Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Medical Sciences

at University of Westminster - Cavendish Campus United Kingdom

Biomedical science is concerned with the detailed study of the human body, both in health and disease, with emphasis on the diagnosis and understanding of disease states and the mechanisms involved.

In Year 1 you'll study the important fundamental sciences, including biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and human anatomy and physiology.

In Year 2 you'll develop your understanding of a wide range of disease processes, combined with the principles of laboratory procedures used to aid diagnosis and treatment.

Between Years 2 and 3, the sandwich placement is an excellent opportunity to experience the reality of work, usually in a biomedical diagnostics laboratory, pharmaceutical industry or a research institute. You will put into practice what you have learned at the University, learn new skills and gain hands-on laboratory experience. All placement opportunities are competitive and you will have the support and guidance of your department, the Career Development Centre and the University’s Placement Officer.

As part of the placement year you will undertake an academic module which will contribute to your degree and, where applicable, undertake the Institute of Biomedical Science Certificate of Competence. Sandwich year placements can be in the UK or abroad. 

In Year 3 you'll focus on the study of the complex nature of disease as it affects particular biological systems. You'll also study the laboratory procedures used in haematology, clinical immunology, cellular and molecular pathology, clinical biochemistry and medical microbiology, to diagnose and monitor disease. You'll also undertake a major research project, which will enable you to develop the skills you need for genuine scientific inquiry.

Nutrition has long been recognised as a vitally important determinant of health status within both industrialised and industrialising countries. Significant changes are occurring in the profile of nutritional problems. Many countries continue to face problems of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, but countries in economic transition also face the public health challenge of rising rates of diet-related chronic disease, such as obesity and coronary heart disease. Also, many industrialised countries now face problems of food insecurity among low-income groups. These challenges have led to growing political resources to address nutrition.

This course will give you the specialist scientific knowledge and practical skills to take an active role in global public health nutrition in a range of different settings.

You will be introduced to policy making, leadership and governance frameworks. You will be encouraged to explore and debate the political and social influences underpinning policy implementation and impact.

Our Medical Sciences BSc Honours is a standalone three-year Bachelor’s degree which also acts as a pre-clinical 'feeder' course offering graduates a transfer directly into the third year of the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MD) degree at our overseas partner, the University of Malta.

The Medical Sciences BSc Honours comprises a detailed study of the human body in health and disease, with emphasis on the diagnosis and understanding of disease states and the mechanisms involved. It prepares you for a range of life science careers, but also fully equips you for transfer to the University of Malta MD programme. Teaching on the course is through a variety of methods and includes tutorials, lectures and seminars, practical laboratory work and group activities along with the use of learning technology and electronic resources. Assessment is through a combination of exams and coursework, including essays, practical work, group work, presentations and reports.

Top reasons to study with us

• A pathway into medicine – Our course offers you, on graduation, a transfer into the third year of the MD degree at the University of Malta
• Summer school and language programme – Our course offers, at additional cost, a Human Anatomy Summer School based at the University of Malta, and a Medical Maltese language programme
• Keep your career path open – If you decide not to progress on to the MD programme at the end of the course, the Medical Sciences BSc also equips you for a variety of careers in the life sciences

This course aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge of theory and practice that will enable you to work as a professional capable of making important contributions in the field of clinical biochemistry. The course aims to further enhance your knowledge of clinical biochemistry, to engage you with contemporary issues and debates within the discipline, and to develop your critical and analytical skills.

The taught programme contains specific modules in clinical biochemistry, such as endocrinology and metabolism and diagnostic clinical biochemistry, which you can apply to diagnostic biomedicine, as well as offering you a choice of modules related to molecular diagnostics or haematology.

This innovative Master's degree aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and strategic approach to develop and analyse social change campaigns and activism, with a particular focus on the role of communications and the media. This is the only postgraduate programme of its kind, and has a flexible delivery to suit both full-time and part-time students.

The course builds on our close links with leading campaigners and communicators in London's vibrant social change sector. An advisory panel, with representatives from Amnesty UK, Friends of the Earth, Save the Children, WaterAid, SumOfUs, Advocacy Hub, Campaign Bootcamp, FairSay and The National Council of Voluntary Organisations among others, will ensure we always reflect the skill sets in demand and deliver an exciting learning experience. A limited number of work placements and internships will be available.

Our course examines the best ways to design, build, maintain and evaluate software systems. It uses many of the technical aspects of computer science, especially programming, and aims to develop the professional attitudes, interpersonal and technical skills you’ll need in the software engineering industry.

The course provides a solid foundation in software engineering theory and practice to develop professional software systems. It will equip you to take up a wide range of career opportunities, including software engineer, web application programmer, software designer/analyst or website designer/programmer.

In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry (work placement) after completing the second year of your study. This will help you gain work experience and enhance your employability. You’ll be offered help and support to find and secure placement opportunities through various workshops and events organised by the Careers and Employability Service and the course team. Typically, you will be assigned into roles involving tasks related to software engineering.

Top reasons to study with us

• Our course will help you develop your problem-solving skills. We practise problem-based teaching, allowing you to develop your skills in analysing problems within contexts, so you can find the best technological solutions
• You'll be involved in real-life projects and gain hands-on experience of working either individually or in a software development team
• Our course reflects the dynamics of the software industry – you'll learn state-of-the-art techniques and subjects such as machine learning, AI algorithms, robotics and smart systems, the Internet of Things, Big Data technologies, complex heterogeneous systems, and cloud-based, distributed and parallel software solutions
• You'll qualify for free British Computer Society (BCS) academic membership for the duration of your studies. The BCS supports those working in the IT industry and has a commitment to making IT good for society. The organisation has over 60,000 members in 150 countries, and a wider community of business leaders, educators, practitioners and policy-makers. Membership of the BCS will allow you to continue your professional development and enjoy a range of valuable networking opportunities.     

Our Psychology and Counselling BSc Honours is accredited by the British Psychological Society. It provides you with a broad contemporary education in psychology and counselling within a vibrant, global learning environment situated in the heart of London.

Our course team includes qualified and practising counsellors and psychotherapists who are passionate about sharing their experience, knowledge and skills of therapy.

Our programme of study has been designed to meet the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society. This aspect will prepare you for postgraduate training on the path to becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

In addition to psychology, you’ll study counselling and psychotherapeutic theories and approaches, and you’ll have the opportunity to develop practical skills such as active listening and effective questioning. Our course is also designed to help you to think creatively and critically, developing the problem-solving skills that will enable you to apply psychology and counselling to address a wide range of personal, professional and societal needs.

Top reasons to study with us

• Development of practical skills and reflective practice – you’ll be able to practise skills such as active listening, reflecting, paraphrasing, and summarising
• Professionally trained course team – you’ll be taught by staff who are qualified and practising psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors
• Work experience opportunities – you’ll be able to choose work experience from a wide range of settings, and you have the option to undertake a professional work placement year

Our course examines the best ways to design, build, maintain and evaluate software systems. It uses many of the technical aspects of computer science, especially programming, and aims to develop the professional attitudes, interpersonal and technical skills you’ll need in the software engineering industry.

The course provides a solid foundation in software engineering theory and practice to develop professional software systems. It will equip you to take up a wide range of career opportunities, including software engineer, web application programmer, software designer/analyst or website designer/programmer.

You’ll study software development, programming languages, technologies and applications including Python, Java, HTML, PHP, UML, database technologies, machine learning, algorithms and data structures, web and mobile computing, Agile software development, Big Data technologies, cloud computing, concurrency and formal methods. Sharing a common first year with the Computer Science BSc Honours course to which you can transfer in Year 1, you specialise is Software Engineering from Year 2.

In Year 4 (Master's level), our integrated Master's course enables you to extend your knowledge and experience of software engineering gained at the BEng level by studying and developing systems of increased complexity, gaining a developer knowledge of new paradigms and studying advanced issues around cybersecurity – threats facing businesses and organisations that depend on IT systems.

In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry (work placement) after completing the second year of your study. This will help you gain work experience and enhance your employability after you graduate. You’ll be offered help and support to find and secure placement opportunities through various workshops and events organised by the Careers and Employability Service and the course team. Typically, you will be assigned into roles involving tasks related to software engineering.

Top reasons to study with us

• Our integrated Master's course will give you advanced software engineering knowledge
• Our course will help you develop your problem-solving skills. We practise problem-based teaching, allowing you to develop your skills in analysing problems within contexts so you can find the best technological solutions
• You'll be involved in real-life projects and gain hands-on experience of working either individually or in a software development team
• Our course reflects the dynamics of the software industry – you'll learn state-of-the-art techniques and subjects such as machine learning, AI algorithms, robotics and smart systems, the Internet of Things, Big Data technologies, complex heterogeneous systems, and cloud-based, distributed and parallel software solutions
• You'll qualify for free British Computer Society (BCS) academic membership for the duration of your studies. The BCS supports those working in the IT industry and has a commitment to making IT good for society. The organisation has over 60,000 members in 150 countries, and a wider community of business leaders, educators, practitioners and policy-makers. Membership of the BCS will allow you to continue your professional development and enjoy a range of valuable networking opportunities.

Software engineering is the application of engineering methods, practices and disciplines to the creation and maintenance of software applications and systems. A professional software engineer works with these engineering approaches to develop software in a systematic, quantifiable and disciplined way.

By choosing this course, you’ll get the essential practical experience of programming and applying software engineering to a number of new and important areas of IT and computing. In addition, you’ll develop a strong grasp of the theory that underpins these practical skills.

To ensure that you have the best possible employment prospects at the end of the course, you’ll gain skills that cover a variety of areas: technical skills, such as programming, object-oriented software development, practical experience of software development tools; soft skills, such as analytical and critical thinking, communication, presenting and demonstrating, team working, and peer reviewing; and career skills, such as CV writing, planning, job searching, interview practice.

Good health and wellbeing are increasingly becoming a focus for governments, policy makers and researchers, as we face diverse and multifaceted challenges in the 21st century. At the same time, a growth in salutogenic approaches has led to the potential for more integrative, diverse and holistic approaches being adopted. Careers in health and wellbeing are growth areas in our economy.

On our course, you’ll evaluate the modern health and social care challenges through a multidisciplinary lens and explore interdisciplinary, systemic and community-engaged solutions.

It is imperative that health and wellbeing policies and practices, founded on evidence-based research, are developed to grow and support health and wellbeing in ways that are fit for purpose and sustainable. Our course has a strong focus on the application of research and evaluation methods to critique the health and wellbeing practices available for individuals, communities and societies.

You’ll be introduced to a broad and diverse range of concepts, including the impact of social prescribing and wellbeing of individuals and communities, global approaches to health and wellbeing, policy development in health and wellbeing in the UK, and professional relationships and leadership in the sector. You’ll be encouraged to explore and generate transformative solutions to resolve challenges and develop critical responses to existing practice in these areas.