Biomedical Sciences with a Year in Industry
Biomedical sciences provides a thorough grounding in the basis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. It is the laboratory-based discipline that underpins clinical medicine, bringing together biochemistry, microbiology, haematology, cell biology, immunology, and genetics to understand how the body functions in health and how it responds to disease. Biomedical scientists are the practitioners who perform the diagnostic analyses, from blood tests to microbiological cultures to histological examination, on which clinical diagnosis and patient care depend.
At Royal Holloway, University of London, this four-year programme includes a year in industry, distinguishing it from a standard three-year degree and adding a period of sustained professional experience in a scientific or healthcare setting. You will develop a thorough understanding of the biological and chemical processes underlying health and disease, alongside strong practical laboratory skills and the ability to critically evaluate scientific evidence. The year in industry gives you direct exposure to professional scientific practice, whether in an NHS laboratory, a pharmaceutical company, a research institute, or another relevant setting, and it develops the professional competence and awareness that employers look for.
The programme also includes a year abroad, giving you the experience of biomedical science in a different academic and cultural environment, which adds further breadth to your scientific education and your personal development. Graduates in biomedical sciences from Royal Holloway are eligible, with the appropriate placement component, to work towards registration as biomedical scientists with the Health and Care Professions Council. Graduates also go on to careers in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, clinical trials, forensic science, healthcare management, science communication, and academic research.
Many pursue postgraduate study, including research degrees in biomedical science or conversion courses for clinical professions.