Biomedical Science

Lancaster University’s BSc Biomedical Science is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). An IBMS-accredited degree, along with a training period in an NHS lab, represents a core route to employment in the NHS as a biomedical scientist.

The degree will provide you with a thorough grounding in the theory and laboratory techniques associated with biomedical science – a subject dealing with the study of life processes within the context of human health and disease. It is ideal for those with a broad interest in human life processes and disease as teaching places an emphasis on the molecules and mechanisms fundamental to life processes and how these are disrupted by disease.

Our biomedical science degree is designed to focus on the key aspects of modern day biomedicine. The course is highly-specialised and is taught jointly with clinical and biomedical staff from local hospitals. The course content is very structured and the majority of the modules are compulsory. If you would prefer a more flexible degree in this subject area, you might want to consider one of Lancaster University’s biomedicine degrees instead.

You will begin your Biomedical Science degree with the study of 15 wide-ranging modules, including Biomedical Science in Practice, Biomedicine and Society, and Diagnosis in Biomedical Science. In your second year, you will study subjects including Biochemistry, Cellular Pathology and Medical Microbiology.

In your third year of study, you will focus on aspects of human disease by studying modules on Cancer, Medical Genetics and Pathobiology. There are optional modules to select from in your third year, such as Neurobiology, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology and Cell Signalling, Transport and Disease.

During the degree, you will carry out a laboratory-based project, drawing on the expertise of our academic staffs’ vast biomedical research experience. This includes research into skin, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers; Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases; arthritis and other human conditions and diseases.

Whilst on the course, you will be eligible to apply for highly competitive placements within the NHS. If successful, you will begin your placement after completion of your second year of study, finishing at the end of August the following year. You will complete a portfolio during your placement year which is examined by the IBMS. Upon successful examination of your portfolio and completion of your degree, you will be awarded an IBMS Certificate of Competence and will be able to apply to the HCPC for registration as a Biomedical Scientist.