Biochemistry and Genetics

Biochemistry and genetics together address the molecular basis of life. Biochemistry explores the chemical processes that sustain living organisms, from enzyme reactions and metabolic pathways to the structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids. Genetics examines how biological information is encoded, inherited, regulated, and expressed, and how variation at the molecular level connects to observable traits, disease susceptibility, and evolutionary change.

Studying the two together provides a powerful and integrated view of how cells work, how organisms develop, and how life reproduces and adapts.

This three-year full-time programme at Swansea University covers the core principles of molecular biology alongside specialist study in both biochemical mechanisms and genetic analysis. You will develop laboratory skills that are central to modern biological research, including techniques in molecular cloning, gel electrophoresis, spectroscopy, and genetic sequencing. The programme engages with the ways in which molecular biology is transforming medicine, including the development of new treatments for genetic diseases, advances in pharmacology and drug discovery, and the growing understanding of how our environment interacts with gene expression.

With a typical entry tariff of 120 points, the programme is well suited to students with strong scientific ability and curiosity about the molecular world.

Biochemistry and genetics graduates are highly valued in the life sciences sector, which continues to grow as medical and biotechnological applications expand. Direct career routes include research roles in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, clinical laboratory work in the NHS, and research positions in universities and public health agencies. The genetic counselling profession, which requires further training, draws on graduates with a strong grounding in genetics.

Roles in science communication, regulatory affairs, intellectual property, and science policy are also accessible. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study at master's or PhD level, specialising in areas such as molecular genetics, structural biochemistry, cancer biology, or computational biology. The combination of biochemical and genetic knowledge provides an unusually strong foundation for research careers in the biomedical sciences.