Biomedical Sciences with Professional Training Year (BSc)

Why study this course

Biomedical science is the science that underpins medicine and medical research. Our Biomedical Sciences degree gives you the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects including human physiology; human anatomy; disease processes and their treatment; biochemistry; genetics and microbiology.

The curriculum is informed by the extensive range of biomedical research undertaken within the School of Biosciences and at the University Hospital of Wales, enabling you to receive training in contemporary topics such as cancer biology, stem cells, tissue engineering, gene therapy and neurodegenerative diseases.

This programme offers a high degree of flexibility, offering you the freedom to shape your academic experience. Your degree title remains flexible up until your final year, allowing you to either continue with BSc Biomedical Sciences or switch to another of our bioscience courses. You can also choose to graduate with a more specialist degree title, including BSc Biomedical Sciences (Anatomy) and BSc Biomedical Sciences (Physiology).

Your final degree title will depend on module selection, and your Personal Tutor will guide you through the options available to you. You may also have the option of switching to our four-year MBiomed integrated master's degree, which forms an excellent basis for a future career in scientific research.

As part of this course you will spend your third year on placement at an academic, clinical or industrial research laboratory, or other approved establishment. This offers a great opportunity to gain first-hand professional research experience, and it has been shown to greatly enhance your degree and subsequent employment prospects.

Many placements are in the UK, but in recent years we have had an increasing number of students taking up placements in international locations, including Southeast Asia, South Africa, Germany, Italy, Australia, Madagascar, and the USA.

Our Biomedical Sciences degree offers strong training for research scientists. Our graduates have gone on to a range of exciting and fulfilling careers in both scientific and non-scientific related fields, including scientific publishing, medical research, healthcare, toxicology, pathological science, journalism, medicine, teaching and veterinary science. Many also choose to further their studies by pursuing a master’s degree or PhD.

Distinctive features

• Enjoy a flexible course structure that enables you to tailor your degree to match your interests and aspirations.
• Enhance your career prospects and gain professional research experience with a sandwich year placement.
• Experience the excitement of learning in active research environment, with teaching staff who are leading researchers in their field.
• Make use of the latest equipment, techniques and facilities in your project work.
• We are one of the few universities in the UK, to combine cutting-edge digital methods with traditional human dissection. Specialist Anatomy modules involve human dissection under the direction of skilled experts within the Welsh Centre for Anatomical Education.
• The School of Biosciences plays a lead role in the University's Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, offering access to a wide range of exciting training opportunities.

You may also be interested in the following courses:

• Bsc Biomedical Sciences

• MBiomed Biomedical Sciences (integrated master’s degree) with Professional Training Year

• BSc Biochemistry with Professional Training Year

• BSc Neuroscience with Professional Training Year

• BSc Biological Sciences with Professional Training Year (including option for Genetics)

Careers and placements

Career prospects

Our Biomedical Sciences degree offers strong training for research scientists and a significant proportion of our graduates go on to study PhD or master’s degrees. Many others have successful careers in science-related fields such as medical and scientific research, biological industries, healthcare, toxicology, medical or scientific publishing, and pathological science, amongst many others.

Our graduates have many transferable skills that are also attractive to a wide range of employers in more general areas of industry, commerce, public service, administration and management. Furthermore, a degree in the Biomedical Sciences can act as a stepping stone to further training in professional areas including teaching, dentistry, nursing, veterinary science and accounting.

Experience has shown that students who have completed a Professional Training Year are particularly well-placed to obtain degree-related employment at the end of their studies.

Placements

This course includes a Professional Training Year (PTY) which gives you the opportunity to spend a period of 9-12 months in an academic, clinical or industrial research laboratory, or other approved establishment, in order to gain first-hand research experience.

Many placements are in the UK, but we have also had several placements in other locations in Europe, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Germany, Italy and the USA.
Finding a placement is a competitive process and success cannot be guaranteed. The process will primarily be driven by you since most placements depend on application and selection by the partner company or organisation. However, we provide advice and support, and to date we have been successful in placing the vast majority of our PTY students.

Should a placement not be available, or should you change your mind, you can switch from the four year degree with PTY to a three year BSc degree. Alternatively, after the second year and subject to academic progress and space availability, you may apply to change to the integrated Master’s MBiomed degree.