BSc Biotechnology​
This is a unique course that combines knowledge of the biological sciences, industrial applications and enterprise skills.
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BSc Biotechnology/Overview
Course description
Our BSc Biotechnology course will enable you to learn about the science behind biotechnology while also looking at how to succeed in a career in the industry.
You will learn how new start-up biotechnology companies are created, as well as about exploring the market potential of products and processes, creating business plans and raising money from venture capitalists.
Our group enterprise projects, which involve close collaboration with entrepreneurs, provide a great opportunity for you to stand out from other graduates.
This course is designed to produce graduates who have a comprehensive understanding of science, technology and business management, along with the entrepreneurial skills required to exploit technological advances within a competitive environment.
Flexibility to transfer between courses
You can transfer between most of our bioscience courses at the end of your first year or, in some cases, later.
Teaching and learning
You will benefit from a wide range of teaching and learning methods that suit the content and aims of each course unit.
These range from lectures and tutorials to practicals and research projects, including the final year project .
Find out more about how you will learn and see a typical Year 1 timetable on our teaching and learning page.
Coursework and assessment
Assessment methods vary widely to suit the nature of the course unit and each level of study.
- Lecture units are usually assessed by written exam (multiple choice or essay-based), which are held at the end of an academic semester in either January or May/June.
- Practical units are usually assessed by experimental report and/or short written assignment and/or written exam.
- The proportion of independent study assignments increases during each year of study.
Year 1
Lecture units are usually assessed by e-learning activities during the unit and multiple choice exams at the end of the semester. Year 1 contributes 10% to your overall degree mark.
Year 2
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam, and some units also include a coursework element. Year 2 contributes 30% to your overall degree mark.
Final year
Lecture units are usually assessed by essay-based exam. Students also take two honours papers: degree programme-specific examinations comprising essays and data-handling problems.
A significant part of the year (accounting for one-quarter of the overall degree mark) is the project, which is assessed through a presentation and a written report.
The final year contributes 60% to your overall degree mark.
Course unit details
This course is modular. You will study compulsory course units and choose some optional units. Most units are assigned 10 credits and you will take 120 credits each year.
Course content for year 1
You will gain a broad introduction to biological sciences, covering key concepts such as:
- biochemistry
- genetics
- microbiology
- pharmacology
- molecular biology
In addition, you will study fundamental concepts of management and entrepreneurial skills.
Year 1 also provides an introduction to the essential data handling and laboratory skills required for all biological scientists.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Unit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | CSC101 | 3 | C |
| Science | SCS101 | 2 | C |
| Basic Science | BSC101 | 2 | E |
| Mathematics | MTH101 | 3 | C |
Course content for year 2
You will continue your studies in greater depth and begin to specialise. You will also undertake a Science Communication unit.
In the Research Skills unit, you have the opportunity to carry out techniques that are widely used in current biological science research.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Unit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer | CSC101 | 3 | C |
| Science | SCS101 | 2 | C |
| Basic Science | BSC101 | 2 | E |
| Mathematics | MTH101 | 3 | C |
Facilities
Learning facilities
Our modern teaching labs are equipped for a range of biological and biomedical techniques. The following are just a few of the techniques you could undertake during your degree:
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR);
- DNA sequencing;
- gel electrophoresis;
- spectrophotometry;
- dissection and histology;
- electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG);
- immunofluorescence microscopy.
Our computing facilities include access to over 200 PCs in dedicated clusters and e-learning tools including online lecture notes, discussion boards, lecture podcasts and quizzes.
You will also have access to the University’s other facilities for undergraduate students.
Research facilities
As a final year student, you have the opportunity to undertake a project in the labs of our world-class bioscience researchers.To support our research, we have extensive research facilities equipped with high-quality technology.