INTERCALATED BSc DEGREES
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
This booklet is an introduction to the Intercalated BSc degree at UCL. Its purpose is to provide students with:
- The information required to select a programme(s)
- The contact details of those they may wish to consult about individual programmes
- Details of how to apply and the selection criteria
- Possible sources of funding to support their studies
The first section of the booklet provides general information about the Intercalated BSc degree. This is followed by a description of the individual degree programmes with details of course units that may be selected.
Intercalating students either join the final year of a three year BSc degree programme or pursue a programme which is provided exclusively for them. Each intercalated degree has a maximum number of students that can be accommodated on the programme. In many cases this is limited by the availability of suitable projects and/or supervisors. The number of applications may therefore well exceed the number of students that can be accommodated on a programme. In view of this you are advised to select a first and a second choice of degree programme.
Why pursue an Intercalated BSc?
It has been the policy of the Medical School at UCL for many years to encourage all medical students to do this degree if they fulfilled two basic criteria:
- they were interested in the subject material of the course and
- they had successfully completed the first two years of a medical degree programme at UCL or another medical school.
Traditionally at the Royal Free and University College Medical School (RF&UCMS) about 70% of medical students who did not already hold a bachelors degree opted to follow an Intercalated BSc degree. A few graduate entrants into Medicine took a second bachelors degree (in a different subject) on the Intercalated programme and a few intercalated an MSc if they had an appropriate first degree.
It is now the expectation that all non-graduate students on the new integrated medical degree programme at RF&UCMS will intercalate a BSc degree either between years 2 and 3, between years 3 and 4 or between years 4 and 5.
During the intercalated BSc, students have the opportunity to study topics in greater depth than during their medical studies. It also affords them the opportunity to become familiar with research literature, scientific methods and techniques and the current state of thinking in their selected area. An experimental project may form a significant part of a programme, in some cases extending for one or more days a week throughout the year, in other cases concentrated over a period of six or more weeks. This is a very valuable experience and will determine your aptitude and enthusiasm for future research in your clinical career.
Whether the BSc incorporates an experimental project or not, we believe students obtain considerable benefit from the intellectual experience of pursuing knowledge for its own sake, learning very valuable transferable skills not least in critical thinking and evaluation of evidence.
The most important reason for doing a particular Intercalated BSc is that you have an interest in the subject. There is a belief among some medical students, which is shared by some staff, that having a good honours BSc is a career advantage. There is certainly no doubt that if your subsequent career involves clinical or basic research, then the BSc is a very good, if not essential, basis for future research work. It could be argued that taking any educational opportunity is going to enhance your subsequent career. However, from the point of view of clinical training and career options, it is relatively unimportant which particular programme you choose. The training given in approaching problems scientifically is a common feature of all of them. Do not be mislead into believing that one intercalated BSc programme has a higher profile or is more prestigious than another!
The structure of the Intercalated BSc degree
The intercalated degree programme is made up of course-units. Units have a value of 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 course-units. A 1.0 course-unit normally has about 50 hours of lectures and a total work load (including private reading, preparation of course work and revision) of 200 to 300 hours. Each 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 course-unit has its own assessment components which usually include an examination and course work. You may not take more than 4 course-units in a year. From September 2003 ALL intercalated BSc degrees will consist of 4 course units.
A degree programme is defined by its core course-units: those you must take. In many cases there is the possibility of taking some additional course-units. Your Departmental/Programme Tutor will provide details of optional course-units. In all cases your Departmental/Programme Tutor must approve your choice of optional course-units. In addition the department teaching the course must approve your taking it as there may be constraints imposed by prerequisites, the timetable or numbers.
The regulations covering an intercalated degree (which will formally have "with medical sciences" as part of the field of study) are similar in many respects to other course-unit degrees. The most important difference is that a minimum of 3 course-units must be passed to be awarded an intercalated BSc.
UCL provides a wide range of Intercalated BSc programmes and it is usual for RF & UCMS students to find a programme which appeals to them. However, a small number of students undertake an intercalated BSc elsewhere. In some cases this is to be closer to home, in order to minimise the costs of their studies, or because they are unable to find a suitable programme at UCL. Students who wish to intercalate at another institution must first obtain the approval of Dr Cross, the Sub-Dean and Faculty Tutor (Medical) in Life Sciences and thereafter keep her informed of the progress of their application.
The classification of your degree is determined by the institution at which you undertake your Intercalated BSc, either on the basis of your intercalating year alone or, in some cases incorporating a contribution derived from the results you obtained in the first two years (Phase I). The contribution may be as much as 25%. The title of your degree will depend on the combination of course units taken during the year.
It is usual for about 90% of Intercalated BSc students at UCL to obtain a first or upper second class honours degree.
Marking scheme and classification of degrees
Marks for Course-Unit degrees are on a standard scale: Marks of 70% and above are first class honours degree standard (A grade); marks in the range 60 to 69% are upper second class honours standard (B grade); marks in the range 50 to 59% are lower second class honours standard (C grade); 40 to 49% is third class honours standard (D grade). Marks between the pass mark (35%) and 39% are pass degree standard. Below 34% is a fail. Normally an absence from an examination, a mark of “incomplete” or a withdrawal from an examination will be counted as zero in computation of average marks unless the Board of Examiners agree that there are grounds for discounting it.
Degree classifications and marks are determined by the Board of Examiners for your degree programme. Each Board has at least one External Examiner who acts to ensure fairness and appropriate standards. Most Boards also have at least one Intercollegiate Examiner who is from another College of the University. The term "Visiting Examiner" includes both External and Intercollegiate Examiners.
Degree classifications are determined by the Board using an approved Scheme for the Award of Honours. Your Departmental/Programme Tutor will inform you of the scheme which applies for your degree programme.
Selection for an Intercalated BSc degree programme at UCL
The selection of students for the Intercalated BSc rests with the departmental BSc Admissions Tutor or Course Tutor for each particular degree programme. Most departments will interview applicants and in cases where the number of places is exceeded by the number of applicants, entry will be competitive and based upon merit. Departments will make recommendations for offers to the Faculty Tutor (Medical). Any indication given by Departmental/Programme Tutors may only be viewed as provisional and not binding.
Offers of places on Intercalated BSc programmes are formally made only by letter from the Faculty Tutor and are issued subject to quota. Other decisions (waiting list or reject) will also be made by the Faculty Tutor.
In the past we have encouraged applications for the Intercalated BSc degree from students outside UCL and indeed it has been possible to accommodate between 60 and 100 external students on our programmes. However, this year it may be necessary to restrict the numbers of external candidates accepted by UCL programmes to 40.
From 2003 entry onwards, UCL and Imperial College will consider an exchange of students enabling up to 20 students to transfer for their Intercalated BSc (Science) year from UCL to Imperial College and vice versa.
How to apply
ALL students are required to complete an application form which is available from:
Mrs Alena McCutchion
Life Sciences Faculty Office (UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT
Tel: 020 7679 5477
e-mail:
DEADLINES FOR ALL APPLICATIONS (INTERNAL & EXTERNAL) IS
5th MARCH 2004
It is hoped that decisions will be made on these applications by the end of April (earlier for year 4 RF&UCMS students).
Applications received after these deadlines will ONLY be considered if places are still available.
All applicants are required to submit a personal statement. Applicants from within RF&UCMS are not required to submit a reference but must enclose a transcript of their Phase I marks and provide the name of a potential referee (usually an academic adviser). Applicants from outside UCL must submit a reference which should be returned, signed and sealed by the referee, in the envelope provided, together with the application form and a certificate of permission to undertake an Intercalated BSc at UCL. Applications will not be processed in the absence of this additional material. It is the responsibility of applicants to secure a reference and the permission of their medical school authorities. Students may only complete ONE application form. If you wish to be considered by more than one programme (maximum of two) you should indicate this on the form. RF&UCMS students are encouraged to nominate a first and second choice of Intercalated BSc degree programme, especially if it is their preference to intercalate in the coming session. Applications will then be considered sequentially according to your preference.
Sources of funding
The Intercalated BSc is now recognised for Mandatory Awards from Local Education Authorities but you should still check with your LEA.
UK/EU Intercalated BSc degree students are eligible for Student Loans.
It should be noted that all medical and dental students domiciled in England who started their degree programmes from September 1998 onwards will qualify for NHS Bursaries for the fifth and subsequent year of study (this includes the intercalated BSc year). This means that students intercalating a BSc will be eligible for an extra year of bursaries.
If you are a UK/EU student and are not eligible to have your fees paid by your LEA, the fee for the 2003/2004 session was £1,125 while for overseas students the fee was typically £12,650. The tuition fees for both categories of students will increase for the 2004/2005 session. The sum of money you will need for personal maintenance (accommodation, food, books etc) is estimated to be in the region of £6,000.
It is very important that ALL students who are having problems with their tuition fee payment should discuss these matters with Student Finance (Registrar's Division, room G19 in the South Wing of the main building). If the problem is ignored it will not go away and you may find yourself de-registered if you miss the payment deadline and have not been in touch.
Tuition fee refunds are not normally given but applications for partial refund of fees will be considered on an individual basis. It is your responsibility to request a refund from Student Finance.
The Department for Education and Employment has produced various booklets describing student support. Copies are available from Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and from the DfEE. (The free information telephone number is 0800 731 9133 and their website is These notes do not attempt to cover everything: only a few matters which may affect you. The rules are complex - always check with your LEA.
The following information applies ONLY to medical students from RF&UCMS
It has been the practice that scholarships awarded by, or through, the RF&UCMS should usually go to internal students who commit themselves to undertaking their intercalated BSc at UCL.
Students at the RF&UCMS have in the recent past been recipients of awards generously provided to the Medical School by organisations and benefactors such as the Jean Shanks Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, the Arthritis Research Council, the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland, the PPP Medical Heathcare Trust, The British Pharmacological Society (BPS), the Physiological Society, the Goldberg-Schachmann Trust, The Worshipful Company of Barber Surgeons and the Heller Foundation. These organisations generally require that we approach candidates who are selected on the basis of academic merit and/or financial need. Students should not approach the organisations offering these scholarships directly.
Applications for the grants and scholarships available to RF&UCMS students are not normally required from individual students in advance. If advance application is necessary, you will be informed accordingly. The nominations for these grants and scholarships are announced by letter over the summer.
About 10 to 15% of RF&UCMS students doing the Intercalated BSc degree have in the past received some sort of financial support which ranged from a scholarship of £6,800 down to about £1000. In the coming session, the availability of scholarships is expected to decrease and it is probable that only 5% of students will benefit from this type of financial support.
Other Sources of Funding
Many of the national charities that used to support intercalating BSc students ceased to do so when the intercalated BSc programme became funded by the LEA in the same way as for any other year of the medical degree programme. However, there are still a limited number of national charities or companies that still provide financial support to some students. Lists of such charities are available in the Faculty Office, Drayton House, 30 Gordon Street. It is not necessary or advisable to apply for any of these before July 2004.
Acknowledgement of sponsorship
It is good practice to put an acknowledgement of any assistance or sponsorship you have received in such things as project reports. Such an acknowledgement may even be a condition of holding the award.
Access/Hardship Fund
The Government provides universities with Access Funds which are used to assist students who are suffering financial hardship. The fund is available to UK students only (both full-time and part-time).
You should receive a notice about the Access fund at the start of the session. Application forms are available from the Students' Union or from the Dean of Students Office (4 Taviton Street).Applications may be submitted at any point during the year but you must first discuss your application with the Faculty Tutor (Medical). It is very important that you complete the application form carefully (for example rent must be given as monthly and not weekly rent).
You must have applied for a student loan and for the "hardship loan" (if you started in 1998 or after) to be eligible for the Access Fund assistance. Special arrangements will be made to assist those whose loan cheque is delayed at the start of term. If this happens to you please speak to your Departmental/Programme Tutor.
INTERCALATED BSc TUTORS
ANATOMY & Professor F SpoorAnatomy Building, Tel: 020 7679 6154
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGYe-mail:
BIOCHEMISTRY ANDDr D J WilliamsDarwin Building, Tel: 020 7679 2197
MOLECULAR BIOLOGYe-mail:
HISTORY OF MEDICINEDr A HardyWellcome Trust Centre for History of Medicine
Euston House, 24 Eversholt Street
Tel: 020 7679 8104
e-mail:
HUMAN GENETICS/GENETICSProfessor MS PoveyWolfson House, Stephenson Way
(Biology Department)Tel: 020 7679 7410
e-mail:
IMMUNOLOGY ANDProfessor D R KatzImmunology, Room 442, Windeyer Building
CELL PATHOLOGYTel: 020 7679 9397
e-mail:
INFECTIONDr T J HarrisonDepartment of Medicine
Tel: 020 7433 2881
e-mail:
INTERNATIONAL HEALTHMr Chris WillottInternational Health & Medical Education
Centre, Archway Campus
Tel: 020 7288 5347
e-mail:
MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGYProfessor Philip BurnhamAnthropology Department, Darwin Building
Tel: 020 7679 2453
e-mail:
MEDICAL HUMANITIESDr D KirklinPrimary Care & Population sciences,
Archway Campus, 2nd Floor Holborn Union Building, 2-10 Highgate Hill
Tel: 020 7288 3467
e-mail:
Or Ms H MitchellTel: 020 7288 3597
e-mail:
MEDICAL PHYSICSDr J HebdenMedical Physics & Bioengineering First Floor, Shropshire House, Capper Street
Tel: 020 7679 6416 or 6262
e-mail:
MOLECULAR MEDICINEDr S K S SraiBiochemistry & Molecular Biology,
Tel: 020 7830 2453 or 020 7794 0500 ext 4942
e-mail:
NEUROSCIENCE Dr K-P Giese Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research and
Dept of Anatomy & Developmental Biology
Cruciform Building Tel: 020 7679 6774
e-mail:
ORTHOPAEDIC SCIENCEDr Helen Birch 01707 666 343
e-mail:
Dr Melanie CoathupCentre for Biomedical Engineering
(Institute of Orthopaedics)Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust
Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4LP
Tel: 020 8954 0268
e-mail:
or Course SecretaryTel: 020 8909 5494
email:
PHARMACOLOGYDr A GibbRoom G51, Tel: 020 7679 1398
e-mail:
PHYSIOLOGYDr K W T CaddyRoom 142, Tel: 020 7679 3210
(Until Sept 04)e-mail:
Dr Linda HarrisonRoom 227, Rockefeller Building
Tel: 020 7679 6093
e-mail:
PHYSIOLOGY ANDDr Jonathan FryRoom 139, Medical Sciences Building
PHARMACOLOGYTel: 020 7679 3209
e-mail:
Or Physiology Teaching Office Room 137, Medical Sciences Building