Modern Biochemistry grew out of the application of chemical techniques to biological problems. In many ways it combines Biology and Chemistry, but the subject now covers such a wide range that it is difficult to draw a neat border around the discipline. Biochemistry, provides the foundations of Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Genetics, Zoology, Botany, and even Surgery and Anatomy. The Oxford course concentrates on molecular aspects of biological functions in the plant, animal and microbial kingdoms. It is very broad in scope, ranging from the structures of biological molecules and how they are determined, through genetics and molecular biology and their applications, to cell differentiation and immunology.

Studying at Oxford gives you the chance to be part of a large multidisciplinary department, which is internationally renowned for its research on a wide range of questions on the fundamental basis of all cellular life from man to microbe. As a student here, alongside department-based lectures and college-based tutorials, you will gain substantial laboratory experience both through regular practicals and a fourth year research project.

In becoming a Biochemistry student at Univ, you join a small group of very well-supported students. Our highly experienced tutors are research-active, and in tutorials and classes they enjoy encouraging stimulating discussion and an exploration of their students’ own interests.

There is a wealth of information about the Biochemistry course structure, possible option choices, and admissions criteria on the University of Oxford’s main website, available at ox.ac.uk

Any undergraduate degree at Oxford provides you with a wide variety of transferable skills and therefore Univ’s students progress to a diverse range of careers. For some, their undergraduate degree leads to academic research, industrial research or teaching. For many, their future career, for instance in business, government or the charitable sector, is defined less by the subject they studied and more by the skills they acquired. Oxford’s Careers Service provides destination statistics for graduates.

Resources

If you are considering applying for Biochemistry, a number of resources you might find useful to explore beyond the school curriculum can be found on Univ’s Staircase12 pages, including the Reading Bank and Resource Hub.