Biochemistry and Biotechnology (Hons) University of East London

Overview

You'll be taught by - and also get the chance to assist - brilliant scientists who are involved in ground-breaking research and new discoveries.

Increasingly, biochemists and biotechnologists are playing a crucial role in genetic engineering and molecular bioengineering, as well as other areas of physiology and medicine.

For instance, antibiotics remain one of the UK's main exports and their production by fermenting micro-organisms in the pharmaceutical industry has revolutionised healthcare.

So you can be part of this invigorating exploration, studying subjects that are playing a key role in improving the manufacturing processes, in fighting disease and improving our lives.

This Biochemistry and Biotechnology (Hons) course at University of East London comes with the opportunity of a year-long industry placement between years two and three, subject to availability of positions with our industry partners. If you choose this option, you'll spend your third year working in an appropriate professional environment, adding valuable practical experience to your growing academic knowledge.

Foundation year

If you don't meet the entry requirements for a BSc degree, you have the option of taking an extended four-year version of this course. You'll take a bioscience foundation year which will prepare you for the BSc degree.

Your future career

You'll be gaining a broad and varied grounding in biotechnology and biochemistry during your time with us, which means you'll find a range of career possibilities opening up to you after graduating.

You could go into laboratory-based work in a hospital or research institute, or work at an industrial or pharmaceutical lab. 

You might find you're well suited for a role as a research and development consultant, or use your knowledge to teach the next generation. If you follow this route, the University of East London is renowned for the quality of its postgraduate teacher-training courses.

Alternatively, you may wish to continue studying biotechnology or biochemistry at postgraduate level or study a related discipline such as nursing, physiotherapy, dentistry, medicine or pharmacy.

Some of Course Leader Dr David Bringloe's students have achieved great success. For example, Marta Futema went straight into cancer research at University College London (UCL) because her work at UEL was so outstanding.

Others went on to Oxford University and Royal Holloway while two of our most recent graduates have landed scholarships for Biotechnology master's degrees at UCL.

No doors are closed with this degree. One of our graduates decided he wanted to forge a career in the corporate world of pharmaceuticals. He was head-hunted for a job with leading biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, before retraining as a doctor at a medical school.