We are delighted to welcome you to the Human Biology course at Canterbury Christ Church University, an exciting area of the sciences, which is at the core of a rapidly expanding sector. This course is underpinned by fundamental biology and integrated with key relevant Sports Science topics, offering you the opportunity to receive expert, research-informed teaching in a variety of core topics specifically relevant to human form, function, and disease.

Dr Chris Harvey and Dr Carol Trim
Course Directors for Human Biology with Foundation Year

Key dates

Course start date: 16 September 2024

Academic Calendar: Semesters

View key dates for this Academic Calendar for 2024-25 including when teaching starts and finishes and when you break for holidays.  

Welcome and induction

Your Welcome Week is an essential introduction to your course and student life at CCCU, helping you to feel confident and prepared for your studies right from the very start.

It is important to check your Welcome Schedule for all the activities you are required to attend during the week.

Your teaching timetable 

UniTimetables provides an overview of all teaching activities on a course. Your individual timetable will be available via MyTimetable and is personalised to show you what modules and groups you are expected to attend.

Your individual student timetable can only be produced once you have engaged with online registration and created your computing account. It is essential you complete these tasks when invited, so that your course team can assign you to your teaching activities and publish your individual timetable.

Find out more about all aspects of timetabling for new students including user guides.

Welcome

Your course is designed to provide you with a broad understanding of the scientific basis of human health and disease and to give you the skills to allow you to succeed in a rapidly changing employment environment in which your lifelong learning will be critical.

Several medically related disciplines will be covered in this course, including anatomy and physiology, histology, genetics, biochemistry and microbiology. The course offers you the opportunity to receive expert, research-informed and involved teaching, in a variety of core topics relevant to the Biomedical Sciences.

This is a very friendly place to study, and we believe that you will have an enjoyable and productive time with us. Our motto is “always ask questions”, and we hope you will follow this as you embark upon your degree.

Get to know us more

You can watch short videos on a variety of scientific topics via our Summertime Science YouTube channel, delivered by the Natural and Applied Sciences (NAS) team. These videos are a great way to see who will be teaching you! This also showcases the breadth of research and activities within the natural and applied sciences section.

You can stay up to date with what's happening in our Faculty by following the Faculty Instagram!

By visiting the Faculty of Science, Engineering & Social Sciences webpage, you can look at the pages connected to your chosen degree pathway.

You can also find out about the services the university provides to students:

Getting started

The university year is made up of two semesters, one running from September - January and the other from February - May. You will complete 3 modules in each semester during your first year.

Foundation Year Core Modules:

Semester 1

  • Introduction to Biology
  • Introduction to Chemistry
  • Science Skills

Semester 2

  • Advancing Chemistry
  • Maths and Physics for the Life Sciences
  • Introduction to Human Biology

In your first week

The first time we will meet will be in Welcome Week, commencing 16th September 2024, when you will be invited to join in with several welcome activities and you will receive the key information you need to get started with your studies. Throughout this week, you will learn a lot about studying at CCCU, so please engage with as many of the activities as you can.

Your studies

Following Welcome Week, your Semester begins with a practical week, where we will introduce you to our new lab facilities and get you started with developing your practical skills.

After that, we aim to structure the timetable so that you will only have to be in for one or two days a week for some weeks, three or four days in others, with one additional lab week later in the semester (these will appear in your timetable). As part of your practicals, you will complete competencies that will enhance your employability and evidence your hands-on experience.

Attendance at these sessions is particularly important and we will support you in attending as much as you can

Soon after joining us you will also be assigned a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), who will provide you with academic and personal support throughout your studies and will be able to signpost you to other relevant departments for any additional help that you may need throughout your time with us.

Community

On the social side, the Student Union (CCSU) has a huge range of clubs and societies – all of which have unique social calendars of their own and offer endless opportunities to make lifelong friends and discover new hobbies. And you can always create your own society and cultivate your own community!

CCSU will be hosting their Welcome Fayre on Wednesday 18th September 2024. Make sure you keep checking the CCSU website for further details and how to get involved.

We understand that you may be nervous about your first few weeks on campus but rest assured - you'll be joining a nurturing and supportive environment where diversity, equality and individuality are part of everything we do.

You can find out more about our welcoming community and making friends here at CCCU.

If you are an International Student joining us then please see our International Student Support pages for further information and guidance.

Pre-course reading

For your own interest, you may wish to read one of the recommended general science books:

or, you may wish to refer to this core text:

  • Cohen, B.J. and Hull, K.L., 2019. Memmler's Structure & Function of the Human Body. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

It is useful to note that the University Bookshop offers a 10% discount on most titles in print and have some price-beating book bundles. They also price match Amazon on core texts, recommended in the module handbooks that you will receive when you start in September.

We also advise you to look at the second-hand book market.

International student success programme

International students: don't miss out! Make sure you register for our international student success programme which provides practical advice on preparing to live and study in the UK.

Contact details

If you have any queries, please feel to contact the Foundation Year Science Team at

Foundation.FSESS@canterbury.ac.uk