15 months after graduating
90% of graduates in work or further study
A human biosciences degree from the University of
Plymouth will prepare you for a range of biomedical and healthcare science
roles in NHS and public health laboratories. It also opens up a variety of opportunities
in industry, for example in the research, development and manufacture of
pharmaceutical and biotechnology products used in healthcare, cosmetics, food
and agriculture.
The broad nature of the human biosciences
programme means that graduates will have the foundations for both life science
and physiological science careers within the NHS. Additionally, the study of
health choices and behaviours prepares students for a variety of public health
roles in the NHS, government bodies and the charity sector. The NHS Graduate
Management Training Scheme and Scientist Training Programme are open to
graduates.
Other healthcare professions such as medicine,
dentistry, nursing and allied health are also viable options. Medicine and
dentistry are often popular choices, though students should be aware that the
high academic and personal requirements of these programmes mean that it is
wise to have a back-up plan. Emerging professions such as Physician Associate could
be worth exploring.
Opportunities in the commercial sector are varied,
including drug discovery, product development, clinical trials, regulatory
affairs, quality assurance, operations, sales and many more. Students with an
interest in data may wish to explore the growing field of informatics, where
organisations seek to create value out of the wealth of data now available. A
few graduates carve out careers in science communication through roles in the
media, science policy or public relations.
Research-based careers are another pathway. This
is a very competitive field, so exploring a wide range of options across higher
education institutions, research institutes, charities and industry can be
advantageous.
Researching your
career options
With such a wide
range of careers open to you as a human biosciences graduate, it is
important to make sure you explore and research your options thoroughly so that
you can make informed decisions about your future.
The following websites provide helpful information for career
research:
Employment Opportunities
Below is a
snapshot of what some of University of Plymouth Human Biosciences graduates
told us they were doing 15 months after graduation. For some graduates,
these jobs serve as stepping stones to other roles by providing
relevant workplace experience.
- Laboratory Analyst
- Laboratory Technician
- Medical Laboratory Assistant
- Microbiologist
- Microbiology Technician
- Performance Assistant
- Pharmacy Advisor
- Senior Quality Assurance Assistant
- Teacher
- Trainee Clinical Coder
- Trainee Teacher
- Artist
Employers
- Acculabs Diagnostics UK Ltd
- ALS
- Boots Pharmacy
- Dorothy Stringer
- Medway Foundation Trust (NHS)
- MGS Laboratories
- MHA Larking Gowen
- Ministry of Education
- Network Rail
- Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
- Paignton Academy
- Perrigo
- South West Water
- The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- Warwick University
*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys of 2017/18 and
2018/19. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data
displayed is for 10 UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are
working, studying or looking for work.