Biochemistry is the study of the molecular basis of life. It is a subject that has a rich history of scientific discoveries, from enzymology and metabolic pathways to the discovery of genes and the structure of DNA. Today the subject embraces important new areas, such as genomics and genome editing, synthetic biology and protein engineering. Through this course, you will learn how biochemistry and biomolecular sciences contribute to advances in all biological disciplines, including medicine and biotechnology. You will receive extensive hands-on training in laboratory techniques, and gain practical experience of widely transferable skills in computing, statistics, data analysis and presentation. As part of this course you will spend your third year on placement at an academic, clinical or industrial research laboratory, or other approved establishment. This offers a great opportunity to gain first-hand professional research experience, and it has been shown to greatly enhance your subsequent employment prospects. Many placements are in the UK, but in recent years we have had an increasing number of students taking up placements in international locations, including Southeast Asia, South Africa, Germany, Italy, Australia, Madagascar, and the USA.

Career prospects - Our Biochemistry qualification provides an excellent foundation for careers within all areas of biological and molecular sciences. It offers strong training for research scientists and a significant proportion of our BSc Biochemistry graduates go on to study PhD or master’s degrees. Many others have successful careers in science-related fields such as biotechnology research and development, medical or scientific publishing, pharmaceutical industries, and molecular biology, amongst many others. Through your degree you will also develop transferable skills that are attractive to a wide range of employers in more general areas of industry, commerce, public service, administration and management. A degree in Biochemistry can also act as a stepping stone to further training in professional areas including teaching, medicine, dentistry, nursing, veterinary science and accounting. In 2016/17, 93% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduating. Experience has shown that students who have completed a Professional Training Year are particularly well-placed to obtain degree-related employment at the end of their studies.

4-year course, Full time (Sandwich year)