Do you want to fight against human diseases and possibly save countless lives? Do you find it fascinating to examine blood samples, decipher cell changes and identify bacteria? With a degree in biomedicine, you will be equipped with the necessary specialist expertise to, ideally, leave your footsteps in human history. In the following article you will find out everything you need to know about studying biomedical science. From relevant universities to course content to career prospects after graduation.
Biomedicine is an interdisciplinary subject and is located at the interface between medicine and life sciences. The main focus is on research. The semester plan is interspersed with laboratory internships and research projects during the bachelor’s and master’s degree. Do you need Bachelor or Master medicine interview tutor for preparation? Visit here to get excellent tutor that helps grow your successful medical career growth.
The aim of the academic training is to break down cellular and molecular mechanisms and functions of the human body, to fathom diseases and, based on this, to optimize or fundamentally redevelop diagnostic methods and therapeutic approaches.
Due to the high practical component of the biomedicine course, the courses usually only include a very small group of students. As a rule, 30 to 60 prospective students are accepted, sometimes a maximum of 15 for the Master’s courses. Most of the studies only begin in the winter semester. It is therefore advisable to find out more and apply at an early stage.
Course content
You can tackle the biomedicine course as both an undergraduate and a postgraduate course. In terms of content, the bachelor’s and master’s programs go hand in hand. The selection of subjects and the respective weighting of the subject areas can, however, be very different at the universities and technical colleges. The best thing to do is to look again in the module handbook of your chosen university and find out about the specific subjects on offer.
Bachelor
After the starting shot, a concentrated load of scientific basics awaits you. These are supplemented in the further course by elementary knowledge from the field of human medicine. Specifically, for example, these subjects can be waiting for you:
Focus
Once the fundamentals of natural science and human medicine have been internalized and literally passed into the blood, it is time to choose a specialization in a specialized sub-area of biomedicine. At this point, you could choose from these specializations, among others:
- Molecular Biotechnology – Applied Biomedicine in Industry
- Molecular Medicine – Applied Biomedicine at Research Institutions
- Immune and Infection Biology
- Bioanalysis
- Neurobiology
- Tumor biology
- Cell biology
Master
The bachelor’s degree is already a thing of the past and now the master’s degree in biomedicine is on the agenda? Then you can expect a lot of in-depth knowledge of the basics of science as well as basic knowledge from human medicine. In the course of your studies, for example, you may come across these subjects:
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Infection biology
- Physiology / Pathophysiology
- Pharmacology / toxicology
- Responsibility in biomedicine: genetic engineering safety, laboratory animal science, biomedical ethics
- Bioinformatics
- Human genetics
- Materials science
- Scientific work
In addition, as part of the compulsory elective modules, you can set priorities in your academic training, pursue your interests and already take a specific direction for your later professional career.
Specialties
Within biomedicine there are ways to take various branches. If you are interested in the subject of biomedicine, but at the same time have a heart for improving existing or developing new technologies, then you might like studying biomedical engineering.
On the other hand, if you are more passionate about researching and developing pharmaceuticals, a degree in Biomedical Chemistry may be the best fit for you.
The third special area is biomedical analysis. The course aims to professionally examine medical laboratory samples and to decipher diseases by analyzing the results. In Austria in particular, you will find universities that offer this degree.
Duration and course
“Good things take time” – the saying also applies here. For a bachelor’s degree, you have to reckon with an average of six to seven semesters of standard study time. If you then go on to the master’s degree in biomedicine with full vigor, you will have to add another three to four semesters. Taking into account the individual learning pace, the time span can be a little longer. The classic course then looks like this in many cases:
| Bachelor | Master |
| 1. Basic studies | 1. Consolidation of the knowledge from the Bachelor |
| 2. Laboratory internships / project work | 2. Specialization |
| 3. Specialization | 3. Laboratory internships / project work |
| 4. Bachelor thesis | 4. Master’s thesis |
| 5. (Disputation / Colloquium) | 5. (Disputation / Colloquium) |
| = Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) | = Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
Note, however, that the individual points often run in parallel, especially with regard to the connection between theory and practice. In addition, some courses in the Biomedical Engineering specialization area, deviating from the table, end with a Bachelor of Engineering or Master of Engineering degree.
Admission requirements
Application for a bachelor’s degree
A university entrance qualification is required for access to the bachelor’s degree. This can be obtained in the form of the Abitur, the technical college entrance qualification or an equivalent recognized qualification. However, some universities also open up the academic path for you if you can demonstrate subject-related training and relevant professional experience. You can find more information about this lateral entry into the academic career in our heading Health without a high school diploma.
In addition to the general access authorization, the average grade of the school leaving certificate is also relevant at some universities. The Numerus Clauses (NC) is determined by the universities after the application phase. It is based on the average grades of the applicants and the available study places. The values can vary greatly from university to university, but also from semester to semester. It is therefore difficult to make a general statement.
At many private universities of applied sciences, the stage is less important than a personal interview or some other selection process. In this, the individual suitability of the prospective students for the demanding course is to be checked.
Formal requirements
- University entrance qualification or subject-related training and relevant professional experience
- Passing a selection process
Personal requirements – for Bachelor and Master
- Scientific and medical interest
- Good understanding of math
- Fun in laboratory activities
- Inquisitive spirit
Application for a master’s degree
Special admission requirements also apply to a master’s position in biomedicine studies. A first academic degree is usually required here. In addition, there must be a subject related to biomedicine from the previous degree. At this point, too, the passing of a selection process can be decisive for admission. The NC values also vary greatly in the master’s degree in biomedicine.
Career prospects
After successfully completing your biomedical degree, you have a wide range of career options. On the one hand, there is an exciting path ahead of you in research. This can take you to hospitals, clinics, universities or scientific institutions. A professional field with a high priority and need for experts in this area is that of virologists in particular.
On the other hand, there is great potential in the industrial branch. Pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies and diagnostic laboratories, among others, are waiting for your application there.
In addition, you have many options in the healthcare industry. How about, for example, a job in the public service of a health authority? With a writing job in medical journalism or a job in a PR department? Or would you prefer a position in a management consultancy? As you can see, you are spoiled for choice in this industry.
Doesn’t all of this have enough kick? Then a job in criminology could be just what you want! Here you can use the analysis of body fluids to track down criminals, expose crooks and solve tricky criminal cases.
Promotion
Graduates with very good performance during the biomedicine master’s degree can follow up with a doctorate. In the medical field and in research in particular, this is a popular way of building up even more expert knowledge, complementing skills and delving deeper into research. Of course, the following also applies at this point: a doctorate significantly increases the salary prospects compared to a master’s degree.
Salary
How it looks financially for biomedical researchers after successfully completing their studies varies greatly. This depends on many factors, including the industry, the size of the company and the individual job position. As a rule, the gross monthly income levels off between $3,000 and $5,000.
In times of increasing population numbers and the increasing spread of diseases, biomedicine is definitely a future-proof professional field and the demand for trained experts is high. A degree in biomedicine thus has a high potential for financial security.