BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences

Year 1

What you'll learn

Practical & Study Skills

Learn a range of practical skills essential to the study of biomedical science. You will gain experience in health and safety, working as a group and use of practical techniques to answer a research question.

Cell Biology, Haematology & Immunology

This module will introduce you to cell structure and function. You'll study the components and mechanisms of the immune response, as well as the cells, mechanisms and regulation of the haematological system.

Physiology & Pharmacology

Study the mechanisms underpinning normal physiological function and the functional anatomy of the healthy human body. You'll examine the major body systems including the nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, urogenital and renal system. Your teaching will be delivered as a series of lectures, laboratory practicals and interactive tutorials.

Genetics & Biotechnology

Understand the fundamental processes behind genetics. Discover how information is transmitted through transcription and translation and how DNA is repaired, and compare these processes between eukaryotes and prokaryotes.

Biochemistry

Interactively learn the basis of the chemical processes that determine biology. You will gain an understanding of the main macromolecules in the body, how we can break down different foods through key pathways and how to generate energy.

Microbial World

Discover the principles of microbiology regarding the life and function of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi with emphasis on their biodiversity.

Year 2

What you'll learn

Professional Scientific Practice

You will cover some of the key skills required to become a laboratory scientist, including health and safety, COSHH, ethics of using human participants, good laboratory practice, writing standard operating procedures, writing CVs and postgraduate applications.

Haematology & Transfusion Science

Investigate haematological diseases, their diagnosis and treatment. You'll also be introduced to transfusion science and why it’s an important treatment option.

Clinical Genetics & Clinical Immunology

Gain a critical understanding of the molecular basis, study and treatment of genetic diseases and immunological disorders.

Clinical Microbiology

Develop the problem-solving and analytical skills used in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. You'll become familiar with laboratory techniques used routinely in a diagnostic microbiology laboratory.

Research Methods in Biosciences

Gain knowledge and understanding of the range of research designs and the analysis and interpretation of biomedical data. You will also be introduced to the use of SPSS for data analysis.

Biology of Common Diseases (Biomedical Science)

Study the biochemical basis of disease. You'll begin to appreciate the importance of analysing and testing body fluids and tissues for patient diagnosis and monitoring of treatment. You'll identify diseases common in the UK to understand the properties of cell signalling, biomarkers and characteristics of enzymes and their importance in disease. You'll also gain laboratory skills to analyse enzymatic data important for diagnostics.

Metabolic Biochemistry (Medical Biochemistry pathway)

Understanding the metabolic pathways in cells is often disregarded as the whole organism is favoured in biomedical sciences. This module will provide general knowledge of enzymatic reactions involved in metabolic pathways and focus on their regulation. This will be complemented by laboratory work giving you hands-on experience on biochemical aspects of metabolism.

Medical & Environmental Microbiology (Medical Microbiology pathway)

Explore the variety of means by which infectious diseases are transmitted to individuals and populations. You will investigate strategies that may be used to reduce the incidence of disease transmission at local and global levels.

DNA Technology (Molecular Biotechnology pathway)

Develop an appreciation of current concepts involved in the application of DNA technology in Biomedical Science. You will gain an understanding of, and practical experience in, the use of applied molecular techniques for genetic manipulation, rapid molecular diagnosis, screening for disease, epidemiology and therapies.

Pharmacological Treatment of Disease (Pharmacological Sciences pathway)

Demonstrate how knowledge of pharmacological principles can be used in the identification of drug products which are of potential benefit in treating disease. You will also examine some of the methods used for the measurement of drug effects.

Year 3

What you'll learn

Clinical Biochemistry

Gain an overview of the key aspects of clinical chemistry, the science behind many of the diagnostic tests used in medicine. You will examine how the measurements are performed and how they can be set, up and assessed to ensure the reliability of results.

UG Biomed Research Project

Demonstrate your ability to work independently and think critically through an extended piece of work. This could involve data generation and manipulation, laboratory investigations, surveys or literature searches, and will include reflective analysis and application.

Enterprise in Biomedical Science

Study the commercial exploitation of biomedical science discoveries and medical technologies with a focus on group work to identify and research a suitable discovery or technology.

Cellular Pathology

Explore the diagnosis of diseases that affect major human body systems that are important in human health and therapeutic intervention. Through lectures, case studies and laboratory-based practical sessions, you'll build an understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of a range of disorders. These will include heart diseases, neurological disorders, endocrine disorders, respiratory diseases and infertility. In addition, you'll be introduced to the concepts of preparing cells and tissues for examination in a pathology setting. You'll also discuss the importance of interdisciplinary teams in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease.

Pathobiology

Study the causes and pathology of common diseases and the impact of lifestyle on human health. You'll investigate the diagnosis and monitoring of human diseases and therapeutic strategies for these disease states. During your investigation, you'll focus on the roles played by different disciplines within biomedical science. This module will also examine human life cycles and ageing. You'll explore the roles stem cells and regenerative medicine may have in treating diseases associated with ageing.

Biology of Cancer (Biomedical Science)

This module addresses the nature of cancer, its causes, epidemiology, mechanisms and treatment. It considers the changes in the cell cycle during carcinogenesis. You will analyse the changes in histology during cancer development and evaluate the various treatment options for different forms of cancer. You will also examine in greater depth some of the most common types of cancer and use a case study approach to evaluate evidence.

Applied Biochemistry (Medical Biochemistry pathway)

Learn how biochemistry can be applied in biomedical science, in particular the engineering of various biomolecules and their use in biomedical science and nutrition. You'll develop your knowledge and begin to understand case studies of real-life events and research.

Global Topics in Infectious Diseases (Medical Microbiology pathway)

This module uses a case study approach to cover different infectious diseases from different sites in the body e.g. TB as a respiratory disease, HIV as a sexually transmitted disease, and Malaria as a vector-borne disease. There will be introductory lectures on each topic, followed by workshops using current literature on the topic. You will also develop advanced laboratory techniques for the diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Medical Biotechnology (Molecular Biotechnology pathway)

Gain an understanding of how biotechnology has played a role in the development of technologies used or relevant to medicine and human health.

Advances in Pharmacology (Pharmacological Sciences pathway)

Develop a spirit of enquiry and a critical approach to the evaluation of approaches to drug discovery and development. You will be able to relate pharmacological and toxicological principles to the drug discovery and development process.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Describe the main principles, theories and concepts of the contributory disciplines of biomedical sciences, and be able to discuss the relative importance of the contribution of each of these disciplines to an understanding of current issues in the field of biomedical sciences on a global level, while demonstrating a specialist knowledge in the pathway area they have chosen to study.
2. Appreciate the contribution of biomedical sciences to current advances in health sciences both in developed and developing countries.
3. Demonstrate the ability to integrate the knowledge base from different disciplines to promote innovative solutions to problems and dilemmas.
4. Demonstrate the ability to add to the knowledge base by the formulation of research questions and the development and implementation of appropriate research strategies.
5. Demonstrate a range of employability skills such as communication, critical analysis, problem-solving, reflection, information retrieval skills, team work, plus confidently use digital technologies to enhance academic, personal, and professional development.
6. Demonstrate the ability to carry out a range of laboratory techniques and procedures in line with those of a diagnostic or research laboratory.

Our course prepares you for employment in a wide range of scientific areas, including:

• The pharmaceutical industry
• Scientific research
• Clinical trials
• Scientific writing,
• Diagnostic laboratories
• The food industry and teaching

In your final year, you'll study an integrative studies module with input from our Business Start-Up unit here at our university. This will provide you with valuable enterprise skills and knowledge. If you're interested in a career as a biomedical/healthcare scientist in the NHS, you can undertake the NHS Scientist Training Programme after you have completed your Biomedical Sciences degree. Many of our graduates also go on to further study, including MSc, PhD, teacher training and physician associates courses.