Biomedical Sciences

Why study Biomedical Sciences at St Hilda's?

This foundation degree will equip you by combining an understanding of the exciting advances in technology platforms with the ability to translate this for Pharma and clinical colleagues. St Hilda’s presently admits 3 biomedical students each year, for a total of 12 biomedical students across all 4 year groups. Students are supported by a broad and strong scientific and biomedical tutoring team. In addition to our biomedical students, St Hilda’s also hosts preclinical and clinical medical, biochemistry, experimental psychology and biology students, which creates a great life-science community with plenty of opportunities for interactions across fields. This is matched by postgraduate Biomedical and Life Science students and a very research-active Middle Common Room that welcomes undergraduates to their events. Our tutor team is dominated by active research scientists, and we aim to give Biomedical Sciences a distinctly research and science-based identity, separate from the clinical training program. College tutors working at the translational interface and with industry provide career mentoring relevant to science graduates.

Biomedical Sciences students across the university work towards the same degree. Lectures and practicals are taught centrally in the Medical Sciences Teaching Centre and Psychology department.  Students share some course components with preclinical medicine but the course is more focused on basic research. St Hilda’s College provides extensive tutorial support and the team of tutors has considerable experience with teaching biomedical sciences as well as medical, psychology and biochemistry students.

Students now enrol for a 4 year Masters degree (MBiomedSci) and may choose to graduate after 3 years with a BA Cell and  Systems Biology or BA Neuroscience, or continue to the 4th year. Graduates with 2.i or better degrees are entitled to proceed straight into PhD (DPhil) programs. Other options, such as work in industry or teaching, are also popular.

Recent St Hilda’s biomedical science graduates have been awarded competitive DPhil scholarships in Oxford, London, Edinburgh and Norwich, continued to study at MSc and DPhil level, moved into careers in Pharma, Life Sciences consulting, Science writing, High School teaching or are training to become Patent Attorneys (and one trainee Barrister!). Since we started admitting for the course in 2016, 17 of our 25 graduates have moved directly into graduate study, with 13 entries to DPhil programs by 2025.