Biomedical Science

Biomedical science is the laboratory discipline that underpins diagnosis and treatment in modern healthcare. Most of the clinical information on which doctors base their decisions comes from laboratory tests, whether a blood count, a bacterial culture, a cancer biopsy, or a test for a specific protein or enzyme. Biomedical scientists are the skilled professionals who perform, interpret, and quality assure those tests, working in hospital and public health laboratories to provide the analytical service that clinical medicine depends on.

At Sunderland you will build on your prior knowledge of biology and chemistry to develop expertise in the core areas of diagnostic laboratory science: medical microbiology, immunology, haematology, cellular pathology, and clinical biochemistry. Each of these specialisms corresponds to a major area of laboratory diagnostic work, and you will develop both theoretical understanding and practical laboratory skills across all of them. The three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich placement year with a work placement, giving you direct experience in a healthcare laboratory environment before you graduate.

This professional placement is particularly important in biomedical science, where employers value graduates who have worked in NHS or equivalent laboratory settings and have developed the practical competence and professional standards that clinical work requires.

Graduates are well placed for careers as biomedical scientists in NHS hospitals, blood transfusion services, public health laboratories, and private healthcare diagnostics. The Health and Care Professions Council accredits the profession, and graduates can work towards State Registration, which is required for clinical laboratory work in the NHS. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study or to specialist training in one of the biomedical science disciplines.