Birmingham City University
UCAS Code: C90F | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
80 UCAS tariff points from three A Levels. Grades CDD (or equivalent). Required subjects: Science subject at A Level or level 3 equivalent, at grade C or above.
Pass with 60 credits, 45 credits at level 3. Accepted subjects: Science.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall. Required subjects: One of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics at Higher level.
Minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects. Required subjects: Science subject at Higher level.
80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Accepted subjects: Applied Science.
80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Accepted subjects: Applied Science.
80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Accepted subjects: Applied Science.
80 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD). Required subjects: Science subject at Higher level or above.
80 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD). Required subjects: Science subject at Higher level or above.
T Level
Pass (C and above)
Pass overall (C or above on the core). Accepted subjects: Science
UCAS Tariff
About this course
Accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), our practice-led degree offers a fascinating insight into human life processes, as well as disease and health within the human population. You will develop a range of practical and analytical skills using our state-of-the-art life sciences labs. Our aim is to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to progress into a variety of Biomedical Science careers.
If your goal is to work within the NHS as a Biomedical Scientist, completion of an IBMS-accredited degree will mean you can apply for trainee Biomedical Scientist roles. You could then go on to complete the IBMS registration training portfolio, which is a pre-requisite for full qualification in this role and potential registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
**Why choose a foundation year course?**
The BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences with a Foundation Year course has been specifically designed to support your transition to degree-level study in Health Sciences. As a student, you will undertake a foundation year situated at level 3 study, which has been designed as a prelude to your chosen degree course, providing opportunities for you to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding. Your learning journey through your foundation year will provide a secure platform on which you can build throughout your academic career in higher education.
As part of the foundation year, you will explore and develop a number of essential academic, interpersonal and professional skills that will help you succeed in your future degree level studies.
On successful completion of your foundation year, you are guaranteed to progress on to the first year of the BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science degree. If you are interested in progressing on to one of our other Health Sciences degrees, this will be subject to space available on those courses and meeting the relevant entry requirements, which may include passing an interview.
**What's covered in this course?**
Biomedical Science embraces a range of disciplines, including clinical biochemistry, human molecular genetics, cell biology, infection and immunity, and haematology and transfusion science. These subjects are of immense importance in healthcare provision and medical research, as well as underpinning the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
On this course you will learn how the human body functions during health and disease, and develop an understanding of the diagnosis, management, and treatment of a range of diseases. Throughout the programme you will gain important practical and scientific skills, developed by learning in our state-of-the-art life sciences laboratories where you will use industry standard equipment.
In the final year you will complete an independent research project under the guidance of one of our academic staff, providing you with the opportunity to consolidate your learning on the course.
When you graduate, a range of careers are open to you as well as the option for further postgraduate training and study. These careers include medical laboratory assistant, trainee biomedical scientist, conducting clinical trials for drug companies, research assistant and research technician, marketing assistant and medical and scientific sales representative. You could also use your qualification to progress into teaching, or undertake postgraduate study to obtain Master’s, Physician Associate/Assistant or PhD qualifications. Exceptional graduates may be able to progress into postgraduate entry Medicine or Dentistry courses.
You will be taught by our team of specialist academic staff who have a wealth of industry, clinical and research experience and will provide the expertise to support your learning throughout the course.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
City South Campus, Edgbaston
School of Health Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Biomedical sciences (non-specific)
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Biomedical sciences
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Biomedical sciences (non-specific)
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£28k
£34k
£37k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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