PROGRAMME HANDBOOK FOR

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES BSc DEGREE PROGRAMME

Academic Year 2019/20
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Page

1 Welcome & overview 2

2 Key names & contacts 4

3 Programme aims 4

4 What will you be expected to achieve? 5

5 How will you learn? 6

6 What is “independent study” 6

7 How will you be assessed? 7

8 Academic integrity 9

9 How is the programme structured? 9

10 How do we listen and act on your feedback? 12

11 Academic support 12

12 Specific support for disabled students 13

13 Advice & counselling service 13

14 Change of programme 14

15 Opportunities for postgraduate study in SBCS & SMD 15

16 What happens after graduation? 15

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(1) WELCOME & OVERVIEW

Welcome to the School of Biological & Chemical Sciences (SBCS), to Bart’s & The London
School of Medicine & Dentistry (SMD), and specifically to the Biomedical Sciences BSc
degree programme.
Biomedical Science is concerned with understanding the causes, diagnosis and treatment of
disease. Students study human anatomy, pathology, physiology, biochemistry, molecular
biology, genetics and pharmacology, with specialist courses on topics such as endocrinology,
infectious diseases, haematology, immunology and cancer biology. The curriculum of our
degree programme here at Queen Mary is delivered by SBCS with substantial input from
colleagues from the SMD institutes. We work together to ensure you are taught by experts
in biomedical sciences who want to share their passion for their subject with you.
Students graduating from our Biomedical Sciences programme follow diverse career paths.
Some students enter medicine, dentistry or health-related professions; others enter the
scientific community by working in a research lab or continuing their studies at
postgraduate level; some students pursue professional careers outside of science, such as
finance or teaching; other students go into business, including biotechnology and
pharmaceutical companies; and some students walk a complete different path through life!
The knowledge and skills you will gain during your degree have the potential to open many
doors.

I hope you find this programme handbook useful and that, over the next 3 years, you find
your undergraduate degree to be as enjoyable as it is educational. I hope that you will make
the most of the opportunities for personal and professional development offered by the
wide range of compulsory and elective modules that build on the breadth of expertise
offered by academic colleagues in departments within SBCS and research institutes in Bart’s
& the London School of Medicine & Dentistry. All of the staff involved in your degree wish
you good luck with your studies and look forward to supporting your personal and career
aspirations over the course of your degree and, beyond that, when you graduate and
become an alumnus of QMUL.

In closing, can I reiterate my welcome to QMUL, to SBCS, to SMD, and specifically to the
Biomedical Science BSc degree programme.

Dr Jayne Dennis
Director of Teaching & Learning [Biomedical Sciences]

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September 2019

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(2) KEY NAMES / CONTACTS

ROLE NAME EMAIL ADDRESS
Director of Teaching & Learning
(DTL) [Biomedical Sciences] & Dr Jayne Dennis [email protected]
Programme Director

Programme Tutors: Dr Dunja Aksentijevic [email protected]

Dr Sadani Cooray [email protected]
Dr Richard Grose [email protected]
Dr Shane Wilkinson [email protected]

Academic Advisor During induction week you will be advised who your
academic advisor is and how to contact them.

Student Support Officer Ms Shaheda Batha [email protected]

Head of Undergraduate Science

Professor Lucinda Hall [email protected]
Teaching, SMD

Director of Taught Programmes

Dr Chris Bray [email protected]
(DTP), SBCS

(3) PROGRAMME AIMS

The Biomedical Science BSc programme will provide you with a broad undergraduate theory
and practical training in modern biosciences. The BSc degree aims to:
• Provide a rational, flexibly structured and coherent programme of study which is
relevant to the needs of employers, facilitates your professional development and
lays the foundations for a successful career which will benefit the economy and
society;
• Provide a sound knowledge base in the fields studied and develop key transferable
skills in the areas of communication, numeracy, information technology, working
with others, problem solving, time and task management; and
• Foster the development of an enquiring, open-minded and creative attitude,
tempered with scientific discipline and social awareness, which encourages lifelong
learning.

The programme will address knowledge and skills requirements for diverse pursuits after
graduation:
• Progression to medical and dental degree courses and professions allied to medicine.
• Employment in hospital and biomedical science laboratories.

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• Academic and clinical research.

• Employment in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and microbiology based industries.
• Progression into postgraduate study at either Masters level or a PhD.
• Entry into teaching professions in primary and secondary education.
• Employment in a range of professional environments, including accountancy,
auditing, finance, human resources and business.

(4) WHAT WILL YOU BE EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE?

On successful completion of your BSc programme, you will have studied:

1. Knowledge of a broad-range of topics in biomedical science including: cell biology,
gross anatomy, pathology, human physiology, general microbiology, human
molecular biology, human & medical genetics, biochemistry, human metabolism,
immunology, pharmacology, and endocrinology.
Academic Content

2. Knowledge to an advanced level in more specialised areas of biomedical science

including: histology & cell pathology, blood & transfusion science, haematology
and serology. Additionally, students can elect to study some of the following at an
advance level: cancer biology, molecular clinical microbiology, genetics, endocrine
physiology and biochemistry.
3. Experimental techniques in the biomedical sciences.
On successful completion of your BSc programme, you will be able to:
1. Apply biomedical knowledge and principles, together with problem solving skills, in
a wide range of theoretical and practical situations.
2. Understand the importance of biomedical sciences to laboratory and clinical
diagnostics.
Disciplinary Skills

3. Conduct practical work efficiently and with due regard for safety.
4. Use a wide range of laboratory and analytical equipment.
5. Analyse and evaluate/interpret the results of controlled experiments.
6. Retrieve, filter and collate biomedical data from a variety of information sources.
7. Prepare scientific/technical reports.
On successful completion of your BSc programme, you will be able to:
1. Communicate effectively by written and/or verbal means.
2. Capacity for independent learning, and to work independently.
3. Participate constructively as a member of a group/team, with skills to influence,
negotiate and lead.
4. Evaluate the relevance, importance and reliability of the ideas of others and of
different sources of information.
5. Competence in the use of computer-based technology, and in the manipulation
and analysis of quantitative data.
Attributes

6. Awareness of the role and impact of science in society, including the global
perspective.
7. Use information for evidence-based decision-making and creative thinking.

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(5) HOW WILL YOU LEARN?

(See also Section 6 “What is independent Study” and Section 8, “How is the programme
structured?”)
You will acquire knowledge and develop your understanding mainly through lectures and
directed independent study. Workshops will reinforce knowledge acquired in lectures and
provide opportunities for application of your knowledge to solving problems. Your
understanding will be reinforced through a combination of tutorial workshops, problem
classes, laboratory classes and e-learning (depending upon the modules you study),
including regular feedback on submitted work. Additional learning support is provided
through Queen Mary's online learning environment (called QMplus) and our IT facilities.
Practical skills will be taught as part of organised practical classes during the early stages of
the programme. Advanced practical skills and specialised analytical skills are then developed
during the project component of the third year. The third year also includes critical analysis
through project development and tutorial led journal clubs and discussion forums.
Each practical class is likely to be repeated two or more times in the same week. You will be
allocated (randomly) to a specific practical group to attend the practical class on a given
date/time. If you are unable to attend on the assigned date/time (e.g. if you are allocated
to a Wednesday afternoon, but have sports commitments, or if you are allocated to a Friday
afternoon but need to attend jumah or to get home before shabbat), you are required to (a)
negotiate a swap with a fellow student from a different group and then (b) email the
Module Organiser with details of that swap (confirming who you will be swapping with). If
you are unable to negotiate a swap for an assessed practical class, you may be able to
submit a claim for extenuating circumstances provided the reason for non-attendance is (i)
unforeseeable and (ii) beyond your control, and you can provide documentary evidence to
support your application.
Queen Mary's graduate attributes are developed in a progressive fashion, but most notably
in tutorial-based components of modules such as BMD100 (Essential Skills for Biomedical
Scientists). The project module provides further opportunities for the development of
transferable skills and consolidation of knowledge, understanding and skills acquired during
your degree.

(6) WHAT IS “INDEPENDENT STUDY”?

For every hour of contact with academic staff, you will be expected to devote between 3
and 5 hours to independent study.
Independent study is not the same as the homework you would have completed during
Secondary/Further Education, where staff gave specific exercises which were often marked
between classes. While studying for a degree, independent study will include staff-directed

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exercises or self-directed independent study. There are various forms of independent

study, such as:
• preparation in advance of a lecture/tutorial/practical class, for example by spending
10 minutes looking over lecture slides or the relevant chapter of the textbook,
• consolidation of material introduced by the lecturer/tutor, for example by writing up
the notes you made during lectures,
• elaboration and extension, for example reading around the topic after the lecture
using textbooks and/or scientific papers suggested by staff or based on your own
curiosity, and
• application, i.e. reinforcing your understanding of a topic by utilising principles
introduced in a lecture/tutorial/practical class to a new scenario.

To succeed in your undergraduate degree at university, you need to choose to commit to

your degree. This commitment includes attending all timetabled sessions and making time
to complete the independent study. Together, your taught programme and independent
study will enable you to develop the knowledge and depth of understanding required to
graduate with first or upper second class honours.

(7) HOW WILL YOU BE ASSESSED?

For each module that comprises your degree, your knowledge and understanding will
generally be tested through a combination of assessed coursework and unseen written
examinations. For the majority of you modules, the coursework:exam weighting will be as
follows:
Coursework Exam
Year 1 25% 75%
Year 2 25% 75%
Year 3 20% 80%
For some modules, a higher proportion of marks will be derived from coursework and a few
modules are entirely assessed by coursework with no written exam (e.g. the “Essential
Skills” module in first year and final year research projects). Please check the module details
on QMPlus to confirm the exact coursework:exam weighting for each module.
The exact nature of the coursework varies from module to module and may include work in
the form of laboratory experiment write-ups, essays and/or problem sheets. The
coursework mark may also include a contribution from computer-based assessments and in-
course tests. Some modules in our programme include oral examinations, oral
presentations and extended reports/dissertations.
Transferable skills are developed in a contextual manner throughout the teaching and
learning programme, and are indirectly assessed as part of the normal assessment
processes for the programme. For example, the assessment of the projects includes
consideration of data-retrieval skills, report-writing skills and presentational skills.
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Practical skills are assessed through in-class observation and through written laboratory
reports, which often include attention to quantitative accuracy. The assessment of the final
year practical research project also addresses the majority of the professional disciplinary
skills that students of this programme are expected to acquire.
Commencing in the 2019-20 academic year, QMUL will have two main exam periods. The
first period, lasting two weeks, will take place in January and will assess modules completed
in Semester A. The second exam period, predominantly in May, will last four weeks and will
include exams for modules completed in Semester B and year-long modules. The exam
timetable will be released to students in approximately week 10 of each semester. Answers
to frequently asked questions about semester-based exams are available on the QMUL
website: http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/exams/semester-based-exams/
The default exam durations and structures differ between years, as follows:
Default
Number of
exam Section A Section B Section C
sections
duration
Year 1 1.5 hours 2 25 Multiple Short Answer N/A
Choice Questions (choice
Questions of 1 from 2)

(50% of mark) (50% of mark)

Year 2 2 hours 3 20 Multiple Short Answer Essay

Choice Questions (choice (choice of 1
Questions of 1 from 2) from 3)

(25% of mark) (50% of mark)

(25% of mark)

Year 3 3 hours 3 25 Multiple Essay Essay (choice

Choice (choice of 1 from 3) of 1 from 3)
Questions
(34% of mark) (33% of mark) (33% of mark)

Students do not automatically progress into the second year of their degree.
To progress beyond Year 1, you must pass at least six 15-credit modules (i.e. 90 credits in
total). To progress beyond Year 2, you must pass at least 195 credits cumulatively from Year
1 and 2 modules. To graduate with a BSc degree, you must pass at least 315 credits across
your 3 year programme.
In the Biomedical Sciences programme, the threshold for passing a module is a final module
mark over 40%, derived from the exam and/or coursework in the specified ratio. If you fail a
module, you have one resit opportunity. The resit is usually an exam which supersedes all
previous assessment, including coursework assessments (i.e. only the resit exam mark is
counted). Additionally, the resit mark is capped at 40% which means that if you score
higher than 40% in the resit exam then your mark will be recorded as 40% only. Resit exams
take place in the Late Summer Exam period, which is usually the first two weeks in August.
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(8) ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic honesty is a very important consideration in this course and in your university
career. We take a zero-tolerance approach to any form of academic dishonesty and
misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, collusion, cheating (i.e., providing or
receiving unauthorized assistance on assignments or exams), and impersonation. It is your
responsibility to be aware of the rules and policies associated with academic dishonesty.
The University’s Academic Misconduct Policy and Regulations for Assessment Offence can
be found on the QMUL website.

At QMUL, any instance of academic dishonesty or negligence must be reported

confidentially to the department’s Plagiarism Officer, who follows procedures outlined by
the university.

(9) HOW IS THE PROGRAMME STRUCTURED?

In each academic year you must study 120 credits, such that you study a total of 360 credits
over your 3 year BSc. Most modules are worth 15 credits except for the final year project
module which is worth 30 credits. All modules in the first year are compulsory; elective
modules occur in the second and third year of your programme.
Where elective modules are available, you are strongly recommended to select a total of 60
credits to study in Semester A and a total of 60 credits in Semester B. If you wish to study
more credits in either semester, you should discuss this with your Academic Advisor and
then with the Programme Director, Dr Jayne Dennis, before making your pre-selection. You
may not enrol for more than 75 credits in any given semester.
To assist your choice of elective(s) most appropriate to your interests and career
aspirations, we enable you to research the elective modules available to you prior to
module pre-selection (which happens in March/April). We will provide you with
information outlining module content and, in Semester B, we will also organise a “Module
Fair” at which you can meet with Module Organisers and students who have studied each
module to ask any questions you may have for the following academic year.
Please note that in some rare cases, elective modules have a cap on the maximum number
of students that the module can accommodate. For these modules, acceptance on to the
module may be contingent on your academic performance prior to the point of module
selection (typically your Year 1 academic performance).
The modules listed in the following programme outline are indicative only. Every effort will
be made to run all of the modules advertised in the degree outline. However, to offer you
the best educational experience at QMUL, in any one year a module may not be offered if:

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(a) the numbers of students eligible to select a particular module (either too many or
too few) would provide you with a compromised student experience;
(b) academic staff with the requisite experience are unavailable to teach a module (e.g.
through ill health, injury or retirement)
Likewise, dependent on staff availability and appropriate quality assurance, we may be able
to add new modules to subsequent years of your degree programme and improve even
further your choice of elective modules.

In the following programme outline, compulsory modules are denoted in standard text
whereas elective modules are denoted in italicised text.

SEMESTER A SEMESTER B
BMD100 Essential Skills for Biomedical Scientists

BMD111 Chromosomes & Gene Functions BMD121 Biomedical Physiology I

BMD113 Human Anatomy BMD123 Biomolecules of Life
BMD115 The Human Cell BMD181 Tissue Biology
Year 1

BMD117 The Microbial World & Humans

BMD201 Biomedical Science Case Approach to Problem Solving *

SBC5211 Grand Challenges in the Natural Sciences

BMD211 Human Molecular Biology BMD223 Essential Biochemistry for Human

Year 2 (one elective module)

BMD219 Techniques in Biomedical Science Life

BMD221 Biomedical Physiology II BMD225 Biomedical Pharmacology

BMD231 Clinical Microbiology

BIO213 Cell Biology & Developmental BMD251 Basic Immunology

Genetics
BIO215 Comparative & Integrative Physiology
BIO227 Human Genetic Disorders

BMD301 Biomedical Science Case Approach to Problem Solving

Year 3

electiv

modul
(four

es)

BIO603 Project Skills in the Life Sciences OR BMD600 Biomedical Science Research Project
e

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BIO324 Advanced Human Genetics Disorders BMD321 Cellular Pathology & Blood Science
BMD311 Endocrine Physiology &
Biochemistry BMD371 Drug Discovery and Design
BMD323 Infectious Diseases BMD378 Clinical Trials & Regulatory Affairs
BMD351 Advanced Immunology BMD381 Cancer Biology
BMD357 Oral Biology for Biomedical Sciences BMD383 Molecular Basis of Personalised
BMD372 Clinical Pharmacology Medicine
BMD373 Receptors & Mechanisms of Cell
Signalling

*All marks awarded for BMD201 assignments contribute to the marks for BMD301 in Year 3.

Year 1: All Year 1 modules are compulsory to ensure that all students on the degree
programme have the requisite understanding to prepare them for Years 2 and 3.

Year 2: Seven of the Year 2 modules (a total of 105 credits) are compulsory:
• BMD211 Human Molecular Biology,
• BMD219 Techniques in Biomedical Sciences,
• BMD221 Biomedical Physiology II,
• BMD223 Essential Biochemistry for Human Life,
• BMD225 Biomedical Pharmacology,
• BMD231 Clinical Microbiology, and
• BMD251 Basic Immunology.
Furthermore, in Year 2 you are required to study BMD201 (Biomedical Science Case
Approach to Problem Solving), but all credit for this module is awarded in Year 3 under the
module code BMD301).
In Year 2 you have a choice of one elective module from four potential electives. Note that
one elective, SBC5211, runs across both semesters while the remaining three electives are
studied in Semester A only.

Year 3: There are two compulsory, 15-credit modules:

• BMD301 (Biomedical Science Case Approach to Problem Solving), and
• BMD321 (Cellular Pathology & Blood Science).
In addition, you must select one of the two 30-credit modules: either BMD600 (Biomedical
Science Research Project) or BIO603 (Project Skills in the Life Sciences). In order to study
BMD600 you will need to perform well in Year 1 of your degree, typically scoring in excess of
65% (if not 70%) in each of your Year 1 modules. If you do not pass this threshold then you
will have to study BIO603; if you do pass this threshold then you may choose between the
two project modules.

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In Year 3 you have a choice of four elective modules (a total of 60 credits) from the 11
offered.

(10) HOW DO WE LISTEN AND ACT ON YOUR FEEDBACK?

You are strongly encouraged to provide informal feedback to Module Organisers and/or to
the Programme Director where you can see a way that your teaching could be significantly
improved or you have cause for complaint. If you feel uncomfortable approaching a Module
Organiser and/or Programme Director, you can also make any suggestions/raise any
concerns by email to: [email protected]. This email address is monitored daily
by several colleagues so you can reasonably expect a response within 3 working days.
The Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC), Chaired by the Director for Student Experience,
Dr Caroline Brennan, provides a formal means of communication and discussion between
the School and its students. The committee consists of elected student representatives from
each year of our degree programmes, together with staff representation from SBCS and
SMD. SSLC is designed to respond to the needs of students, as well as act as a forum for
discussing programme and module developments. The SSLC meets regularly throughout the
year.
The SBCS Teaching & Learning Committee (TLC) advises the Director of Taught Programmes
(DTP), Dr Bray, on all matters relating to the delivery of taught programmes at school level.
This includes monitoring the application of relevant QM policies and reviewing proposals for
module and programme amendment before submission to Taught Programmes Board (TPB).
The SMD Science & Undergraduate Teaching & Learning (SUTL) Committee performs an
equivalent role to TLC, advising the Head of Undergraduate Science Education for SMD,
Professor Hall, who works very closely with Dr Bray and with the Programme Director, Dr
Dennis, to ensure that all student concerns are identified, shared, and acted upon, as
appropriate. Student views are incorporated into the work of both TLC and SUTL in a
number of ways, such as through consideration of student surveys and input from the SSLC.
All schools/institutes operate an Annual Programme Review (APR) of their taught
undergraduate and postgraduate provision. APR is a continuous process of reflection and
action planning which is owned by those responsible for programme delivery; the main
document of reference for this process is the Taught Programmes Action Plan (TPAP) which
is the summary of the school/institute's work throughout the year to monitor academic
standards and to improve the student experience. Students’ views are considered in this
process through analysis of the National Student Survey (NSS), Queen Mary Student Survey
(QMSS) and module evaluations.

(11) ACADEMIC SUPPORT

You will be provided with a personal tutor, referred to as an Academic Advisor, who will be
your main point of contact throughout your whole programme for advice on general

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academic matters and assistance with pastoral concerns, i.e. personal issues which may
impact on your ability to study. When you need to meet with your Advisor, you can
schedule an appointment via email. (Note that we no longer operate a drop-in system of
“office hours” since all advisees may have very different patterns of availability dependent
on their choice of elective modules.)
If your Advisor is unavailable or cannot help with a specific problem, other sources of
support are Programme Tutors and the Student Support Officer. Programme tutors are
experienced Academic Advisors; the Student Support Officer is not a member of teaching
staff and can offer advice or point you towards a person or service that can help you. The
SSO is also the person you need to speak to regarding any extenuating circumstances you
may have for your assessments.
SBCS students also operate a Peer Assisted Study Support (PASS) programme for peer
guidance. PASS is a subject-based mentoring scheme, run for first-year students by higher-
year undergraduates.
Learning Development offers students practical guidance in developing insights and
practices that will contribute to their success whilst at Queen Mary. Learning Development
works with students on an individual basis and in groups. They can help you with
interpreting feedback on your assignments, general study advice, developing written skills,
referencing sources in essays and much more. They also have a range of resources available
on their website.

(12) SPECIFIC SUPPORT FOR DISABLED STUDENTS

Queen Mary has a central Disability and Dyslexia Service (DDS) that offers support for all
students with disabilities, specific learning differences and mental health issues. The DDS
supports all Queen Mary students: full-time, part-time, undergraduate, postgraduate, UK
and international at all campuses and all sites.
Students can access advice, guidance and support in the following areas:
• Finding out if you have a specific learning difference like dyslexia,
• Applying for funding through the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA),
• Arranging DSA assessments of need,
• Special arrangements in examinations,
• Accessing loaned equipment (e.g. digital recorders),
• Specialist one-to-one "study skills" tuition,
• Providing educational support workers (e.g. note-takers, readers, library assistants)
• Ensuring access to course materials in alternative formats (e.g. Braille), and
• Mentoring support for students with mental health issues and conditions on the
autistic spectrum.

(13) ADVICE AND COUNSELLING SERVICE

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Queen Mary has an Advice and Counselling Service (ACS), based in Geography Square, that
offers free support for all students at all stages of their degree studies. The full range of
services offered by the ACS is detailed on their website (www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk). On this
website, you will find a series of self-help and guidance booklets covering such diverse
issues as adapting to life as a student at university through making a claim for extenuating
circumstances to requesting an interruption of studies or withdrawing.

(14) CHANGE OF PROGRAMME

You may request a single Change of Programme during your degree.
Should you wish to be considered for a Change of Programme (CoP), either within
SMD/SBCS or out of the Schools, you will need to complete a CoP form, available from the
SBCS reception.
Before signing and submitting your form you should meet with your Academic Advisor or a
Programme Tutor to discuss the pros and cons of switching programmes. Please note that
there are deadlines during the academic year by which a CoP should be submitted,
depending on the implications for entry to examinations and studying the necessary
modules in each semester: your academic advisor and/or the Student Support Office can
advise you on these deadlines.
Once completed you should return the completed and signed form to the SBCS reception to
be considered and, if possible, approved by Dr Bray as the SBCS DTP. As soon as a decision
has been reached, you will be emailed and advised of the outcome of your application by
the SBCS SSO. Approval will be contingent on (a) there being places available on the
programme onto which you would like to transfer, and (b) meeting the admissions criteria
for the new programme.
Under QMUL’s International Exchange Programme, students on most BSc and MSci
programmes have the opportunity to ‘study abroad’ at one of QMUL’s partner universities
for a full year between Years 2 and 3 of their BSc degree. If you wish to take advantage of
this opportunity, you would have to request a CoP onto Biomedical Science with a Year
Abroad. While the year overseas would not count towards your degree classification, any
Year Abroad should include relevant modules and you would need to meet the pass
standards of the overseas university in order to graduate with the title “Biomedical Science
with a Year Abroad”. As you will appreciate, positions on such international exchanges are
subject to a successful application, which includes meeting specific mark criteria, and are
awarded on a competitive basis. (If you wish to apply to transfer on to a Year Abroad
programme, in the first instance, you should discuss the pros and cons with your Academic
Advisor or Programme Tutor, as appropriate.) SBCS offers several degrees “with a Year
Abroad” because we appreciate the opportunities that this can provide for personal and
professional growth, and for the acquisition of transferable skills that will enrich your CV
and bolster your prospects for a graduate career.

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(15) OPPORTUNITIES FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDY IN SBCS AND SMD

On completion of your BSc degree, you might wish to embark on a postgraduate research
degree to become a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Increasingly, competitive applicants for
PhD opportunities have not only a high-class honours degree (first or upper second class
honours), but they will also have completed a postgraduate taught Master of Science (MSc)
or Masters by Research (MRes) degree, commonly with a Merit or Distinction.
At the time of writing, SBCS does not offer an MSc degree in Biomedical Science, but does
offer a range of biological MSc degrees which exploit the research expertise of staff in SBCS,
including an MSc in Bioinformatics. If you wish to know more about any of these MSc
programmes, information can be found on the SBCS website and/or you can contact the
Director for Teaching & Learning [Postgraduate], Dr Christoph Eizaguirre
([email protected]).
Additionally, SMD offers a wide range of postgraduate courses, including Cancer &
Therapeutics, Genomic Medicine, Global Health, Neuroscience & Translational Medicine,
Oral Biology, and Regenerative medicine. Further information about all postgraduate
programmes can be found on the QMUL website.

(16) WHAT HAPPENS AFTER GRADUATION?

This Biomedical Sciences degree will allow graduates to go on to further study (for example,
medicine, dentistry, a Masters degree or a PhD) or work in diverse professions using the
skills and attributes outlined in Section 4. Previous students have gone into healthcare-
related roles (e.g. nursing assistants), science-related careers (e.g. working in a laboratory),
working in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, accountancy, auditing (for example
with one of the “Big Four” PriceWaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, EY or Deloitte), finance, human
resources and business.
All students are encouraged to visit the QMUL Careers & Enterprise Service in the Queens’
Building and use the resources available on their website (www.careers.qmul.ac.uk). The
Careers Service run employer and alumni events on campus, offer one-to-one careers
advice, practice interviews, CV and application advice and resources to help you with job
hunting. Graduates can access the service for up to two years after graduation.
The top 19 ranked candidates from this programme, Neuroscience and Pharmacology and
Innovative Therapeutics (based on their cumulative academic performance after the first 2
years of the BSc programme and UCAT score) will automatically be offered an interview to
study medicine at Bart’s and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Further details
will be sent to you in the summer after you have completed your second year.
QMUL’s MSc in Physician Associate Studies may be of interest to students wishing to pursue
a career in healthcare. Physician Associates have direct contact with patients and they work

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within medical teams to support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients.
Physician Associates work in General Practice or a hospital department using generalist
clinical skills but also with opportunities to specialise. Further information is available on
the QMUL website.

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