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Microbiology and Molecular Biology

Entry requirements


To include grade C in one of the following subjects: Biology (with Pass in Practical Assessment), Human Biology and Applied Science.

Pass Access to HE Diploma in Science with a minimum score of 106 UCAS Tariff points.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

To include HL 5 in Biology and HL 4 or SL 5 in English and Mathematics.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (1080) in Applied Science Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF) in Applied Science Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma in Forensic and Criminal Investigation

UCAS Tariff

104-112

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Microbiology

Explore a fascinating area of biology: a microscopic world inhabited by single-celled organisms which drives all other facets of the natural world. While rooted in the fundamental theories of biological science, our BSc (Hons) Microbiology and Molecular Biology degree is also designed with practical applications in mind. As you progress, you’ll find a real emphasis on the environmental, industrial, clinical and research applications of microbiology and molecular biology and study current techniques, such as next-generation DNA sequencing technology and biotechnology.

Study microbiology and molecular biology at Manchester Met and you’ll learn about how biomolecules enable cells to function, the genetics of microorganisms, biotechnology and environmental microbiology. You will explore specialist aspects within the subject as you progress and undertake an independent research project in your third year.

Along the way, you’ll develop a valuable set of skills in our laboratories, with an emphasis on how to apply the tools and techniques within biotechnological, medical and environmental microbiology.

Our BSc (Hons) Microbiology and Molecular Biology degree also provides the option of spending an extra year expanding your horizons, either studying with one of our partner universities overseas, or working on a placement with a business or non-governmental organisation.

**FEATURES AND BENEFITS**

- 100% of BSc (Hons) Microbiology and Molecular Biology students said the staff were good at explaining things (NSS Survey 2022).

- 100% of BSc (Hons) Microbiology and Molecular Biology students are in graduate work or in further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20).

- You can take the four-year route, spending a year studying abroad in Europe, North America or Australia, or boosting your career prospects with a 9-12 month placement.

- Learn from academics who are involved in research that is ranked fifth place nationally for research impact. 100% of our research impact is world-leading or internationally excellent — and 75% is at the highest 4* level. (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

- We are investing £115m to transform the way we teach and you learn in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Open from Autumn 2023, our new Dalton building will enhance collaboration between students, staff and industry and provide new and improved teaching spaces, including a 200-student capacity Superlab.

- Learn in specialist laboratories, including our dedicated microbiology and cell/molecular biology labs, DNA-sequencing lab and industry standard analytical suite, all giving you hands-on experience of advanced analysis techniques.

- Emphasis on the environmental, industrial, clinical and research applications of cells and molecules, with the flexibility to focus on selected aspects of microbiology and molecular biology according to your special interests.

The Uni


Course location:

Manchester Metropolitan University

Department:

Department of Natural 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.

79%
Microbiology

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.

Microbiology and cell science

Teaching and learning

89%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
68%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
84%
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

89%
Library resources
72%
IT resources
95%
Course specific equipment and facilities
79%
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?

94%
UK students
6%
International students
45%
Male students
55%
Female students
78%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

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.

Microbiology and cell science

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.

£17,000
low
Average annual salary
90%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

12%
Science, engineering and production technicians
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Caring personal services

If you want a career in microbiology, then this is the degree to take. The recession hit the job market for microbiologists particularly badly, but things have improved very significantly since then, and microbiologists are now amongst the most employable biological sciences graduates. We don't produce many graduates in the subject every year and a lot take further qualifications on graduating. Microbiology graduates who want to leave the lab can find jobs in most industries - not just in health and hospitals, but in the food and drink, water and ecology sectors, too.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Microbiology and cell science

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

£18k

£23k

£23k

£25k

£25k

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...

Higher entry requirements
University of Reading | Reading
Microbiology
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 120-147
Lower entry requirements
University of York | York
Biotechnology
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 54-136
Nearby University
University of Central Lancashire | Preston
Microbiology
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 104-120

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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