BSc Biomedical Science

The BSc in Biomedical Science at Queens is aimed at students wishing to pursue a career in:

• Diagnostic laboratory science as Biomedical Scientists within the National Health Service.
• Clinical trials relating to drug registration and patents.
• Government or Charity-funded research laboratories
• Management careers in the Pharmaceutical or Biotechnology Industries
• Academic Research and Development.
• Postgraduate entry to Medicine, Dentistry and allied health Professions after gaining strong scientific training at undergraduate level

In addition to graduates in Biomedical Science being interested in pursuing a career in the field, the degree also affords opportunities for careers in the broad field of medicine and medically-related subjects such as medical sales and science writing. In addition, the degree provides access to graduate jobs open to other disciplines due to the many transferable skills gained on the course.

Further study

Many students go into the further study after their degree, completing Master’s and PhDs and a significant proportion of graduates gain entry to a Medical or Dental degree both at Queen's University Belfast or in another university in the UK.

Employment after the Course

Recent and frequent employment opportunities have been taken by our graduates in Life Science/Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology industries in a wide range of roles, including Laboratory Technician, Scientific Officer, Sales and Marketing, and Clinical Trials Supervision, in leading local, national and international industries, including Randox, Norbrook, Almac and Galen.

Employment Links

A limited number of summer internships are currently available with Randox Laboratories, appointed via the competitive application. Many of our students go on to further study, predominantly within Queen’s or in other universities in the UK or abroad.

Graduates have gone into areas such as Medicine, Dentistry, Computational Biology, Teaching, and PhDs in various research areas often in research laboratories in which they completed their 3rd-year projects.

Prizes and Awards

A number of professional bodies, including the Institute of Biomedical Science, sponsor prizes on an annual basis for the best students in their level, module or category.

Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's, you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world-leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

Biomedical Science comprises the sciences related to medicine and in particular, these specialist disciplines of diagnostic Biomedical Science as practised in Health Service Laboratories:

• Clinical Bacteriology and Immunology
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Haematology and Transfusion Science
• Histopathology and Cytology
• Clinical Genetics

Further modules provide a sound background to other fundamental areas of Biomedical Sciences (including Anatomy and Physiology) along with cutting-edge subject areas of relevance to Life Science careers.

Stage 1

Students must complete four compulsory modules:

• Human Structure and Function (integrated anatomy and physiology)
• The World of Microorganisms (biology of microbes in food, health and the environment).
• Fundamentals of Microbiology (biology of bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, protozoa and parasites)
• Genetics and the Molecular Toolbox (genetics, genomics, and associated molecular tools)
• Molecular Basis of Life (nature of biomolecules with emphasis on amino acids, proteins, DNA structure and basic experimental techniques).
• Professional Skills for Scientists 1 (develops academic skills to enhance employability prospects)

Stage 2

Students must complete five compulsory modules:

• Principles of Cell Biology (basic introduction to the molecular basis of cell structure and function)
• Clinical Genetics (genetic information processing and disease inheritance).
• The Sciences of Disease (basic introduction to immunology, human disease and the laboratory clinical sciences of pathology, microbiology and haematology).
• Professional Practice in Biomedical Sciences (basic introduction to the practical aspects of laboratory work in hospitals and research methods and statistics (application of statistics to medical research and the methodology of how to undertake scientific research).
• Professional Skills for Scientists 2 (develops further key academic practical and generic skills; not assessed).

Stage 3

Students must complete four compulsory modules:

• Research Project
• Molecular Markers of Disease (molecular histology, cell and molecular biology of haematological disorders with particular emphasis on current diagnosis and treatment)
• Biology of Human Infection (microbial existence in epidemiology and spread of infection, the molecular basis of virulence and the pathogenesis of disease.
• Clinical Biochemistry (biochemistry, endocrinology and specialised investigations).

Learning and Teaching

The Biomedical Science course at Queen's is designed to equip our students with the knowledge and skills base required for life-long learning in one of the most rapidly expanding areas of modern science. To do this we provide a range of learning experiences:

• Adviser of Studies
  Acts as the first point of contact for students with academic or personal issues that they may require guidance and/or support with.
• E-Learning technologies
  Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas. A range of e-learning experiences is also embedded in the degree programme through the use of, for example, interactive support materials, podcasts and web-based learning activities.
• Induction
  A formalised induction for all undergraduate students. For Stage 1 students, this includes several the week before the programme begins to allow students to familiarise themselves with the campus and the degree programme and their fellow classmates. During Stage 1 there are a number of follow-up sessions throughout the year. Topics such as academic writing, referencing, plagiarism, communication skills, examination preparation and managing time effectively are all covered in these practical sessions.
• Lectures
  These introduce foundation information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. As the module progresses this information becomes more complex. Lectures, which are normally delivered in large groups to all year-group peers, also provide opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification on key issues as well as gain feedback and advice on assessments. Additional guest lectures are also delivered by researchers or experts in their fields.
• Peer Mentoring Scheme
  Whereby students in the second and third year of their degree programme volunteer to mentor Stage 1 students. This informal interaction helps with the transition from School to University with the help of trained and enthusiastic fellow students.
• Practical laboratory
  Biomedical Science has practical classes contributing to most modules, and the hands-on experience is hugely popular with our students. In the first year, this includes extensive work in Physiology, Anatomy, Molecular Biology and Microbiology. Further advanced and clinical experience is offered in the 2nd and 3rd years and includes visits to NHS laboratories.
• Self-directed study
  This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Seminars/tutorials
  In these sessions, the class is split into small groups (typically 4-5 students). These sessions are designed to explore, in more depth, the information that has been presented in the lectures. This provides students with the opportunity to engage closely with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of their peers.
• Summer Studentships
  Competitively available to students (usually 6-8) about to move into 2nd or 3rd year, these studentships provide additional hands-on laboratory experience in one of our research laboratories for up to 6 weeks over the summer breaks and are useful for general laboratory experience as well as for skills to be employed in 3rd-year projects.
• Third-year Supervised Projects
  Based on choices made from the list of projects available each year, students are assigned their third-year project, usually carried out as a valued member of a research group in one of our World-leading Research Centres within the Faculty, over the course of two semesters. This will often involve designing and conducting experiments, presenting data and analysing it in the context of the area of research. In addition to the submitted write-up, our students regularly get the opportunity to present their results at scientific meetings or are included as part of a full paper publication.

Assessment

Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:

Assessment will vary according to the Learning Objectives of each module. Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments. Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction. Students are assigned an Advisor of Studies who can advise on personal and academic matters.

Feedback

As you progress through your course you will receive general and specific feedback about your work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, personal tutors, Advisors of Study and your peers. As a university student, you will be expected to take a greater role in reflecting on this and taking the initiative in continuously improving the quality of your work.

• Feedback is provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted.
• Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• On-line or e-mailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time.
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
• Once you have reviewed your feedback, you are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.