Life Sciences and Subjects Allied to Medicine

This Certificate of Higher Education in Life Sciences for Subjects Allied to Medicine equips you with a strong foundation in biology and chemistry, preparing you for further study and a career in healthcare and biomedical fields.

Why choose this course?

• You will learn from experienced lecturers with expertise across healthcare and biomedical research, who bring real-world insights into the classroom.

• You will join a vibrant community of students from diverse backgrounds and also benefit from flexible daytime or evening teaching that fits around your work or personal commitments.

• Successful completion of this course provides a direct route to our BSc Biomedicine, alongside access to networking events, employer talks, and partnerships with healthcare and research organisations.

What you will learn

You will develop a solid grounding in biology, chemistry and modern learning methods to build the scientific understanding needed for careers in healthcare, nursing, biomedical science and related fields.

You will gain practical skills in laboratory techniques, data analysis and scientific communication which are highly valued by employers and universities. With a focus on real-world healthcare applications and personalised academic support, the course will help you to confidently progress into degree-level study or employment in allied health fields.

How you will learn

You will learn through a mix of lectures, seminars and hands-on laboratory work, designed to build theoretical understanding and practical skills. Immersed in a supportive and career-focused learning environment, you will also develop key skills in teamwork, problem-solving and scientific communication.

This course is available to study full- or part-time with classes running in the afternoon or evening.

Highlights

• On passing this certificate you are guaranteed a place on our BSc Biomedicine.

• On successful completion, you may also progress to the first year of a variety of degrees, including biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology as well as all health-related areas, such as radiography, pharmacy, osteopathic medicine, nutrition and dietetics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, veterinary science, herbal medicine, clinical sciences, biomedicine and biomedical sciences.

• If you have a good first degree in another area and achieve high marks in your studies on this certificate, you may also be accepted for graduate entry by some medical schools.

• Birkbeck provides state-of-the-art, specialist laboratories and facilities for studying biological sciences in the heart of academic London.

• In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), in a joint submission with UCL, Biological Sciences at Birkbeck were ranked 11th in the UK, with a research environment supporting world-leading and internationally excellent research.

Careers and employability

On graduating successfully from this course you will have gained an array of transferable skills, including:

• strong scientific literacy and the ability to critically analyse data

• practical laboratory skills

• effective written and verbal communication

• time management, organisation and the ability to meet deadlines under pressure.

Studying this course will prepare you for further study in medicine, dentistry or other healthcare-related degrees, or for career paths in a range of fields and professions including:

• nursing and midwifery

• biomedical science and laboratory research

• physiotherapy, radiography and other allied health professions

• public health, health promotion and community healthcare roles.

Our graduates from this course have gone on to be employed at organisations such as the following:

• NHS trusts and hospitals

• private healthcare providers and clinics

• biomedical research labs and pharmaceutical companies

• public health organisations and charities

• universities and academic research institutions.

Course modules

For information about course structure and the moules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment on the biology and chemistry modules for this course is through a combination of online quizzes, in-class tests and homework assignments. Each module has an end-of-module test.