Medical Genetics with a Foundation Year

Medical genetics is a discipline at the intersection of molecular biology and clinical medicine, concerned with how genes and the variations between them contribute to human health and disease. The rapid advances in DNA sequencing, genomics, and gene editing that have characterised the past two decades have transformed both the scientific understanding of genetic disorders and the practical possibilities for diagnosis and treatment. Medical genetics sits at the centre of this transformation, applying the tools of molecular biology to questions with direct relevance to human patients and populations.

This four-year programme at Swansea University, which includes a foundation year, provides a broad grounding in biomolecular sciences with a particular focus on the genetic dimensions of biology and medicine. You will study molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, genomics, and the application of these sciences to understanding disease mechanisms, diagnostic approaches, and the development of genetic therapies. The foundation year ensures you have the scientific and academic preparation needed before engaging with the main degree curriculum at undergraduate level.

Graduates from medical genetics programmes go on to work in academic and industrial research laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic laboratories, genetic counselling (with further professional training), patent law, medical writing, regulatory affairs, and consultancy. The growing importance of genomic medicine to the NHS and the broader healthcare system means demand for graduates with these skills is increasing. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in genomics, genetic counselling, biomedical science, or a clinical field, and doctoral research is a well-established route for those interested in research careers in genetics and genomic medicine.