Medical Physiology and Diagnostics

BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology and Diagnostics is a specialist degree for anyone fascinated by how the human body works, why it fails, and how diagnostic data guides the treatment that puts it right.

You'll study the physiology and pathophysiology of the cardiovascular, respiratory and sleep systems, developing the theoretical knowledge and diagnostic technique used every day in cardiac and respiratory physiology departments. In Year 1 you'll build a strong foundation across both areas, before choosing to specialise in either Cardiac Physiology or Respiratory and Sleep Physiology from Level 5 onwards. The course isn't limited to your chosen specialism either: you'll cover the physiology and pathophysiology of wider body systems too, giving you the broad knowledge base that keeps multiple career doors open.

Practical learning is built in from day one. You'll develop hands-on clinical and diagnostic skills in dedicated clinical skills laboratories, working with the equipment and simulated scenarios used in NHS departments, and take part in case-based workshops built around real clinical scenarios. You're taught by clinical practitioners and active researchers who bring current NHS practice and cutting-edge diagnostics into every session, and you'll study alongside students from across healthcare disciplines, reflecting the multidisciplinary teams you'll work in after graduation.

If you want extended workplace experience as part of your degree, you can take up an optional sandwich placement between your second and final year, applying your learning in a real healthcare or industry setting and building the professional network your CV needs.

Assessment is varied and designed to build your confidence as well as test it: case studies, lab reports, presentations, essays and exams, spread across the year and supported by formative practice such as quizzes, draft submissions and peer feedback. In your final year, you'll complete an independent research project in your chosen specialism, developing the critical thinking, data analysis and scientific communication skills that research careers and postgraduate study demand.

This course prepares you for a wide range of career pathways, including routes into the NHS Scientist Training Programme, Graduate Diploma in Cardiac or Respiratory Physiology, the Echocardiography Training Programme, Physician Associate training, Clinical Exercise Physiology, further clinical or research training, or postgraduate study.

Throughout your degree you'll have a Personal Tutor, a Student Success Coach and a dedicated faculty advisor from our Careers, Enterprise and The Workplace team, supporting everything from academic writing to CV workshops, interview practice and job searching. Studying at the University of Wolverhampton means learning at City Campus, in the heart of the West Midlands and within reach of major hospitals and healthcare employers across the region.

This course is available full-time (3 years) or part-time (6 years), so you can study in the way that fits your life. If you want a specialist physiology degree built around genuine choice — of specialism, of study mode, and of how much workplace experience you build in along the way — Medical Physiology and Diagnostics is built for you.