Foundation Degree with Foundation Year Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Modules may include:

Throughout this course you will:

• Learn new skills that will enhance your employability in the science sector.
• Have access to labs and a large range of specialist pieces of equipment. 
• Learn to work independently and safely in a busy laboratory environment and develop skills that are relevant to many scientific industries.
• Develop analytical and practical skills involving the use of a wide range of laboratory equipment and techniques as well as methods of scientific data collection, storage and processing.  
• Become technically competent in common laboratory procedures, learn to manage your own time and work in teams with professionalism
• Use experiences to improve your performance through reflective practice.

There will be regular short practice assessment activities (in the form of regular quizzes and tests) with feedback provided to guide your progress and development. Pair and small group activities will be regularly used in all modules, allowing you to improve communication and teamwork skills. Giving short oral and poster presentations will increase your confidence in speaking and presenting.

Preparation for practical activities will be available in the form of virtual experiments in which online feedback is instantly available. Real and simulated practical activities will also provide data and you will be given guidance on how to collect and process high quality data, and how to use it to form conclusions.

Modules will be formally assessed and graded through a range of methods, including traditional examinations, laboratory activities, problem-based group projects, oral and poster presentations, case-studies, research projects and essays.

This range of activities provides the opportunity for everyone to demonstrate the knowledge and skills that they have acquired throughout the course of their studies. The mix of practical and written assessments will provide evidence to employers of the level of laboratory skills and other abilities (such as teamwork, communication skills, ethical integrity, etc.), whilst also enabling you to demonstrate the theoretical knowledge and academic skills that you have developed.

A typical offer is likely to consist of:

A levels: 2x U grades

BTEC Level 3 Diploma or Extended Diploma: Diploma with a PP grade or a Subsidiary Diploma with a P grade

Access to HE Diploma: Overall pass with 60 credits

GCSEs: 3 GCSEs at C or above (grade 4 for those sitting their GCSE from 2017 onwards) to include Maths and at least one science GCSE.

International qualifications: International qualifications will be assessed against these criteria.

Mature applicants: University Centre Leeds welcomes applications from mature* applicants who may not have met the academic criteria, but who can demonstrate a wealth of experience in their chosen field. Candidates in this category and otherwise are likely to be interviewed to assess their suitability for the course and may be asked to provide a portfolio of evidence to support their application.*21 years and over at the start of the course.

You can progress onto a top-up year to obtain a BSc. degree (with honours) or graduate with a Foundation Degree and move into employment. Typical areas that our graduates find employment in includes:

• NHS (both laboratory and non-laboratory based work)
• Laboratory research posts
• Hospital research assistant positions
• Paramedicine
• Commercial laboratory-based companies in fields such as:
  • Clinical drug trials
  • Analytical services
  • Agricultural or environmental work
• Specialist sales work
• Legal work such as intellectual property law
• Teaching (in schools, colleges and in Higher Education) after completion of additional qualifications.

For those wishing to go on to postgraduate study, the BSc is accepted for entry to a wide range of courses such as PGCEs, Diplomas, Masters and PhDs.

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