Biochemistry
Entry requirements
A level
To include A Level Chemistry and a second science: Biology, Human Biology, Mathematics (or Further Mathematics, or Statistics), Physics. Specified subjects excluded for entry: General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies, Applied Science, Communication and Culture, Critical Studies, Global Perspectives, Science in Society and World Development. Minimum of five GCSEs to include Mathematics, English and double award science at grade 4/C.
Access to HE (Science) with sufficient Biology and Chemistry content is considered. Contact Admissions Team for details.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
6, 6, 5 in Higher Level subjects plus 32 points overall. Higher Level subjects need to include the required subjects as defined for the A Level qualification.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
BTEC National Extended Diploma D*D*D in Applied Science BTEC Level 3 National Diploma D*D* in Applied Science and A Level grade B in Chemistry BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate D* in Applied Science, Applied Human Biology, or Applied Psychology and 2 A Levels at grades AB, with the B in A Level Chemistry. Or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate D* in any subject and 2 A Levels with grades AB, to include Chemistry and a second science subject.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Our Royal Society of Biology accredited Biochemistry BSc degree offers you the chance to specialise in areas such as Biology, Chemistry and Medicine.
If you are fascinated by the molecular world, and wish to pursue a career in an area with a direct and growing impact on key societal issues, BSc Biochemistry at Birmingham is a great place to start. We put a particular emphasis on practical training and developing transferable skills that will be invaluable in a wide range of professional settings.
With its specialist degree options, the course offers a fantastic opportunity to explore living organisms from a molecular and cellular perspective. Starting with the foundations of chemistry, cell biology and genetics and leading you right up to cutting-edge research questions in the final year which could see you working in one of our high-technology facilities, such as analysing metabolites using mass spectrometry in the Phenome Centre.
This programme has been accredited by the Royal Society of Biology. Accredited degree programmes contain a solid academic foundation in biological knowledge and key skills, and prepare graduates to address the needs of employers.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Birmingham
School of Biosciences
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
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£23k
£27k
£34k
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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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?
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