Programme Specifications

With Integrated Year in Industry

Biosciences

August 2024

To provide students with subject specific knowledge required for research careers in the field of biochemistry.

Subject specific skills

• To provide students with subject specific skills required for research careers in the field of biochemistry.

• Generic and graduate skills

• To provide students with the generic and graduate skills expected of any degree programme.

• Develop creativity.

The alternative schemes have specific learning outcomes, and therefore subject knowledge, remain unchanged. However, students will be able to demonstrate additional outcomes as a result of undertaking the year in industry. These additional outcomes provide an enhanced student experience and allow students to develop knowledge of their subject areas in applied contexts and to develop work experience and thus enhance their employability. Specifically, the proposed degree aims to advantage students in the following additional ways:

• To apply approaches, concepts, skills, methods and/or theories in a work-based context relevant to their scheme.

• To develop highly valued transferable and professional skills during a work placement, providing a competitive edge in the graduate job market.

• To enable students to learn about an organization and its area of work, providing an excellent opportunity to evaluate future career paths.

Subject specific skills (with Integrated Year in Industry)

The Subject specific skills of the schemes will not change. Nevertheless, on the completion of their degree, students on these four-year versions of the schemes will have gained a valuable insight in to a field of employment relating to their subject area in the biological sciences, developing the associated skills and enhancing their employability / networking / establishing industry links.

Generic and graduate skills (with Integrated Year in Industry)

The generic and graduate skills of the schemes will not change. However, the four year version of the schemes ‘with a year in Industry’ will likely develop the skills listed below, though the nature and emphasis will depend on the exact employment; not all of these will be assessed, though most are likely to form part of the employer’s assessment of the student:

• Working independently

• Working as part of a team

• Respecting the views, beliefs, opinions and values of others

• Listening to, and engaging with, other speakers

• Effective verbal communication in a range of settings, including group discussions and debates and formal presentations

• Effective written communication in a variety of forms

• Time management and self-regulation of work regimes

• Research issues and solve problems

• Adapting to change

• Reading comprehension and interpretation of a range of written material

• Observational skills

• Collating, processing, interpreting and presenting numerical data

• Identifying appropriate career pathways and developing the capacity to compete.

Overall aim of the scheme

To enable graduating students to practice as professional biochemists. Additionally, the four year version of the scheme will aim to develop graduate level skills, as described in the Generic and Graduate level skills section above.

A1 Describe, discuss and understand the key biological concepts and phenomena relevant to Biochemistry confidently, accurately and in detail, using appropriate terminology.

A2 Be aware of the full breadth of the Biosciences, from molecular to cellular, and from organism to ecosystem.

A3 Engage with literature in Biochemistry to develop insight into the subject.

A4 Appreciate the contribution of Biosciences to the innovations that characterise the modern world, and the potential of Biochemistry graduates to develop sustainable solutions to current and future challenges.

A5 Stay up to date with advances in Biochemistry, including aspects of sustainability, and appreciate the fluid nature of knowledge that evolves as new findings emerge.

Learning and Teaching
Student development towards these outcomes is promoted through a range of teaching activities. These include: small group tutorials, laboratory practical classes, one-to-one tutoring for the research project, lectures and problem-based learning scenarios. Additionally, feedback from assessments, literature-based research and computer-assisted learning also support the teaching and learning of these outcomes.

During their integrated year in industry students will embed themselves within a working environment, allowing for the development of a range of transferable and life skills commensurate with the above. Furthermore, students on this scheme will have the potential to utilise the knowledge and skills associated with other outcomes developed in years 1 and 2. This will be in part dependent on the nature of the organisation in which their position is based.

Assessment Strategies and Methods
Written examinations and coursework to include: Unseen examination, essays, multiple choice questions and short answer examinations, exercise-based and essay assignments, project work, practical laboratory reports, posters, the dissertation project and presentations.

Students on the integrated industrial year will be required to register for the module BRS0060. During the integrated Year in Industry, students will be required to submit an Introductory Report (worth 30% of the Industrial Year mark) on the organisation that they are working for, its structure, aims and operation; and a Workplace investigation, to investigate a technical aspect of the work that they are doing (worth 40% of the Industrial Year mark). Finally, there will be an AU staff assessment of the final student self-evaluation and employer’s report. These will be marked to assess the student’s achievement of learning outcome 10.1 above as well as the other learning outcomes of their scheme.

10.2.1 Intellectual Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

B1 Recognise the relationships and interfaces between Biochemistry and other subjects (both scientific and outside of the sciences), such that they are able to operate effectively in a multidisciplinary environment.

B2 Apply ethical awareness to working in the Biosciences, appreciate the historical context of the subject and the societal impacts of advances in the Biosciences.

B3 Demonstrate experience of working in a professional environment.

Learning and Teaching
Student development towards these outcomes is promoted through a range of teaching activities. These include: small group tutorials, laboratory practical classes, one-to-one tutoring for the dissertation project, lectures and problem-based learning scenarios. Additionally, feedback from assessments, literature based research and computer-assisted learning also support the teaching and learning of these outcomes.

Assessment Strategies and Methods
Intellectual skills are assessed by a variety of methods throughout the degree scheme. Depending upon the module and the nature of the specific assessment, they are assessed using essay assignments, project work, practical laboratory reports, the research project, presentations, seen examination essays, unseen examinations essays and unseen short answer examinations.

10.2.2 Professional practical skills / Discipline Specific Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

C1 Apply knowledge and understanding of biological systems and methodologies to design experiments and to solve theoretical and practical problems within the area of biochemistry, with awareness of appropriate controls, possible bias, ethics and sustainability.

C2 Describe, document and enact safe working practices in terms of managing biological, chemical, laboratory or field-based risk, through knowledge-based risk assessments and practical activities.

C3 Select and carry out appropriate quantitative and qualitative practical (laboratory, field or computational) techniques to solve problems relevant to Biochemistry, including consideration of the theoretical basis and limitations of various techniques.

C4 Complete independent open-ended investigative work through a project/research-based assignment relevant to the course. This could be a laboratory or field-based project, an evidenced-based review, and/or collecting and evaluating data from a variety of sources.

C5 Collect qualitative and quantitative data from investigations relevant to the course and analyse and interpret these data to allow testing of hypotheses, contextualising of findings, presentation of findings, and suggestions for further lines of investigation.

C6 Applying principles, methods, approaches, concepts, skills and/or theories appropriate to the relevant biological sciences scheme in a professional context, as well as understanding the challenges of working in a professional environment.

Learning and Teaching
The teaching and learning of these skills are promoted during laboratory practical classes, small group tutorial classes, feedback from assessments, lectures, tutorials, student-led seminars, problem-based learning scenarios and case studies, literature-based research, computer-assisted learning and experimental research during the dissertation.

Assessment Strategies and Methods
Discipline-specific skills are assessed by a variety of methods throughout the degree scheme. Depending upon the module and the nature of the specific assessment, they are assessed using essay assignments, project work, practical laboratory reports, the dissertation project, seminar presentations, seen examination essays, unseen examinations essays and unseen short answer examinations.

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

D1 Acquire skills in research and data analysis.

D2 Deploy mathematical and statistical concepts, processes and tools, such as the manipulation of equations and graphical and statistical analysis, to solve problems or evaluate data.

D3 Develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills.

D4 Develop a thorough grounding in information technology skills and use appropriate databases, computational techniques and tools to aid further understanding of and insight into biological processes.

D5 Demonstrate the ability to work independently.

D6 Demonstrate time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines.

D7 Develop the ability to express ideas and communicate effectively, in both written and oral forms, selecting appropriate content, media and methods for the audience, purpose and subject.

D8 Demonstrate self-motivation and self-reliance.

D9 Collaborate and work successfully and inclusively in a group environment, contributing positively and flexibly to team outputs.

D10 Act professionally, with due regard for legal, ethical and societal responsibilities, modelling good practice that promotes positive, sustainable and inclusive perceptions of the Biosciences and of Bioscientists.

D11 Demonstrate professionalism and an understanding of commercial pressures.

Learning and Teaching
Transferable/key skills are incorporated within modules and related to relevant assessments as appropriate. Students learn and develop skills through student and tutor-led seminars; problem-based learning scenarios; self-directed learning, oral presentations and experimental dissertation work. Students will be encouraged to undertake work experience, including access to the Year in Employment Scheme. Students will also have access to an optional study exchange programme which will also develop transferable skills of communication, personal development and career planning.

Assessment Strategies and Methods
The skills listed above are assessed using exercise-based and essay assignments, project work, practical laboratory reports, the dissertation project, seminar presentations, unseen examinations essays and unseen short answer examinations.