Venues

Old Aberdeen Campus

Content

First Year: Students take courses in Chemistry and Medical Sciences plus additional courses selected from science and other areas.

Second Year: The core second year course is Microbes, Infection and Immunity. Focusing on medical aspects of microbiology, it introduces aspects of structure, physiology, growth and ecology of micro-organisms. It goes on to describe the role that micro-organisms play in causing disease and the ways that the body uses to counter this attack. Students also take foundation courses in Genetics and Biochemistry. The second year curriculum includes two courses devoted to development of Foundation and Research Skills in the Life Sciences.

Third Year: The Microbiology course covers the interactions between the microbial cell and its biological environment, with particular emphasis on the molecular and cell biology of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and protozoa. The focus on molecular medical microbiology is supported by an intensive hands-on practical studying a human microbial pathogen.

There is also a course in Immunology that is highly recommended for those with an interest in a career in Medical Microbiology.

Fourth Year (Honours): The Honours year explores molecular and population aspects of Microbiology and Medical Microbiology in depth. All students begin their Honours year by attending a two-day reading party. A feature of the Honours course is a ten-week research project, carried out in research laboratories within the Institute of Medical Sciences. This project provides the opportunity to carry out original research, using state-of-the-art technology in busy laboratories and alongside postgraduate and postdoctoral staff. The fourth year curriculum is divided into a core course and two options courses in the first semester, with the research project and research tutorials in the second semester. Options courses focus on Medical Microbiology or Molecular Microbiology.

For the degrees with Industrial Placement (qualifying a student for the award of an MSci degree), the year in industry is taken between third and fourth year, in an appropriate biotechnology or pharmaceutical company industrial laboratory.

Entry Requirements

2024 entry requirements

4 Highers at AAAB (by end of S5) including Biology and Chemistry plus English, Maths and Chemistry or Physics at National 5.

For advanced entry to year 2, you would require 3 Advanced Highers at AAB including Biology and Chemistry.