Biotechnology MSc
MSc Biotechnology
Overview
Biotechnology is the fastest growing research and development sector in the UK. There’s no better time to turn your ambition into a postgraduate qualification that’ll help open doors to an exciting career in the field.
On this MSc Biotechnology degree course, you’ll learn the theory and knowledge you'll need to succeed in the industry. You’ll unpack the molecular tools that are used to solve global issues, and tailor your studies to the areas of biotechnology that match your interests and career ambitions.
As a Master of Biotechnology, you can pursue roles in companies from innovative start ups, to global corporations, taking on roles such as a research scientist, business associate or sales representative. You could also continue studying to PhD level.
Entry requirements
MSc Biotechnology Master's degree entry requirements
Qualifications or experience
- A 2:1 honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. Professional experience and other qualifications may be taken into consideration for applicants not meeting this requirement.
English language requirements
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
What you'll experience
On this course, you'll:
- Work with industry, or in an academic environment, choosing subjects that match your aspirations
- Develop your practical skills using the latest high-tech research equipment
- Unpack a practical and a theoretical understanding of the molecular techniques used in the biotechnology sector
Careers and opportunities
When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the industry.
What jobs can you do with a Biotechnology degree?
Routes you could pursue include:
- PhD level study
- research scientist
- business associate
- sales representative
Work experience and career planning
To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course.
We can help you identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and opportunities to build your CV for up to 5 years after you graduate.
What you'll study on this MSc Biotechnology degree course
Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.
You need to study modules worth a total of 180 credits. For example, 4 modules worth 30 credits and 1 module worth 60 credits.
Modules
- Bioinformatics and Omics
- Biotechnology Enterprise
- Biotechnology Research Skills and Project
- Engineering Animals
- Molecular Medicine
There are no optional modules.
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Learning support
As well as support by faculty teaching staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University’s Academic Skills Unit (ASK).
ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:
academic writingnote takingtime managementcritical thinkingpresentation skillsreferencing working in groupsrevision , memory and exam techniques
Support with English
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
Teaching
Teaching methods on this course include:
- lectures
- seminars
- worships
- practical work
How you'll spend your time
Each academic year is divided into 2 teaching blocks and 2 assessment periods:
- Teaching block 1 – October to January
- Assessment period 1 – late January to early February
- Teaching block 2 – February to May
- Assessment period 2 – May to June
How you're assessed
You’ll be assessed through:
- written exams
- practical work
- problem solving
- presentations
- essay
- project work
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Course costs
Tuition fees
UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students
- Full time – £10,700
- Part time– £5,350 a year (subject to annual increase)
EU students
(including Transition Scholarship)
- Full time – £10,700
- Part time – £5,350 a year (subject to annual increase)
International students
- Full time – £17,600 per year
- Part time – £8,800 a year (subject to annual increase)
Additional course costs
These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.
Additional costs
Our accommodation section shows your accommodation options and highlights how much it costs to live in Portsmouth.
You’ll study up to 6 units a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each unit.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Apply
September 2021 start
- Full-time study (1 year)
- Part-time study (2 years)
January 2022 start
- Full-time study (1 year)
- Part-time study (2 years)
International students
If you're from outside of the UK, you can apply directly to us (above) or you can get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.
- Subject area
- Biological Sciences
