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Please note

This document only provides information for the academic year selected and does not form part of the student contract

Awarding Institution

University of Huddersfield

Final Award

BSc(Hons) Bachelor of Science with Honours

Teaching Institution

University of Huddersfield

School

School of Applied Sciences

Department

Department of Physical & Life Sciences

Subject Benchmark Statement

UG Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences (2023)

Date of Programme Specification Approval

2025-04-02

Version Number

2024.03

Educational Aims of the Course

To develop creativity and innovation. To provide a structured, progressive and thematic training in areas of pharmacology which will provide students with a knowledge and understanding appropriate for subject-specific graduate employment. To prepare graduates for careers with a wide variety of employers such as pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries, government agencies … For more content click the Read More button below. To develop key transferable skills to prepare students for more general graduate employment. To develop the intellectual and practical skills necessary for progression to postgraduate research and training. To encourage academic curiosity which will prepare students for lifelong learning by challenging the students’ attitudes and approaches to learning in order to enable them to fulfil their potential, and to promote independent learning. To offer a range of core and some optional modules which allow students to specialise in particular areas of pharmacology. To offer all students the opportunity to conduct a substantial research project. To contribute to the University’s commitment to widening access by recruiting students of different ethnic origins and with a wide variety of educational backgrounds and to accommodate a spectrum of abilities and prior knowledge. To operate within a caring and supportive environment in which students can develop confidence in their own abilities.

Course Accredited by

Royal Society of Biology

Course Offering(s)

Sandwich Year Out

Sandwich Year Out - September

Full Time

Full Time - September

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion you will be able to:
1.
recognise and apply subject-specific theories, paradigms, concepts or principles (for example, the relationship between genes and proteins, or the nature of essential similarities and differences between prokaryote and eukaryote cells).
2.
make evidence-based decisions.
3.
obtain and integrate several lines of subject-specific evidence to formulate and test hypotheses.
4.
apply subject knowledge and understanding to address familiar and unfamiliar problems.
5.
recognise the moral and ethical issues of investigations and appreciate the need for ethical standards and professional codes of conduct.
6.
demonstrate competence in the basic experimental skills appropriate to the subject(s) studied.
7.
demonstrate an awareness and knowledge of quality assurance and quality control principles as part of an understanding of the need for quality management systems and a culture of continued quality improvements of relevance to the subject(s) of study.
8.
plan an experiment in terms of hypothesis, sample, test or observation, controls, observable outcomes and statistical analysis.
9.
conduct and report on investigations, which may involve primary or secondary data (for example from a survey database). These data may be obtained through individual or group projects in the appropriate subject.
10.
obtain, record, collate and analyse data using appropriate practical techniques, working individually or in a group, as is most appropriate for the subject.
11.
undertake practical investigations in a responsible, safe and ethical manner, paying due attention to risk assessment, relevant health and safety regulations, ethical issues, procedures for obtaining ethical permission and informed consent and issues relating to animal welfare and showing sensitivity to the potential impact of any investigations on the study and on other stakeholders.
12.
receive and respond to a variety of sources of information: textual, numerical, verbal, graphical.
13.
carry out sample selection; record and analyse data in the laboratory or elsewhere; ensure validity, accuracy, calibration, precision, replicability and highlight uncertainty during collection.
14.
prepare, process, interpret and present data, using appropriate qualitative and quantitative techniques, statistical programmes, spreadsheets and programmes for presenting data visually.
15.
demonstrate an understanding of statistical significance and statistical power.
16.
solve problems by a variety of methods, including the use of appropriate software.
17.
evaluate published claims by interpreting methodology and experimental data, and make judgements about the strength of the evidence.
18.
communicate about their subject appropriately to a variety of audiences using a range of formats and approaches and appropriate scientific language.
19.
cite and reference work in an appropriate manner, including the avoidance of plagiarism.
20.
use a range of media critically as a means of communication and a source of information
21.
identify individual and collective goals and responsibilities and perform in a manner appropriate to these roles, in particular those being developed through practical, laboratory and/or field studies.
22.
recognise and respect the views and opinions of other team members.
23.
use negotiating skills
24.
evaluate their own performance as an individual and a team member.
25.
evaluate the performance of others.
26.
develop an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of science and of the validity of different points of view.
27.
develop the skills necessary for self-managed and lifelong learning (for example working independently, time management, organisational, enterprise and knowledge transfer skills).
28.
build on knowledge and understanding of the role and impact of intellectual property (IP) within a research environment.
29.
identify and work towards targets for personal, academic, professional and career development.
30.
develop an adaptable, flexible and effective approach to study and work.
31.
a broadly based core covering the major elements defined by the particular programme and providing the wider context required for the subject area, together with specialised in-depth study (which may be career related) of some aspects of the subject area. Whatever the degree programme, there is a need for an interdisciplinary and (where appropriate) multidisciplinary approach in advancing knowledge and understanding of the processes and mechanisms of life, from the molecular and cellular levels through to those of the whole body and the environment in which a person lives.
32.
engagement with the essential facts, major concepts, principles and theories associated with the chosen subject.
33.
competence in the basic experimental and/or survey skills appropriate to the subject under study.
34.
understanding of information and data within the context of biomedical sciences, accompanied by critical analysis and assessment to enable understanding of the subject area as a coherent whole.
35.
familiarity with terminology, nomenclature and disease classification systems, as appropriate.
36.
methods of acquiring, interpreting and analysing biomedical sciences information with a critical understanding of the appropriate contexts for its use through the study of texts, original papers, reports and data sets.
37.
awareness of the contribution of their subject to the development of knowledge about the complexity of human health and disease.
38.
knowledge of a range of communication techniques and methodologies relevant to the particular subject, including data analysis, information technology and the use of statistics.
39.
engagement with current developments in the biomedical sciences and their applications, and the philosophical and ethical issues involved.
40.
awareness of the contribution of biomedical sciences to debate and controversies, and how this knowledge and understanding forms the basis for informed concern about the quality and sustainability of health and well-being.
41.
awareness of intellectual property (IP) and how scientific advances can be secured and progressed by the application of intellectual property rights (IPRs).
42.
understanding of the applicability of the biomedical sciences to the careers to which graduates will be progressing.
43.
an appreciation of the complexity and diversity of life processes.
44.
the ability to read and use appropriate literature with a full and critical understanding, while addressing such questions as content, context, aims, objectives, experimental design, methodology, data interpretation and application.
45.
the capacity to give a clear and accurate account of a subject, the ability to marshal arguments, mediate and debate both with specialists and non-specialists, using appropriate scientific language.
46.
critical and analytical skills including a recognition that statements should be tested and that evidence is subject to assessment and critical evaluation.
47.
the ability to employ a variety of methods of study in investigating, recording and analysing material.
48.
the ability to think independently, set tasks and solve problems.
49.
an understanding of how to identify, protect, and exploit intellectual property (IP) as part of the scientific innovation process.
50.
Human anatomy and physiology: the structure, function, neurological and hormonal control of the human body, its component parts and major systems (musculoskeletal, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, renal, urogenital, nervous, endocrine) and their relationship to each other.
51.
Cell biology: the structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; the cell as the fundamental unit of life; cell division, cell cycle, stem cells, cell specialisation and cooperation.
52.
Biochemistry: key chemical principles relevant to biological systems, the structure and function of biological molecules and the biochemistry of processes which support life including cellular metabolism and its control.
53.
Genetics, genomics and human variation: the structure and function of genes, the principles of their inheritance, genetic disorders with particular biomedical significance, evolution and population biology.
54.
Molecular biology: the structure and function of biologically important molecules including DNA, RNA and proteins and the molecular events that govern cell function. Molecular biology overlaps with biochemistry, genetics and cell biology.
55.
The nature of disease and fundamentals of pathology to include the development of age-related diseases and the impact of lifestyle upon health and disease.
56.
Bioinformatics and systems biology: the computation of high volumes of biological data and the properties of a network of interacting components in a system, as well as the components themselves, including an appreciation of the algorithms to decipher biological relationships.
57.
Microbiology: the structure, physiology, biochemistry, identification, classification and control of micro-organisms, including the roles of normal flora.
58.
Immunology: acute and chronic inflammation, structure, function and mechanisms of action of the components of the immune system; innate and acquired immunity.
59.
Pharmacology: the importance of drug actions in the living organism for prevention and treatment of disease; the principles of drug-receptor interactions and the relationship between dose and response, routes of administration, types of drugs, how drugs are metabolised and eliminated from the body, toxic effects; approaches for drug discovery; personalised medicine/precision medical science.
60.
Developmental biology, which may include topics such as human life cycles, ageing, stem cells and regenerative medicine.
61.
Physics and chemistry sufficient to support understanding of biochemical and biophysical processes and instrumentation.
62.
Pharmacodynamics (what drugs do to the body) in health and disease, including: molecular targets of drug action: receptors, enzymes, ion channels, transporters and others drug-receptor relationships, including agonism (full, partial, biased and inverse), antagonism (competitive and non-competitive), and an understanding of how these properties relate to drug specificity, selectivity and potency the main molecular targets for drugs, knowledge of their structure and function, and the ways in which drugs alter this function at the molecular level changes in receptor signalling caused by drug action, including mechanisms of desensitisation and tolerancehow drug action affects the major organ systems of the body as well as drug effects on cell function, cell proliferation and cell death emerging technologies in personalised medicine (for example small molecular inhibitors, antisense therapy, biopharmaceuticals, novel drug delivery systems). SFB1011, SHB4015.
63.
Pharmacokinetics (what the body does to drugs), including absorption, distribution, biotransformation and excretion SFB1011, SIB2012, SHB4015, SHB4018
64.
Individual variation in drug action and toxicity for example: the effects of ethnicity, gender, age, pregnancy, genetic factors, disease and drug-drug interactions, in addition to the potential for allergy and drug addiction SHB4018
65.
Pharmacological methods, including knowledge and/or practical experience of: drug concentration/dose-response relationships, experimental methods and techniques applied to pharmacology (for example bioassays, receptor binding, receptor cloning, recombinant proteins for therapy, animal models of disease, genetic manipulation of cells and animals and their uses), ethical and legal issues pertaining to the use of animals in research, as outlined in the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, with knowledge of approaches to replace, refine and reduce their use. SFB1011, SIB2012, SFB1012, SHB4001, SHB4018
66.
Drug discovery and development, including toxicology, with knowledge of the regulatory processes that monitor drug quality, safety, and effectiveness. SHB4018
67.
Principles of clinical trials, for example: the avoidance of bias, the effect of sample size, the placebo effect, the concept of therapeutic index which relies upon the integration of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and other safety information to contribute to an understanding of the risk associated with a drug, as well as the ethical issues surrounding the use of human study participants and human tissues. SHB4015, SHB4018

Course Structure

Foundation Level

Intermediate Level

Sandwich Year Out

Honours Level

Interim Award

Certificate of Higher Education

Diploma of Higher Education

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

The course ensures that the intended learning outcomes can be achieved by:   providing a coherent education with a high degree of currency in the chosen specialism   delivering a curriculum informed by research and scholarly activity   delivering a curriculum informed by feedback from employers   providing a curriculum delivered by staff who … For more content click the Read More button below.   including modules on specialist topics relevant to the field   having a flexible structure, which caters for a diversity of abilities   providing experience of carrying out a wide range of laboratory procedures using modern equipment   incorporating modules with a variety of types of teaching, learning and assessment   providing modules that encourage students to think and work independently, culminating in a research project in the final year   providing assessments that encourage students to work in teams   ensuring the availability of support and guidance throughout the students’ education by allocating a personal tutor to each of them   providing students with comprehensive feedback on their progress throughout their course   developing progressively the students’ personal skills   providing at all stages of the course a structured and supported process that enables students to reflect upon their learning, performance and achievement, and to plan their personal, educational and career development   offering the opportunity of a year’s work placement   making available expert careers guidance  

Support for Students and their Learning

  • Flying Start is a key part of all Biology courses. This is a short and intensive induction programme of lectures, laboratory practicals, problem solving sessions, group work and social activities with several objectives and aims: to build the student community by building social cohesion within the cohort and by meeting with all members of staff within the Department; to familiarize the students with good laboratory practice, local H&S procedures and build responsibility within the cohort; to demonstrate learning strategy and build clear expectations of rigour and self-discipline amongst the cohort particularly with respect to independent study, library use and problem solving individually and in set groups. The programme also covers key elements of biodiversity and the concept of evolution by natural selection through a tutorial and problem solving session involving small group work, library research and then feedback from the groups on a specific problem in biodiversity and evolution.

 

  • Students will be supported through academic mentoring.

 

  • Module Tutors are available to help with module-specific academic problems.

 

  • Supporting documentation is provided online in the form of Course Handbooks, Module Handbooks, and Programme and Module specifications.

 

 

  • Specialised computing laboratories and science laboratories.

 

  • Student e-mail and access to teaching staff including the Head of Department and the Course Leader.

 

  • Supervised Work Experience (SWE) Students who take the optional SWE year are supported by the SWE Tutor and the Placement Administrator.  Guidance in the preparation of CVs, letters of application and interview techniques is available.  Students are supervised by visits during the placement period.  The Division of Biomedical & Life Sciences has a long tradition of support for placing SWE students with major employers.  These include The Wellcome Trust at The Sanger Institute, Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Syngenta, Avecia, GlaxoWellcome, Pfizer, EliLily, Covance, Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust the LIGHT and LIMM Institutes at Leeds and internal placements at the University of Huddersfield.

 

Criteria for Admission

The University of Huddersfield seeks and encourages applicants in order to widen participation, improve access and apply the principles of equal opportunities.  We provide support for applicants who require additional assistance in order to select the right course of study and make a successful transition to studying at University.  We encourage local, national and international applications.  Further information for International Students can be found on: http://www.hud.ac.uk/international

 

If you were educated outside the UK, you are required to have International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at a score of 6.0 with a minimum score of 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in any single component. If you have alternative qualifications or do not meet the IELTS requirement we also offer a range of Pre-Sessional English Programmes.

 

The University provides opportunities for the accreditation of prior learning (APL) as stated at the following link:  section-3 - University of Huddersfield

 

The University’s general minimum entry requirements can be found on the University website as follows: Minimum entry requirements - University of Huddersfield 

 

Every person who applies for this course and meets the minimum entry requirement – regardless of any disability – will be given the same opportunity in the selection process.  General advice and information regarding disability and the support the University can give can be found by contacting student services as follows:

Telephone: 01484 472675

Email: disability@hud.ac.uk

 

Further information is available at their website at: Disability support - University of Huddersfield

 

Further advice on the specific skills and abilities needed to successfully undertake this course can be found by visiting the University website at List of courses for 2024-25 (hud.ac.uk) and by contacting the admissions tutor.

 

The specific entry requirements and admission criteria for the courses are detailed below:

     

  • BBC at A-Level including a grade B in Chemistry, or a Grade C in Chemistry plus a grade B in another relevant Science subject. The endorsement for practical work is an essential part of Science A-Level study, and is a requirement for entry to our degree course.
  • DMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science. Alternatively, a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care is acceptable but must be accompanied by another Science A-Level at grade C or above. 
  • 112 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications including a grade B in a Chemistry A-Level, or a grade C in Chemistry at A Level plus a grade B in another Science subject.
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above to include modules in relevant science subjects
  • 112 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications which should include modules in relevant science subjects.
  • Successful completion of the University of Huddersfield Science Extended degree course
  • Applications are also welcomed from mature candidates capable of benefiting from the course

Full details of entry requirements are given in the University prospectus and on the web site.

Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standards of teaching and learning

University: The methods for the validation and annual evaluation of courses, including those validated by external bodies, and for the review of teaching and research and of academic support services are specified in the University’s; Quality Assurance Procedures for Taught Courses and Research Awards which can be found on the University website as follows:

https://www.hud.ac.uk/policies/registry/qa-procedures/

Periodic reviews

External examiner system

University Teaching and Learning Committee

Mechanisms for student feedback (including independent student satisfaction survey)

Institutional staff development courses

School:

Mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the curriculum and outcome standards:

  • Course and module reviews (student evaluations and staff report)
  • Annual course evaluation report prepared by the Course Leader and considered by Course Committee and School Annual Evaluation Committee
  • Peer observation of teaching
  • External Examiners' reports
  • PSRB requirements

Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards:

  • Student Panel
  • Course Committee
  • School of Applied Sciences Teaching and Learning Committee
  • School of Applied Sciences Annual Evaluation Committee
  • Course Assessment Board -Annual Evaluation Committee - All forms of feedback, including a review of progression and completion rates are included in the annual course monitoring report. This is considered through the process of annual evaluation of courses and enables areas of weakness to be identified and clear action plans to be determined and monitored.  The School has introduced a rigorous module review process that is undertaken by Year Tutors prior to annual evaluation to ensure necessary changes to modules can be implemented immediately. In addition to the annual monitoring processes the University organises a quinquennial review at school level.

 Mechanisms for gaining student feedback on the quality of teaching and their learning experience:

Student Feedback is an integral part of course evaluation and improvement.  Students provide feedback through a variety of means including:

  • Module and course evaluation questionnaires
  • Student representation on Course Committee
  • Student Panel.

 

Employer Feedback is sought through feedback questionnaires involving employers of our graduates and through monitoring from placement providers.

External Examiners provide evaluation of the standards achieved by the students. The course team is required to formally respond to comments raised by External Examiners and to report on progress made in addressing any areas on concern.

Staff development priorities include:

  • Staff Personal Development Review
  • Updating professional developments
  • Regular course meetings and annual review and planning for subsequent academic year.

Please note

University awards are regulated by the Regulations for Awards (Taught Courses) on the University website.

Quick links to the Regulations for Taught Students, procedures and forms can be accessed on the University website.

Regulation of Assessment

University awards are regulated by the Regulations for Awards on the University website as follows: https://www.hud.ac.uk/policies/registry/awards-taught/ and the Regulations for Taught Students, procedures and forms can be accessed on the University website as follows:

https://www.hud.ac.uk/registry/current-students/taughtstudents/

           

The minimum pass mark for each module is 40%.

 

An overview of assessment details and procedures is provided in the Course Handbook.

 

To qualify for the award of Honours students must be credited with 360 credits and complete all the requirements of the course. Only the marks from the second and third year will contribute to the final classification of degree.

 

The marks for each module are weighted according to the credit rating.  Third year marks contribute two thirds of the overall performance.

 

External Examiners are appointed by the University Learning and Teaching Committee. The role of the External Examiner is that of moderator.  In order to do this they:

  • approve examination papers
  • review coursework and examination scripts
  • attend the Course Assessment Board.

Indicators of Quality and Standards

  • Reports of validation panels
  • Periodic Review
  • Subject Review
  • Annual course review
  • External examiners’ reports
  • Qualifications and experience of staff
  • Recognition of BSc(Hons) suite of courses by RSB for accredited status