Foundation Degree with Foundation Year Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Start your own journey of discovery with this foundation year. Offering detailed knowledge based on specialist biology and chemistry, you will develop a multidisciplinary understanding of human life, health and disease, preparing you for a career in a range of industries. Enhance your scientific knowledge and academic skills required for progression.

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About the course

If you love logical subjects such as biotechnical and pharmaceutical sciences but are uncertain of your specialism, this course is perfect for you. This programme integrates knowledge across pharmacology, microbiology, immunology, genetics, biomaterials, and medicinal and organic chemistry. Explore multiple disciplines then find your focus Our foundation year works for those who may not meet the entry requirements for the foundation degree. As you progress through your foundation year, you’ll enhance your confidence with scientific practice and knowledge by studying biology and chemistry modules in addition to mathematics and academic skills. Once you complete your foundation year, you will be eligible to progress on to the Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences Foundation Degree programme, where you will study specialist modules and upon completion, can progress to a relevant top-up degree.

This course is validated by Leeds City College

Fee

£6,000 for the Foundation Year. Foundation Degree fees £7,950 (per academic year)

Location

University Centre

Start Date

September 2021

Duration

3 years Full Time

Course Code

UCAS Course Code: CF12 Institution code: L21

Study Mode

Full Time

Studying during COVID-19

We will continue to follow government guidelines to ensure the safety of all our students and staff and have put in place additional safety measures, including the way we deliver your course.

For Semester 1, we plan to deliver your course through a mixture of online and face to face tuition and we will review this as Government guidelines change in response to COVID-19 developments.

Under the present guidelines, we plan to deliver your course 33.3% online and 66.7% face to face. We will timetable, where possible, so that you come into University Centre Leeds for a whole day and you will be in a bubble with your fellow students on your course.

Face to face contact will be delivered following guidelines on social distancing and increased health and safety measures. You will be made fully aware of the current measures in place and be expected to follow the guidance issued.

What you learn

Modules may include:

Year 0

Fundamentals of Biology
Further Biology
Fundamentals of Chemistry
Further Chemistry
Foundation mathematics
Academic skills

Year 1

Personal and professional development
Integrated biomolecular science
Physiology and pathology
Physical, inorganic and organic chemistry
Integrated practical skills
Biochemical processes
Organic chemistry
Mathematics

Year 2

Microbiology & biotechnology
Pharmacology & therapeutics
Immunology
Genetics
Medicinal chemistry
Biomaterials and solid state chemistry
Work related learning
Scientific investigation

Benefits/ skills you will develop

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.

Assessment

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.

Entry requirements

A typical offer is likely to consist of:

For admission to the Foundation Year

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

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

For admission to 1st year of the Foundation Degree

A Levels: 2xD grades one of which to be in a relevant science subject.

BTEC Level 3 Diploma or Extended Diploma: MP, MPP grade in relevant subjects.

Access to HE Diploma: Overall pass with 60 credits, with 24 credits to be at a Merit grade in a relevant subject.

GCSE English: English Language Grade C or above (grade 4 for those sitting their GCSE from 2017 onwards). Key Skills Level 2, Functional Skills Level 2 and the Certificate in Adult Literacy are accepted in place of GCSEs.

GCSE Maths: Maths Grade C or above (grade 4 for those sitting their GCSE from 2017 onwards). Key Skills Level 2, Functional Skills Level 2 and the Certificate in Adult Numeracy are accepted in place of GCSEs.

GCSE Science: Science Grade C or above (grade 4 for those sitting their GCSE from 2017 onwards).

IELTS: IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any component.

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.

RPL claims: The course structure actively supports claims for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

What’s next

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.

Programme Specification

Course Handbook

Staff Profiles

Student Testimonies/Case Studies

Additional costs