Immunology, BSc at University of Aberdeen

This degree will offer you the opportunity to explore how our body defends itself as well as the role that the immune system plays in the debilitating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, the growing incidence of asthma and allergy and the development of cancer. We look at how the immune system can be exploited for novel therapies including vaccines and how it is important in transplant survival and blood transfusion.

You will gain a broad, in depth, understanding of Immunology at the molecular, cellular and systems levels. Our research-led approach, which covers the latest advances in Immunology, provides you with the skills and knowledge for a wide range of careers in Immunology and more generally in medical science.

5 year MSci degree

This degree offers you the opportunity to undertake a year's placement in an industrial, commercial or research environment and graduate after five years with an MSci (an undergraduate Masters degree) instead of a BSc.

How You'll Study

You will be taught using a variety of methods and styles and we continually seek to make the teaching engaging, exciting and responsive to the latest research in your subject area. The research we carry out in the School directly informs and guides our teaching, particularly in the final Honours year. Our commitment to teaching is recognised by the range of University of Aberdeen Student-led Teaching Awards given to staff from our School.

As a student, your learning is supported by MyAberdeen, our virtual learning environment from which you can access the lecture Powerpoint slides, online practice tests, links to related reading, and tutorial support material.

We make innovative use of 'educational voting' handsets in class, remote control 'clickers' that allow each and every student to electronically respond in class by anonymous vote to questions posed by the lecturer.

Your academic development is supported from year 1 through to year 4 by an assigned personal tutor, who acts as adviser and mentor throughout your University career.

Learning Methods

• LAB WORK
• LECTURES
• SEMINARS
• TUTORIALS
• WORKSHOPS

Why Study Immunology?

• Our teaching is underpinned by world leading research groups particularly in immunohematology and the immunology of Fungal Infection.
• This is a wide-ranging programme that includes training in both specialist and generic employment-related skills.
• Excellent staff, passionate about high quality teaching (91% of our students were satisfied they received strong academic support), using modern, up-to-date teaching facilities.
• Modern teaching facilities and laboratories which will enhance your learning and provide you with an opportunity to experience working in a research focused laboratory environment.
• The University is ranked 9th in the World and 5th in Europe for its international research collaboration in Biomedical and Health Sciences (Leiden Ranking 2015).
• Immunology research here has led to major improvements in treatment for the debilitating autoimmune eye disease uveitis.

Careers

Many of our graduates follow their undergraduate degree with a postgraduate programme or with PhD research in a wide range of research laboratories. Others move directly into positions in hospital research, diagnostic laboratories and research institutes. Other major employers of Immunology graduates include the scientific civil service, pharmaceutical, food, fermentation and biotechnology industries.

An Immunology degree is also a starting point for a career outside science in management, intellectual property, publishing, teaching or a wide range of other professions.

Our degree programmes are built to enhance your employability and three flagship options give our degrees a distinctively different flavour from many others. All our degrees offer:

• A 10-week full time research project in the final year which will provide you with valuable experience of working in a medical science research environment
• The option of an industrial placement year and graduation with an undergraduate MSci
• Highly relevant and sought after experience in bio-business aimed at giving you an understanding of the commercialisation of scientific ideas and an opportunity to learn about the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries