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Microbiology BSc (Hons)

UCAS code: C510 (full-time), 350S (sandwich)

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Information for 2025

About this course

Microorganisms are miniscule living beings which are too small to see with the naked eye, and are integral to human, animal and plant life. They’re crucial to a range of industries which underpin human lifestyles, from food and drink production to medicine manufacture, and are the key to understanding disease. Microbiologists find ways we can use these microorganisms; develop innovative solutions to global problems like climate change, pollution and antibiotic resistance; and uncover the causes, behaviours and treatments of diseases.

On this BSc Microbiology degree, you’ll delve into the microscopic worlds of bacteria, fungi, single-celled parasites and viruses. Taking a medical and research-focused approach, you’ll get comfortable working in professional-standard labs, and learn how microbiology applies to industry, biotechnology and human society.

Here at NTU, your learning will be hands-on. You’ll become a competent microbiologist, with all the technical knowhow, transferable skills and specialist knowledge you need to lead and assist in some of today’s most crucial research.

  • Get hands-on lab experience

    with plenty of practical teaching time in our Class II laboratories.

  • A Royal Society of Biology accredited course

    guaranteeing top teaching quality and boosting your prospects.

  • Study the breadth of the subject,

    from medical to environmental to industrial applications.

  • An optional placement year after Year Two,

    as well as plenty of opportunities to boost your employability throughout your degree.

What you’ll study

This microbiology course has the very latest medical research and real-world application at its core. You’ll hone your practical lab skills as you handle, grow and identify microbes safely; learn how to conduct your own academic research; get to grips with computer-based microbiology; and delve into all aspects of infectious disease — from diagnostics, outbreak and spread to control, treatment and prevention.

You’ll also explore specialised topics such as microbial genetics and metabolism, antibiotics, immunology, virology, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and environmental, forensic and molecular microbiology.

Some highlights of our microbiology degree include:

  • An applied and medical-focused approach to microbiology, exploring its industrial uses and discovering the breadths of infectious disease.
  • Accreditation from the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), giving you free RSB membership for a year after graduation, boosting your career prospects, and promising high-quality teaching.
  • Research-led teaching from experienced microbiologists at the top of their fields, with opportunities to work on their active research projects and even co-author publications.
  • Consistently high student satisfaction ratings, praising our friendly lecturers, the expertise and enthusiasm of all our teaching staff, and the community feel amongst our students.
  • The chance to build your professional network and connect with employers within bioscience industries, via field trips, guest speakers, placements and more.
  • Opportunities to do summer studentships, which provide you with even more hands-on lab experience and bolster your employability prospects.
  • A range of outreach opportunities to take part in, which may include Science In The Park, visits to local schools and presentations at conferences.
  • The option to do a placement year — previously, students have worked for NHS clinical laboratories, research companies and drinks manufacturers.

Practical Techniques for Biology

Considers the principles of experimental design, data collection and analysis, including techniques in centrifugation, chromatography, electrophoresis, microscopy and radiobiology.

Genetics and Immunology

Develops genetic concepts and introduces basic aspects of the immune system, including the molecules, cells and interactions involved.

Introduction to Microbiology

Introduces you to the key concepts of microbiology and the defining characteristics of bacteria and viruses, as well as safe working practices with microbes.

Living Systems

Introduces levels of biological organisation from molecules to cells and ecosystems, providing a platform of knowledge and skills upon which other modules are developed.

Introduction to Biochemistry

Study the key aspects of macromolecules, cell structure and function, and interrelationships in both practical and theoretical contexts.

Introduction to Physiology

Introduces the physiology of human organ systems (respiratory, nervous, cardiovascular, urinary, endocrine and muscular) and examines the process of homeostasis.

Applied Microbiology

Reviews the use of micro-organisms in the production of industrially important products and biofuels, and considers lactic acid bacteria and the production of fermented products.

Clinical and Public Health Microbiology

Learn the importance of microbial infections, how they might be diagnosed, the sources of these infections and how sterilisation and disinfection procedures can be used to control them.

Microbial Metabolism and Genetics

Investigate the energy-yielding mechanisms in aerobic, anaerobic and fermentative systems and their diversity and importance to humans.

Microbial Structure, Identification and Distribution

Explore the function of important subcellular structures of micro-organisms, as well as the taxonomy and identification of the main groups of bacteria, fungi and viruses relating to forensic investigations.

Host-Pathogen Interactions

Explore ways in which pathogenic organisms and their human hosts interact with each other, and learn how we might exploit this knowledge to develop new drugs and vaccines.

Professional Skills in Microbiology

Explores current "hot topics" such as emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and food security.

Optional year-long work placement.  If you are not taking a placement, you will progress directly to your final year in year three.

Forensic Microbiology

Learn the molecular methods of microbial identification and see its role in accidental and deliberate contamination investigations, quality of data collection, analysis and presentation of evidence.

Molecular Microbiology

Study advanced concepts in bacterial genetics, including regulation of bacterial gene expression, molecular biology of bacterial pathogenesis and the application of knowledge in industry.

Immunology and Virology

Study advanced concepts in immunology, including immune responses to infection, cancer and autoimmunity. You’ll also look at concepts in the molecular biology of viral infections.

Infectious Diseases and their Control

Learn about the global importance of infectious diseases, their effect on individuals and the population as a whole and how they can be controlled.

Research Project (40 credit points)

You have the option of either completing a 40 credit point project / dissertation.

Your daily work pattern will be more variable in this year, since time will be set aside for you to carry out your project, and is likely to average about 16 hours per week, of which well over half is practical work.

We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Student Profiles

Leah Sullivan

Microbiology

Support from course tutors within NTU were fantastic, course leader Jody Winter was extremely supportive when it came to coursework, day-to-day learning and preparing you for the working world.

Het Gajjar

Microbiology

I choose NTU because of its strong reputation in Bioscience and excellent teaching quality with awards received by NTU.

Valery Bojarinova

Microbiology

I was drawn to NTU due to the wide variety of course options and the flexibility they offer.

Edward Moore

Microbiology

The support from day one of the course from staff was exceptional, there was no such thing as a stupid question and they always were happy to help and support in anyway possible.

Video Gallery

Watch our facility tour video to get an insight into the equipment you'll use and what you'll study on the course.
 

How you're taught

Your teaching team will consist of over ten dedicated microbiologists, who aren’t just academics — they’re highly experienced researchers, experts in industrial microbiology, and teaching award-winners and nominees. They’re all talented specialists at the forefront of their fields, who regularly publish their work in respected journals.

Because of this, your teaching on this microbiology degree will have a strong focus on their research interests, meaning you’ll be learning straight from the source. Some active research topics include antimicrobial resistance, evolution and genetics, the human microbiota, genome sequencing, machine learning, biotechnology, the molecular mechanisms of disease, and neglected pathogens.

You’ll learn through a mix of:

  • practical laboratory classes, where you’ll learn workplace lab skills, put theory to the test, and get involved in real-world research projects
  • lectures, covering the breadth of the subject
  • seminars, for doing group work and delving deeper into your modules
  • IT workshops for learning bioinformatics skills
  • field trips, which have previously included local brewery tours to learn about industrial microbiology and an international trip to clinical labs in Uganda
  • guest speakers, including microbiologists from organisations such as the NHS, Source BioScience and Yakult.

Research informed teaching

Our research is tackling real-world issues – and the people working on this research will be teaching you. It also informs the subjects you’ll be studying with us so you can be sure your knowledge will be cutting-edge in your field. In the last Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) - the UK's system for assessing the quality and impact of research in universities - we’re proud that 99% of NTU’s Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy submission was assessed to be world-leading or internationally excellent.

How you're assessed

The assessments on our microbiology degree are designed around the kind of work you’ll do in research and industry, so they include scientific posters, presentations, diagnostic and client reports, data analyses, an employability pitch, skills portfolios, reflections and written research papers. Most assessments are open book, to better simulate real-world scenarios and test your deeper understanding.

Contact hours

Overall, you’ll get around 240 hours of contact time each year. This microbiology course is very practical and you’ll spend lots of time in our industry-standard laboratories, with most modules including at least nine hours of labs (but often 12 to 15 hours). Outside of your timetabled sessions, you’ll work on your assignments independently or in groups, but your tutors will still be available to give you guidance and support.

Staff Profiles

Gareth McVicker - Senior Lecturer

School of Science & Technology

Dr Gareth McVicker is a Senior Lecturer in department of Biosciences. His research focuses on plasmid biology and toxin-antitoxin systems in enteric bacterial pathogens.

Jody Winter - Principal Lecturer

School of Science & Technology

Dr Winter is the subject leader for microbiology teaching at NTU and a member of the Antimicrobial Resistance, Omics and Microbiota research group. Dr Winter is Course Leader for the…

Michael Loughlin - Principal Lecturer (Learning and Teaching Manager)

School of Science & Technology

Michael Loughlin is a Principal Lecturer in the Department of Biosciences and Learning and Teaching Manager for the School of Science & Technology.

Alasdair Hubbard - Senior Lecturer

School of Science & Technology

Alasdair Hubbard is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology. His main research interests are focused on antimicrobial resistance and experimental evolution.

Maria Rosa Domingo-Sananes - Senior Lecturer

Biosciences

Dr. Maria Rosa Domingo Sananes Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Microbiology and Evolutionary Systems Biology at NTU. Her research focuses on combining systems and evolutionary biology to understand the function,

Careers and employability

A microbiology degree opens doors to careers spanning a range of industries. These include disease diagnostics and control, environmental testing, food safety and manufacturing, molecular biology, epidemiology, biotechnology, therapeutics, and industrial research and development. But thanks to the highly desirable transferable skills you’ll develop on your microbiology course, your options aren’t limited to this field alone. In fact, some of our graduates work in science communication, publishing, finance, patent law and quality assurance.

You may also choose to further your education or pursue academia, with several of our recent students having published research papers, taken up research assistant posts, and secured funded PhDs at prestigious institutions.

Some examples of companies our graduates work for include AstraZeneca, the NHS, Dexcel Pharma and Premier Analytical Services.

What’s more, as a student at NTU, you’ll be supported by our award-winning Employability services for up to three years after you graduate, and get access to our online career resources for life.

Campus and facilities

You’ll mainly be studying in lecture theatres, classrooms and Class II laboratories across the Clifton Campus, with access to research-grade equipment including PCR machines, automated gel documentation systems, anaerobic cabinets and tissue culture hoods. Each lab has its own dedicated technical team to support your classes.

Our self-contained, community-focused Clifton Campus has been designed to keep you busy between lectures. Catch-up with your coursemates in the Pavilion’s barista café and Refectory; brainstorm group presentations in chic and stylish study spaces; or enjoy some proper R&R in The Point, home of our Students’ Union. The campus also hosts the multimillion-pound Clifton Sports Hub, offering great options for everyone — whatever your interests, and however competitive you’d like to get!

Just a short bus ride away, you’ll find the heart of Nottingham — a vibrant student city full of history, culture and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure.

Entry requirements

UK students

  • Standard offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications including A-level equivalent Biology grade C
  • Contextual offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications including A-level equivalent Biology grade C

To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.

International students

  • Academic entry requirements: 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications including A-level equivalent Biology grade C. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
  • English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

£9,535 per year

If you choose to do a placement year or year abroad, you'll pay a reduced fee for that year:

  • Placement year - £1,850
  • Year abroad - £1,385

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including NTU bursaries and scholarships.

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees, including the placement year and study abroad options are subject to government policy and may change in future years of study.

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but we don’t want you to feel anxious or confused about it. Visit our fees and funding pages if you have any concerns.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.
  • £17,500 per year

If you choose to do a placement year or study abroad placement year, you'll pay a reduced fee for that year:

  • Placement year - £1,850
  • Study abroad placement year - £1,385

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees might increase from the second year of your undergraduate course, in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.

Scholarships

We offer international scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for a scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Living costs

See our advice on managing your money and the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham.

Paying fees

As an international student, you'll need to make an advance payment of £6,000 when you've accepted your offer to study at NTU. You'll then need to pay your tuition fees in full, or have an agreement to pay in two further instalments, before the start date of your course.

Find out how and when to pay your fees, including information about advance payments, instalment dates and how to make payments securely to the University.

Enquiries

If you have any queries relating to advance payments or arrangements to pay, please contact our friendly and experienced international enquiries team.

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:

Textbooks and library books

Most modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential textbooks, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) - meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.

Printing and photocopying costs

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the printing and photocopying information on the Library website.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

Lab lockers

A refundable deposit is required for laboratory lockers (approximately £5).

Year abroad

If you choose to study abroad for a year, you may need to consider additional costs such as visas, vaccinations, accommodation and travel expenses.

Fees and funding advice

For more advice and guidance, you can email our Student Money Team or phone us on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Cost of living information and support

Managing your money can help you make the most of life at NTU. Here's how we can support you, and now you can make your funding go further.

How to apply

Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the instructions for applying. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.

Writing your application and personal statement

Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. So include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.

Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You’ve got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.

Keeping up-to-date

After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!

You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.