Program Overview

Our BSc Genetics (including foundation year) will be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entrance requirements for the three-year version of this course and you want a programme that increases your subject knowledge as well as improves your academic skills to support your academic performance.

This four-year course includes a foundation year (Year Zero), followed by a further three years of study. During your Year Zero, you study three academic subjects relevant to your chosen course as well as a compulsory academic skills module, with additional English language for non-English speakers.

After successful completion of Year Zero in our Essex Pathways Department, you progress to complete your course with our School of Life Sciences. On our BSc Genetics course you focus on real-world biomedical applications, including how cells differentiate to form the specialised tissues present in complex organisms, and how the delicate regulation of cell growth can be disrupted and lead to cancer. The study of genetics includes understanding how genes are passed from one generation to the next, how DNA works and the effects of variation and natural selection.

As one of the largest schools at our University, we offer a lively, friendly and supportive environment with research-led study and high-quality teaching at its heart. You will learn modern lab techniques and play your own part in adding to the ever-growing knowledge within genetics.