Biomedical Science

Duration

Three years, full time

UCAS deadline

15 January 2020

UCAS Code

B940, institution code S49

UK, EU and non-EU (international) citizens may apply

This course prepares you to pursue a career in medicine or research, or specialise in areas such as forensic medicine, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, clinical trials coordination or biomedical product marketing.

It covers fundamental aspects of cell and molecular biology, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and genetics, and progresses to the investigation of the disease process including diagnosis and treatment.

In year 3, you have the opportunity to focus on one of nine specialisms to help prepare you for a career in healthcare or medicine. You will graduate with one of the following degree titles, depending on which pathway you choose.

Biomedical Science with Anatomy BSc
Biomedical Science with Cell and Molecular Biology BSc
Biomedical Science with Genomics BSc
Biomedical Science with Global Health BSc
Biomedical Science with Immunity and Infection BSc
Biomedical Science with Medical Ethics and Humanities BSc
Biomedical Science with Physiology and Pharmacology BSc
Biomedical Science with Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience BSc
Clinical Bioscience BSc

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Home (UK/EU) tuition fees

Academic year	UK/EU (per academic year)	Total fee
2019/20	£9,250	£27,750
2020/21	£9,250	£27,750

Tuition fees for Home (UK/EU) students are determined by UK government policy. Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. Fees for second and subsequent years are likely to increase annually in line with UK inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index (RPI-X) and subject to maximum regulated fee rates set by the government.

Placement year and Erasmus fees

	2019/20	2020/21
BSc Biomedical Science	£1,230	£1,850
Erasmus	£920	£1,385

For more information, see our fees and funding pages.

International (non-EU) tuition fees

Academic year	International (per academic year)	Total fee
2019/20	£17,500	£52,500
2020/21	£18,000	£54,000

Tuition fees for international students are set by St George’s, University of London. Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. Fees for second and subsequent years are likely to increase annually in line with UK inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index (RPI-X). They will not normally increase by more than 5 per cent each year, except when the rate of inflation is significantly more than that projected in the preceding year.

Placement year and Erasmus fees

	2019/20	2020/21
BSc Biomedical Science	£3,500	£3,600
Erasmus	£7,750	£8,000

For more information, see our fees and funding pages and read the UK government information about fees and funding.

Read more information about our courses and university services terms and conditions.

Find out more

Learn more about this course plus student life at St George’s, University of London. Sign up for our intro email series.

Highlights

Our campus is shared with one of the largest teaching hospitals in the UK, which means that clinical staff are involved in teaching, and there are opportunities for you to get experience working in NHS laboratories.
Many students progress onto further study in scientific research or medicine.
Teaching is informed by the latest research and the course evolves to keep up with current practice.
You will learn anatomy through demonstrator-led whole body prosection.
As part of your intensive final year project you will work with professional research groups tackling real medical and health problems and learning how biomedical research makes a difference to lives.
There is the potential for you to transfer into our Medicine MBBS (graduate entry) course.
Careers advice is embedded in our teaching.
Learning development is integrated into our curriculum.
You will have the option to take an integrated Professional Training Year within private industry, a research institution, a government body or the NHS to further develop your knowledge, practical skills and increase your employability.

You will need to meet both the entry and personal statement criteria to be considered for this course. With the exception of GCSEs, all qualifications must have been awarded no more than five years before your year of application.

To be considered for this course, you will need to:

meet the GCSE requirement (or equivalent)
meet the A level requirement (or equivalent)
meet the English language requirement
write a personal statement.

Entry criteria 2020

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GCSEs

Grades	Grade 6 or above for English Language, Maths and Double Science (or Biology and Chemistry).
Subject	Minimum of five GCSEs, which must include English Language and Maths, and either Double Award Science (or both Biology and Chemistry).
Additional information
We accept resits of GCSEs. We do not accept Adult Literacy and Numeracy or Functional Maths instead of GCSEs.

A Levels

We do not accept BTEC qualifications for Biomedical Science BSc.

Grades	ABB
Subjects	Must include Biology and Chemistry
Adjusted Criteria	If you attend a school or college in England from this list (ie a non-selective state school with an average A-Level grade of D+ or below, or one that is in the bottom 20% in England for progression to Higher Education) then you may be eligible to receive an adjusted A-Level offer two grades lower than the standard for the course. For Biomedical Science BSc this will be an A Level offer of BBC. You will still have to meet all other academic and non-academic entry requirements. Please note that eligibility is determined based on the school/college at which you take your A-Levels. If you completed your GCSEs at a school on our Adjusted Criteria list, but then undertook your A-Levels at a school/college that is not on this list, you will not qualify for an adjusted offer. The scheme is reviewed annually, so may change scope in future years.
Additional information
Resits We will consider your application if you are re-sitting your A levels (including AS levels and modular resits) over 3 years. You will be required to meet the standard A level grades. Any re-sit grades will supersede previous grades.

International Baccalaureate

Award

Full Award Diploma

Scores

Overall score of 34

Subjects

A minimum score of 16 points at Higher Level including both Biology and Chemistry, with a minimum of 5 in one and 6 in the other.

At Standard Level, a minimum score of 5 must be in Maths (or Maths Studies) and English Language, if at least a B (Grade 6) grade has not previously been attained in GCSE/IGCSE/O Level Maths and English.

Access Diploma

Award	Full Award Diploma - Access to HE Diploma (Medical and Medical Biosciences), or the Access to HE Diploma (Biomedical Sciences)
Scores	60 credits at level 3 (45 graded and 15 ungraded)
Grades	27 credits at Distinction and 18 at Merit. Specific units from the Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics Subject Areas may be requested
Additional information
You are required to have GCSEs in English Language and Maths alongside the Access Diploma as per the requirements outlined above. Students studying an Access Diploma need to provide a detailed transcript. All units must be verified by the local Open College Network (OCN).

Other qualifications

Cambridge Pre-U Diploma	D3, M2, M2 Combinations of individual Pre-U Diploma subjects and A Levels are acceptable.
Scottish Highers	Three Advanced Highers at ABB, including Chemistry and Biology.
European Baccalaureate	Overall grade of 80 per cent, with a minimum of 8 in both Biology and Chemistry.
EU qualifications	View a list of the European qualifications we accept
International qualifications	View a list of the international qualifications we accept

English language

GCSE / IGCSE

English Language grade 6 / B or above.

Please note: all components (speaking, listening, reading and writing) must be completed and assessed.

IELTS

(International English Language Testing System)

6.5 overall (including minimum 6.5 in Writing and a 6 in all other components)

You are able to take two attempts to achieve your IELTS qualification per year and your test results are valid for two years.

Other tests

Please contact us for details

Non-academic criteria

Personal statement

We look for able students who have a strong interest in their chosen subject and are willing to work hard. Your success in Biomedical science will be underpinned by a good understanding of biology and a thorough knowledge of the principles of chemistry.

As a guide, your personal statement should include:

what in particular interests you about biomedical science
the extra activities you may have undertaken to support this interest. Any participation in extra-curricular activities relating to science may be beneficial to your application.

Please remember that your personal statement should be subject specific, not general. You will also be expected to have an awareness of current issues and include any other relevant information to support your application.

Biomedical Science BSc is a three-year course covering the range of biological science disciplines, which underpin medicine.

Sharing a building with St George’s Hospital provides a unique teaching experience offered at relatively few institutions in the UK.

The degree emphasises the wide range of modern developments in medicine and the biomedical field more generally. It combines academic and practical training aimed at equipping you for a diverse career.

Biomedical Science BSc is a modular, three-year degree course with each academic year comprising of 120 credits.

Modules in years 1 and 2 of both the BSc and MSci courses are identical and all are compulsory.

Please note: the modules listed here are indicative. The actual modules available when you enrol may vary.

BSc Biomedical Science

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Year 1 modules (all BSc and MSci students)

All modules are compulsory. The year is assessed by individual module assessment, and worth 120 credits in total.

Module title	Credit value
Personal and Academic Skills 1 and 2	10 credits
Fundamentals of Pathology 1	10 credits
Fundamentals of Pharmacology and Physiology	15 credits
Anatomy 1	15 credits
Fundamentals of the Living Cell 1	30 credits
Physiology 1	40 credits

Year 2 modules (all BSc and MSci students)

Module title	Credit value
Genomics	10 credits
Personal and Academic Skills 3 and 4	10 credits
Anatomy 2	15 credits
Physiology 2	20 credits
Clinical Pathology Specialities	50 credits

Year 3 modules (BSc Biomedical Science, excluding Clinical Bioscience)

With the exception of those following the Clinical Bioscience pathway, all Biomedical Science BSc students select a pathway of 75 credits of taught modules (shared with the Intercalated BSc programme and Year 3 of the Biomedical Science BSc programme), and a 45 credit research project.

You will study 75 credits of taught modules, and a ‘with’ degree title will be awarded to reflect the modules taken. You can choose to qualify with ‘Biomedical Science BSc’ if you prefer. A full list of award titles can be seen on the Study tab above.

Biomedical Science with Anatomy
Development & Disease	30 credits
Images of Anatomy	30 credits
Clinically Applied Musculoskeletal Anatomy	15 credits
Biomedical Science with Cell & Molecular Biology
Biology of Cancer	30 credits
Cell & Molecular Biology	30 credits
Genes & Gene Expression in Eukaryotic Cells	15 credits
Biomedical Science with Genomics
Clinical Application of Genomics in Rare Diseases & Cancer	30 credits
Human Medical Genetics	30 credits
Personalised Medicine	15 credits
Biomedical Science with Global Health
Conflict & Catastrophe Medicine	30 credits
Global Health Ethics & Law	30 credits
Global Health & Comparative Health Systems	15 credits
Biomedical Science with Infection & Immunity
Global Health Diseases	30 credits
Immunity & Infection	30 credits
Neglected Tropical Diseases	15 credits
Biomedical Science with Medical Ethics & Law
Future of Medicine Ethics & Neuroethics	30 credits
Research Ethics & Clinical Ethics	30 credits
Medical Ethics & Law	15 credits
Biomedical Science with Physiology & Pharmacology
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Diseases	30 credits
Science of Reproduction	30 credits
Pharmacology & Physiology of Drugs of Abuse	15 credits
Biomedical Science with Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience
Clinical Neuroscience	30 credits
Psychology & Psychiatry of the Mind	30 credits
Neuroscience of Sensation & Perception	15 credits

Year 3 research project modules

Research project modules	Credit value
Available to all year 3 BSc students (excluding Clinical Bioscience BSc students)
Research Project in Anatomy and Development	45 credits
Research Project in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	45 credits
Research Project in Immunity and Infection	45 credits
Research Project in Medical Microbiology	45 credits
Research Projects in Clinical Sciences	45 credits
Research Project in Cardiovascular Sciences	45 credits
Research Project in Human Genetics	45 credits
Research Project in Global Health	45 credits
Research Project in Medical Ethics, Laws and Humanities	45 credits
Research Project in Community Health and Social Medicine	45 credits
Research Project in Clinical Neuroscience	45 credits
Research Project in Physiology	45 credits
Research Project in Pharmacology	45 credits
Research Project in Psychiatry	45 credits
Research Project in Behavioural Medicine	45 credits
Research Project in Research Proposal Design	45 credits

BSc Clinical Bioscience

Year 1 and year 2 modules are as above.

Year 3 Modules (BSc Clinical Bioscience)

The Clinical Bioscience BSc award comprises three compulsory modules totalling 75 credits, including a 15 credit research project, with students selecting further modules to the value of 45 credits from a list of supplementary modules.

Year 3 Modules (BSc Clinical Bioscience) are as follows.

Module title	Credit value
Research project	15 credits
Clinical Anatomy	30 credits
Clinical, Communication and Professional Skills in Healthcare	30 credits

Study

First two years

The first two years of the course are common for all pathways and are made up of compulsory modules.

In year 3, you have the chance to specialise by choosing from a wide range of specialist taught modules, which are available to both BSc and Biomedical Science MSci students.

Anatomy is taught in the first two years of the course. You will cover the same range of topics as the first two years of the Medicine MBBS (5 year) programme, but in less detail. Your study will be contextualised to physiology teaching within the Biomedical Science curriculum.

Throughout the course, you will work towards developing your practical, cognitive and transferable skills. Essential practical techniques are developed through the course as you progress from competence in basic laboratory skills in year 1, to the use of more sophisticated techniques in year 2, and ultimately to your research project in year 3 of the BSc or year 4 of the MSci.

You will also be developing your cognitive skills, from simple problem-solving exercises and data handling, to self-directed literature review, culminating in the research project which will require you to develop a highly critical approach to the scientific literature and to your own data.

Subsequent year(s)

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Biomedical Science BSc

In your third year you will undertake a compulsory research project module (45 credits) and select further taught module options (75 credits). If you successfully complete 75 credits or more within a specific subject, you will be awarded a degree title that reflects this specialisation:

Biomedical Science with Anatomy BSc
Biomedical Science with Cell and Molecular Biology BSc
Biomedical Science with Genomics BSc
Biomedical Science with Global Health BSc
Biomedical Science with Immunity and Infection BSc
Biomedical Science with Medical Ethics and Humanities BSc
Biomedical Science with Physiology and Pharmacology BSc
Biomedical Science with Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience BSc
Clinical Bioscience BSc

Biomedical Science MSci

This option is open to all students who achieve 60 percent or above by the end of year 2. (Year 1 counts for a third of your marks and year 2 counts for two-thirds.) Students enrolled on the BSc can opt to transfer from to the MSci pathway at the end of Year 2, subject to available spaces and academic achievement.

Clinical Bioscience BSc

This option is open to all students who achieve 66 percent or above by the end of year 2 (year 1 counts for a third of your marks and year 2 counts for two-thirds). Students enrolled on the BSc can opt to transfer from to the MSci pathway at the end of Year 2, subject to available spaces and academic achievement.

Up to 60 places will be available on this pathway; 25 of these places are reserved for internal ‘clinical transfer’ students who are successful in securing a conditional offer for fast-track graduate entry to MBBS4 at St George’s. (Where the number of qualifying students applying to the Clinical Bioscience award exceeds the number of spaces available, places (except for clinical transfer students) will be allocated based on academic ranking at the end of Year 2.)

On the BSc Clinical Bioscience, you study compulsory taught modules (75 credits), optional modules (45 credits) and a research project (15 credits).

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching is delivered through a variety of methods, including:

lectures and laboratory practical sessions
tutorials (including scenario-based learning)
self-directed learning schemes
computer-assisted learning programmes.

There is a gradual change in emphasis over the three or four years of your degree, from large group lectures, delivering core knowledge and concepts, to smaller lecture groups for specialist knowledge. Tutorials, self-directed learning, practical sessions and in-course assessments further promote knowledge and understanding.

Assessment methods

Progress is judged by a mixture of in-course assessment and written exams. Each year’s marks contribute towards the final degree. A variety of examination types are used during the course, including:

short and long answer questions
single best answer questions
calculation and data analysis problems
essay questions
objective structured practical examinations where you demonstrate knowledge of structure and function in the dissecting room.

Oral examinations where you answer questions from a panel of examiners. Find out how the course is structured and assessed on the Unistats website.

Careers

Careers support

Biomedical Science students are supported in their career and professional development throughout their time at St George’s.

Each year group has a careers programme, which includes workshops on topics such as CV writing and interview skills. You can book an appointment with our Careers Consultant to discuss all aspects of careers and employability. This might include investigating options and making career decisions, gaining advice and guidance on where to look for jobs, CV and application checking, or booking in for a practice interview.

You can access online career resources and information as well as jobs and volunteer opportunities on our virtual learning environment. A Course Career Liaison tutor is on hand to support Biomedical Science students during their time at St George’s. You can also make an appointment with your personal tutor to discuss your future options.

Medical careers

If you want to pursue a medical career, we offer two routes to progress to medicine on completion of your Biomedical Science Degree.

Read more about the options on the Transfer to Medicine tab above.

Postgraduate study

Opportunities also exist to study Biomedical Science at postgraduate level here at St George’s.

Transfer into Medicine

Study Biomedical Sciences at St George’s and you may have the option to transition into the second year of our Medicine MBBS (Graduate Entry) course when you complete your BSc degree.

If you wish to ultimately pursue a medical career, St George’s is a good place to start. We offer two options to progress to medicine, on completion of your BSc.

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Option 1

All students on Biomedical Science BSc who meet the requirements to transfer into the Clinical Bioscience BSc pathway are able to apply at the end of the second year as a new entrant to the second (transition) year of the four-year Medicine MBBS (Graduate Entry). Offers to interview will be presented to eligible applicants who satisfy the academic criteria for the Clinical Bioscience pathway with predicted first class or 2:1 (upper second class) Honours degree. You must graduate from BSc Clinical Bioscience before you transition to the MBBS.

The number of places available is reviewed each year. For September 2019 entry, international students on the Biomedical Science BSc programme are also eligible to apply for this pathway; however, the number of places available is subject to a cap of 7.5 per cent of international students in the relevant cohort of the MBBS programme.

Option 2

Graduates in any discipline can apply to study Medicine MBBS (Graduate Entry) at St George’s or elsewhere in order to pursue a medical career. International students are not currently eligible to apply to the MBBS (Graduate Entry) at St George’s for year 1 entry, but may be eligible to apply to a graduate entry Medicine programme at other universities.

How to apply

Application forms are made available at the end of the second year of study. Eligible applicants will be invited to interview after the publication of second year exams results. We use Multi Mini Interviews (MMIs) to assess candidates for all medical degrees. These usually take place in July.

Professional placement

The aim of the placement year is to increase your employability by giving you professional experience and improving your skills in the environment of a relevant industry.

You will have the opportunity to apply to undertake a professional training year between years 2 and 3 of the course. You can choose between industry, NHS or international placements with paid and unpaid options. Loans will be available for Home students depending on family income.

Potential placements include the following.

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UK placements

HPA Colindale
Novartis, GSK
PHE Didcot (toxicology), Public Health
St George’s NHS Trust
Audit work
Clinical Research Facility, St George’s
Imaging Research Centre, St George’s

Academic placements

The Francis Crick Institute

Erasmus placements

University of Barcelona, Spain
University of Granada, Spain
Radboud University, Netherlands
Leiden University, Netherlands
University of Nicosia, Cyprus

Assessment for the Professional Training Year will be as follows.

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Personal and professional skills: 30%

CV preparation
Preparation programme
Completion of mandatory placement weeks
Employer assessment of workplace assessment

Evaluation of placement: 60%

Interim placement report (2,000 words)
Final placement report to be submitted at the end (6,000 words)

Placement of learning: 10%

Returning to St George’s and engaging with your student community
Summary report (500 words) of the experience and skills developed
Preparation of an updated CV to aim further career aspirations

Apply for this course through UCAS (the University and College Admissions Service) by 15 January in the year of entry. There are no upper age limits, so we welcome applications from mature students.

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Application checklist

You must provide:

full details of your Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) qualifications with grades
full details of your Level 3 (A Level or equivalent) qualifications with achieved/predicted grades
a personal statement (more information about this document is available on the UCAS website).
an academic reference from your current or most recent institutions with predicted grades.

After submitting your application to UCAS:

log in to UCAS Track and make sure all your academic details have been included
if any subjects or predicted results are missing, email the Admissions Officer with your UCAS number and missing subjects and grades.

Deferred entry

We will consider applications from applicants who wish to defer entry by a year, provided you plan to use the time constructively. If you are offered a place on the course and subsequently decide to defer, you must inform us by 1 June of the year of application.

After application

Acknowledgement emails and letters are sent out as soon as we receive your application. Please make sure that your email account is able to accept communications from St George’s as we will mainly communicate with you via email.

Selected applicants will be invited to attend interview. Decisions from St George’s will be entered onto UCAS Track.

Duration

Three years, full time

Application Deadline

15 January 2020

UCAS Code

B940, institution code S49

Apply via UCAS

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Biomedical Science

Placement year and Erasmus fees

Placement year and Erasmus fees

Find out more

Highlights

Entry criteria 2020

BSc Biomedical Science

BSc Clinical Bioscience

Year 3 Modules (BSc Clinical Bioscience)

Study

First two years

Subsequent year(s)

Teaching and learning methods

Assessment methods

Careers

Careers support

Medical careers

Postgraduate study

Transfer into Medicine

How to apply

Professional placement

Apply now

Duration

Application Deadline

UCAS Code

Biomedical Science

Placement year and Erasmus fees

Placement year and Erasmus fees

Find out more

Highlights

Entry criteria 2020

BSc Biomedical Science

BSc Clinical Bioscience

Year 3 Modules (BSc Clinical Bioscience)

Study

First two years

Subsequent year(s)

Teaching and learning methods

Assessment methods

Careers

Careers support

Medical careers

Postgraduate study

Transfer into Medicine

How to apply

Professional placement

Apply now

Duration

Application Deadline

UCAS Code

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