Is it worth doing a Biomedical Science degree that isn't IBMS accredited?

I've been looking at a lot of different courses, but it seems like all the ones that really appeal to me either based on content or location do not have an accreditation and I've seen in other online spaces that this is vital. I don't have a clear idea of what career path I'm aiming for and don't want to close too many doors. I'm also thinking of doing a placement year/sandwich course if that's relevant.

Reply 1

McGinger

This is only important if you just want to work in an NHS lab. The reason that many RG etc Unis do not offer this accreditation is that their courses are more orientated towards research and working in Industry. So, you don't necessarily need IBMS accreditation for employment, it is not essential - it just depends what sort of career you are aiming at.

If you go for a course with a placement year then you would immediately have a major plus on your graduate CV, and many grads actually get their first job with the placement company so not-IBMS is certainly not going to limit your career.

Its worth going to some Open Days at a range of different Unis, and finding out what their grads have gone on to do - you will probably be very surprised at the wide range of careers.

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Reply 2

Scienceisgood

Hi;

Trainee Biomedical Scientist here (specialist clinical chemistry dept). I’ll give you a brief rundown of what it is.
In order to become a registered BMS in the UK (it is a protected title and legally you can’t work as one, nor claim to be one without breaking the law). Also, simply having the BMS degree (accredited) alone does not make you one as you need to complete the IBMS portfolio (this can be done during placement year or after graduating, take your pick, I would recommend placement as your employer is effectively obligated to give it to you, albeit you will work for free (NHS don’t pay their placement students)).

Truth be told, you can do top up modules to get the accreditation, however, either your employer will have to pay to do this (unlikely as whilst hospitals have a training budget, from what I know, a lot of individuals will be after it) or pay for it out of your own pocket. I know someone who did their degree at Bath uni and needed to do SEVEN top up modules which would take them effectively 3 years to complete (may as well do a new degree).

I will give you a fair warning though, before I got this job, when I asked about the portfolio in my interviews, I was frequently told there would be a 2-3 year wait before I’d be allowed to start it (the portfolio itself takes around a year) as there is ALWAYS a queue for it. I just got hyper lucky the questions in my interview went my way and I think what gave me the advantage was I had already attended 7 interviews prior and kind of knew the question bank by that point (albeit great ormond street was a unique set of questions, that was for an associate practitioner post though). The job I have now, I believe the question which gave me the advantage at the end was the differential diagnosis question (knowing which tests to put on a patient sample and how to interpret them for a differential diagnosis).

Any questions, I’m happy to help. 🙂

EDIT:
When I say I got lucky, I mean for getting the trainee post as they’re hyper competitive to get and they’re obligated to give you the portfolio as a trainee post requires it as I’m being trained to be one, albeit I fall under Annex 21 (I take a 25% pay cut from the top of Band 5 in exchange for the portfolio and training).

Without the accreditation, you can work as other things or take jobs in other places such as a research scientist, an associate practitioner in a NHS lab, work on a PhD and become a uni lecturer, teacher etc… but you won’t be allowed to work as a BMS in the UK as it is the standard needed to be met which requires you to do the IBMS accredited degree.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 3

University of Sheffield Students

Official Rep

Hi Rosa,

My name is Mia, and I’m currently in my 4th year studying BSc Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield. I can see there are already some really helpful replies above, so I won’t repeat too much.

For me, accreditation wasn’t the deciding factor when choosing my course because I wasn’t entirely sure which career path I wanted to follow at the time. My own research showed that there are many job sectors open to biomedical science graduates even without accreditation. That said, if you feel it’s likely you’ll want to pursue a career that specifically requires accreditation (for example, as an HCPC-registered biomedical scientist), then it’s definitely something to consider.

I completely understand how daunting it can feel to think so far ahead about your career. The good news is that there are still options after your undergraduate degree, such as completing an accredited Master’s or a top-up course if you decide later on that you’d like to go down that route. It could be helpful to research these postgraduate options before you decide, to see if that’s a possible and desirable path for you.

The Biomedical Science course at the University of Sheffield also offers lots of opportunities to build transferable skills, including critical thinking, laboratory techniques, data analysis, and even statistical programming in R. I’d also recommend looking into open days (in-person or online) to get a feel for the universities you’re considering. Personally, the overall environment and atmosphere played a big part in my decision.

The University of Sheffield has some upcoming open days on Saturday 18 October 2025 and Saturday 22 November 2025. Here’s the link in case you’re interested - Link.

I know you also mentioned you’re interested in undertaking a Year in Industry, after recently completing a placement myself, I can confidently say that it was a fantastic experience that really shaped my career direction. Do you have an idea of what type of industry you would be more inclined to go into, either for a placement or a career, e.g., pharmaceutical, research, or something else?

Mia, Final Year Bsc Biomedical Science Student