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Studies & Degrees in Biomedical Sciences

Biomedical sciences study how the human body works in health and in disease, and how that knowledge can be used for diagnosis and treatment. The field brings together subjects such as physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology and molecular and cell biology. The University of Sheffield, for example, describes its Biomedical Science BSc as the study of human physiology, pharmacology, and molecular and cell biology, applied afterwards to questions in clinical medicine.

Students spend a large part of their time in the laboratory. At Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, the bachelor's programme trains students in laboratory practice and scientific methods and ends with a degree project in the final semester. A biomedical sciences degree is not a medical degree: graduates do not treat patients, but work in research, diagnostics and the health industries.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees. Length depends on the country. The Biomedical Science BSc at the University of Sheffield takes three years, and its integrated master's version (MBiomedSci) takes four. The Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) in Australia also takes three years, while Bond University states that its three-semester year allows students to finish in two. The Bachelor's Programme in Biomedicine at Karolinska Institutet has 180 credits and is taught in English. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits.
  • Master's degrees. Karolinska Institutet's Master's Programme in Biomedicine has 120 credits, is taught in English and requires a bachelor's degree of at least 180 credits in biomedicine, biotechnology, cellular and molecular biology, medicine or the equivalent. In Spain official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits; the Máster Universitario en Biomedicina of the Universidad de Cádiz has 60 credits in one academic year, offers 20 places and includes supervised practice in research laboratories or university hospital units.
  • Doctorate. A research career normally requires a PhD. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical scientists typically have a Ph.D., usually in biology or a related life science.

Accreditation and professional registration

In some countries the title of the degree matters less than its accreditation. In the United Kingdom, biomedical scientists who work in healthcare laboratories are legally required to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The usual route is a BSc accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) or an HCPC approved honours degree, and the NHS advises applicants to check that a degree is IBMS accredited before applying. Accreditations differ between universities: London Metropolitan University states that its Biomedical Science BSc is accredited by the IBMS, while the Sheffield course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology. Students who plan to work in a hospital laboratory in another country should ask the school how its degree is recognised there.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 78 active schools for biomedical sciences. The United States has 20, the United Kingdom 17, Spain 11, Australia 6 and Brazil 5; Sweden, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Denmark and Egypt are also represented. Examples include the University of Sheffield, the University of Surrey, the University of Strathclyde and London Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom; The Ohio State University, Vanderbilt University and Yale University in the United States; the Universidad de Cádiz and the Universidad de Murcia in Spain; and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

Programmes in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia are taught in English, and so are both biomedicine programmes at Karolinska Institutet. Programmes at Spanish public universities are taught mainly in Spanish. Fees depend on nationality in several countries: at Karolinska Institutet, citizens of the EU/EEA and Switzerland pay no tuition fees, while the total fee for other students in the bachelor's programme is SEK 540,000.

Careers

Graduates work in hospital and diagnostic laboratories, in university and institute research, in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, and in public health. The NHS describes biomedical scientists as the staff who carry out laboratory and scientific tests to support the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The Universidad de Cádiz lists biomedical researcher, technical health specialist and technical staff of pharmaceutical, health product and biomedical instrumentation companies as career paths for its master's graduates.

In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical scientists to grow 13 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. The largest employers are research and development in the physical, engineering and life sciences (32 percent) and hospitals (22 percent).

Frequently asked questions

Is biomedical science the same as medicine?

No. Biomedical sciences study the biology of health and disease and train students for laboratory, research and industry work. Graduates are not doctors, although some universities offer routes from a biomedical degree into postgraduate health programmes.

How long does a biomedical sciences degree take?

Usually three or four years. The BSc at the University of Sheffield takes three years, the bachelor's programme at Karolinska Institutet has 180 credits and a Spanish bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits. A master's degree adds 60 to 120 credits.

Can I work in a hospital laboratory with this degree?

It depends on the country. In the United Kingdom you must be registered with the HCPC, which normally means an IBMS accredited BSc or an HCPC approved honours degree. Elsewhere, ask the school and the health authority which qualification is required.

Can I study biomedical sciences in English outside English-speaking countries?

Yes. Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm teaches both its bachelor's and its master's programme in biomedicine in English.