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Royal Holloway, University of London
Programme specification for an undergraduate award
BSc Biomedical Sciences (B990)
Section 1 – Introduction to your programme
This programme specification is a formal document, which provides a summary of the main features of your programme and the learning outcomes that you might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if you take full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. Further information is contained in the College prospectus, and in various handbooks, all of which you will be able to access online. Alternatively, further information on the College’s academic regulations and polices can be found here. Further information on the College’s Admissions Policy can be found here.
Your degree programme in Biomedical Sciences is delivered in three stages, each of which comprises one year of full-time study, or two years of part-time study, during which you must follow course units to the value of 120 national credits. The curriculum is based around a core set of mandatory course units and the programme offers a strong foundation in Stages one and two, which covers the requirements of the benchmarking statements in Biosciences and Biomedical Sciences and allows for specialisation in Stage three, while at the same time allowing some degree of diversification of interests.
Stage one comprises a fixed selection of mandatory course units and seeks to provide the necessary grounding for the study of the subject at degree level with appropriate Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, and Physiology and including a strong element of laboratory training that forms the cornerstone of the subject. In Stage two you take 5 mandatory course units to the value of 75 credits in Physiology, Molecular Biology, as well as molecular studies of biomedical subjects such as Immunology, Neurology and Pharmacology and select optional course units that include Microbiology, Developmental Biology, Cell Dynamics and Bioenergetics and Metabolism. Stage two builds on the foundations laid in Stage one and provides a basis for the study of the research-led specialist options in Stage three. All the course units include a substantial element of laboratory training that prepares you for the selection and implementation of the individual research project in stage three. In Stage three there are 2 mandatory course units to the value of 45 credits, which are the Molecular Basis of Inherited Disease course units and the individual research project. The project is regarded as the culmination of your training in experimental design, research techniques, data analysis and presentation. You select the remaining course units from options. Many of the course units specialise in medically oriented aspects of the subject, and have a strong element covering specific categories of disease, their underlying cause and treatment. The options include Clinical Physiology and Medicine, Clinical Diagnosis of Disease, Biology of Parasitic Diseases, Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, Human Embryology and others. Clinicians and other hospital experts contribute to several of the final year courses, providing teaching at the cutting-edge of clinical approaches and expertise.
The programme emphasises the importance and relevance of a wide range of subject areas for medicine and the understanding and scientific investigation of human disease. It also involves training in a variety of practical techniques and skills relevant to research work in Biomedical Sciences. The system is also flexible and allows you to transfer to other degree streams within the School up to the start of the second term, or indeed to other Molecular Bioscience degrees up to the start of the second stage. You can also take up to 30 credits from outside the School of Biological Sciences, but within other Science departments, during stage two/three. Options are selected in consultation with your Personal Tutor and the Director of Teaching.
While Royal Holloway keeps all the information made available under review, programmes and the availability of individual course units, especially optional course units are necessarily subject to change at any time, and you are therefore advised to seek confirmation of any factors which might affect your decision to follow a specific programme. In turn, Royal Holloway will inform you as soon as is practicable of any significant changes which might affect your studies.
The following is brief description for some of the most important terminology for understanding the content of this document:
Degree programme – Also referred to as ‘degree course’ or simply ‘course’, these terms refer to the qualification you will be awarded upon successful completion of your studies. Course unit – Also referred to as ‘module’, this refers to the individual units you will study each year to complete your degree programme. Undergraduate degrees at Royal Holloway comprise a combination of 15 and 30 credit course units to the value of 120 credits per year. On some degree programmes a certain number of optional course units must be passed for a particular degree title.
Section 3 – Degree programme structure
3.1 Mandatory course unit information The following table summarises the mandatory modules which students must take in each year of study
Year Course code
Course title Contact hours*
Self- study hours
**Written exams****
**Practical assessment****
Coursework Credits** FHEQ level**
Course status (see below)
1 BS1021 Becoming a Bio scientist 57 93 25% 75% 15 4 MC
1 BS1031 Chemistry of Life 61 89 60% 10% 30% 15 4 MC
1 BS1032 Fundamental Biochemistry 53 97 70% 30% 15 4 MC
1 BS1061 Introductory Animal Physiology 39 111 70% 30% 15 4 MC
1 BS1062 Pathophysiology 39 111 70% 30% 15 4 MC
1 BS1071 Cell Biology and Evolution 45 105 70% 30% 15 4 MC
1 BS1072 Genetics 35 115 70% 30% 15 4 MC
1 BS1091 Protein Biochemistry and Enzymology
49 101 60% 10% 30% 15 4 MC
2 BS2050 Human Physiology in Health and Disease
31 119 75% 8% 17% 15 5 MC
2 BS2530 Molecular Biology 36 114 70% 30% 15 5 MC
2 BS2540 Molecular and Cellular Immunology
34 116 75% 25% 15 5 MC
2 BS2550 Neuronal and Cellular Signalling 34 116 75% 25% 15 5 MC
2 BS2560 Pharmacology and Toxicology 31 119 70% 30% 15 5 MC 3 BS3010 Individual Research Project 183 117 25% 75% 30 6 MNC
This table sets out the most important information for the mandatory courses on your degree programme. These courses are central to achieving your learning outcomes, so they are compulsory, and all students on your degree programme will be required to take them. You will be automatically registered for these courses each year. Mandatory courses fall into two categories; ‘condonable’ or ‘non-condonable’.
In the case of mandatory ‘non-condonable’ (MNC) courses, you must pass the course before you can proceed to the next year of your programme, or to successfully graduate with a particular degree title. In the case of mandatory ‘condonable’ (MC) courses, these must be taken but you can still progress or graduate even if you do not pass them. Please note that
although Royal Holloway will keep changes to a minimum, changes to your degree programme may be made where reasonable and necessary due to unexpected events. For example; where requirements of relevant Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies have changed and programme requirements must change accordingly, or where changes are deemed necessary on the basis of student feedback and/or the advice of external advisors, to enhance academic provision.
*Contact hours come in various different forms, and may take the form of time spent with a member of staff in a lecture or seminar with other students. Contact hours may also be
laboratory or, studio-based sessions, project supervision with a member of staff, or discussion through a virtual learning environment (VLE). These contact hours may be with a lecturer or teaching assistant, but they may also be with a technician, or specialist support staff.
**The way in which each course on your degree programme is assessed will also vary, however, the assessments listed above are all ‘summative’, which means you will receive a mark for it which will count towards your overall mark for the course, and potentially your degree classification, depending on your year of study. On successful completion of the course you will gain the credits listed. ‘Coursework’ might typically include a written assignment, like an essay. Coursework might also include a report, dissertation or portfolio. ‘Practical
assessments’ might include an oral assessment or presentation, or a demonstration of practical skills required for the particular course.
3.2 Optional course units
In addition to mandatory course units, there will be a number of optional course units available during the course of your degree. The following table lists a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. However, not all may be available every year. Although Royal Holloway will keep changes to a minimum, new options may be offered or existing ones may be withdrawn. For example; where reasonable and necessary due to unexpected events, where requirements of relevant Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) have changed and programme requirements must change accordingly, or where changes are deemed necessary on the basis of student feedback and/or the advice of External Advisors, to enhance academic provision.There may be additional requirements around option selection, so it is important that this specification is read alongside your department’s Student Handbook, which you can access via their webpage.
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
None BS2005: Microbiology BS3020: Special Study: Dissertation
3 BS3590 Molecular Basis of Inherited Disease
22 128 80% 20% 15 6 MC
Stage two (b) BS2540 Molecular and Cellular Immunology (15 credits; condonable) BS2550 Neuronal and Cellular Signalling (15 credits; condonable) BS2560 Pharmacology and Toxicology (15 credits; condonable) and choose one option from the Stage two course units listed above.
Stage three (a) BS3010 Individual Research Project (30 credits) [Non-condonable – must be passed to qualify for specific field of study]. BS3590 Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease (15 credits; condonable) and choose options from the stage three course units listed above Stage three (b) Options from the stage three course units listed above.
For further information on the progression and award requirements for your degree, please refer to Royal Holloway’s Academic Regulations.
Section 5 – Educational aims of the programme
The aims of the Honours Degree programme in Biomedical Sciences are to: provide, through a core of course units, a sound knowledge and understanding of those areas of Bioscience necessary for understanding the biology of diseases and the scientific investigation of human health and disease. These include biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, physiology and anatomy, and pharmacology; provide a sound knowledge and understanding of those areas of the subject relevant to the diagnosis and development of therapies for a range of diseases; develop an insight into the current frontiers of knowledge in major aspects of the Biomedical Sciences, primarily through a series of specialised Stage 3 course units; develop, through a flexible and progressive structure, a range of subject-specific and transferable skills, including practical laboratory skills, self-management, information retrieval, communication and presentation skills, working with others, decision making and meeting deadlines, that equip you for future employment: provide experience of independent research through a final year project; produce graduates who can work safely and responsibly with biological and chemical materials and laboratory equipment.
Section 6 - Programme learning outcomes
In general terms, the programmes provide opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate the following learning outcomes. ( _Categories – Knowledge and understanding (K), Skills and other attributes (S), and Transferable skills ())_*
- a sound knowledge and understanding of those subjects essential for the scientific investigation and understanding of human disease, including biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, genetics, molecular biology, physiology and anatomy, and pharmacology (K);
- a critical understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of human diseases, their diagnosis, treatment and the development of novel therapeutic strategies (K);
- a knowledge of the application of biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology and molecular genetics to understanding the molecular basis and diagnosis of a range of diseases (K);
- understanding cutting edge developments in a range of areas specific to the subject (K);
- awareness of philosophical and ethical issues arising from some of the current developments in the biosciences (K);
- well-developed strategies for updating, maintaining and enhancing their knowledge of the Biomedical Sciences (K);
- the ability to employ and evaluate suitable experimental methods for the investigation of relevant areas of biomedical science (S);
- a range of laboratory techniques of key importance in Biomedical Sciences (S);
- working safely in a scientific laboratory, with awareness of standard safety protocols (S);
- the ability to apply relevant numerical skills, including statistics, to biological data (S);
- the ability to access information from a wide range of sources in order to maintain and enhance knowledge of the Biosciences and to communicate that information clearly in oral and written forms (S);
- assessing the merits of contrasting subject-specific theories, paradigms, concepts and principles (S);
- applying subject-specific knowledge and understanding to address familiar and unfamiliar problems (S);
- the ability to plan, design, execute and present an independent piece of research in the final year through a theoretical or practical project in biomedical sciences, including the production of the final report (S);
- taking personal responsibility for learning, and developing habits of reflection on that learning (S);*
- identifying, retrieving (including the use of online computer searches), sorting and exchanging information (S);*
- abstracting and synthesising information, and developing a reasoned argument (S);*
- critically interpreting and evaluating experimental data and relevant literature, analysing and solving problems, and decision-making (S);*
- written communication and verbal presentation (S);*
- information technology (including spreadsheets, databases, word processing, email and WWW) (S);*
- interpersonal skills, including working in groups/teams and recognising and respecting the viewpoints of others (S);*
- CV and career preparation (S).*
Section 9 – Indicators of quality and standards
QAA Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) Level 4 - 6
Your programme is designed in accordance with the FHEQ to ensure your qualification is awarded on the basis of nationally established standards of achievement, for both outcomes and attainment. The qualification descriptors within the FHEQ set out the generic outcomes and attributes expected for the award of individual qualifications. The qualification descriptors contained in the FHEQ exemplify the outcomes and attributes expected of learning that results in the award of higher education qualifications. These outcomes represent the integration of various learning experiences resulting from designated and coherent programmes of study.
QAA Subject benchmark statement(s) http://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements
Subject benchmark statements provide a means for the academic community to describe the nature and characteristics of programmes in a specific subject or subject area. They also represent general expectations about standards for the award of qualifications at a given level in terms of the attributes and capabilities that those possessing qualifications should have demonstrated.
Section 11 – Intermediate exit awards (where available)
You may be eligible for an intermediate exit award if you complete part of the programme as detailed in this document. Any additional criteria (e.g. mandatory course units, credit requirements) for intermediate awards is outlined in the sections below. Award Criteria Awarding body
Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE) Pass in 210 credits of which at least 90 must be at or above FHEQ Level 4 and at least 120 of which must be at or above FHEQ Level 5
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College
Certificate in Higher Education (CertHE) Pass in 120 credits of which at least 90 must be at or above FHEQ Level 4
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College
Section 10 – Further information
This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate when taking full advantage of the learning opportunities that are available. More detailed information on course units, including teaching and learning methods, and methods of assessment, can be found via the online Course Catalogue. The accuracy of the information contained in this document is reviewed regularly by the university, and may also be checked routinely by external agencies, such as the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).
Your programme will be reviewed regularly, both by the university as part of its cyclical quality enhancement processes, and/or by your department or school, who may wish to make improvements to the curriculum, or in response to resource planning. As such, your programme may be revised during the course of your study at Royal Holloway. However, your department or school will take reasonable steps to consult with students via appropriate channels when considering changes. All continuing students will be routinely informed of any significant changes.
Section 12 - Associated award(s)
None
