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Biochemistry at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

University of Portsmouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Open days

7Dec
University of Portsmouth Open Day
Undergraduate

Course summary

This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. Overview Discover life at its most fundamental level. On this BSc (Hons) Biochemistry degree, accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), you’ll learn how biochemists fight disease, edit genomes, understand human and animal development and apply synthetic biology to current problems in biotechnology. By exploring the latest scientific theory through lab training, you'll gain the skills and expertise to become a professional biochemist and apply for Associate Membership of the RSB on graduation. Accredited by: This programme has been accredited by the Royal Society of Biology following an independent and rigorous assessment. Accredited degree programmes contain a solid academic foundation in biological knowledge and key skills, and prepare graduates to address the needs of employers. The accreditation criteria require evidence that graduates from accredited programmes meet defined sets of learning outcomes, including subject knowledge, technical ability and transferable skills. Course highlights

  • Experiment with the latest biochemistry techniques, such as protein purification and real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), both vital processes in the development of vaccines and medical testing
  • Study genes and clone DNA in our molecular biology research labs, globally regarded as some of the best available at a university
  • Learn from academics involved in trailblazing research at our Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences and Centre for Enzyme Innovation
  • Get involved with the European Xenopus Resource Centre, one of the largest frog resource facilities in the world
  • Have the opportunity to study abroad on a summer research placement at a European university
  • Be eligible to apply for Associate Membership of the Royal Society of Biology when you graduate, which includes access to exclusive grants and awards
Careers and opportunities Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry within living things – everything from humans and animals, to plants and cells. It combines biology, chemistry and physiology to develop new approaches within many scientific fields, including healthcare and medicine, agriculture, biotechnology and the environment. This means there is a huge range of sectors you can go into with a Biochemistry degree, and there will always be a high demand for your skills. Once you complete your BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, you’ll be ready for a career in scientific research, forensic science or pharmaceuticals. With specialist modules like Business for Biosciences and Genes and Development, you’ll have many opportunities to discover your niche. In the UK in 2021, you could expect to earn an average of £26,500 as a newly-graduated biochemist and an average of up to £60,000 with more experience. What can you do with a Biochemistry degree? There are many career paths a BSc (Hons) Biochemistry degree can lead you to. Previous students have gone on to do valuable work in fields such as:
  • industrial research
  • academic research leading to a PhD
  • biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
  • science teaching
  • the health service
  • scientific writing and the media
Graduate destinations Organisations our graduates have gone on to work in include:
  • Pall Europe
  • Oxford Nanopore Technologies
  • MedPharm
  • Celgene

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include:

  • Biodiversity & Evolution (20 credits)
  • Experimental Biology (20 credits)
  • Graduate Employability Skills (20 credits)
  • Introduction to Cell Biology & Biochemistry (20 credits)
  • Microbiology & Molecular Biology (20 credits)
  • Perspectives in Biochemistry (20 credits)
Year 2 Core modules in this year include:
  • Cell Biology (20 credits)
  • Enzymes and Metabolism (20 credits)
  • Recombinant Dna and Protein Expression (20 credits)
  • Research Skills (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year include:
  • Business for Biosciences (20 credits)
  • Development, Stem Cells and Differentiation (20 credits)
  • Introduction to Teaching (20 credits)
  • Microbiology (20 credits)
Placement year Boost your employability by taking an industry-based work placement year with a relevant organisation or immerse yourself in another culture by studying for a year at one of our partner universities worldwide. This is an amazing opportunity to either put everything you’ve learned so far into action in a real workplace or expand your horizons and set yourself up for your future career by studying abroad. Depending on what you choose, we’ll help you find and secure an exciting placement opportunity within an appropriate company or organisation, or you’ll expand your global perspective and develop additional skills to boost your future career during a study abroad year. This is a Connected Degree We're the only university that gives you the flexibility to choose when to take a work placement. Take it after your 2nd year, before returning to finish your studies. Or after your final year, connecting you into the workplace. If you're not sure if or when to take your placement, don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to settle into your studies and explore your options before making your choice. Year 3 Core modules in this year include:
  • Gene Organisation and Expression (20 credits)
  • Genomics in Molecular Medicine (20 credits)
  • Protein Engineering (20 credits)
  • Research Project (40 credits)
Optional modules in this year include:
  • Mechanisms of Development (20 credits)
  • Microbiomes (20 credits)
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

You’ll be assessed through coursework, essays and write-ups, presentations, online exams, data analysis problems, research project, written exams, multiple choice tests. You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Royal Society of Biology

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
PTE Academic62An overall score of 62 with a minimum of 59 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
30%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
95%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £9535 Year 1
England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1
International £19200 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Placement Year and Year abroad (at the time of publishing for 2024/25): UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,385 EU – £1,385 (including Transition Scholarship) International (Non-EU) – £2,875. Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. All fees are subject to annual increase. For more information about fees, go to port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance/tuition-fees-living-costs-and-other-study-costs
Biochemistry at University of Portsmouth - UCAS