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Biotechnology

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

Must include: A in Chemistry A in Biology, Physics or Mathematics General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted. If you are made an offer you will be required to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,D3,D3

Must include: D3 in Chemistry D3 in Biology, Mathematics or Physics

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

38

Our minimum entry standard is 38 points overall, to include: 6 in Chemistry at higher level 6 in Biology, Mathematics* or Physics at higher level *Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or the Applications and Interpretation syllabi will be accepted at higher level with no preference.

UCAS Tariff

144

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Molecular biology

Biotechnology creates a vital link between biology and technology.

All Biotechnology students follow the same core modules for the first two years. This gives you a solid grounding in the fundamental topics, and prepares you for advanced study.

You'll cover all aspects of the applied biochemistry and biotechnology industries, including commercialising technology, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property. Your learning is enhanced with lectures and case studies from business leaders and academics.

Teaching is enriched by the Department's internationally leading research programme, so you'll be learning at the very cutting edge of the subject.

You will also benefit from access to our outstanding facilities, including for genomic and cell biology studies, tissue culture suites and the most modern microscopes.

As you progress, you will have increased freedom to follow your own interests by choosing from a wide range of optional modules. You'll also complete a research project or dissertation involving a significant element of biotechnology.

The structure of the Department's courses means that transfer between different Biotechnology and Biochemistry degrees is usually possible up until the end of the second year. If you are an international student, transferring to a different course could have an impact on your visa, but our International Student Support Team are here to help advise and support you.

**As well as your main Imperial degree (BSc), you will also receive the award of the Associateship of the Royal College of Science (ARCS) on completion of this course.**

Modules

We recommend reviewing our course page for the latest information regarding the curriculum (including core and optional modules) and course structure, as this information may be subject to periodic change.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£41,650
per year
International
£41,650
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Imperial College London

Department:

Life Sciences

Read full university profile

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.

92%
Molecular biology

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

86%
Staff make the subject interesting
94%
Staff are good at explaining things
86%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
75%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

85%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

17%
UK students
83%
International students
51%
Male students
49%
Female students
98%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A*
A

After graduation


The stats in this section 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

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£25,500
high
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
76%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
17%
Business, research and administrative professionals
12%
Natural and social science professionals

Around 2,500 graduates got degrees in this demanding but valuable subject last year. Graduates who want a career in research usually take postgraduate qualifications - over a third of graduates in the subject took this option - but those who want to start work when they graduate have a lot to choose from. Laboratory work and other jobs in the biosciences are popular, as well as in education, but many biochemistry graduates find their way into the finance industry and as a consequence, graduates from these disciplines are particularly likely to get jobs in London and the South East.

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.

£25k

£25k

£33k

£33k

£36k

£36k

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.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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