Subject area: Biomedical Sciences

Why choose Biomedical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh?

You will join an interdisciplinary programme that provides the knowledge, skills, personal and professional development appropriate for globally competitive graduates of our key disciplines.
You will be supported by academic staff who provide an outstanding research-led learning experience that fosters individual intellectual development.
You will have the opportunity to undertake projects with our leading biomedical researchers addressing major global biomedical challenges.

Study abroad

I love studying among like-minded individuals; we are all young adults with a passion for biology and medicine. I find it very inspiring when I walk into a lecture theatre and see 200 aspiring scientists around me.

Lorenzo Capitani 4th Year BSc (Hons) Infectious Diseases

Introducing Biomedical Sciences

What will you study?

Our Biomedical Sciences programmes have a common structure in Years 1 and 2. The compulsory courses in the pre-honours years will provide you with a foundation in the knowledge, understanding and skills required for focused and specialised study in the following subject areas:

anatomy and development
infectious diseases
neuroscience
pharmacology
physiology or reproductive biology

There are opportunities to move between subject areas at the end of Years 2 and 3.

In Years 3 and 4, you will focus on exploring your chosen subject area in-depth.

Year 1

Each year of our Biomedical Sciences programmes is defined by an overarching theme. Year 1 highlights Inspirational Science, examining the importance of biomedical sciences to health and disease.

We use examples of discovery and breakthroughs in understanding to capture the excitement of our students. This will help to transform into an active learner.

Year 2

In Year 2, you will develop the building blocks of discipline-specific knowledge and understanding. At the same time, you will examine each of our honours disciplines through the key research questions being asked by academic staff and the wider biomedical sciences research community.

Year 3

Year 3 looks at the key processes of learning, or developing knowledge, from experiments placed in the context of a chosen discipline.

You examine how the application of the blocks of knowledge developed in Years 1 and 2 support the enquiry and discovery process.

You will also learn about:

the scientific method
structured reasoning
inferences from data
design of experiments
the range of experimental techniques currently available in the Biomedical Sciences

Year 3 study involves compulsory, discipline-specific, and elective course choices.

Year 4

Year 4 is orientated to 'research in practice'. This is the process of learning by experiment, employing the knowledge and skills base developed across the programme. You will explore how new knowledge is produced and shared.

The senior honours year places you at the cutting edge of modern biomedical research.

You will complete a major research project, working alongside internationally recognised research scientists and clinicians. This could involve:

original laboratory-based biomedical research
clinically related research
data/literature analysis-based research

Applications

Please apply for only one of the programmes in this group. Compulsory courses in Years 1 and 2 keep programmes in all our honours biomedical sciences subject areas open.

You will have the opportunity to switch between subject areas at the end of Year 2 and at the end of Year 3, provided you pass the required courses.