Program Overview

An International Foundation Year at our International Study Centre prepares you for your degree at Lancaster University. You will focus on English language, university-level study skills, and academic modules that relate to your degree subject.

Supporting your progression to the University
At the International Study Centre, we take every measure to ensure you are supported in your academic journey. Our programmes allow for increased time spent learning, researching and developing your skills. By studying with us, you will benefit from:

• Formal assessments at the end of each term.
• An improved English language module, Academic English Skills, providing greater opportunity for informal assessments and feedback.
• Combining and reducing the number of module assessments allowing more time to prepare.
• A personal tutorial system with a focus on your academic progress at key points of the academic year, creating action plans based on your performance and progession options.

Life Sciences
The International Foundation Year in Life Sciences leads to a choice of degrees in the Faculty of Health and Medicine and in the Faculty of Science and Technology. To prepare for your degree, you will study subject modules and core English language modules. Degree options include Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, and Ecology.

You will learn about cell structure and function, as well as physiological processes in animals. Other areas of study include plant biology, genetics and ecology. Mathematic techniques are part of the course, and you will apply your understanding to real-life situations.

Biomedical Science
Lancaster University’s BSc Biomedical Science is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). An IBMS-accredited degree, along with a training period in an NHS lab, represents a core route to employment in the NHS as a biomedical scientist.

Of the UK universities that offer an IBMS-accredited BSc Biomedical Science, Lancaster University is ranked the highest overall in three major UK league tables - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020, The Guardian University Guide 2020 and The Complete University Guide 2020.

The degree will provide you with a thorough grounding in the theory and laboratory techniques associated with biomedical science – a subject dealing with the study of life processes within the context of human health and disease. It is ideal for those with a broad interest in human life processes and disease as teaching places an emphasis on the molecules and mechanisms fundamental to life processes and how these are disrupted by disease.

Our biomedical science degree is designed to focus on the key aspects of modern day biomedicine. The course is highly-specialised and is taught jointly with clinical and biomedical staff from local hospitals. The course content is very structured and the majority of the modules are compulsory. If you would prefer a more flexible degree in this subject area, you might want to consider one of Lancaster University’s biomedicine degrees instead.

You will begin your biomedical science degree with the study of 15 wide-ranging modules, including Biomedical Science in Practice, Biomedicine and Society, and Diagnosis in Biomedical Science. In your second year, you will study subjects including Biochemistry, Cellular Pathology and Medical Microbiology.

In your third year of study, you will focus on aspects of human disease by studying modules on Cancer, Medical Genetics and Pathobiology. There are optional modules to select from in your third year, such as Neurobiology, Tropical Diseases, and Cell Signalling, Transport and Disease.

During the degree, you will carry out a laboratory-based project, drawing on the expertise of our academic staffs’ vast biomedical research experience. This includes research into skin, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers; Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases; arthritis and other human conditions and diseases.

Whilst on the course, you will be eligible to apply for highly competitive placements within the NHS. If successful, you will begin your placement after completion of your second year of study, finishing at the end of August the following year. You will complete a portfolio during your placement year which is examined by the IBMS. Upon successful examination of your portfolio and completion of your degree, you will be awarded an IBMS Certificate of Competence and will be able to apply to the HCPC for registration as a Biomedical Scientist.