital laboratories
• Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service laboratories
• Health Protection Agency laboratories
• Research & development laboratories for the medical, pharmaceutical, veterinary and food sectors
• Primary and secondary teaching
• Nursing

Graduates can continue their studies to MSc and PhD level with some undertaking further study in related disciplines including pharmacy, medicine and dentistry.

Modules

In Year 1 you’ll complete modules in the fundamentals and diversity of life, chemistry, and you will learn how to critically evaluate scientific data and information.

In Year 2 you’ll be introduced to clinical biochemistry, haematology, microbiology, human and cellular biology and genetics.

In Year 3 you’ll complete modules in cellular and molecular pathology, blood sciences, infection and immunity. In term 2 of Year 3, modules are dependent upon which programme you are studying and whether you undertake a work placement.

In Year 4 you’ll study specialist aspects of biomedical science at an advanced level and complete a research dissertation in a topic of your choice.

Entry to the BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science programme is through a competitive selection process. As part of this programme, students undertake a clinical placement in an NHS laboratory in Year 3. This is compulsory for the award of BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science.

Assessment methods

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops.

You will also have the opportunity to take part in group work and independent learning to develop your transferable skills such as research, presentation, communication and working as part of a team.

This degree is assessed using a variety of assessment methods including:

• Written examinations
• Coursework
• Practical assessment

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£15,500
per year
International
£15,500
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Visit www.uws.ac.uk/scholarships

The Uni

Course location:

Lanarkshire Campus

Department:

Health and Life 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.

100%
Chemistry

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.

Chemistry

Teaching and learning

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
100%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
82%
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

100%
Library resources
100%
IT resources
91%
Course specific equipment and facilities
91%
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
54%
Male students
46%
Female students
75%
2:1 or above
21%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
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.

Chemistry

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.

£17,200
low
Average annual salary
92%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
19%
Science, engineering and production technicians
12%
Engineering professionals

Chemistry graduates are in demand from a wide range of industries, from the food, oil, chemicals and pharmaceuticals to consultancy, technical analysis and teaching. They're also prized by business and finance employers for their research and data handling skills — anywhere there is research and data to be explained, you can find chemistry grads. If you want a career in research, you need a doctorate, so start planning now if you fancy one of these exciting and challenging jobs - but good students can usually get grants to take a doctorate, so don't worry about the financing if you think you have what it takes. The recession wasn’t too kind to chemists, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry (one of the key employers for chemists), but things are getting back to normal for this flexible group and it's one of the few degrees that is bucking the current trend and increasing graduate numbers.

What about your long term prospects?

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

Chemistry

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

£29k

£29k

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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