Overview
Get ready with a foundation year and learn the foundational skills and knowledge to complete a full Honours degree. You'll be able to embark on this qualification without meeting the level 3 entry requirements, giving you the opportunity to study at degree level through this four year course.
Explore how science transforms lives on our Biomedical Science degree. If you're interested in how the body works and how science helps fight disease, this course is your next step into the world of medical research and healthcare.
Taught by a multidisciplinary team of expert academics in our state-of-the-art laboratories, you'll learn through hands-on experience and apply knowledge to real-world problems. Whether you’re aiming for a career in the NHS, clinical laboratories, or biomedical research, this course will prepare you with the scientific and transferable skills that employers value.
What you’ll learn
- Explore the inner workings of the human body through anatomy, physiology, and histology.
- Investigate the causes and treatments of disease using techniques in microbiology, biochemistry, and genetics.
- Develop essential practical skills through experiments and data analysis in hi-tech labs.
- Apply scientific theory to real biomedical challenges in society, from diagnostics to global health.
- Collaborate with scientists at the nearby Discovery Park through our Industry Liaison Lab.
By the end of the course, you’ll be ready for careers in biomedical science, healthcare, and pharmaceutical research, as well prepared for postgraduate study.
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
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
Tuition Fees for 2026/27 have not yet been finalised. These course web pages will be updated with Tuition Fee information once they have been agreed.
- 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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Duration:
4 yearsUCAS code:
B10FLocation(s):
CanterburyAny questions?
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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.