Program Overview

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science with Foundation Year

Overview

The BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science with Foundation Year is a four-year course that provides students with the foundational skills and knowledge to complete a full Honours degree. This course is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and covers essential clinical specialisms, including blood science, microbiology, pathology, and genetics.

What You'll Learn

• Explore the inner workings of the human body through anatomy, physiology, and histology.
  • Investigate the causes and treatments of disease using techniques in microbiology, biochemistry, and genetics.
• Develop essential practical skills through experiments and data analysis in hi-tech labs.
• Apply scientific theory to real biomedical challenges in society, from diagnostics to global health.
• Collaborate with scientists at the nearby Discovery Park through our Industry Liaison Lab.

Why Study Biomedical Science

• Learn in hi-tech, specialist labs with an excellent team of highly qualified lab technicians to support your work.
• 95% of our Biomedical Science (including Foundation Year) students were satisfied with the teaching on their course, according to the National Student Survey 2024.

Entry Requirements

• Total Points required: 64
• Accepted qualifications:
  • A Levels: DDE
  • BTEC: MPP
  • Access: Pass 45 Credits
  • International Baccalaureate: TBC
• We also welcome applications from students with few or no formal Level 3 qualifications who wish to return to education. You may be asked to attend an interview.

Module Information

Core/Optional Modules

• Behaviour, Body and Biology: Core module
• Interdisciplinary Communication Skills: Core module
• Foundations of Science: Core module
• The Big Picture: Core module
• Modules are subject to approval.

How You'll Learn

• Teaching: Through a combination of blended learning with workshops, laboratory practicals, and seminars.
• Independent study: Self-study structured by the module leader, involving reading, online learning materials, research, and project work.
• Academic Input: From a team of highly qualified academics with a range of expertise and experience.

How You'll Be Assessed

• Practice assessments to test your understanding informally.
• Formal or 'summative' assessments for each module, including coursework, laboratory reports, literature reviews, skills assessments, presentations, and a final year major project.
• Feedback on all practice assessments and formal assessments, intended to help you learn and discuss with your module leader or personal academic tutor.

Your Future Career

• Major employment areas include the NHS, the wider healthcare sector, sales and marketing of healthcare and diagnostic products, diagnostic and clinical laboratories, and research and development for the pharmaceutical, diagnostics, medical devices, and laboratory instrumentation industries.
• Alternatively, you may choose to continue on to postgraduate study through to a Master's or PhD.

Fees

• The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for this course are:
  • UK: ｣9,790 (Foundation Year), ｣10,050 (years 1-3)
  • Overseas: ｣17,000
• Students undertaking a work placement year for a sandwich course will be charged up to 20% of the maximum standard full-time tuition fee for that academic year.

Important Course Information

• This course is designed to meet the accreditation standards of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), and we're actively working to get it accredited.
• The course does not include a built-in clinical placement but offers an optional year in industry (or year abroad) where you can arrange a clinical placement in an HCPC-accredited laboratory to complete some or all of your HCPC competency portfolio.

Industry Links

• Our course has been designed with input from clinical practitioners in Biomedical Science and speakers with a clinical lab background.
• Our Industry Liaison Lab at Discovery Park in Sandwich has facilitated research collaborations and student internships with biomedical companies.
• We host a careers fair specifically for our life science students where you can talk to employers and find out about exciting careers.