Microbiology with a Year in Industry BSc (Hons)

The University of Sheffield

Our four-year BSc Microbiology with a Year in Industry course explores the fundamental role these tiny organisms play in the world. You'll study the importance of bacteria, viruses and other microbes in the environment and as pathogens, with the opportunity to do a year-long, paid work placement as part of your degree.

Previous students have found placements at global pharmaceutical companies such as GSK, Pfizer and Unilever, but your placement doesn't have to be in the lab. You could apply your scientific knowledge and transferable skills within or outside of the bioscience industry in areas including market research, communications or business development. It's a great opportunity to test out a career path that you're considering and many students are even offered a graduate-level job at the end of it. You'll pay reduced fees for the year you're on placement and you'll still have the support you need from your tutor and the University.

During your time at Sheffield you’ll also discover how we can manipulate the genetic makeup of microbes to put them to good use in biotechnology, how we can tackle the threat of antimicrobial-resistant infections, and the role that microbiology continues to play in supporting the global response to pandemics such as COVID-19.

From your first year you’ll study modules that span the molecular biosciences covering microbiology, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology. Alongside these modules you’ll have the freedom to explore complementary topics across the breadth of bioscience, such as biomedicine, ecology, plant science and zoology. This flexibility allows you to study microbiology in greater depth, keep your interests broad or even switch to another degree programme within the biosciences. No matter what modules you choose to study, you’ll develop the practical laboratory and transferable skills that make our graduates attractive to employers including project management, problem solving, communication skills and data analysis.

We’ll give you plenty of opportunities to apply your new skills and knowledge too. You’ll be in the lab completing in-depth practicals across molecular genetics, DNA manipulation and protein structure analysis, and you’ll get the chance to use cutting-edge equipment to run your own in-depth research projects.

Whether you choose to focus solely on microbiology, or study a range of topics across the molecular biosciences and beyond, your personal tutor will support you to tailor your degree to your interests and career goals.

Whether you want to pursue a career in science, apply your skills in industry, or continue your studies, Sheffield biosciences graduates are highly sought after due to their specialist laboratory and field skills, ability to solve problems, handle and analyse data, and effectively communicate complex ideas to a range of audiences.

Our students secure roles with leading scientific organisations like GSK, AstraZeneca, Cancer Research, the Environment Agency, Wildlife Trusts, and the Natural History Museum. Transferable skills are embedded and developed throughout our degrees, which means year on year many of our graduates join top 100 employers like the BBC, Deloitte, the Civil Service, and the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme. You can also apply your degree to other varied careers including bioinformatics, marketing and science communication, teaching and science policy. Some students go on to further study.

This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology which shows employers that you've developed the practical skills and scientific knowledge that they're looking for.