Cancer Biomedicine BSc
London, Bloomsbury and London, Hampstead (Royal Free Hospital)
Cancer Biomedicine BSc (2024)
Cancer poses a significant health and socio-economic burden to society. In this unique degree you will be taught by researchers working at the forefront of basic, translational and clinical cancer research. Knowledge of cancer is widely relevant to careers in biomedical research, health science, allied health professions and the pharmaceutical industry.
Study mode
Duration
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
Programme starts
September 2023Application deadline
25 Jan 2023UCAS course code
Entry requirements
- Grades
- AAB
- Subjects
- Biology and Chemistry required.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade B or 6.
Contextual offer information
- Grades
- BCC more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- B in Biology or Chemistry
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5.
- Points
- 36
- Subjects
- A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects including Biology and Chemistry, with no higher level score below 5.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 30 more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects including Biology or Chemistry, with no higher level score below 5.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction to include Distinction in Biology and Chemistry.
Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units. Please note, where subject specific requirements are stipulated at A level we may review your Access to HE syllabus to ensure you meet the subject specific requirements prior to a final decision being communicated.
Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades AAB. Chemistry and Biology required.
A,A,B at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and B,B,B at Higher), including Chemistry and Biology at Advanced Higher.
D3,D3,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects. Chemistry and Biology required.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
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.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 2
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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
Year one is demanding, covering the foundations of human biology and medicine. There are seven modules providing an understanding of human health and disease. Teaching of biochemistry, physiology and anatomy is integrated with an understanding of each organ system. One further module gives an introduction to cancer medicine in society and leads on to cancer-related modules in years two and three. You will be mostly based at UCL’s Royal Free campus in Hampstead, North London, and taught by world-leading scientists and clinicians.
Year two comprises five compulsory modules covering molecular biology, cancer biology and therapeutics, clinical cancer management and clinical trials. Three further modules are optional with a wide range of subjects to choose from.
Year three comprises four compulsory and three optional modules, with the compulsory modules examining how new cancer treatment strategies are designed and tested. You will also undertake a research project. The wide range of optional modules allows students to tailor-make a preferred route within biomedical sciences, guided by interest and intended career choice.
What this course will give you
The focus of this degree programme is on cancer as a disease, its treatment, and the associated research and socio-economic impacts. It is a research-connected curriculum with teaching delivered by leading cancer scientists and clinicians.
You will have the opportunity to undertake a unique research project working alongside world-class cancer researchers.
The skills, training, and knowledge gained within this programme will be enhanced by the combination of basic science, clinical disease management and translational medicine. This collectively offers a unique skill set to graduates.
There is a wide choice of optional modules for you to select from, which will vary year to year. Current examples include Nutrition and Cancer Risk, Paediatric and Young Adult Cancer, Pharmacology and Drug Action and Immunology.
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 Cancer Biomedicine.
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 are 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.
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Year one is demanding, covering the foundations of human biology and medicine. There are seven modules providing an understanding of human health and disease. Teaching of biochemistry, physiology and anatomy is integrated with an understanding of each organ system. One further module gives an introduction to cancer medicine in society and leads on to cancer-related modules in years two and three. You will be mostly based at UCL’s Royal Free campus in Hampstead, North London, and taught by world-leading scientists and clinicians.
Year two comprises compulsory modules covering molecular biology, cancer biology and therapeutics, and clinical cancer management. You will be able to choose further optional modules from a wide range of subjects in order to broaden your study and develop areas of personal interest.
Year three again combines compulsory and optional modules, with the compulsory modules examining how new cancer treatment strategies are designed and tested, and how novel therapies are tested through clinical trials. You will also undertake a research project. The wide range of optional modules allows students to tailor-make a preferred route within biomedical sciences, guided by interest and intended career choice.
Compulsory modules
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Your learning
Teaching is delivered through formal lectures, small tutorials, group and independent work. Year two includes laboratory practicals, and in year three you will undertake a research project and produce a dissertation.
Lectures are both face-to-face and online, which gives you the opportunity to review topics at your own pace. There are also more intensive, creative sessions of tutorial-based problem-solving and learning which take place in small groups.
Assessment
Formative and summative assessment methods include: examinations (some of which are in multiple-choice or short-answer question format); coursework; poster presentations; practical skills assessment (OSPE); and online participation. There is a project dissertation which is produced as part of the research project in year three.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.
The foundation of your career
We expect our graduates to be capable of working at the highest levels and have the ability to make a significant contribution within all fields of biomedical sciences, research and associated professions.
Employability
Graduates will be capable of critical thinking and complex problem-solving and becoming highly skilled scientists. They will have developed excellent verbal and written communication skills. These competencies and this acquired knowledge will equip our graduates to excel in laboratory or clinical research careers, or flourish in other professions where a keen understanding of science and clinical medicine is crucial.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
| Fee description | Full-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2023/24) | £9,250 |
| Tuition fees (2023/24) | £32,100 |
The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2023/24 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 2023/24 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: ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/funding-your-studies.
Additional costs
Students will be expected to cover the cost of printing and binding their final year project dissertation.
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
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.
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
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.
We will use predicted or achieved academic qualifications, your personal statement and references to decide whether to offer you a place. There will be no interviews.
Got questions? Get in touch
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