Medical Biosciences

Medical Biosciences with a specialism in Physiology is a degree centred on understanding how the body functions in health and how those functions are disrupted by disease. Physiology examines the mechanisms by which cells, tissues, organs, and systems carry out their roles, from the electrical activity of neurons and the pumping of the heart to the regulation of hormones and the exchange of gases in the lungs. Set within the broader context of medical bioscience, this specialism connects cellular and molecular processes to clinical outcomes, giving you the scientific grounding needed to understand both what goes wrong in disease and what underpins the strategies used to treat it.

At the University of Leicester, this four-year integrated masters degree allows you to develop your research and laboratory skills progressively, with the final year extending the degree to masters level study in a medically specialised direction. The programme includes a sandwich year and the option of a year abroad, as well as work placements, all of which give you the opportunity to apply your scientific training in professional and international settings. You will study at molecular, cellular, and systems levels, building a layered understanding of how the body's interacting systems normally maintain homeostasis and what happens when that regulation breaks down.

Graduates of this programme are well prepared for careers in biomedical research, clinical laboratory work, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and scientific consultancy. The integrated masters level qualification is particularly valued by those who wish to move directly into research or to progress to doctoral study in physiology, pharmacology, or related biomedical fields. Healthcare-adjacent roles in medical writing, regulatory affairs, and science communication are also common destinations.