Biomedical Science with a Year in Professional Practice

Biomedical science is the application of biological and chemical sciences to the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Biomedical scientists work at the interface of research and clinical practice, providing the laboratory analyses, from blood tests and tissue pathology to microbiological cultures and genetic testing, that clinicians rely on for diagnosis and treatment decisions. The discipline encompasses haematology, medical microbiology, clinical biochemistry, cellular pathology, immunology and transfusion science.

At the University of Kent, this four-year full-time programme includes a year in professional practice, giving you sustained work experience in a biomedical science setting, typically an NHS laboratory, where you will apply your scientific knowledge in a clinical environment and develop the professional skills and laboratory competencies that employment and professional registration require.

You will study anatomy and physiology, cell biology, genetics, microbiology, haematology, clinical biochemistry, immunology, pathology and the analytical methods used in each area. The programme emphasises the real-world application of biomedical science and its connection to modern clinical research, ensuring that your learning is grounded in how the discipline operates in practice rather than purely in theory. Laboratory work, data analysis and scientific communication are developed throughout.

On graduation, many students pursue registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as biomedical scientists, often through completing a period of portfolio-based assessment. Careers in NHS laboratory medicine, pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic companies, research organisations and the civil service are common destinations. Some go on to postgraduate study in biomedical science, molecular pathology or related clinical sciences.