BSc Applied Biomedical Science

From cancer-screening to blood transfusions, from infections to genetic diseases, biomedical scientists research the causes and diagnosis of diseases and the effectiveness of the medicines that cure them. You apply the concepts of biochemistry and cell biology to the study of health and disease in the human body. Our multidisciplinary approach means you learn skills that are at the forefront of advances in medical research.

We are the top university in the country for providing NHS placements as part of our applied biomedical science course. You will gain fast-track career progression within the NHS by studying with us. At Essex, our research focuses on genetic diseases, infection and immunity, and age-associated conditions such as cancer.

On our BSc Biomedical Science, you study areas including:

• the human immune system
• pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria
• haematology and blood transfusion
• cell pathology
• mechanisms of neurological diseases

You discover the molecular basis of cellular dysfunctions, and describe modern strategies to diagnose and treat them.

Covid-19 vaccinations

The UK Government has revoked legislation that requires all health and social care staff working in sites regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Whilst vaccination is not essential, we encourage our applicants and students to be fully vaccinated. Find out more about what this means for applicants to this course.

Professional accreditation

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC as a biomedical scientist.

Accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS).

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC as an arts therapist.

Placement year

Alternatively, you can spend your third year on a placement year with an external organisation. This is usually focussed around your course, and enables you to learn about a particular sector, company or job role, apply your academic knowledge in a practical working environment, and receive inspiration for future career pathways.

If you complete a placement year you'll only pay 20% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year.

All BSc Biomedical Science students have the opportunity to learn about clinical biochemistry, cellular pathology, medical microbiology, and haematology and transfusion science. This time spent with NHS professionals improves your laboratory skills and helps you to develop an understanding of career paths in this sector. You will have the opportunity to do your final-year project while on placement supervised by highly experienced NHS professionals.

Many students choose to study biomedical science because they want to work in a biomedical sciences lab. Although there are plenty of private labs who can hire graduates, the NHS is by far the largest employer of biomedical scientists in the UK. To work full-time in an NHS lab, you will require both accreditation from the IBMS and NHS lab experience.

Our biomedical sciences courses are accredited, and we will provide you with a huge range of placement options (at around 40 different partner labs).

If you graduate without the addition of the placement year that we offer, you will need to make up that experience before you can work as a fully qualified biomedical scientist in the NHS. It is therefore a really important component and internationally recognised.

There are 44 universities in the UK that offer work-based placements, including the University of Essex. Between 2020-2022, the number of students who went on placement from all of these universities was 181, 180 and 176 respectively. This means that Essex's contribution was 18% (32/181) in 2020, 19% (34/180) in 2021 and 18% (31/176) in 2022 (IBMS 2023). As a result, we are the largest contributor of biomedical science students on placement in the country.

Our expert staff

As one of the largest schools at our University, our School of Life Sciences offers a lively, friendly and supportive environment with research-led study and high-quality teaching, where you will learn from and work alongside our expert staff.

Our research covers a wide spectrum of biology, from the cell right through to communities and ecosystems. Key academic staff for this course includes Dr Selwa Alsam, Course Director for BSc Biomedical Science, who was named 'Champion of Biomedical Science in East Anglia' by the IBMS in 2019, who is researching hospital-related infections and human microbial diseases including MRSA, wound infections and infection control.

The University of Essex has a Women's Network to support female staff and students, and our School was awarded the Athena Swan Silver Award in October 2020, which reflects the work carried out by staff in our School to continue to improve equality, including a mentorship scheme, support for postdoctoral research staff, and financial help towards childcare costs for academics who wish to attend conferences.

Specialist facilities

Recent spending by our University has allowed for major refurbishment and expansion of our School of Life Sciences:

• Work in an open and friendly department, with shared staff-student social spaces.
• Conduct your final-year research alongside academics and PhD students in shared labs.
• State-of-the-art research facilities, from protein purification, to cell culture and imaging, to molecular modelling.
• Receive training in your first year on using the Oxford Nanopore MinION, a portable handheld device that can sequence genomes in real time.
• Teaching facilities including new undergraduate laboratories.

Your future

You graduate ready to move into a wide variety of industrial and public sector careers, from the NHS to pharmaceuticals, research, health and safety, teaching.

Our students have gone on to work in a number of laboratory-based roles in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and in hospitals, clinics and healthcare companies. Others have gone on to work in sales, publishing and management, while others still have chosen to enhance their career opportunities by studying for MSc degrees or PhD degrees.

Our BSc Biomedical Science course also provides the ideal background for entry onto postgraduate medicine programmes. We have an established scheme for helping students prepare their applications and an excellent success rate with respect to students gaining places at Medical Schools throughout the country.

Other recent graduate destinations include:

• andrologist
• perfusionist
• studying medicine
• studying MSc or PhD
• working in NHS Hospitals at Cambridge, Chelmsford, Colchester, PHE in Colindale, Basildon, London, Bury St Edmunds, Harlow, Hastings, Ipswich, Norwich, Peterborough Kent, Bedford and Romford

We also work with our University's Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

For more information on careers in biochemistry and biomedicine, visit the websites of the Biochemical Society and the Institute of Biomedical Science.

"The best part of my course was the support I received from Essex in completing my placement year, enabling me to jump straight into work after graduating. I have become increasingly grateful for the quality of modules on offer as each has proven to be extremely useful and relevant in the workplace. I am a molecular pathology and genetics biomedical scientist, where my main role is to perform serological and PCR techniques for the detection, confirmation and sequencing of infectious pathogens."

Vladislava Kutukova, BSc Biomedical Science, 2020

Clearing entry requirements

We currently have places available in Clearing across a range of our courses with most offers at BBC-CCD (112 – 88 UCAS tariff points) or equivalent. We consider each application individually and requirements may be lower for some of our courses, so please get in touch if your grades are below those outlined here.

English language requirements

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall, or specified score in another equivalent test that we accept.

Details of English language requirements, including UK Visas and Immigration minimum component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here

If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.

Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications.

If you are an international student requiring a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.

What if my IELTS does not meet your requirements?

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Do I need to have achieved an acceptable English language qualification before I apply?

You don’t need to achieve the required level before making your application, but it will be one of the conditions of your offer.

What if the English language qualification I hold, or am taking, is not listed?

If you cannot find the qualification that you have achieved or are pending, then please contact Admissions on ugquery@essex.ac.uk for advice.

What are the requirements for second and final year entry?

Different requirements apply for second and final year entry, and specified component grades are also required for applicants who require a visa to study in the UK. Details of English language requirements, including UK Visas and Immigration minimum component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here

Additional Notes

If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College

Course structure

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Placement

On a placement year you gain relevant work experience within an external business or organisation, giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market and providing you with key contacts within the industry. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.

Please note, vaccinations are required for students undertaking an NHS placement.

Teaching

• Courses are taught by a combination of lectures, laboratory work, assignments, and individual and group projects.
• Gain experience collating and interpreting data, and reporting findings clearly and concisely.
• Participate in an optional one-week summer school learning from NHS professionals.
• Undergraduate students in the School of Life Sciences typically attend two or three hours of lectures per week per module, plus two or three laboratory practices per module.

Assessment

• Degrees are awarded on the results of your written examinations together with continual assessments of your practical work and coursework.
• Contribute towards real-world research projects in your final year of study.