Subject Benchmark Statement. Biomedical Sciences: Draft for consultation

Transcription

1 Subject Benchmark Statement Bomedcal Scences: Draft for consultaton June 2015

2 Contents How can I use ths document?... 1 About Subject Benchmark Statements... 2 About ths Subject Benchmark Statement Introducton Defnng prncples Nature and extent of the bomedcal scences Graduate and key transferable sklls Core bomedcal scences knowledge, understandng and sklls Dscplne-specfc knowledge, understandng and sklls Learnng, teachng and assessment Benchmark standards Appendx: Membershp of the benchmarkng and revew groups for the Subject Benchmark Statement for bomedcal scences... 24

3 How can I use ths document? Ths document s a Subject Benchmark Statement for bomedcal scences that defnes what can be expected of a graduate n the subject, n terms of what they mght know, do and understand at the end of ther studes. You may want to read ths document f you are: nvolved n the desgn, delvery and revew of programmes of study n bomedcal scences or related subjects a prospectve student thnkng about studyng bomedcal scences, or a current student of the subject, to fnd out what may be nvolved an employer, to fnd out about the knowledge and sklls generally expected of a graduate n bomedcal scences. Explanatons of unfamlar terms used n ths Subject Benchmark Statement can be found n the Qualty Assurance Agency for Hgher Educaton's glossary. 1 1 The QAA glossary s avalable at: 1

4 About Subject Benchmark Statements Subject Benchmark Statements form part of the UK Qualty Code for Hgher Educaton (Qualty Code) whch sets out the Expectatons that all provders of UK hgher educaton revewed by QAA are requred to meet. 2 They are a component of Part A: Settng and Mantanng Academc Standards, whch ncludes the Expectaton that hgher educaton provders 'consder and take account of relevant Subject Benchmark Statements' n order to secure threshold academc standards. 3 Subject Benchmark Statements descrbe the nature of study and the academc standards expected of graduates n specfc subject areas, and n respect of partcular qualfcatons. They provde a pcture of what graduates n a partcular subject mght reasonably be expected to know, do and understand at the end of ther programme of study. Subject Benchmark Statements are used as reference ponts n the desgn, delvery and revew of academc programmes. They provde general gudance for artculatng the learnng outcomes assocated wth the programme but are not ntended to represent a natonal currculum n a subject or to prescrbe set approaches to teachng, learnng or assessment. Instead, they allow for flexblty and nnovaton n programme desgn wthn a framework agreed by the subject communty. Further gudance about programme desgn, development and approval, learnng and teachng, assessment of students, and programme montorng and revew s avalable n Part B: Assurng and Enhancng Academc Qualty of the Qualty Code n the followng Chapters: 4 Chapter B1: Programme Desgn, Development and Approval Chapter B3: Learnng and Teachng Chapter B6: Assessment of Students and the Recognton of Pror Learnng Chapter B8: Programme Montorng and Revew. For some subject areas, hgher educaton provders may need to consder other reference ponts n addton to the Subject Benchmark Statement n desgnng, delverng and revewng programmes. These may nclude requrements set out by professonal, statutory and regulatory bodes, natonal occupatonal standards and ndustry or employer expectatons. In such cases, the Subject Benchmark Statement may provde addtonal gudance around academc standards not covered by these requrements. 5 The relatonshp between academc and professonal or regulatory requrements s made clear wthn ndvdual statements, but t s the responsblty of ndvdual hgher educaton provders to decde how they use ths nformaton. The responsblty for academc standards remans wth the hgher educaton provder who awards the degree. Subject Benchmark Statements are wrtten and mantaned by subject specalsts drawn from and actng on behalf of the subject communty. The process s facltated by QAA. In order to ensure the contnung currency of Subject Benchmark Statements, QAA ntates regular revews of ther content, fve years after frst publcaton, and every seven years subsequently. 2 The Qualty Code, avalable at algns wth the Standards and Gudelnes for Qualty Assurance n the European Hgher Educaton Area, avalable at: 3 Part A: Settng and Mantanng Academc Standards, avalable at: 4 Indvdual Chapters are avalable at: 5 See further Part A: Settng and Mantanng Academc Standards, avalable at: 2

5 Relatonshp to legslaton Hgher educaton provders are responsble for meetng the requrements of legslaton and any other regulatory requrements placed upon them, for example, by fundng bodes. The Qualty Code does not nterpret legslaton nor does t ncorporate statutory or regulatory requrements. Sources of nformaton about other requrements and examples of gudance and good practce are sgnposted wthn the Subject Benchmark Statement where approprate. Hgher educaton provders are responsble for how they use these resources. 6 Equalty and dversty The Qualty Code embeds consderaton of equalty and dversty matters throughout. Promotng equalty nvolves treatng everyone wth equal dgnty and worth, whle also rasng aspratons and supportng achevement for people wth dverse requrements, enttlements and backgrounds. An nclusve envronment for learnng antcpates the vared requrements of learners, and ams to ensure that all students have equal access to educatonal opportuntes. Hgher educaton provders, staff and students all have a role n, and responsblty for, promotng equalty. Equalty of opportunty nvolves enablng access for people who have dfferng ndvdual requrements as well as elmnatng arbtrary and unnecessary barrers to learnng. In addton, dsabled students and non-dsabled students are offered learnng opportuntes that are equally accessble to them, by means of nclusve desgn wherever possble and by means of reasonable ndvdual adjustments wherever necessary. 6 See further the UK Qualty Code for Hgher Educaton: General Introducton, avalable at: 3

6 About ths Subject Benchmark Statement Ths Subject Benchmark Statement refers to bachelor's degrees wth honours n bomedcal scences. 7 Ths verson of the Statement forms ts thrd edton, followng ntal publcaton n 2002 and revew and revson n Summary of changes from the prevous Subject Benchmark Statement (2007) Ths Subject Benchmark Statement for Bomedcal Scences has been revsed substantally from the Bomedcal Scences statement publshed n The latter related solely to the study of bomedcal scence, focusng on the pathobology of dsease. The updated Statement covers all of the bomedcal scences relatng to human health and dsease ncludng generc bomedcal scences programmes and specalst and vocatonal programmes such as bomedcal scence, pharmacology, human nutrton and human physology. Ths Subject Benchmark Statement has been developed n close collaboraton wth the 2015 revew of the Boscences Subject Benchmark Statement. The Boscences Statement has also been revsed substantally from the statement publshed n 2007, and s based on the organsmal boscences and the molecular boscences. As such the Bomedcal Scences and the Boscences Subject Benchmark Statements should together be of value to nform the full range of programmes avalable n the UK. 7 Bachelor's degrees are at level 6 n The Framework for Hgher Educaton Qualfcatons n England, Wales and Northern Ireland and level 10 n The Framework for Qualfcatons of Hgher Educaton Insttutons n Scotland, as publshed n The Frameworks for Hgher Educaton Qualfcatons of UK Degree-Awardng Bodes, avalable at: 8 Further nformaton s avalable n the Recognton Scheme for Subject Benchmark Statements, avalable at: 4

7 1 Introducton 1.1 Ths Subject Benchmark Statement defnes the bomedcal scences subject area and relates to bachelor's degree programmes wth honours, and the undergraduate elements of ntegrated master's degree programmes offered by degree-awardng bodes n the UK. Bomedcal Scences s a key subject area encompassng all areas of bology related to human health and dsease. Ths hghly topcal, dynamc area s contnually advancng, contrbutng mportant benefts not only to the health of ndvduals and the naton, but also to the economc actvty of the UK. The subject area ncludes those scence programmes whose prmary focus s the bology of human health and dsease and ranges from generc programmes n bomedcal scences and human bology to more specalsed or vocatonal programmes n areas such as bomedcal scence, pharmacology, human physology and human nutrton. Ths Subject Benchmark Statement dentfes the core areas whch form the bass of all programmes n the bomedcal scences, as well as those relatng to specalst and vocatonal programmes n ths subject area. As such t has sgnfcant and necessary overlap wth the Boscences Statement, partcularly wth regard to common areas whch provde the bass for degree programmes n both subject areas. 1.2 The Subject Benchmark Statement s not a syllabus and no form of prescrpton s ntended n the amount of tme devoted to each component, the order n whch the materal s presented, nor the ttles of subjects whch comprse the bomedcal scences. It s expected, therefore, that provders of bachelor's degree wth honours programmes and/or ntegrated master's degree programmes wll combne, teach and assess the subject matter n dfferent ways. Creatvty and dversty are encouraged. The statement provdes, however, an nventory of content, delvery and assessment methods, and benchmark standards, thus enablng dentfcaton of vtal components of bomedcal scences honours degrees n whchever form they are offered by hgher educaton provders n the UK. 1.3 Ths Statement s ntended to be valuable to potental students, ther supporters and sponsors, employers, professonal and regulatory bodes, unverstes, colleges and schools. 5

8 2 Defnng prncples 2.1 An honours degree programme n the bomedcal scences s desgned to provde graduates wth a broad understandng of the scentfc bass of human health and dsease. Graduates from these programmes have the qualtes needed for employment n stuatons whch requre the exercse of professonalsm, ndependent thought, personal responsblty and decson makng n complex and unpredctable crcumstances. 2.2 Degree programmes n the bomedcal scences are underpnned by a number of related scences ncludng bology, chemstry, mathematcs, nformaton technology and, to a lesser extent, physcs. Core bomedcal scences subjects nclude: human anatomy, physology, bochemstry, genetcs, mmunology, mcrobology, pharmacology, cell and molecular bology and bonformatcs. 2.3 The bomedcal scences play a pvotal and essental role n health and healthcare. Most of the component subjects are at the forefront of modern scence and therefore nvolve leadng edge research actvty. The bomedcal scences are rapdly evolvng subjects and essental to the nvestgaton and understandng of many of the current controverses, concerns and dlemmas of modern lfe such as det and health, food safety, new mcrobologcal threats, the potental mpact of varous botechnologes such as genomcs, proteomcs, stem cell technology and reproductve technologes on health and well-beng, and assocated ethcal concerns. They are crtcal to the understandng of major bologcal processes, such as ageng, and health problems of nternatonal mportance such as: nfectous dseases, cardovascular dsease, dabetes, obesty, cancer and dementa. 2.4 Graduates n the bomedcal scences enter a rapdly changng employment envronment n whch lfelong learnng plays an essental role. Many graduates of degree programmes n the bomedcal scences attan addtonal qualfcatons before or after takng up employment ncludng master's degrees (MSc), doctoral degrees (PhD/DPhl and professonal doctorates), postgraduate medcal qualfcatons and teachng qualfcatons. 2.5 The employment market for graduates n the bomedcal scences s buoyant. A bomedcal scences degree s consdered as an excellent bass for a wde varety of future graduate-entry career paths. Major employment areas nclude: lfescence ndustry clncal and communty healthcare clncal genetcs laboratores clncal trals and regulatory sector commerce (sales and marketng) related to healthcare and dagnostc products dagnostc pathology and clncal laboratores educaton: unversty, college and school teachng food ndustry and food safety forensc laboratores government or charty-funded research laboratores and nsttutes Publc Health England Natonal Health Servce Natonal Health Servce - blood and transplant research and development for the pharmaceutcal, dagnostcs, medcal devces and laboratory nstrumentaton ndustres research laboratores n unverstes veternary and agrcultural laboratores. 6

9 3 Nature and extent of the bomedcal scences 3.1 Study of the bomedcal scences nvolves a multdscplnary approach to the understandng of human health and dsease. Graduates have knowledge of why and how health s mantaned, how dseases, dsorders and the ageng process develop, and how they affect the normal structure and functons of the human body. 3.2 The complex and rapdly evolvng nature of the bomedcal scences requres a sound, research-nformed, scentfc educaton. Dependng upon the focus of ther degree programme, students of the bomedcal scences are expected to ntegrate the knowledge base of varous key subjects to further ther understandng of health mantenance, dsease preventon, and the nvestgaton, dagnoss, montorng and therapy of human dsease, as well as developments beng made possble by bomedcal research. 3.3 Advances n bomedcal scences mpact sgnfcantly upon the health and wellbeng of socety and the naton's economy. Apprecaton of the mportance of research and knowledge of research desgn and the approprate use of statstcal analyses to enable a vald nterpretaton of expermental and survey results s expected of graduates. Students undertake approprate practcal (sometmes clncal) educaton and/or feldwork throughout ther programmes; these aspects are progressve n nature and desgned to supplement other academc learnng. By the end of ther programme students are equpped wth the sklls necessary to enable them to plan and perform a research project and be aware of the need for good laboratory practce and, f relevant, survey desgn and executon, health and safety, and legal and ethcal aspects of research desgn and analyss. 3.4 Undergraduate degree programmes n the bomedcal scences n the UK exst n a number of dfferent forms. Most are offered at bachelor's level. Some are ntegrated master's programmes, whch nclude an addtonal year of study at master's level. Some programmes may nclude a sandwch year or work placements. Some nclude professonal and practcal tranng n order to fulfl statutory and/or accredtaton requrements of relevant regulatory or professonal bodes. 3.5 The range of bomedcal scences programmes nclude: Generc degrees n bomedcal scences and closely related areas of human bology. Integrated degrees n bomedcal scence accredted by the Insttute of Bomedcal Scence (IBMS) and/or approved by the Health and Care Professons Councl (HCPC). 9 Integrated degrees may be ether full or part-tme where academc study s ntegrated wth work-based learnng n an approved pathology laboratory. Bomedcal scence degrees accredted by the IBMS (full-tme degrees may have a sandwch year or optonal placement(s) n a pathology research or ndustral laboratory). 9 IBMS s the UK professonal body for bomedcal scence n the UK. Its ams are to promote and develop bomedcal scence and ts practtoners, further nformaton avalable at: The HCPC s the UK statutory and regulatory body that mantans a regster of health and care professonals. It seeks to protect the health and well-beng of people usng the servces of health professonals by ensurng an approprate level of educaton and tranng. Only those ndvduals who meet the HCPC standards of profcency for ther professonal sklls are elgble to apply to become regstered, further nformaton avalable at: 7

10 Healthcare Scence (Lfe Scence) degrees, whch have specalst pathways. These are accredted by the Natonal School of Healthcare Scence, 10 and to enable graduates to be elgble to apply for regstraton as a bomedcal scentst also accredted by the IBMS and/or approved by the HCPC. Human nutrton degree programmes meetng the competency requrements for accredtaton by the Assocaton for Nutrton. 11 Some of these programmes nclude detetcs tranng and are accredted by the Brtsh Detetc Assocaton and approved by the HCPC. Degrees n the core bomedcal scences, for example, Pharmacology, Human or Medcal Physology programmes. 10 The Natonal School of Healthcare Scence was establshed as part of the Modernsng Scentfc Careers (MSC) programme to support the mplementaton and delvery of the new healthcare scence educaton and tranng programmes and to comply wth the structures wthn 'Lberatng the NHS: Developng Healthcare Workforce - Polcy (January 2012)' actng on behalf of the Chef Scentfc Offcer (CSO) for England. It also provdes some elements of support for the three other UK health departments, further nformaton avalable at: 11 The Assocaton for Nutrton Assocaton holds the UK Voluntary Regster of Nutrtonsts (UKVRN) and ther purpose s to protect and beneft the publc by defnng and advancng standards of evdence-based practce across the feld of nutrton and settng standards of competence for the wder nutrton workforce, avalable at: 8

11 4 Graduate and key transferable sklls 4.1 The subject content of ndvdual programmes of study n the bomedcal scences depends on the specfc degree beng offered and the nsttutonal context. However, t wll nclude the opportunty to develop a range of more generc graduate and transferable sklls (detaled n ths secton) along wth core bomedcal knowledge, understandng and sklls (detaled n secton 5) and specalst, dscplne specfc knowledge, understandng and sklls (detaled n secton 6). Whatever the subject, students should expect to be confronted by some of the scentfc, moral and ethcal questons rased by ther study dscplne, to consder vewponts other than ther own, and to engage n crtcal assessment and ntellectual argument. Intellectual sklls 4.2 Bomedcal scences graduates should be able to: v recognse and apply subject-specfc theores, paradgms, concepts or prncples (for example, the relatonshp between genes and protens, or the nature of essental smlartes and dfferences between prokaryote and eukaryote cells) obtan and ntegrate several lnes of subject-specfc evdence to formulate and test hypotheses apply subject knowledge and understandng to address famlar and unfamlar problems recognse the moral and ethcal ssues of nvestgatons and apprecate the need for ethcal standards and professonal codes of conduct. Practcal and professonal sklls 4.3 Bomedcal scences graduates should be able to: v v undertake suffcent practcal work to ensure competence n the basc expermental sklls approprate to the dscplne under study demonstrate knowledge and applcaton of qualty assurance and qualty control prncples as part of an awareness of the need for qualty management systems and a culture of contnued qualty mprovements of relevance to the dscplne(s) of study desgn, plan, conduct and report on nvestgatons, whch may nvolve prmary or secondary data (for example from a survey database). These data may be obtaned through ndvdual or group projects n the approprate dscplne obtan, record, collate and analyse data usng approprate practcal technques workng ndvdually or n a group, as s most approprate for the dscplne under study undertake practcal nvestgatons n a responsble, safe and ethcal manner. For example, students pay due attenton to rsk assessment, relevant health and safety regulatons, ethcal ssues, procedures for obtanng ethcal permsson and nformed consent and ssues relatng to anmal welfare. They show senstvty to the potental mpact of any nvestgatons on the subjects under nvestgaton and on other stakeholders. 9

12 Analytcal, data nterpretaton and problem solvng sklls 4.4 Bomedcal scences graduates should be able to: v receve and respond to a varety of sources of nformaton: textual, numercal, verbal, graphcal carry out sample selecton; record and analyse data n the laboratory or elsewhere; ensure valdty, accuracy, calbraton, precson, replcablty and hghlght uncertanty durng collecton prepare, process, nterpret and present data, usng approprate qualtatve and quanttatve technques, statstcal programmes, spreadsheets and programs for presentng data vsually solve problems by a varety of methods, ncludng the use of approprate software. Communcaton, presentaton and nformaton technology sklls 4.5 Bomedcal scences graduates should be able to: communcate about ther subject approprately to a varety of audences usng a range of formats and approaches, usng approprate scentfc language cte and reference work n an approprate manner, ncludng the avodance of plagarsm use a range of meda crtcally as a means of communcaton and a source of nformaton. Interpersonal and teamwork sklls 4.6 Bomedcal scences graduates should be able to: v v v dentfy ndvdual and collectve goals and responsbltes and perform n a manner approprate to these roles, n partcular those beng developed through practcal, laboratory and/or feld studes recognse and respect the vews and opnons of other team members use negotatng sklls evaluate ther own performance as an ndvdual and a team member; evaluate the performance of others develop an apprecaton of the nterdscplnary nature of scence and of the valdty of dfferent ponts of vew. Self-management and professonal development sklls 4.7 Bomedcal scences graduates should be able to: develop the sklls necessary for self-managed and lfelong learnng (for example workng ndependently, tme management, organsatonal, enterprse and knowledge transfer sklls) dentfy and work towards targets for personal, academc, professonal and career development develop an adaptable, flexble and effectve approach to study and work. 10

13 5 Core bomedcal scences knowledge, understandng and sklls 5.1 Approaches to study and forms of subject knowledge lkely to be common to all bomedcal scences degree programmes nclude: v v v v v x x x a broadly based core coverng the major elements defned by the partcular programme and provdng the wder context requred for the subject area, together wth specalsed n-depth study (whch may be career related) of some aspects of the subject area. Whatever the degree programme, there s a need for an nterdscplnary and (where approprate) multdscplnary approach n advancng knowledge and understandng of the processes and mechansms of lfe, from the molecular and cellular levels through to those of the whole body and the envronment n whch a person lves engagement wth the essental facts, major concepts, prncples and theores assocated wth the chosen dscplne competence n the basc expermental and/or survey sklls approprate to the dscplne under study understandng of nformaton and data wthn the context of bomedcal scences, accompaned by crtcal analyss and assessment to enable understandng of the subject area as a coherent whole famlarty wth termnology, nomenclature and dsease classfcaton systems, as approprate methods of acqurng, nterpretng and analysng bomedcal scences nformaton wth a crtcal understandng of the approprate contexts for ts use through the study of texts, orgnal papers, reports and data sets awareness of the contrbuton of ther subject to the development of knowledge about the complexty of human health and dsease knowledge of a range of communcaton technques and methodologes relevant to the partcular dscplne, ncludng data analyss, nformaton technology and the use of statstcs engagement wth current developments n the bomedcal scences and ther applcatons, and the phlosophcal and ethcal ssues nvolved awareness of the contrbuton of bomedcal scences to debate and controverses, and how ths knowledge and understandng forms the bass for nformed concern about the qualty and sustanablty of health and well-beng understandng of the applcablty of the bomedcal scences to the careers to whch graduates wll be progressng. 5.2 Students workng to acqure graduate and professonal attrbutes approprate to the bomedcal scences should recognse that much of what they are taught s lkely to change n the future, partcularly n the lght of contnung scentfc advances. 5.3 The attrbutes nclude: v an apprecaton of the complexty and dversty of lfe processes the ablty to read and use approprate lterature wth a full and crtcal understandng, whle addressng such questons as content, context, ams, objectves, qualty of nformaton, and ts nterpretaton and applcaton the capacty to gve a clear and accurate account of a subject, marshal arguments n a mature way and engage n debate and dalogue both wth specalsts and nonspecalsts, usng approprate scentfc language crtcal and analytcal sklls ncludng a recognton that statements should be tested and that evdence s subject to assessment and crtcal evaluaton 11

14 v v the ablty to employ a varety of methods of study n nvestgatng, recordng and analysng materal the ablty to thnk ndependently, set tasks and solve problems. 5.4 Whatever the precse nature of ther specfc programme, graduates n the bomedcal scences would be expected to have a broad basc understandng of how cells, organs and systems functon n the human body n health and dsease, the common causes and effects of dsease, the body's defence mechansms and approaches to treatment. These form the foundaton for the more n-depth and advanced knowledge specfc to ther partcular programme's focus or specalsm wthn the bomedcal scences (see secton 6). 5.5 All bomedcal scences programmes generally nclude: v v v v v x x Human anatomy and physology: the structure, functon and homeostatc/hormonal control of the human body, ts component parts and major systems (musculoskeletal, crculatory, respratory, dgestve, renal, urogental, nervous, endocrne) and ther relatonshp to each other Cell bology: the structure and functon of prokaryotc and eukaryotc cells; the cell as the fundamental unt of lfe; cell dvson, cell cycle, stem cells, cell specalsaton and cooperaton Bochemstry: key chemcal prncples relevant to bologcal systems, the structure and functon of bologcal molecules and the bochemstry of processes whch support lfe ncludng cellular metabolsm and ts control Genetcs: the structure and functon of genes, the prncples of ther nhertance and genetc dsorders wth partcular bomedcal sgnfcance Molecular bology: the structure and functon of bologcally mportant molecules ncludng DNA, RNA and protens and the molecular events that govern cell functon. Molecular bology overlaps wth bochemstry, genetcs and cell bology Bonformatcs and systems bology: the computaton of hgh volumes of bologcal data and the propertes of a network of nteractng components n a system, as well as the components themselves, ncludng an apprecaton of the algorthms to decpher bologcal relatonshps Mcrobology: the structure, physology, bochemstry, dentfcaton, classfcaton and control of mcro-organsms, ncludng the roles of normal flora Immunology: acute and chronc nflammaton, structure, functon and mechansms of acton of the components of the mmune system; nnate and acqured mmunty. Pharmacology: the mportance of drug actons n the lvng organsm for preventon and treatment of dsease; the prncples of drug-receptor nteractons and the relatonshp between dose and response, routes of admnstraton, types of drugs, how drugs are metabolsed and elmnated from the body, toxc effects; approaches for drug dscovery; personalsed medcne Nature of ageng and dsease: exogenous (ncludng nutrton and other envronmental factors) and endogenous forms of nsult/wear/njury; cellular response to njury ncludng forms of cell death. 12

15 6 Dscplne-specfc knowledge, understandng and sklls 6.1 In ths secton of the Subject Benchmark Statement a number of named degrees are ncluded by way of exemplfcaton. For each of these the addtonal dscplne specfc knowledge, understandng and sklls expected of students have been outlned. These addtonal elements are normally ncluded as part of the currculum for such named degrees n addton to those core elements of bomedcal scences knowledge, understandng and sklls descrbed n secton 5. These exemplars do not encompass all the varety of specfcally named bomedcal scences degrees, but at the tme of publshng of ths benchmark statement, they represent the majorty of such named programmes on offer wthn UK hgher educaton. Over tme addtonal exemplars of further specfcally named bomedcal scence degrees maybe added to ths secton. Bomedcal Scence 6.2 Wthn the broader bomedcal scences are clncal laboratory subjects that specfcally address the knowledge and understandng of dsease processes n the context of the study/nvestgaton of those processes. Ths knowledge and understandng may then be appled from a professonal, evdence-based approach to research nto the pathogeness and orgns of dsease processes and the dagnoss and montorng of dsease. Whle these are mportant attrbutes for a research scentst they are also the bass for statutory regulaton as a Bomedcal Scentst. 12 These degrees may carry a varety of ttles but must be accredted by the Insttute of Bomedcal Scence and/or approved by the Health and Care Professons Councl (HCPC) n order for graduates to be able to regster wth the HCPC as a Bomedcal Scentst. 6.3 Bomedcal scence students are encouraged to use and ntegrate the knowledge of varous key dscplnes to further ther understandng of the study, nvestgaton, dagnoss and montorng of human health and dsease and the therapeutc strateges applcable to dsease states. Programmes therefore reflect a system-led approach that ntegrates the clncal specaltes through underpnnng knowledge of bomedcal scence processes, nvestgaton and treatment used for specfc dseases. Bomedcal scence graduates are aware of the current laboratory methods avalable for the study, nvestgaton, dagnoss and montorng of human health and dsease n clncal and research envronments. Ths ncludes an apprecaton of the development and evaluaton of new and current methods and therapeutc nterventon strateges. 6.4 In addton to those areas outlned n sectons 4 and 5, a bomedcal scence graduate wll have the followng core knowledge, understandng and sklls. Cellular pathology s the mcroscopc examnaton of normal and abnormal cells (cytopathology), and tssues (hstopathology) for ndcators of dsease. A bomedcal scence graduate wll have a knowledge of: the gross structure and ultrastructure of normal cells and tssues and the structural changes whch may occur durng dsease reproductve scence, ncludng nfertlty and embryology the preparaton of cells and tssues for mcroscopc examnaton the prncples and applcatons of vsualsaton and magng technques, ncludng mcroscopy, to ad dagnoss and treatment selecton. 12 Further nformaton avalable at: 13

16 v v v v Clncal bochemstry s the nvestgaton of the functon and dysfuncton of systems, organs and tssues by the measurement of bochemcal markers. A bomedcal scence graduate wll have knowledge of: the range, and methods used for the collecton of, clncal samples that may be subjected to bochemcal analyss the prncples and applcatons of bochemcal nvestgatons used for screenng, dagnoss, treatment and montorng of dsease therapeutc drug montorng and nvestgaton of substance abuse. Clncal mmunology s the study of mmunopathologcal condtons and abnormal mmune functon. A bomedcal scence graduate wll have knowledge of: the prncples of the functon and measurement of effectors of the mmune response the causes and consequences of abnormal mmune functon, neoplastc dseases and transplantaton reactons together wth ther detecton, dagnoss, treatment and montorng mmunologcal technques used n clncal and research laboratores prophylaxs and mmunotherapy. Haematology s the study and nvestgaton of the dfferent elements that consttute blood n normal and dseased states. A bomedcal scence graduate wll have knowledge of: the structure, functon and producton of blood cells the regulaton of normal haemostass nature and dagnoss of anaemas, haematologcal malgnances, haemostass, haemorrhagc and thrombotc dseases technques for ther nvestgaton. Transfuson scence s the dentfcaton of blood group antgens and antbodes whch ensures a safe supply of blood and blood components. A bomedcal scence graduate wll have knowledge of: the genetcs, nhertance, structure and role of red cell antgens mmune medated destructon of blood cells the preparaton, storage and use of blood components the selecton of approprate blood components for transfuson and possble adverse effects. Clncal genetcs s the dentfcaton of genetc mutatons and polymorphsms and ther nfluence on dsease processes. A bomedcal scence graduate wll have knowledge of: genomc, transcrptomc, proteomc methods used to analyse and study human chromosomes and DNA the applcaton of molecular bology and bonformatcs n medcne pharmacogenetcs and personalsed medcne. Medcal mcrobology s the study and nvestgaton of pathogenc mcroorgansms. A bomedcal scence graduate wll have knowledge of: the pathogenc mechansms of a range of mcroorgansms publc health mcrobology the laboratory nvestgaton of a range of nfectous dseases, ncludng solaton and dentfcaton of mcroorgansms ant-mcrobal and ant-vral therapy (ncludng drug resstance) nfecton control. 14

17 Pharmacology 6.5 Pharmacology s the scence of drugs, ther chemcal and physcal propertes, ther actons on lvng tssues and systems, and ther effects on health and dsease. Pharmacologsts have played a crucal role n the dscovery of hundreds of chemcals used n the treatment of dsease and the relef of human and anmal sufferng. The scentfc foundatons that underpn modern pharmacology nclude the areas outlned n sectons 4 and 5 above. In addton, pharmacologsts have extended understandng of mechansms of drug acton, drug dscovery, safety and effcacy. Degree programmes are encouraged to seek an ntegrated approach to pharmacology teachng and assessment that embeds practcal and transferable sklls nto the nvestgaton of pharmacologcal prncples. 6.6 In addton to those areas outlned n sectons 4 and 5 above, a Pharmacology graduate wll have the followng core knowledge, understandng and sklls: v Pharmacodynamcs (what drugs do to the body) n health and dsease, ncludng: molecular targets of drug acton: receptors, enzymes, on channels, transporters and others drug-receptor relatonshps, ncludng agonsm (full, partal, based and nverse), antagonsm (compettve and non-compettve), and an understandng of how these propertes relate to drug specfcty, selectvty and potency the man molecular targets for drugs, knowledge of ther structure and functon, and the ways n whch drugs alter ths functon at the molecular level changes n receptor sgnallng caused by drug acton, ncludng mechansms of desenstsaton and tolerance how drug acton affects the major organ systems of the body as well as drug effects on cell functon, cell prolferaton and cell death emergng technologes n personalsed medcne (for example small molecular nhbtors, antsense therapy, bopharmaceutcals, novel drug delvery systems). Pharmacoknetcs (what the body does to drugs), ncludng absorpton, dstrbuton, botransformaton and excreton Indvdual varaton n drug acton and toxcty for example: the effects of ethncty, age, pregnancy, genetc factors, dsease and drug-drug nteractons, n addton to the potental for allergy and drug addcton Pharmacologcal methods, ncludng knowledge and/or practcal experence of: drug concentraton/dose-response relatonshps expermental methods and technques appled to pharmacology (for example boassays, receptor bndng, receptor clonng, recombnant protens for therapy, anmal models of dsease, genetc manpulaton of cells and anmals and ther uses) ethcal and legal ssues pertanng to the use of anmals n research, as outlned n the Anmal (Scentfc Procedures) Act 1986, wth knowledge of approaches to replace, refne and reduce ther use drug dscovery and development, ncludng toxcology, wth knowledge of the regulatory processes that montor drug qualty, safety, and effectveness prncples of clncal trals, for example: the avodance of bas, the effect of sample sze, the placebo effect, the concept of therapeutc ndex, as well as the ethcal ssues surroundng the use of human study partcpants and human tssues. 15

18 Human Nutrton 6.7 Degree programmes n Human Nutrton nclude a comprehensve educaton n nutrtonal scence and ts applcaton to the mantenance of human health and the preventon of dsease, echong the 'scence' competences outlned n the Assocaton for Nutrton (AfN) competency requrements for course accredtaton. AfN Accredtaton supports development of nutrtonsts' sklls by recognsng unversty programmes whch delver evdence-based nutrton educaton to a professonal level. Some courses may allow students to specalse and subsequently work n areas such as clncal nutrton, det therapy, sports and exercse nutrton or health promoton/nutrtonal educaton. 6.8 Many graduates of Human Nutrton programmes who progress to work as nutrtonsts wll undertake voluntary professonal regstraton wth the AfN. Human Nutrton graduates are employed n a wde range of areas, such as: health promoton, the food ndustry, sports nutrton, teachng, and nutrtonal research. Some Human Nutrton graduates progress to undertake postgraduate tranng n Detetcs and work as detcans. Smlar to the bomedcal scentsts, those workng as detcans n the health servce n the UK must undertake statutory regstraton wth HCPC. 6.9 In addton to those areas outlned n sectons 4 and 5, a Human Nutrton graduate wll have the followng core knowledge, understandng and sklls: v v An ntegrated knowledge of: the chemstry of lvng processes; the role of nutrents n the major metabolc pathways and the cellular and molecular bass of dsease ncludng the processes of gene expresson the clncal bochemstry of human dsease and ts management, wth a focus on the nutrtonal factors nvolved the assessment of nutrtonal status and the key nutrtonal ssues assocated wth dfferent stages of the human lfe cycle as well as the relatonshp between soco-demographc, economc and envronmental factors on detary behavour and patterns the concepts and processes assocated wth food scence, food safety, food storage, food processng and food mcrobology clncal nutrton, det therapy and health promoton/nutrtonal educaton nutrtonal ssues assocated wth sports and exercse to maxmse performance. The nutrtonal mpact on the nature of dsease: the ablty to descrbe and dscuss key scentfc prncples underpnnng the nutrtonal boscences and knowledge and core theoretcal understandng of the multdscplnary nature of human dsease and ts management. Nutrent status and dsease: the ablty to dscuss n detal the mpact of nutrents and ther status, gene nutrent nteractons and ther potental role n the preventon of det-related dseases. Det and nutrtonal research: the ablty to descrbe the wde varety of research methods that can be used to collect, nterpret, manpulate and analyse and present det and nutrtonal status and to select the most approprate for addressng a specfc nutrtonal problem. Ethcal standards and professonal codes of conduct: the ablty to dentfy the moral and ethcal ssues assocated wth nutrtonal nvestgatons and famlarty wth the need for ethcal standards and professonal codes of conduct necessary wthn nutrtonal nvestgatons. 16

19 Human/Medcal Physology 6.10 Physology s an ntegratve scence focused on knowledge and understandng of how the body functons throughout the levels of organsaton from chemcal/molecular, through cellular to systems and organsmal level. Clear understandng of normal anatomy and physology ncludng nervous, hormonal, and other homeostatc control mechansms, provdes the bass on whch to buld knowledge and understandng of the mpact of dsease and nherent pathophysologcal changes and processes on cells, tssues, and body systems. The scentfc foundatons that underpn modern physology nclude the core knowledge outlned n sectons 4 and 5 of ths Subject Benchmark Statement. Degree programmes are encouraged to contextualse the teachng of human physology wth partcular reference to dysregulaton and the pathophysologcal processes that underpn dsease and the bomedcal scences In addton to those areas outlned n sectons 4 and 5 above, a physology graduate wll have the followng core knowledge, understandng, and sklls: Integrated human physologcal systems and processes: chemcal, cellular, tssue, organ, organ-system and organsm levels, and the nternal and external factors that regulate physologcal systems; structure-functon relatonshps and fundamental functons of each body system and nter-relatonshps wth other systems; lfe processes ncludng metabolsm, responsveness, movement, growth, dfferentaton, and reproducton; systems of cell-cell communcaton. Internal and external regulaton: homeostass (autoregulaton and extrnsc regulaton), the functon of homeostatc regulaton, role of negatve feedback n mantenance of homeostass and components of feedback systems (loops); neural tssue, spnal cord, spnal nerves and spnal reflexes, bran and cranal nerves and neural ntegraton; flud, electrolyte, and acd-base balance ncludng systems of control of body flud and electrolyte balance ncludng ph control and mantenance and dsturbances and mpact on health. endocrne system ncludng hormone secreton, dstrbuton, and mechansms of hormone acton and control of endocrne actvty; response to nternal and external stressors ncludng adaptatons and pathophysologcal aspects; coordnaton, communcaton, and ntegraton of actvty of body systems through neuronal, hormonal, and chemcal mechansms, and relatonshp wth pathophysology; goal of physologcal regulaton, response to external changes to the envronment - the key to adapton and survval n a changng envronment. Cellular physology: prncple components of a human cell and the man transport processes (dffuson, fltraton, carrer-medated transport, vescular transport) and mantenance of cellular ntegrty; cellular dfferentaton, lfe cycle, and dversty of cell types and the complex ntracellular chemcal events that sustan lfe and underpn cellular response to the nternal/external envronment. 17

20 v v v v v Tssues, support, and movement: structural and functonal attrbutes of epthelal tssues, connectve tssues, and membranes, and core aspects of tssue njury and repar; fundamental apprecaton of skn, bone structure, skeleton, and artculatons; skeletal muscle and other types of muscular tssue; exercse physology and mpact of exercse and related nutrtonal aspects on adaptaton and regulaton/mantenance of physologcal processes. Fluds and transport: cardovascular system ncludng nature of blood and haemostass, heartbeat and cardodynamcs, cardovascular physology and cardovascular regulaton lymphatc system ncludng organsaton, defences and mmunty. Envronmental exchange: Respratory system and respratory physology dgestve and hepatoblary systems ncludng components/organs and processes of dgeston and absorpton, detoxfcaton and elmnaton; metabolsm and energetcs; urnary system and the prncples of renal physology. Contnuty of lfe: reproductve system (male and female) and ntegraton wth other systems development and nhertance ncludng fertlsaton, pregnancy, prenatal development, foetal growth, aspects of and human nhertance, development, and ageng. Comparatve physology: apprecaton of fundamental smlartes and dfferences n the complex structure and functon of human body cells and systems wth that of other organsms/speces; opportuntes and lmtatons of comparatve physology. Physologcal expermentaton, data management, and subject artculaton: Ethcal and legal ssues pertanng to use of humans or anmals (or tssues) n research and other contexts Core physologcal technques and practcal sklls, ncludng expermental desgn, measurement, data handlng, and statstcal analyss Demonstrable subject knowledge evdent n ablty to effectvely artculate and present n wrtng and orally. 18

21 7 Learnng, teachng and assessment 7.1 The objectve of the programme of study s to produce graduates who are competent n a range of knowledge, understandng and experence and sklls approprate to ther chosen Bomedcal Scences degree. The learnng, teachng and assessment strategy s desgned to encourage a progressve acquston of subject knowledge and sklls by movng from study methods that have a greater degree of support and assstance gradually towards more ndependence and self-drecton. Such progresson s renforced by a dversty of learnng and teachng methods and assessment strateges that support learnng and are matched to the expressed learnng outcomes. Cross-referencng of topcs from one element to another s essental to ensure effectve teachng and ntegrated learnng. These strateges are desgned to be enrchng, stmulatng, challengng, effectve and enjoyable. As the programme advances students become ncreasngly responsble for ther own learnng n preparaton for the rest of ther professonal careers. 7.2 Learnng and teachng strateges n the bomedcal scences are not statc but adapt to changes n phlosophy and technology. Current strateges are student-centred and ncorporate experental, practcal and formal academc practce, and may nclude: self-drected study and research work-based and other placements case studes and problem-based learnng peer and collaboratve learnng, ncludng the use of socal meda reflectve practce and portfolo buldng laboratory classes, feldwork, workshops, computer modellng/smulatons research projects semnars, tutorals, lectures nteractve sessons, ncludng debates and oral/poster presentatons use of dstance-learnng materals, ncludng books, electronc multmeda, vdeos, recordngs and broadcasts. 7.3 Lectures can convey substantal elements of the subject content, provde core themes and explanatons of dffcult concepts, as well as set the scene for and nspre students' ndependent learnng. Lectures encourage and enable students to develop sklls n lstenng and selectve note takng, to apprecate how nformaton s structured and presented, and to understand the means by whch scentfc nformaton s obtaned. Where approprate, lectures wll nclude reference to expermental evdence and arguments for and aganst specfc hypotheses. The tradtonal format can be enhanced through the use of computer-based or other learnng ads and nteractve student partcpaton n groups or by communcaton networks. 7.4 Laboratory classes, feldwork and n slco approaches to practcal work (for example modellng and data mnng) support learnng. They llustrate scentfc approaches to dscovery, provde opportuntes for acquston of subject-specfc techncal and transferable sklls and renforce the taught currculum. One objectve of practcal work s to gve students an apprecaton of the varaton nherent n bologcal systems. Ths may be assocated wth approprate methods to deal wth the varaton, ncludng data handlng and statstcs. Another objectve s to help students to consoldate, deepen and extend the knowledge and understandng that they have prevously acqured. Above all, such classes tran students n the practcal sklls and competences requred of ther chosen subject area. 7.5 All honours degree students are expected to have some personal experence of the approach to, practce and evaluaton of scentfc research, such as a project/research based assgnment. Ths s lkely to be n the students' fnal year and may draw on the experence 19

22 gathered durng the programme as a whole. Such work s lkely to nclude data collecton and analyss from, for example, laboratory, feld or lterature work. Interpretaton of the nformaton wll be wthn the context of current knowledge. Consderaton must always be gven to safety and ethcal aspects. It can sometmes be approprate for students to work outsde the laboratory or feld envronment, for example, n educaton or n the publc understandng of scence. However, the research project s delvered, t s expected that t s a hypothess-drven pece of work. 7.6 Other forms of contact provde a context for nteractve learnng and allow students to explore aspects of the subject n some depth. They also provde opportuntes for the development of nterpersonal sklls such as nformaton retreval, problem-solvng, communcaton and team workng. Partcularly when the number of students n a group s very small, these meetngs can also be useful for provdng academc gudance and support and develop confdence and ndependence of thought. 7.7 Assessment strateges are desgned to determne achevement of learnng outcomes and competences. These are both formatve and summatve and may nclude self and peer assessment. They provde evdence to employers of graduate attrbutes. Assessment s progressve n terms of level and content and leads to effectve feedback to enable development of students' knowledge and sklls, and may nclude: unseen examnatons, seen or open-book examnatons, computer-based assessments laboratory and/or feldwork reports a project or dssertaton report a work experence assessment observed practce onlne actvtes, essays, summares and assgnments data nterpretaton exercses crtcal analyss of case-studes oral, poster, and other presentatons such as journal artcles. 20

23 8 Benchmark standards 8.1 It s recognsed that bomedcal scences programmes are desgned to enable students to acheve the benchmark standards n varous ways, set out n nformaton about ndvdual programmes. 8.2 The followng benchmark standards ndcate threshold levels of achevement, the mnmal acceptable achevement of an honours graduate. 8.3 As ndcated n secton 3.3, the range of bomedcal scences degree programmes offered by UK hgher educaton provders s suffcently broad that one set of detaled and restrctve standards for all programmes that may be covered by ths benchmark statement would not be helpful. In order to provde meanngful benchmark standards for the varous bomedcal scences subjects these are therefore based on the generc and subject specfc sklls and knowledge descrbed n sectons 4, 5 and 6 of ths document. 8.4 The standards requred of students for ths Subject Benchmark Statement may be dvded nto two groups. 8.5 The frst group relates to the transferable sklls and knowledge assocated wth the core subject areas descrbed n Sectons , whch are expected of all honours graduates n the bomedcal scences. All bomedcal scences honours graduates, regardless of ther specalsm, are expected to have attaned understandng of, and competence n, these areas. 8.6 On graduatng wth an honours degree n bomedcal scences, the graduate must have the followng core knowledge, understandng and sklls: v v v v the ablty to explan bomedcal scences phenomena at a varety of levels (from cell to organ and system functon) n the human body n health and dsease, the common causes and effects of dsease, the body's defence mechansms and approaches to treatment) experence and competence n a broad range of approprate practcal technques and sklls relevant to the bomedcal scences ncludng data collecton, analyss and nterpretaton of those data, and testng of hypotheses and the ablty to place the work n context and to suggest lnes of further nvestgaton plannng, executon and presentaton of a pece of hypothess-drven work wthn a supported framework n whch qualtes such as tme management, problem solvng, and ndependence are evdent the ablty to access and evaluate bomedcal scences nformaton from a varety of sources and to communcate the prncples both orally and n wrtng n a way that s organsed and topcal, and recognses the lmts of current hypotheses; an apprecaton of ethcal ssues and professonal ntegrty and standards and the mpact on socety of advances n the bomedcal scences the ablty to record data accurately, and to carry out basc manpulaton of data (ncludng qualtatve data and statstcal analyss, when approprate); strateges whch enable updatng of knowledge of the bomedcal scences. 8.7 The second group of standards relates to the transferable sklls and knowledge assocated wth the ndvdual specalst and vocatonal areas wthn the bomedcal scences, as descrbed n Sectons All honours graduates from named specalst or vocatonal programme are expected to have also attaned understandng of, and competence n, the areas documented n the relevant benchmark secton. The nformaton below s llustratve, rather than defntve. 21