Course overview Accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), this vocational course integrates academic and hospital training. It is broadly similar to the pre-clinical subjects in a medical degree where you study life processes in relation to health; understand how to identify disease and its causes; and examine pathological processes and treatment strategies. During practical sessions, you'll get hands-on experience of a wide range of research techniques that are widely used in current life science research including spectrophotometry, PCR, electrophoresis and ELISA. You are able to select a module for areas including parasitology, ethics for science, and fundamentals of biotechnology. It is also possible to do a sandwich placement module in your second year in an approved training laboratory. Completing elements of the IBMS competency portfolio will enhance future employability. External speakers are a feature of the course, and our graduates are now working for NHS pathology laboratories, The Doctors Laboratory and for various hospitals. Please note, for direct entry to this programme you must already be in employment in an approved training laboratory. Alternatively, you can elect to change to this route on attainment of an appropriate placement.

Career opportunities Our graduates find careers in hospital and private medical laboratories to support the work of clinicians and general practitioners; management; medical research; education; and in specialised laboratory work. The skills learnt are also applicable to public health (water, foodstuffs, disease surveillance), veterinary laboratories, blood banks, forensics, and pharmaceuticals development. Graduates have found work with NHS pathology laboratories, The Doctors Laboratory, and at various hospitals as health care assistants, phlebotomists and biomedical scientists. Our graduates' analytical, numerical and communication skills are also in demand in other careers such as accountancy, journalism, and marketing. The programme is also an excellent preparation for further research or study. Many students use this type of course as an entry point into the competitive world of graduate medical studies.