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Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business and Management) BSc

London, Bloomsbury
Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business and Management) BSc (2024)

This programme is designed to give you a firm grounding in both the science of bioprocessing and the management of new emerging technologies in healthcare. You will develop an understanding of the latest biomedical and diagnostic advances, together with the business skills necessary for health and clinical research management.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 academic years
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£9,250
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£37,500
Programme starts
September 2025
Application deadline
29 Jan 2025
UCAS course code
CN72
Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
AAA
Subjects
Biology, Chemistry or Physics required.
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Contextual offer information

Contextual offers are typically one to two grades lower than the standard offer. Grade and subject requirements for contextual offers for this programme will be published in Summer 2024.

Points
38
Subjects
A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects including grade 6 in one from Biology, Chemistry or Physics, with no higher level score below 5.

Contextual offer

Contextual offers are typically one to two grade boundaries (equivalent to A levels) lower than the standard offer. IB Diploma grade and subject requirements for contextual offers for this programme will be published in Summer 2024.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, including one from Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

AAA at Advanced Highers (AA at Advanced Higher and AAA at Higher), including one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics at Advanced Higher.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades AAA, including one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

International applications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.
Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview



In the first year, you will study the basics of how a drug is created, made at scale and what the challenges of creating new medicines are. You will also study the prerequisite management principles involved in running an organisation and dealing with the accounts, as well as the fundamentals of data management.

In year two, you will study the internal and external factors that govern pharmaceutical production, with emphasis on clinical needs and their constraints. A wide spectrum of knowledge is encompassed from statistical analysis to legal and ethical concerns. You will also grow to understand the role of the internet in globalisation and access to medicines.

The third year addresses a more in-depth understanding of global practices, business planning, and the feasibility and economics of creating therapeutics and vaccines in both developed as well as developing markets. You will also undertake an independent bioprocess research project.

What this course will give you

This BSc is a truly interdisciplinary programme. It draws on the knowledge of experts from across UCL in science, engineering, management and humanities.

We are the only biochemical engineering department in a UK university, incorporating the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering (ACBE) with a fully functional pilot plant, making our facilities unique in this country. Our facilities attract leading industrial collaborators, such as the Cytiva Centre of Excellence.

We designed our teaching to help you work at a detailed analytical level and see the bigger picture to address environmental and ethical issues.

We have been pioneers in providing our undergraduates with training to help them understand the business environment in which the life science industries operate. We will prepare you better for your future career through innovative teaching and problem-based learning exercises.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business and Management).

Modules

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Year 1 – Modules in Biochemistry and Biochemical engineering alongside accountancy and management. Students will select minor modules from the UCL catalogue for start in Year 2.
Year 2 – More advanced modules building on Year 1 and bringing in modules on law and human resource management. Minor modules begin.
Year 3 – Final year modules begin, Third year design project and lab project.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Compulsory modules









Compulsory modules








Compulsory modules








Your learning

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, case studies, team-based projects and experiments. Leading industrialists and researchers regularly visit the department to provide guest lectures. Case studies are conducted in small teams, and your personal and departmental tutors are available to offer individual support.

Students are expected to attend all teaching events which are organised within each module in their programme. Each module broadly corresponds to 10hrs per credit; for example, a 15-credit module has been designed to require 150 hours of study time, a 30-credit module 300 hrs of study time, etc. This time comprises formal in-person learning and teaching events such as lectures, seminars, and tutorials, as well as independent study, assessment, revision, and laboratory work (module dependent). Our programmes are full-time, and in this mode, a student would engage with their studies typically for 40 hours per week during term time.

The use of innovative teaching and assessment methods is widespread in our degrees (e.g. blended learning, problem-based learning, e-learning, peer assessment). A series of teamwork activities embedded in the taught programmes (e.g. scenarios, challenges, design projects) introduce our students to the design cycle and test a range of communication skills.

Students will have contact with academic staff for the purposes of learning, teaching and assessment, either online or in person. Covering lectures, tutorials and workshops (on average 10-14 hrs), and term and year dependant laboratory classes (typically 2-4 hours per week). The exact number of contact hours and composition varies throughout the term and at different points during the degree programme. The breakdown in relation to optional/elective modules will depend on the student's choices.

Assessment

Diverse forms of assessments linked to learning outcomes are designed to test a broad range of skills. Modules at the start of the degree are assessed via 2-3 pieces of coursework and an unseen examination at the end of the year. Problem-based activities may be assessed by individual or group reports, oral or poster presentations.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.

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The foundation of your career

The pace of development of new medicines and greener sustainable processes is creating an ever-growing need for biochemical engineering graduates in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, biofuels, chemical, environment and food industries.

You may be based in a university or elect to work in a company research and development activity that is involved in the design of facilities and the creation of safe materials. The programme teaches skills in systematic thinking and precise calculation, leading some graduates to enter the financial sector (particularly those companies which invest in healthcare).

Employability

The core science, engineering, business and leadership skills that you acquire on the programme will provide you with excellent and diverse career prospects. In addition to your core subject knowledge, the programme will provide you with skills such as innovative thinking, team-working and computing.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £9,250
Tuition fees (2024/25) £37,500

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

This degree is based at UCL in central London, and some sessions may take place at UCL East in Stratford (30 minutes by public transport from the main Bloomsbury campus). Students will be expected to pay all their travel costs to and between the two sites.

The programme has no additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

The department has established a trust fund that supports five bursaries per year, each worth at least £1500. These are open to all applicants accepted onto undergraduate programmes.

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

Your application

Our students are focused on bringing biochemical engineering solutions to the world's greatest problems. They are applying biochemical engineering skills and knowledge to meet global challenges relating to the development of novel medicines, pioneering stem cell therapies and sustainable technologies. Our graduates are helping transform discoveries into global solutions.

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

If you live outside the UK, or travel distance is a problem, we will arrange for a telephone or online (VoIP) chat to assist with any questions you may have.

We are happy to consider your application if you wish to defer entry and take a gap year before taking up your place on the programme, especially if you have constructive plans for your time. The Year in Industry scheme provides suitably qualified students with work placements, allowing them to gain relevant work experience whilst earning money.

If we have made you an offer, you will be invited to an offer-holder's open day. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to visit the departmental facilities and meet current students and staff before making a final decision.

Apply via UCAS
Application guidelines
Download prospectus

Got questions? Get in touch

Biochemical Engineering
Biochemical Engineering

biochemeng@ucl.ac.uk

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