Biomedical Sciences

Biomedical sciences investigates the biological processes that underlie human health and disease, sitting at the boundary between basic science and clinical medicine. The discipline encompasses cell biology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, physiology and pharmacology, bringing them to bear on questions of how the body works, how it responds to infection and injury, and how disease develops at the molecular and cellular level. It is a field that generates the scientific knowledge on which modern medicine depends.

The University of Edinburgh offers this four-year full-time degree with a year abroad, which reflects both the international nature of biomedical research and the value Edinburgh places on developing students with a broad perspective. Edinburgh is one of the world's leading research universities in the life and medical sciences, and the programme benefits from proximity to an exceptionally active research environment. You will cover the core biological sciences in depth, developing both theoretical understanding and practical laboratory competence before moving into more specialist areas including human physiology, disease mechanisms, drug action and the application of modern genomic and molecular techniques.

The year abroad gives you the opportunity to study at a partner research institution in another country, broadening your scientific perspective and your experience of how biomedical research is conducted in different settings.

Biomedical sciences trains rigorous experimental thinking, precision in laboratory technique, the ability to interpret complex data and the communication skills to present scientific findings clearly. It also develops the intellectual discipline to engage with a rapidly changing field.

Graduates pursue careers in clinical laboratory science, pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, healthcare regulation, science communication, academic research and the medical professions. Many go on to postgraduate study, including doctoral research, which is the primary route into academic biomedical science, or to graduate-entry medicine and related healthcare training.