Biomedical Sciences

Biomedical sciences sits at the interface between biology and medicine, investigating the cellular, molecular, and physiological mechanisms that underpin human health and disease. Where medicine focuses on the clinical care of patients, biomedical science goes deep into the laboratory and research dimensions of how diseases arise, how the body responds to them, and how diagnostics and treatments work at a biological level. The discipline spans areas including biochemistry, cell biology, immunology, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, and genetics.

At Cardiff University this four-year full-time degree gives you the depth of scientific training that the discipline requires. You will develop laboratory skills alongside theoretical understanding, learning to design and execute experiments, interpret data, and communicate findings in the scientific manner expected of professional researchers and laboratory practitioners. Cardiff's strong research environment in the biomedical sciences means you will be taught by active researchers, and the four-year structure allows you to engage with specialist topics at an advanced level in your later years.

The typical entry tariff of 168 points reflects the rigour of the programme and the quality of applicants it attracts.

Graduates of biomedical sciences programmes pursue a wide range of careers. Many go into the National Health Service as biomedical scientists, working in hospital laboratories in areas such as haematology, biochemistry, microbiology, or histopathology, with registration through the Health and Care Professions Council. Others move into pharmaceutical or biotechnology research and development, clinical trials management, or science-related roles in regulatory affairs and quality assurance.

Academic research is a natural path for those who go on to postgraduate study, with the four-year undergraduate degree providing a strong foundation for a PhD in biomedical or life sciences.