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Biochemistry

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

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. The typical offer for the Professional Placement course is higher than that for the corresponding three year BSc degree course. However, all candidates who firmly accept the offer as their first choice will be automatically offered a place on the corresponding three year course should they miss the higher, but meet the standard offer.

Access to HE (Science) with sufficient Biology and Chemistry content is considered. Contact Admissions Team for details.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

6, 6, 6 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)

D*D*D*

BTEC National Extended Diploma D*D*D* in Applied Science BTEC Level 3 National Diploma D*D* in Applied Science and A Level grade A in Chemistry BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate D* in Applied Science, Applied Human Biology, or Applied Psychology and 2 A Levels at grades AA, with the A in A Level Chemistry. Or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate D* in any subject and 2 A Levels with grades AA, to include Chemistry and a second science subject.

UCAS Tariff

144

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time with year in industry | 2024

Subject

Biochemistry

The Biochemistry with Professional Placement MSci course offers the opportunity to combine an academic degree course with a full year of professional training in a non-University setting.

Advances in the biosciences are having a profound impact on our daily lives, from human health to conservation, making it a hugely rewarding area to study and work in. As a scientific discipline, biochemistry sits at the interface between biology, chemistry, pharmacology and medicine, and this unique position opens up a stunning variety of career paths.

Studying at Birmingham means you'll benefit from high-technology facilities and teaching from world-renowned experts in their field. You will be able to tailor your course to match your own interests and goals. The course builds on the content and structure of the corresponding 3-year BSc Biochemistry course, but it includes the placement between second and final year. The central element of the placement year is a research or development project at the industry partner.

The Professional Placement year is intercalated between the second and final years of the course and encompasses a defined project agreed between the employer, the University and yourself. The placement year will allow you not just to gain professional experience, but also to start building a network of professional contacts. Finally, it will give a fresh perspective for the final year of the course.

This programme has been accredited by the Royal Society of Biology following an independent and rigorous assessment. Advanced Degree accreditation highlights the degrees that have the potential to educate the life science leaders and innovators of the future.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
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:

University of Birmingham

Department:

School of Biosciences

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.

81%
Biochemistry

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

81%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
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

88%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
89%
Course specific equipment and facilities
66%
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?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
36%
Male students
64%
Female students
96%
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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
48%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

15%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
11%
Other elementary services occupations

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

£23k

£27k

£27k

£34k

£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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Lower entry requirements
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Nearby University
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Same University
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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