Biomedicine with Foundation Year
Entry requirements
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSEs (or equivalent) required at grade C or grade 4 or above in English, mathematics and double science (or two single sciences).
UCAS Tariff
With some evidence of study in a science-related subject. The UCAS tariff score is applicable to you if you have recently studied a qualification that has a UCAS tariff equivalence. UCAS provides a tariff calculator for you to work out what your qualification is worth within the UCAS tariff.
About this course
Your studies on Birkbeck’s BSc Biomedicine will be at the interface between molecular, cell and integrative biology and evolving disease therapies. You will discover how biomedical research plays a pivotal role in the transfer of advances in basic science into effective practices that promote human health as well as into treatments for human diseases. Learning with internationally recognised researchers, study on this biomedicine degree will provide you with an academic grounding in the science that underpins modern medicine, with the opportunity to explore biomedical research.
You will develop a sound knowledge of scientific principles across a range of disciplines, including biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, drugs and drug discovery, genetics, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology and physiology, and will understand their applications.
Your practical laboratory experience will be a key element of your degree. In tandem with your scientific understanding, you will develop practical and analytical skills that will support an evidence-based, critical approach to scientific discovery. You will also practise creativity and team-building that drive scientific innovation.
You will develop the technical, intellectual and social skills needed for careers in research, medicine, teaching, and the wider application of scientific knowledge in the modern workplace.
Teaching on this BSc Biomedicine is flexible to respond to the needs of our students. Birkbeck is known for its evening teaching. From autumn 2024, this programme has the option of daytime or evening study.
If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.
The course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology for the purpose of meeting in part the academic and experience requirement for the Membership and Chartered Biologist (CBiol).
**Highlights**
- Birkbeck provides state-of-the-art, specialist laboratories and facilities for studying biological sciences in the heart of academic London.
- In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), in a joint submission with UCL, Biological Sciences at Birkbeck were ranked 11th in the UK.
- You will be taught by internationally distinguished experts who work with governments and institutions around the globe to extend the boundaries of knowledge.
- Working in close collaboration with the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, a joint institute between Birkbeck and UCL, we are recognised for the excellence and international impact of our research.
- This course has full Royal Society of Biology accreditation, following an independent and rigorous assessment. Accredited degrees contain a solid academic foundation in biological knowledge and key skills, and prepare graduates to address the needs of employers. The accreditation criteria require evidence that graduates with accredited degrees meet defined sets of learning outcomes, including subject knowledge, technical ability and transferable skills.
**Careers and employability**
Graduates can pursue career paths in scientific research, public health or the health sector more generally. Possible professions include:
- biomedical scientist
- healthcare scientist
- medical research scientist
- microbiologist.
Modules
For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.
Assessment methods
This programme uses a range of assessment methods, including short-answer tests in class, computer-based tests (accessed remotely or in class), practical reports, essays, problem-solving and data analysis assignments, oral communication and poster presentations, internet surveys, and unseen, or open-book, written examinations.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Birkbeck, University of London
School of Natural Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£31k
£31k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Explore these similar courses...
This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here