Genetics with a Foundation Year
Genetics is an exciting and fast-moving field that is transforming our understanding of life and driving innovation across science and medicine. From diagnosing and treating diseases to developing new pharmaceuticals, personalised therapies, genetic engineering, biotechnology, and the study of evolution, biodiversity, and pathogens, genetics now underpins many of the most important scientific advances of our time. At degree level, genetics develops the scientific understanding of inheritance, gene expression, molecular mechanisms, genomics, and the applications of genetic knowledge in medicine, agriculture, conservation, and biotechnology.
At Swansea University, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year that provides a supported entry into the genetics degree for students who would benefit from additional preparation in the biological and chemical sciences before the main content begins. The foundation year is designed to build the scientific understanding and academic skills needed to engage fully with the genetics content of the subsequent three years. You will develop skills in molecular biology, cell biology, genomics, evolutionary genetics, bioinformatics, and the practical laboratory techniques that genetic science requires, studying in a department with active research in these areas.
With a typical entry tariff of 104 UCAS points, this programme is accessible to students with genuine scientific curiosity and the motivation to engage with one of biology's most dynamic fields. Graduates pursue careers in medical genetics and genomics, pharmaceutical research, biotechnology, agricultural and plant genetics, forensic genetics, conservation genetics, bioinformatics, and scientific roles in the NHS, research institutions, and industry. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in genetics, genomics, molecular biology, or biomedical science, building on the undergraduate foundation to develop specialist expertise in these rapidly advancing fields.