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Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Stoke-on-Trent Campus
Full Time
Sep 2026
3 Year
Biomedical scientists are leading the fight against disease and their work touches on the lives of virtually everyone in the UK. Whether analysing blood samples, examining tissues at molecular level or monitoring the effects of a major virus, their results provide the basis for 70% of all diagnoses within the NHS. Doctors rely on their expertise every day to treat patients. Now’s your chance to make a difference by joining the scientists who are winning the battle against global health challenges. Our top-rated Biomedical Science degree will also equip you with the knowledge and practical skills for a variety of other exciting and rewarding careers. It could take you into research and development, the life sciences industry, technical sales, medical writing or education, or become a springboard into graduate medicine and other specialist fields. From day one on the course, you’ll be treated as a University scientist and not just a student. You’ll be part of our active research community and will work with experts on live projects. Our academics will be there to support you every step of the way and nurture your passion for science. We focus on applied learning, with real-world challenges and plenty of opportunities to put your skills into action. You could be investigating a new technology, analysing cancer cells or scouring data to find crucial evidence. Modules cover everything from genetics to diagnostic pathology, current advances and bioethics. You will also undertake an in-depth research project. We offer guaranteed work placements and you can choose to complete these with a wide variety of employers locally, nationally or abroad. There are also different study routes. If you would like an advanced qualification, why not opt for our integrated Masters course over four years? This could include a substantial research assistantship or placement. Our Biomedical Science courses are accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science. This means our graduates meet the educational standards required when registering as a biomedical scientist. Your skills will be highly sought after by employers. On successful completion of your study, we will issue the following award: BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science.
This module will introduce and develop your understanding of professional practice within the life sciences. It will begin to develop your identity as a biologist and help you to recognise your development in the broadest sense. The global importance of biologists and the impacts that biological research, enquiry and endeavour has on our world will be explored. This module is designed to help you acquire the skills and qualities that will enhance your prospects, horizons and personal success and begin to prepare you for the expectations of the world of work. Key global issue in the life science sector and current advances that are changing (or have the potential to change) the biological landscape will be covered. Students will become aware of the wide-ranging roles that biologists play in the world and of their importance. You will examine global issues and current advances through a cross-level lecture series and short cross-level workshops. You will be exposed to topics across a broad biological spectrum helping you to recognise the diversity of biologists and biological applications. This will allow you to further develop your own professional identity as a biologist. Your own development professional development, both within this module and within other modules taught across level 4, will be discussed allowing you to reflect on your identity as a biologist. Students will create a professional development portfolio that will form the framework of a degree-long biological sciences portfolio. Experiences and development will be discussed under two broad themes ? professional conduct and professional practice. The portfolio will support the professional development of the biologist and will move from level to level with the student, providing them with a record of their transferable skills that will be useful post-graduation. A dedicated tutorial programme will offer support and guidance in recognising these developments.
Disease, Health and Environment are fully intertwined so that our health, and the health of life on the planet, depends upon the environment and its critical role in ecological balance, ecosystem services and healthy living. Our impact on the global environment is unprecedented and together with natural changes and their consequent often unknown effects, we need to understand these complex relationships to minimise our impact, restore habitats and improve our environment for health and wellbeing.
Genetics, evolution and diversity lay the foundations of life science education and enable advanced study of the life sciences in the 21st century. Understanding the concepts, the evolutionary drivers of life on the planet, will ultimately enable us to apply this knowledge to life saving and game changing bioscience technologies that have the power to enhance, remediate, manipulate, control and create life.
The nature of cells will be investigated at four levels, each broader than the previous one 1. The study of biologically important molecules including the properties of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. Within this component will be consideration of the relationship between chemical composition, physical properties and biological function. For nucleic acids this will extend to base pairing, semi-conservative replication, Mendelian inheritance, transcription, secondary processing of mRNA and translation. For proteins this will extend from amino acid composition including post-translational modification to amino acid chain folding, tertiary and quaternary protein structure, enzyme activity and the nature of metabolic pathways. 2. The study and comparison of the structures and growth of different types of viruses. This section will include laboratory cultivation and the difficulties of viral classification. 3. The study and comparison of the structures and growth of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Within this section will be consideration of the benefits of the localisation of cellular functions and the specific roles of the various cellular components of both types of cells together with their relationships such as how they contribute to energy transduction or hormone secretion. The eukaryotic cell cycle and the processes of mitosis and meiosis will also be a component of this section. 4. The concept of cellular differentiation and how it has contributed in the evolution of multi-cellular organisms. Within this component will be considered the structure and role of cellular junctions, extracellular matrix and the concept and mechanisms of gene expression in the control of cellular function.
This module provides learning opportunities that enable you to acquire the skills and qualities that will enhance your prospects, horizons and personal success, thus preparing the you for the expectations of the world of work. The foundations of being able to ability to carry out inquiry based learning and critical analysis will be developed. Your work ready and employability skill set will be enhanced helping give you the technological, digital and information literate underpinning expected of graduates today. Within the scientific framework we will help you begin to understand the importance of being enterprising and entrepreneurial and strengthen your ability to apply graduate attributes to a range of life experiences to facilitate life-long learning. Workshops will introduce and develop the core skills associated with HE studies with an emphasis on developing you as a Bioscientist in the broadest sense. Core practical laboratory and analysis skills will be introduced in a rolling plan allowing you to develop competencies as you progress. These sessions will encompass fundamental hands-on skills including microscopy, handling micro-organisms, working safely, accurately and precisely and will also include the fundamentals of statistics as applied within the Biosciences. The hands-on practical skills will allow you to develop and encompass the nature of the scientific method, types of data, descriptive statistics and the fundamentals of inferential statistics. Basic practical and numerical based competencies will be assessed during the learning sessions.
This module builds upon the fundamental laboratory skills you developed in your first year. Blocks of advanced hands-on skills development techniques will be delivered that support the major areas of the biological sciences. Areas will include advanced microbial techniques, field sampling and identification, biochemical testing, physiological measurements and the techniques of molecular biology. All blocks will incorporate appropriate experimental design protocols and the use of inferential statistics applicable to the data being collected.
This module builds on, and develops, the themes and learning previously gained in your first year. As awareness and understanding of global issues in the biological sciences grow, you will be encouraged and supported in taking an active role in disseminating appropriate and accurate scientific material. Recognition of professional and personal development and identity as a biologist will remain a core theme and will, at this level, have a strong employability focus. This module is designed to help you acquire the skills and qualities that will enhance your prospects, horizons and personal success and continue to prepare you for the expectations of the world of work. You will attend the cross-level global issues lecture series and will use the cross-level workshop sessions to help support and develop your ideas for disseminating accurate information to various audiences. You will be expected to maintain a professional development portfolio and further specific opportunities for professional development will be provided. This may include opportunities to make connections with numerous individuals and groups, both from within our own department, from other schools and departments, as well as with external collaborators. These connections will help to inspire and guide your professional and personal development. You will also be supported in finding a suitable work placement provider in order to complete the required hours of work placement.
You will investigate the processes that contribute to our overall health and wellbeing before considering how changes to, or dysfunction of, these processes can contribute to disease. Consideration will be given to the collection of diagnostic samples as well as the types of samples collected. This will include investigation of neoplastic disease (cellular pathology), pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms (medical microbiology), haematological function and dysfunction (haematology), haemostasis in health and disease (coagulation), reproductive function and dysfunction (clinical embryology), immunological function and dysfunction (clinical immunology), biochemical and metabolic dysfunction (clinical biochemistry) as well as infectious disease and substance abuse. Consideration of the application of clinical genetics will be given across all fields and this will include aspects of medical ethics. You will consider the application of current techniques within each area, as well as technological advances that allow disease to be diagnosed, or predicted, in both times of apparent good health and disease. This will include consideration of cellular, biochemical, and molecular investigations.
This module will help you consider the prophylactic and therapeutic interventions that are impacting upon human health and disease. You will explore molecular interventions, bioinformatics and data science that are informing the decisions made in a healthcare setting. Areas such as transfusion and transplantation, therapeutic drug monitoring, immunotherapy and vaccinations, pharmacogenetics, anti-microbial and anti-viral therapies (including drug resistance and infection control), and reproductive interventions will be considered. Aspects of regenerative medicine and ageing will also be covered. Consideration of these interventions will be taken at the level of public, or population, health and as well as an individualised, precision medicine approach.
This module will allow you tailor both assessments to topics that are pertinent to you. This module is designed to hone the skills and qualities that will enhance your prospects, horizons and personal success, leaving you prepared for the expectations of a life science graduate in the world of work. You will have the opportunity to attend the cross-level lecture series and will work to identify a topic that is most important to you. You, will plan, prepare, and deliver a short seminar at the end of the year on your chosen topics and will produce a review article on the same topic. There will be a particular focus on bioethics, and this will be evident in both assessment components.
In this module, you will explore the multidisciplinary use of biomedical investigations in the diagnosis and evaluation of pathological processes. The module will develop your underpinning knowledge of blood, cellular, infection and genetic sciences and you will integrate these across a range of case studies to evaluate the role of biomedical investigations in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease. Within the module you will follow a series of clinical case studies across a range of pathological conditions, including malignancy, chronic multifactorial diseases, acute and emergency presentations, and the effects of aging. Alongside these case studies, you will attend lectures and undertake online learning to develop your knowledge of biomedical investigations across all disciplines. You will then apply your knowledge and evaluation through group workshops where each case will be discussed in a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) format, integrating clinical data with the results of biomedical investigations, and evidence-based practice. Discipline-specific content will include the role of routine and specialist haematology in the diagnosis and classification of anaemias, malignancies and monitoring of coagulation pathways; the role of transfusion science in the preparation and supply of therapeutic blood products; the role of clinical biochemistry in the monitoring of organ and system function and dysfunction, and the assessment of nutritional status; the role of cellular and molecular pathology in the diagnosis and stratification of malignancies; and the role of clinical microbiology in the diagnosis and treatment of infections. Throughout the module, you will be encouraged to develop a critically evaluative approach, with emphasis given to the appropriate requesting and interpreting of clinical tests, sensitivity, specificity and predictive value, and the uncertainty of measurement in a clinical context.
The project is designed to allow you to demonstrate your development as a scientific practitioner in the pathway of your choice and is viewed as a culmination of your discipline expertise and professionalism. This substantial project provides the opportunity for you to draw together all the practical experience, knowledge and critical understanding your pathway has provided. You are required to study a topic relevant to your Course and pathway from an idea generated by yourself in discussion with an academic adviser.
Graduate employability is a key focus for us. We will ensure that all of our students graduate having achieved a minimum of 105 hours work placement in a graduate level position.
BBC Grades/points required
Not currently available, please Contact University for up to date information.
4.2
