Program Overview

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Applied Medical Sciences - BSc (Hons)

Overview

Fully online, distance learning, flexible part-time BSc (Hons) Applied Medical Sciences in collaboration with Sligo Institute of Technology.

Revalidation

The University regularly ‘refreshes’ courses to make sure they are as up-to-date as possible. In addition, it undertakes formal periodic review of courses in a process called 'revalidation’ to ensure that they continue to meet standards and are current and relevant. This course will be revalidated in the near future and it is possible that there will be some changes to the course as described in this prospectus.

Summary

This degree has a combined focus on clinical and bio-industrial sciences with the purpose of developing the careers of graduates in the widest context within diagnostics, medical devices, and biopharmaceuticals. An increasing number of bio-industrial employers seek graduates who have some clinical expertise as well as industrial-related skills. By jointly offering a combination of clinical and bio-industrial modules in the final year of this degree, Ulster and IT Sligo are seeking to address this need. The course aims to provide opportunities for students to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of biomedical sciences, human health, and disease;
• Develop core skills necessary to evaluate and to undertake research in biomedical and healthcare sciences; and
• Apply intellectual, practical, enterprise, and personal skills (including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, decision-making, initiative, and creativity) to enable effective life-long learning in biomedical and healthcare sciences.

About this course

About

• Joint programme from leading HE distance learning providers in Ireland and the UK
• Fully online, offering flexible learning and study pace
• Essential practical skills developed through intensive lab work at Sligo and either at Coleraine or in the work place
• Employers benefit through your enhanced research, professional practice, and key skills, and knowledge of biomedical and bio-industrial sciences

Biomedical Sciences is in the premier league of universities with “100% of our research environment judged to be world-leading, 95% of our impact judged to be world leading or internationally excellent and 81% of our research papers judged to be world leading or internationally excellent in UK Research Excellence Framework 2014.

Biomedical Sciences at Ulster University is ranked 5th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2025.

Through exposure to an internationally recognized research environment with state-of-the-art facilities, including the £14.5 million Centre for Molecular Bioscience (CMB), students have the chance to gain unique insights into cutting-edge research and how this contributes to knowledge and understanding of health and disease. IT Sligo is the leading higher-education institute in Ireland in the development and delivery of online educational programmes. With over 15 year’s experience in the online education field, this leadership position was recognised in 2012 when IT Sligo was granted a ‘Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Award’ for its achievements in promoting online learning for both full-time and part-time students. The School of Science is foremost in IT Sligo’s distance learning achievements, with more than 500 online science students from countries as far away as Australia, the US, Canada, and Oman, as well as 1,100 full-time science students.

Attendance

Normally 4 years, over 9 semesters. This programme is fully online. However, students must attend laboratory practicals at Sligo in Years 1 (2 days), 2 (2 days), and 3 (1 day), and in Year 3 (2 days) and Year 4 (1 day and 1 day) either at Coleraine or in the work place for those students with work-based access to appropriate laboratory facilities.

Start dates

• September 2026

Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

Students will participate in an induction on how to be an effective online learner and how to use the Moodle and Blackboard Learn virtual learning environment. This will include an optional induction day at IT Sligo, prior to commencement of the course, and continue with online support over the first two weeks of teaching. Subject-specific tutors support students to engage in a range of teaching and learning methods. Student participate in Moodle and Blackboard Learn posted online lectures, many of which are inclusive of problem-based interactive tasks. Through the Institute’s and University’s online libraries, students gain access to their directed reading, in the form of e-books and journal articles. Students participate in tutor-supported online activities and discussions, and in online self-assessment quizzes. Students studying the Science Laboratory Skills 1, Biomedical Science Laboratory Skills 1 & 2, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Medical Microbiology, and Clinical Biochemistry modules are required to carry out a number of laboratory practical sessions. This means attendance by students at the state-of-art-facilities at IT Sligo in Year 1 (2 days), Year 2 (2 days), and Year 3 (1 day). If a student works in, or has access to approved training laboratories in the NHS/HSE or equivalent, then the Molecular Biology and Genetics, Medical Microbiology, and Clinical Biochemistry practical sessions can be carried out at his or her place of work. Otherwise, a student must attend Coleraine in Year 3 (2 days before the 1 day at Sligo) and Year 4 (1 day and 1 day) for practical sessions.

Students will be assessed by a combination of Coursework and Examinations. Students undertake traditional written examinations, either at the campuses of IT Sligo or Coleraine or in their locality through the "Proctoring system" for IT Sligo delivered modules and the “Guarantor system” for Ulster University delivered modules. If a student opts to take his or her IT Sligo examinations via the "Proctoring system", which enables online examination administration within the home environment, then there is a small fee per exam. If a student opts to take his or her Ulster University examinations via the “Guarantor system” then he or she must nominate a line manager or professional to administer his or her exams under Ulster University specified conditions. Coursework includes essays, tests, critical reviews, plans, reflective statements, practical reports, journal-based learning, case study reports, problem-solving/data interpretation, and research papers.

Attendance and Independent Study

As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.

Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.

The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork, or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.

Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.

Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.

Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.

Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable, and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.

Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.

Calculation of the Final Award

The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).

Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.

All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.

In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.

Figures from the academic year.

Academic profile

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures from the academic year.

Modules

Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.

Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry, and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling, and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up-to-date module list.

Year one

• Biology (BIOL06013)
• Information Systems (COMP06018)
• Applied Mathematics (MATH06078)
• Good Manufacturing Practice 1 (GMP06001)
• Fundamentals of Chemistry (CHEM06043)
• Science Laboratory Skills 1 (SCI06015)

Year two

• Exploitation of Biology
• Physiology and Anatomy of the Human Body
• Biochemistry (BIOC06007)
• Introduction to Biomedical Science
• Biomedical Science Laboratory Skills 1 (SCI06016)
• Scientific Communication (BIO06031)

Year three

• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Enterprise in Biomedical Sciences
• Biomedical Science Laboratory Skills 2 (SCI07016)
• Pharmaceutical Quality Systems (BIO07030)
• Bioanalytics (BIO07014)
• Research Skills in Biomedical Sciences
• Professional Practice in Healthcare Science

Year four

• Molecular Pathology
• Clinical biochemistry
• Medical Microbiology
• Cell Culture Processing (BIO08045)
• Quality Systems and Regulatory Affairs (BIO08049)
• Protein Purification (BIO08044)
• Project: Biomedical Sciences

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course, you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

A level

Grades BCC including 2 science subjects – 2 from Group A OR 1 from Group A and 1 from Group B

Group A – Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Biology or Nutrition and Food Science, of which Chemistry is preferred

Group B – Physical Education, Geography, Information Technology, Applied Science, Environmental Technology, Life and Health Science

Applied Science Double Award is also acceptable as two sciences

Provided the above subject requirements are met, you can substitute a combination of alternative qualifications recognised by the University for one of the A level grades.

Applied General Qualifications

• QCF Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (Science Related Subject)
• OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma (Science Related Subject) (2012 Suite)
• Award profile of DDM
• RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (Science Related Subject) / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma (Science Related Subject) (2016 Suite)
• Award profile of DMM
• QCF Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma (Science Related Subject) / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Diploma (Science Related Subject) (2012 Suite)
• Award profile of DM plus A Level Grade C
• RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (Science Related Subject) / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Diploma (Science Related Subject) (2016 Suite)
• Award profile of DM plus A Level Grade C
• QCF Pearson BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma (Science Related Subject) / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Introductory Diploma (Science Related Subject) (2012 Suite)
• Award profile of M plus A Level Grades BC to include two science subjects (see A Level requirements)
• RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (Science Related Subject) / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Certificate (Science Related Subject) (2016 Suite)
• Award profile of M plus A Level Grades BC to include two science subjects (see A Level requirements)

Irish Leaving Certificate

Grades H3,H3,H3,H4,H4 to include 2 science subjects (2 from Group A OR 1 from Group A and 1 from Group B).

Group A – Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Biology or Home Economics, of which Chemistry is preferred

Group B – PE, Geography, IT

Applicants are also required to have Irish Leaving Certificate Higher Level English and Maths grade H6 or above OR Irish Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level English and Maths at grade O4 or above.

Irish Leaving Certificate UCAS Equivalency

• View tariff point chart

Access to Higher Education (HE)

Certificate in Foundation Studies / Access Course (appropriate science disciplines only acceptable) with an overall average of 60%.

GCSE

Applicants must:

• satisfy the University’s general entry requirements; AND
• have passes at grade C or above in Mathematics, English Language AND Chemistry or Double Award Science.

English Language Requirements

• English language requirements for international applicants
• The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement
• Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Additional Entry Requirements

Applicants will normally be employed in a relevant healthcare science/bioscience/bio-pharmaceutical laboratory environment in a scientific or quality assurance role.

Because 4 of the modules in Years 1 to 3, and 2 additional modules in Year 4, involve practicals this programme is intended for Irish and UK residents but continental European residents will also be considered. Respective part-time, distance learning provision in BSc Hons Biomedical Science and BSc Hons BioPharmaceutical Science at Ulster and IT Sligo already offer articulation pathways for applicants with sub-degree qualifications. Thus accreditation for prior certificated learning from a sub-degree such as BSc BioPharmaceutical Science from IT Sligo or Foundation Degree in Applied Medical Sciences from Ulster or BSc Honours/Higher Degree in a related science field for entry to this course is not considered.

Exemptions and transferability

Exemption from one or more Year 1 and Year 2 modules can be considered based on prior certificated learning. No exemptions from completion of the level 6 modules can be given.

Careers & opportunities

Graduate employers

Graduates from this course are now working for:

• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Biotechnology Industry
• Biomedical Research Labs
• Lab Suppliers

Job roles

With this degree, you could become:

• pharmaceutical technical services
• pharmaceutical research
• drug testing
• bacteriologist
• laboratory services

Career options

Biomedical Sciences graduates take up a wide range of employment opportunities. For example, in operations and quality assurance/control roles within biomedical related industries such as diagnostics, medical devices, and biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical research and development, biopharmaceutical and biotechnology scientific services, as well as more broadly in the area of analytical science, the scientific civil service, medical research, medical sales and marketing, veterinary and forensic medicine, teaching, and university lecturing. Graduates can also pursue further studies in postgraduate medicine, MSc programmes in biomedical science and biopharmaceutical science, including the university’s and institute’s own successful part-time, distance learning MSc Programmes, and postgraduate research within this university and institute, and elsewhere.

Work placement / study abroad

Students are in employment and will typically carry out an investigative project within their work place.

Fees and funding

2026/27 Fees

Undergraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2026/27 fees will be announced in due course.

See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2025/26 entry.

View Available Scholarships

See if you can access financial or other forms of support, including mentorship to excel in your studies.

Search our Scholarships

Additional mandatory costs

Additional travel and subsistence costs associated with Year 1 (2 days), 2 (2 days), and 3 (1 day) laboratory practical sessions at Sligo. For those students without access to appropriate work-based laboratory facilities, there will be additional travel and subsistence costs associated with Year 3 (2 days) and Year 4 (1 day and 1 day) laboratory practical sessions at Coleraine.

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges), and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits, and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.

See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up-to-date costs.