Medical Sciences and Population Health with a Foundation Year, BSc (Hons) / MSci (Hons)

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A foundation in the next big thing in healthcare

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Course Overview

If you’re interested in the “next big thing in healthcare” but don’t have the required entry qualifications, or are a mature student returning to education, our Medical Sciences and Population Health programmes with a Foundation Year could be for you.

The foundation year will introduce you to the key concepts and knowledge in applied medical sciences that you will need to progress on to either the BSc or MSci in Medical Sciences and Population Health. Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, with at least a 60% overall average, you will be able to progress to Year 1 of either programme.

This degree will give you a solid grounding in medical and life sciences, social sciences, epidemiology, demography, public health, and health informatics.

After completing your foundation year, you will also go on to develop the academic and professional knowledge needed to determine systematic variations in the health of individuals and populations, as well as the skills and experience to apply this knowledge to practical solutions to improve health, wellbeing, and the delivery of health services.

Why Medical Sciences and Population Health at Swansea?

Our Medical Sciences and Population Health programmes bring together a diverse range of subjects to provide you with a holistic understanding of the social, economic, medical and demographic factors that shape population health; from prevention and promotion, to health protection, diagnosis, treatment and care.

With your studies crossing over a number of disciplines, you will benefit from the state-of-the-art facilities at the Medical School, and also the dynamic research and learning environment.

The BSc version of this degree is part of our ‘Medical Science in Practice’ Pathway to Medicine programme. Provided you meet the minimum entry requirements for Graduate Entry Medicine, and have successfully completed the Pathway, you will be guaranteed an interview for our flagship Medicine (Graduate Entry) MBBCh course. The MSci equivalent is not part of this pathway.

Your Medical Sciences and Population Health Experience

You can choose to study Medical Sciences and Population Health with a Foundation Year as a:

  • 4-year BSc,
  • 5-year BSc with a year abroad, or a
  • 5-year MSci with an integrated master’s level qualification

Studying the 4-year BSc, you will undertake a mix of compulsory and optional modules, giving you the flexibility to tailor your degree to your particular interests, career ambitions, or plans for further study.

Our 5-year MSci is an advanced undergraduate degree with an integrated master’s year, with the extra year spent undertaking a research project, allowing you to develop your skills and knowledge.

Adding a year abroad, as part of the 5-year BSc option, allows you to add invaluable international experience to your CV while building intercultural communication skills that will improve your ability to interact with people from a variety of backgrounds.

Our approach to learning encourages excellent analytical, research and communication skills, incorporating lectures, seminars, practical laboratory sessions, independent learning, and working in small groups.

In addition to your formal studies, we hold research talks at least weekly given by Swansea University staff or speakers from other universities or research institutions.

Medical Sciences and Population Health Employment Opportunities

Studying Medical Sciences and Population Health will open you up to a vast range of careers in the medical and life sciences sector including: 

  • Clinical practice
  • Health education
  • Health informatics
  • NHS and Care management
  • Patient advocacy (eg The Kings fund, World Health organisation)
  • Policy development in health and governmental settings (Local, national and international)
  • Research

Swansea University’s Medical Sciences and Population Health programmes also prepare eligible students for further professional training such as Physician Associate Studies and Graduate Entry Medicine.

Modules

During your foundation year, you will learn the basics of human biology, biological chemistry, data handling, and laboratory practice, giving you the knowledge to successfully progress on to year one of either the BSc or MSci in Medical Sciences and Population Health.

In your second year, you will be introduced to key issues and concerns of Population Health, including Healthcare systems and organisation, the use of Health Information Technology, and Community Medicine and Medical Psychology. Alongside this, you will also develop an elementary knowledge of genetics, cell biology, human physiology and develop key skills for medical sciences.

In your third year you will explore more specialised topics within Medical Sciences and Population Health. Modules can include Health Service Research, Practical Epidemiology, Human Immunology, Bioethics, Biostatistics, Population Health Management, and many more.

During your fourth year you will study multidisciplinary topic areas, including Mental Health Literacy, Data to Decisions, Global Health, Human Biology and the Environment, and Advanced Epidemiology.

If you choose to study the MSci programme, your fifth and final year will consist of a year-long research project, influenced by your own passions and interests, enabling you to graduate with a higher standard of qualification.

If you decide to undertake a year abroad, this will take place between the third and fourth years of study listed above.

Medical Sciences and Population Health with a Foundation Year, BSc (Hons)

Medical Sciences and Population Health with a Foundation Year, MSci (Hons)

Medical Sciences and Population Health with a Foundation Year and Year Abroad, BSc (Hons)