Biomedical Sciences (Biochemistry) with Placement Year
Biomedical science sits at the meeting point of biology, chemistry, and medicine, dedicated to understanding how the human body works at the molecular and cellular level and what goes wrong in disease. The biochemistry pathway takes that fundamental orientation and deepens it, focusing on the chemical processes that underpin life: enzyme function, metabolic pathways, gene expression, and the molecular mechanisms that cause conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This four-year full-time degree at Brunel University London includes a placement year, giving you the chance to apply your scientific training in a professional environment before your final year.
You will build a thorough grounding in biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, and the laboratory techniques that biomedical scientists use every day, from spectroscopy and chromatography to molecular cloning and imaging. As the programme progresses, you will focus increasingly on human disease processes: how they arise, how they are detected, and how laboratory findings translate into clinical diagnostics and therapeutic strategies. The placement year is a significant feature of the degree, offering twelve months of work experience in an industry, NHS, or research setting where you will develop professional skills and build a network of contacts that serves you well when you graduate.
A typical entry tariff of 120 UCAS points reflects a programme that is rigorous but broadly accessible to students with the right scientific background. Graduates from biomedical sciences with a biochemistry specialism are well qualified for careers in clinical laboratory science, pharmaceutical and biotechnology research and development, medical device industries, scientific regulation, and public health. Many graduates also progress to postgraduate study, including master's degrees in biomedical research or specialist clinical science, or go on to pursue medicine, dentistry, or other healthcare professional training.