Medical Genetics

Medical genetics is the study of how inherited variation in DNA influences human health and disease. It is a discipline at the frontier of modern biomedicine, underpinning advances in personalised medicine, cancer biology, rare disease diagnosis, genetic counselling, and the development of gene therapies. As genomic technologies become central to healthcare, the demand for scientists who understand genetics in a clinical and medical context is growing rapidly.

At the University of Huddersfield you will study the molecular and cellular basis of inheritance, the genetics of common and rare diseases, genomic technologies and their clinical applications, developmental biology, and the ethical dimensions of genetic medicine. You will develop practical laboratory skills in molecular biology techniques alongside a deep theoretical understanding of how genetic information is stored, expressed, and transmitted. The degree also covers the medical and healthcare context in which genetic knowledge is applied, including the work of genetic counsellors, clinical scientists, and research teams in NHS genetics services.

This three-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, which provides a solid grounding in the biological sciences before you move into the main degree, and a sandwich year with a work placement. The placement year gives you direct experience in a genetics laboratory, hospital trust, pharmaceutical company, or research institute, developing professional skills and clarity about your career direction before you graduate.

Graduates go on to careers in genomics and genetic research, NHS clinical genetics services, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, genetic counselling (with further postgraduate training), biomedical science, and science communication. Many continue to postgraduate study, including research degrees and professional training in clinical genetics or genetic counselling.