BSc Biochemistry
About this course
Biochemistry is concerned with the chemical processes that sustain life, from the molecular machinery of the cell to the signalling pathways that coordinate the behaviour of entire organisms. It sits at the intersection of biology and chemistry, and its questions are among the most fundamental in all of science: how do proteins fold and function, how is genetic information read and translated, how do cells generate energy, and how do molecular defects give rise to disease? The answers have transformed medicine, agriculture, and our understanding of evolution. At Durham University, this three-year full-time programme offers a particularly rich set of opportunities: it includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, combining extended professional and international experience with a rigorous scientific curriculum. You will study the chemistry of biological macromolecules, metabolism, genetics and genomics, cell biology, structural biochemistry, and the tools of modern molecular science including spectroscopy, crystallography, and bioinformatics. The sandwich year allows you to work in a research laboratory, pharmaceutical company, or biotechnology firm, while the year abroad gives you the chance to study at a leading institution in another country and to experience how biochemistry research is conducted in a different scientific culture. Entry is highly competitive, typically requiring a tariff of around 200 points. Biochemistry graduates are well prepared for careers in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, clinical science, medical research, science communication, patent law, and management consultancy in the life sciences sector. Many continue to doctoral research, and a Durham biochemistry degree provides a strong platform for PhD programmes in the UK and internationally. The combination of placement and year abroad experience is a significant advantage in a competitive job market, and the technical and analytical skills developed across the programme are valued in sectors well beyond the life sciences.
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