Course Summary
Whether it’s investigating a type of cancer or understanding the cause of food poisoning, biomedical scientists play a crucial role in diagnosing disease and evaluating effective treatment.
Doctors make decisions based on the results of tests carried out by biomedical scientists in the pathology laboratory, while patients benefit from their experience and expertise. Without their skills, key hospital departments such as Accident and Emergency couldn’t operate effectively.
Our course offers an in-depth understanding of the causes of disease and the practical ways in which they can be investigated in the laboratory. These are the fundamental areas of knowledge that you’ll need as a biomedical scientist.
Course Leader Dr Claudio Scotti believes the popularity of the course is because it's “broad-based”. It’s ideal for students who want to make a career in bioscience but have not yet decided in exactly what area to specialise.
The course, which offers extensive laboratory training, shares a common first year with other bioscience degrees, so you’ll have the option to switch to a similar degree course at the end of your first year if you wish.
The course is also available with a year-long work placement between years two and three. If you choose this option, you’ll have the chance to spend your third year working in a laboratory, adding valuable practical experience to your growing academic knowledge.
If you don't meet the entry requirements for a BSc degree, you have the option of taking an extended, four-year version of this course. You’ll take a bioscience foundation year which will prepare you for the BSc degree.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
This course is based on the study of the biology of disease. Your first year is common to all bioscience students at UEL and covers four areas: essential chemistry, cell biology, biochemistry and human anatomy and physiology.
In your second year, your five core subjects will be supplemented by optional work placements. You can choose a short placement or a full year away from the University. Taking a longer option will undoubtedly help your career prospects once you graduate.
In your final year, you’ll gain an understanding of what causes disease as well as studying clinical infection and immunity. You’ll do a core module in cellular pathology and blood science that will show you how to identify normal and pathological tissues using a microscope.
You’ll also undertake your own original research project in your final year, for which you’ll be generating and assessing data. You can do this through library work or in a laboratory. The choice is yours.
HOW YOU'LL LEARN
We like to keep the learning varied and interactive at the University of East London, so you’ll be encouraged to participate in a wide range of subjects, including lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratory practicals and web-learning.
We’ll strongly encourage you to take the option of a full-year placement outside the University at the end of your second year. These placements represent great opportunities - jobs that can involve anything from sample collection in a laboratory to actually running supervised tests.
Recent history shows that many of these opportunities lead to full-time jobs. It’s a competitive process to land such an opportunity, but well worth it.
As Course Leader Dr Claudio Scotti says: “People are desperate to find work experience because without that, it’s not easy to find a job. If you have a work placement with us, though, you’ll have a head start.”
There are also opportunities to help out on research projects being carried out by our academic team. For example, students of Dr Scotti have aided his research into the health claims made by manufacturers of probiotic foods.
Your own research project could turn you into a prize-winner like one of our students, Dee Davis, who’s been recognised by the Society for General Microbiology for her microbiology and immunology research.
Each year you will spend up to 240 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.
The approximate percentages for this course are:
Year 1: 180 Hours – Taught Sessions, 60 Hours – Practical/IT Workshops, 960 Hours – Independent Learning
Year 2: 175 Hours – Taught Sessions, 65 Hours – Practical/IT Workshops, 960 Hours – Independent Learning
Year 3: 184 Hours – Taught Sessions, 66 Hours – Practical/IT Workshops, 950 Hours – Independent Learning
Who will teach on this course
Dr Claudio Scotti
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.
YOUR FUTURE CAREER
Biomedical science is a constantly evolving field, and there are plenty of rewarding career opportunities for graduates.
The knowledge you’ll gain through your studies, combined with the practical experience of working in a pathology laboratory, will set you on an exciting path. Once you’ve got your Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) registration, you could find yourself working in the National Health Service, making a crucial contribution to modern healthcare.
Alternatively, you could end up working at the Health Protection Agency, the National Blood Authority or in private, university or forensic laboratories.
You might choose to work in veterinary science, a pharmaceutical company, the Health and Safety Executive or another government department.
Many of our graduates use their degree as a springboard for further study. They go on to complete an MSc or PhD in biomedical science or in a related subject such as physiotherapy, dentistry, medicine or pharmacy.
As this is a broad-based course that gives you an excellent overall knowledge of the subject, you could use it as a foundation to move into teaching.
One of the biggest advantages of studying biomedical science at UEL is the sheer breadth of topics covered, opening doors to a wide range of career options.
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal
How you'll be assessed
We’ll assess you with a mixture of coursework and exams. Coursework includes essays, research reports, group and seminar presentations and a final-year project. Most of the assessment in your first year is by coursework and we’ll give you as much feedback as possible.
In your third year, you’ll either take five core modules or undertake a work placement. We’ll assess you accordingly.
Year 1 – 58% Portfolio/Coursework, 42% Laboratory/Practical/ICT
Year 2 – 42% Written Exam/Timed Assessment, 33% Portfolio/Coursework, 25% Laboratory/Practical/ICT
Year 3 – 42% Written Exam/Timed Assessment, 33% Laboratory/Practical/ICT, 17% Portfolio/Coursework, 8% Case Study/PBL
You’ll always receive detailed feedback outlining your strengths and how you can improve. We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 14 working days, although you will receive immediate feedback following many of our face to face assessments.
PLACEMENT YEAR
This course offers the opportunity of year-long placement between years two and three. If you choose to take this option, you’ll spend your third year on a placement with a relevant company or organisation, adding valuable practical experience to your growing academic knowledge.
The extra placement year means it will take four years to complete your studies, instead of three.
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