Overview
A foundation year helps you develop the study skills and self-confidence needed for higher education when you don’t reach the entry requirements for your subject.
Start your journey in biomedicine with a BSc Biomedical Science degree at Canterbury Christ Church University. Taking an inter-disciplinary approach, you’ll interact with multiple scientific areas before specialising in your final year.
With a huge emphasis on practice, our course in biomedical science will introduce you to a range of vitals skills needed for various sectors. From diagnostic techniques to blood group testing, you’ll start to build an evidenced portfolio, illustrating your skills, knowledge and understanding.
As the course progresses, the practical elements of this degree will always equate to over half of the course structure. You’ll then focus on your chosen area in your final year. Not only will you become a competent and confident biomedical scientist, you’ll do so using research-based, up-to-date theoretical knowledge. Whatever route you choose to take, you’ll learn using an interactive, multi-disciplinary approach to ensure you gain a rich learning experience while you’re with us at CCCU.
You’ll also interact with professionals through our career’s fairs and partnership with Discovery Park. Many of our teaching staff are active in their industry and have worked with companies such as Mylan and Genea. You can too, through our work placement module and work experience opportunities through the collaborative scientific community at Discovery Park, Sandwich.
We know employers are looking for dynamic, open-minded graduates who can adapt, innovate, and collaborate. This is why we have designed a new way of teaching and learning to ensure that you are work-ready for when you graduate. Our 2026 course will reflect this new approach. The 2026 course page will be made live shortly.
Accredited by Royal Society of Biology
Royal Society of Biology logo
95%
of our Biomedical Science (including Foundation Year) students were satisfied with the teaching on their course.
National Student Survey 2023Entry requirements
64
UCAS Tariff Points
Accepted qualifications
We accept a wide range of general qualifications that attract UCAS Tariff points either on their own or in combination with others. Below are some common examples.
| Qualification | Grades |
|---|---|
| A Levels | DDE |
| BTEC | MPP |
| Access | Pass 45 Credits |
| International Baccalaureate | TBC |
Extra information
We also welcome applications from students with few or no formal Level 3 qualifications who wish to return to education.
You may be asked to attend an interview.
More information
Contact us
Module information
Modules for years 1-3 for this course are changing from September 2026, however, your foundation year 0 is unaffected. Due to these changes, you will study the foundation year 0 modules listed on this page, then from year 1 onwards you will then study the modules listed on the updated course page.
Core/optional modules
How you’ll learn
You will be taught through a combination of blended learning with workshops, laboratory practicals and seminars.
Workshops will enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures. In addition, you will meet with your academic personal tutor at least once each semester, but you are encouraged to arrange additional meetings as required.
You will use industry-standard software, and you will have access to specialist facilities and equipment throughout your course.
In your final year, you will conduct an independent research project that can cater to your particular interests and skills development. You will be supervised by a member of our academic team and guided in undertaking independent research, data analysis and presentation of your results. Depending on the topic of your project, you may also have the opportunity to collaborate with an industry partner on an industry-relevant research project.
Your actual contact hours depend on the option modules you select.
When not attending workshops, practical sessions or other timetabled activities you will continue learning through self-study that will be structured for you by the module leader for each module. Typically, this involves reading journal articles and books, engaging with online learning materials (videos, quizzes etc.), undertaking research in the library, working on projects, and preparing for coursework assignments/examinations, workshops and seminars.
Your module tutor will direct you towards specific readings and/or activities to complete before class.
For the Honours Project module in the final year, you will undertake independent research. You will work under the supervision of a member of our academic team, with support of other members of the teaching team where necessary. You will meet with your supervisor regularly.
The team consists of highly qualified academics. They have a range of expertise and experience.
All our team members hold doctoral and teaching qualifications, and they are research-active. They have experience in delivering research-informed teaching. You should note that members of the teaching team might change.
Postgraduate students sometimes assist in teaching and assessing some modules. However, experienced academics teach the vast majority of lectures and seminars.
Teaching is at the heart of what we do and this is reflected in the number of contact hours we offer students, especially for practical skills development.Dr Chris HarveySection Director of Natural and Applied Sciences
How you’ll be assessed
The course provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark.
There is also a formal or 'summative' assessment element for each of the modules. Assessment methods include a range of coursework assessments, such as laboratory reports, literature reviews, skills assessments, presentations and your final year major project. Some modules also have a formally assessed exam. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The balance of assessment by examination and assessment by coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose.
Typically, there will be two coursework assessments weighted at 50% each and a practical skills portfolio. Some modules from Level 5 onward will have an exam that replaces the 50% piece of coursework.
Feedback
You will receive feedback on all practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to help you learn and you are encouraged to discuss it with your module leader or personal academic tutor.
We aim to provide you with feedback within 15 working days of hand-in (formal coursework assessment).
Your future career
Major employment areas for Biomedical Science graduates include the NHS and the wider healthcare sector, sales and marketing of healthcare and diagnostic products, diagnostic and clinical laboratories, and research and development for the pharmaceutical, diagnostics, medical devices and laboratory instrumentation industries. Alternatively, you may choose to continue on to postgraduate study through to a Master's or PhD.
Fees
The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
| UK | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time - Foundation Year 0 | £9,535 | £15,500 |
| Full-time - years 1-3 | £9,535 | £15,500 |
Tuition fees for all courses are payable on an annual basis, except where stated.
The tuition fees relate to 2025/26 only. Please read the 2025/26 Tuition Fee Statement for further information regarding tuition fees and year on year fee increases.
Home (UK) Fees
Home (UK) tuition fees for Foundation Years at Canterbury Christ Church University will be set in line with the maximum tuition fee cap for foundation years in classroom-based subjects or non-classroom based subjects, as set by the UK Government.
Home (UK) tuition fees for subsequent years 1-3 are currently set in line with the maximum tuition fee cap for standard undergraduate degrees set by the UK Government.
The Government has announced that it will increase the tuition fee cap by 3.1%, in line with inflation, for the 2025/26 academic cycle. Subject to parliamentary approval, the University intends to increase our tuition fees in line with this and as per our terms and conditions. This means that from September 2025 onwards, our undergraduate home tuition fees for subsequent years of study are expected to be £9,535.
Overseas/International Fees
Undergraduate / PGCE tuition fees for international students are not set by the UK Government.
- Read advice about funding your degree
- See information about the financial support available for undergraduate studies
- If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact accounts.receivable@canterbury.ac.uk
- For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk
Important Course Information
This course is designed to meet the accreditation standards of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), and we're actively working to get it accredited. Because of this, some aspects of the course, such as the academic content, module structure, types of assessments, and practical classes, might change. We have an IBMS accreditation event scheduled.
This course does not include a built-in clinical placement that would allow you to complete the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) competency portfolio. This portfolio is necessary to register as a Biomedical Scientist qualified to work in places like NHS clinical laboratories.
However, the course does offer an optional year in industry (or year abroad). With our support, you can use this year to arrange a clinical placement in an HCPC-accredited laboratory to complete some or all of your HCPC competency portfolio.
Industry links
Our course has been designed with input from clinical practitioners in Biomedical Science as well as speakers and lecturers with a clinical lab background who will be delivering some of your sessions.
Our Industry Liaison Lab at Discovery Park in Sandwich has facilitated research collaborations and student internships with biomedical companies located there. You will have opportunities to visit and carry out practicals at Discovery Park during your studies and we regularly have students completing dissertation projects there in collaboration with one of our industry partners.
We also host a careers fair specifically for our life science students where you can talk to employers, find out about the exciting careers they offer and get advice on how to progress into those careers with the skills you have learned. The careers fair has features talks from major biotechnology companies such as Roche.
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*We are advertising this course as ‘subject to approval.’ When we add new courses or update existing courses, we advertise the course as ‘subject to approval’. We do this to let you know the University still needs to agree to run the course. It is rare for a course not to gain approval, but it is not guaranteed. There may be changes to course and module titles, content and assessment, but we will tell you about these if there is a change. You can still apply to study a course subject to approval. We have prepared some questions and answers to tell you more.