Medical Genetics with a Placement Year

Medical genetics is the science of how hereditary information is stored, transmitted, and expressed in biological systems, and how variations in that information contribute to disease, health, and the diversity of living organisms. It sits at the intersection of molecular biology, genetics, clinical medicine, and biotechnology, and it has become one of the most rapidly evolving fields in biomedical science as the ability to read, interpret, and in some cases modify the genome has expanded dramatically in recent decades.

At Swansea University, this four-year full-time Medical Genetics degree with a placement year takes you through the molecular and cellular foundations of genetic inheritance, the mechanisms by which mutations and epigenetic changes produce disease, and the methods used to investigate and understand genetic variation in populations. The placement year gives you direct professional experience in a research, clinical, or industrial genetics setting, which is central to developing the applied skills that employers in the sector value and to making the transition from academic study to professional practice as smooth as possible.

Graduates from medical genetics programmes work across a wide range of careers. Academic and industrial research laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic genetics services, genetic counselling, clinical laboratory roles, patent law, medical writing, and regulatory affairs are all well-established destinations. The breadth of the field means that the skills developed through a medical genetics degree are applicable in many contexts, from the laboratory bench to science communication and commercial roles.

Additional training can lead to medical practice, genetic counselling practice, or specialist clinical scientist roles. Postgraduate study in genetics, genomics, molecular medicine, or a clinical health science is a natural continuation for those who wish to develop deeper specialist expertise.