Biomedicine (Placement Year)

BSc Hons

  • UCAS code C708
  • Entry year 2025
  • A level requirements AAB
  • Duration Full time 4 years

We welcome applications from the United States of America

We've put together information and resources to guide your application journey as a student from the United States of America.

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 3

    3rd for in the UK for Biomedical Sciences

    The Guardian University Guide (2025)

  • 3

    3rd for graduate prospects (Biomedical Science)

    The Guardian University Guide (2025)

  • 4

    4th for satisfied with teaching (Biomedical Science)

    The Guardian University Guide (2025)

Our four-year biomedicine degree with a placement year is for those with a broad interest in human life processes and disease, and who wish to gain additional work experience as part of their degree.

Our biomedicine degrees offer more flexibility than our IBMS-accredited BSc Biomedical Science by allowing you to tailor your degree to your personal and professional interests within the field of biomedicine.


You will study biochemistry, cell biology, genetics and physiology - which are at the heart of modern medical and health research. These subjects are taught with a particular emphasis on the molecules and mechanisms fundamental to life processes and how these are disrupted by disease.


The degree provides you with support to secure a paid placement for twelve months working in the type of organisation that you might aspire to join when you graduate. A placement offers you the opportunity to work as a full time employee of the organisation with the same training and opportunities as other employees, whilst still receiving both academic and pastoral support from Lancaster University.


In your first year, you will gain a through grounding in the general areas of biomedicine through the study of 15 wide-ranging core modules, including Biomedical Science in Practice, Infection and Immunity, and Protein Biochemistry.


In your second and fourth years, you will study a small number of core modules such as Medical Microbiology and Medical Genetics. You will then select your remaining modules to match your personal and professional interests from a wide range of options including: Cellular Pathology, DNA Technology, Clinical Biochemistry, and Practical Physiology.


You will spend your third year on an industrial placement, which may be science or non-science based. The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.


If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and would continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.


During your degree, you will conduct your own laboratory-based project and benefit from the research experience of our internationally renowned academics. You will also receive in-depth training in the key techniques associated with modern biomedical practice.


The facilities for studying biomedicine at Lancaster University are excellent. We have invested over £4 million in new life science teaching laboratories, which you will use for practical learning and your dissertation project.

Careers

Lancaster University is ranked number one in the UK for graduate prospects in Biomedical Sciences (Guardian University Guide 2023), and number 11 in Biological Sciences (The Times Good University Guide 2023). We embed employability in our curriculum to prepare our students for the world of work and postgraduate study.

After studying biomedicine at Lancaster University, you can look forward to a promising career in areas such as academic, industrial and medical research, pharmaceuticals and forensic science.

Your placement year is an excellent opportunity to gain work experience, boost your employability and build connections with a desired company. Graduate employers are increasingly using placement schemes as a way to identify suitable candidates for subsequent graduate employment. Alternatively, the course is an ideal base from which to continue on to postgraduate study.

During your degree and placement you will gain practical skills such as laboratory competence and experimental design; numerical skills such as statistical analysis and data recording and presentation; and interpersonal skills such as team working, communication and negotiation. The transferable skills and analytical training you will gain during your degree will allow you to enter science or diverse fields such as management, marketing and finance. You will also study an employability skills module to help you manage your professional development and prepare for the job market.

Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, you also graduate with the relevant life and work based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability awareness, career development, campus community and social development. Visit our Employability section for full details.

Entry requirements

Grade Requirements

A Level AAB

Required Subjects A level Biology and one other science subject from Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics

GCSE Mathematics grade B or 5, English Language grade C or 4

IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements webpages.

Other Qualifications

International Baccalaureate 35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including 6 in HL Biology and 6 in one further HL science subjects from Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics

BTEC Distinction, Distinction, Distinction in Applied Science including sufficient Biology and Chemistry content

We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualifications. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions webpages.

Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

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Fees and funding

Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting in the October of your year of study.

Our Undergraduate Tuition Fees for 2025/26 are:

Home International
£9,535 £29,820

Fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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