Biochemistry with Foundation Year

Biochemistry investigates the molecular processes that sustain life: the structure and function of proteins, the flow of genetic information from DNA to protein, the metabolic pathways that generate energy, and the molecular mechanisms of development, signalling and disease. It is a discipline that demands both rigorous scientific thinking and careful experimental work, and it sits at the heart of modern biology and medicine. Almost every advance in our understanding of disease at the molecular level, from the mechanisms of cancer to the action of viruses, is rooted in biochemistry.

At the University of Surrey, the four-year programme includes a foundation year, which builds the mathematical and scientific foundations you need before progressing onto the full degree. You will study the chemistry and biology of living systems, developing expertise in areas including protein biochemistry, molecular genetics, enzymology, cell biology and metabolism. Laboratory work is central to the degree, and you will learn the practical techniques that underpin modern biochemical research, including spectroscopy, chromatography, gel electrophoresis and molecular cloning.

Surrey integrates digital skills and contemporary tools across its programmes, preparing you for a professional environment in which computational approaches are increasingly important alongside bench science.

Surrey's research profile and its location in the south-east of England, close to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries that cluster along the M25 corridor, give undergraduates access to a professional environment that enriches the degree and supports career development.

Graduates of biochemistry programmes work in pharmaceutical research and development, biotechnology, clinical research, food science, forensic science, environmental science and academic research. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study at masters or doctoral level, and a doctorate is the expected route for those who want to pursue a career in academic or industrial research. The rigorous scientific training biochemistry provides is also valued as preparation for medicine, dentistry and other health professions via graduate entry routes.