2024/25 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

MBiol, BSc Microbiology (Integrated Masters) (For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

Total credits: 480

Entry requirements:

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

Molecular and Cellular Biology

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

In addition to meeting the core knowledge, understanding, experience and skills articulated in the QAA Biosciences Benchmark for graduating with an honours degree in Microbiology (a level 6 qualification), MBiol graduates should be able to meet the additional requirements for Level 7. These are incorporated into the learning and skills outcomes for the final year of the programme.

Professional Body Offering Accreditation:

Royal Society of Biology; Advanced Degree Accreditation

Programme specification:

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme from September 2024. For students who entered the programme before September 2024, you can find the details of your programme: MBiol, BSc Microbiology (Integrated Masters)


Microbiology is the study of organisms too small to be visible with the naked eye, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Your course will cover an area of science fundamental to the understanding of life on this planet – from human and animal disease, better food production to microbial involvement in global cycles.


Your microbiology degree will provide a comprehensive understanding of microbiology with a biomedical focus, with topics such as bacterial resistance to antibiotics, the use of microbes in biotechnology, and how new pathogens, such as the cause of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), emerge and cause disease. You will develop your specialist knowledge, whilst building on the foundations of microbiology, with areas such as immunology, genetics, biochemistry and cell biology. These topics are at the heart of many global challenges and it is critical that the next generation of expert scientists are trained in these areas. It is an interdisciplinary course that will also integrate the fundamental principles and skills that are essential to transferable to all biomedical sciences, such as biochemistry, genetics and cell biology, and culminates in an extended individual research project in one of our research groups, equipping you with the knowledge and skills necessary to be able to compete worldwide with other students for high quality research opportunities within appropriate industries or for PhD positions to pursue research careers.


The first year introduces the molecular building blocks of cells, how they orchestrate the cellular processes that sustain life and introduces the fundamental of modern day genetics. Lectures build on this knowledge to provide a fundamental grounding on the basic molecular principles of microbiology and immunology. The skills modules will build your practical, numeracy and problem-solving skills, and develop your understanding of the lecture material.


The second year involves in-depth and increasingly research-led study of the major areas that underpin modern biomedical microbiology such as molecular virology, medical microbiology, gene regulation and ‘omics approaches. The second year skills modules involve more extended projects requiring you to utilise multiple approaches and take greater responsibility for your work.


The third year of the course centres around research-led teaching. Lectures are delivered in advanced topic modules that bring you up to the forefront of modern research. The third year skills module develops work-ready skills such as communication to a variety of audiences, teamwork and peer-to-peer reviews. In addition, you will begin to work with your research project supervisor to explore their research area and define a project in year four. This is supplemented with training in advanced research skills (both inside and outside of the laboratory environment), as you work as part of an interdisciplinary group to answer a research question.


In the final, masters year, of the programme you will commence your extended research project and become integrated into the group of your research supervisor. This will allow you to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during your degree, develop your research skills in greater depth and produce a report containing material of publishable quality that could contribute to a research publication. To further enhance your subject-matter knowledge and skills, you will be required to enrol on 30 credits of specialist Masters-level modules with options ranging from Advanced Biomolecular Technologies through to Medical Diagnostics.

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules:

Alternatively, candidates can select BLGY1124 or BMSC1112, and enrol on a 10 credit discovery module

Discovery modules:

Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for years 2, 3 and 4 are not yet available. Before you enter years 2, 3 and 4 details of modules for those years will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

* Intermediate Skills in the Molecular Biosciences - 20 Credits
* Intermediate Skills in Microbiology - 20 Credits
* Medical Microbiology - 20 Credits
* Molecular Virology - 10 Credits

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules:

* Medical Immunology - 10 Credits
* Chemotherapy - 10 Credits
* Cell Biology of Disease - 10 Credits

Discovery modules:

Candidates will be required to study 10 credits of discovery modules in semester one

Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for years 3 and 4 are not yet available. Before you enter years 3 and 4 details of modules for those years will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

* Advanced Skills for Microbiologists - 20 Credits

Year4 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for year 4 are not yet available. Before you enter year 4 full details of modules for that year will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

Optional modules:

Candidates should take 30 credits of optional modules from the following list:

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:08:09

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