Graduate Certificate Biomedical Science

New Students for Academic Year 2016/17

Online enrolment can now be completed. You must complete enrolment to ensure that you have access to your modules. Term for distance learning students will start on Monday 3 October 2016.

Please use the period between enrolment and the start of term to familiarise yourself with the Blackboard Learn+ Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). We would encourage you to access the University’s VLE to undertake a short online orientation course, this course is essential, and you may struggle to access your course material if you do not complete the induction.

Once you have completed online enrolment you will have access to:

  • Grad Cert Programme Support Area (a general area which contains course information). Please read through the material before the start of term.
  • Blackboard LearnStudent Orientation Course
  • Your modules (not available until the start of term – 3 October)

Blackboard Learn+can be accessed at . You will need your Username which is your student registration number and your Password is the same as your initial network login and email password.

IT IS VITAL THAT YOU UNDERTAKE ONLINE ENROLMENT IN ORDER TO BE GRANTED ACCESS TO YOUR MODULES AT THE START OF TERM. YOU WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS IF YOU DO NOT ENROL.

The Online Enrolment Site is general to all students in the University but at this website there are a number of forms and procedures specific to the Graduate Certificate Biomedical Science. Please ensure you read all the information on this website carefully and return the forms required. It is advised that you print off all the information here and retain it for your records.

PLEASE RETURN ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO THE UNIVERSITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER ENROLMENT.

Information is given about

  • Selection of modules at enrolment
  • Student Contact Form
  • Plagiarism Statement
  • Guarantor for examination assessments
  • Information on fees and payment
  • Documentation you need to send to the University after enrolment

If you have problems with enrolment or are unsure what to do next, please contact the eLearning Support Unit on +44 (0) 28-7012-23262 or e-mail

SELECTION OF MODULES AT ENROLMENT: ACADEMIC YEAR 2016/2017

The course has been designed to allow students to study one, two or three modules per semester. There are, however, some points which students need to consider carefully before completing the online enrolment and these are highlighted below.

1. Although you will enrol online for your modules it is useful for us to have a note on your Student Contact Form of your module choices this semester, and intended choices for next semester (if you intend to continue in February 2017). Please give this information in the relevant section of that form.

2.Three of the modules (Clinical Biochemistry, Cellular Pathology, & Haematology and Transfusion Science) have laboratory-based practical sessions associated with them as part of the IBMS requirements to meet the competencies listed under section 3.1 of the Standards of Competency. (See guarantor section for further details).

  1. Many students will base their choice of modules on the IBMS evaluation of their previous qualifications and the required supplementary education. PLEASE ENROL FOR THOSE MODULES YOU WILL STUDY BETWEEN OCTOBER 2016 AND JUNE 2017. If you are enrolling on the Graduate Certificate or any of its component modules to meet the educational requirements of the IBMS, it is also important to send us a photocopy of the assessment of your qualifications letter along with your other registration documents.

However, students taking the course who wish to obtain a qualification (i.e. Graduate Certificate) must complete at least 60 credits. Please note students need to achieve an overall pass mark of 50% or above in the Graduate Certificate to be eligible to apply to the MSc in Biomedical Science programme.

Graduate Certificate Biomedical Science Outline
Semester 1 (Sep-Jan) / Credits
Haematology and Transfusion Science (BMS514 CRN: 20616) / 15
Medical Microbiology (BMS524 CRN: 28610) / 15
Clinical Immunology (BMS525 CRN: 28612) / 15
Semester 2 (Feb-Jun) / Credits
Biology of Disease 3: Pathology (BMS510CRN: 28643) / 15
Clinical Biochemistry (BMS516 CRN: 20618) / 15
Cellular Pathology (BMS527 CRN: 28613) / 15

Please complete this form in BLOCK CAPITALSand return to

Student Contact Form - September 2016

Your contact details

Please give both home and work details. We must be able to contact you during office hours. Please provide full dialling codes.

Title:Miss/Ms/Mrs/Mr (delete as appropriate)

Surname:

First name(s):

Country of Birth:

Home Address: / Work Address:
E-mail: / E-mail:
Telephone: / Telephone:
Fax: / Fax:

Although you will enrol online for your modules it is useful for us to have a note on your Student Contact form of your choice of modules and intended choice for next Semester, so please complete the section below.

Semester 1 (Sep-Jan) / Credits
Medical Microbiology (BMS524) / 15 /
Clinical Immunology (BMS525) / 15
Haematology and Transfusion Science (BMS514) / 15
Semester 2 (Feb-June)
Biology of Disease 3: Pathology (BMS510) / 15
Clinical Biochemistry (BMS516) / 15
Cellular Pathology (BMS527) / 15

Please complete this form and return to

Plagiarism Statement

What is Plagiarism?

  • Copying all or part of a piece of work written by someone else, for example an essay or dissertation
  • Copying sentences, passages or extracts from books, journals, articles etc and joining these together to form a new piece of work
  • Passing off thoughts, arguments and ideas which have originated elsewhere as your own work
  • Borrowing material from another source without citing (either on purpose or by accident)

Please note!

Plagiarism can apply to copying both from published sources such as books, reports or journal articles, as well as from the unpublished work of other students.

  • Buying an essay or paper from an Internet essay bank
  • Mimicking the source too closely when paraphrasing
  • Quoting directly from a text word for word, without acknowledgement
  • Copying from the essays or notes of another student
  • Referring to data as if you had collected and compiled it yourself
  • Copying all or part of a picture in the style of another artist
  • Downloading or copying images, photographs or diagrams, without detailing the source

You must ensure you understand what plagiarism is before you hand in your first assignment.

Please complete the following:

  1. Familiarise yourself with the plagiarism definition and penalties (*found in the course handbook)
  2. Include the plagiarism statement on the coversheet of all submitted work
  3. Any plagiarism quizzes within BBLearn
  4. Sign the declaration below, confirming you understand what plagiarism is and authorizing your work to be checked using electronic means

“I confirm that I have completed all of the above and understand what plagiarism is. I understand that all work I submit to the University of Ulster should be my own and if it is shown that my work contains plagiarised material, I understand that penalties in accordance with University regulations will be imposed. ”

Signature:Date:

(Either input electronic signature or print name above)

Check box before emailing back

(Double click on box, click on ‘checked’)

Please complete this form and return to

Guarantor for examination assessments Graduate Certificate Biomedical Science2016/2017

Most of the assignments you will do on this course will be submitted electronically, online. However, as accreditation by the Professional Bodies and the University, all modules include an element of assessment equivalent to a sessional examination. This examination will normally take place at the end of term, taking the format of a 2 or 3 hour handwritten unseen paper.

You have the option of taking your sessional examinations:

1) At the Coleraine campus of the University OR

2) By Guarantor

Please place an X against the examination option that you intend to use:

Coleraine campus of the University
Guarantor

If you have selected by Guarantor then please read the following information and complete the following form:

It is required that this assessment be completed under examination conditions and that a local senior member of staff/supervisor certifies that the work has been completed independently and within the allowed time. The person certifying the work must be a Senior Biomedical Scientist, Hospital Training Officer or equivalent. The work must carry the stamp of the hospital or laboratory. Your guarantor will receive full details of the responsibilities of a guarantor at the start of term.

If you anticipate any difficulties in relation to fulfilling the requirements of the examination assessments please contact
Mr Kilian McDaid, School Administrative Co-ordinator at the eLearning Support uniton +44 (0) 28 701 23262 or e-mail

Guarantor for Practical components

Althoughthe course is undertaken via distance-learning, three of the six modules have practical sessions associated with them as part of the IBMS requirements.

There are 2 options for completing the practical classes in the modules:

  1. Complete the practicals at your place of work - this only applies to students who work or have access to IBMS approved training labs in the NHS (UK) or an equivalent laboratory environment (non UK). The work is overseen by the guarantor and the guarantor must sign a letter or the lab book to verify that the student has undertaken the practical work independently and within the laboratory guidelines.
  2. The second option is an intensive practical week which takes place after teaching has finished in each semester. This session takes place at the University of Ulster Laboratories in Coleraine and takes approx 2-3 days for each module.

Please indicate which option you will be taking by checking one of the boxes above (double click on box to do so, click on ‘checked’)

It is the student’s responsibility to find a suitable person who is willing to act as guarantor for the examination assessments.

All modules on the Graduate Certificate Biomedical Science contain an examination type assessment at the end of the module.

This must be carried out under examination conditions:

  • the student must work independently
  • without the aid of notes or other documentation (unless otherwise instructed), and
  • within the time allowed.

The person named below is willing to act as a guarantor for the examinationassessments and certify the work for the studenton the Graduate Certificate Biomedical Science.

Registration No.

Name: / Title:
Position: / Email:
Tel No:

Information on tuition fees and payment

Information can be found at the following website:

Email if applicable

A letter from your employer sponsoring your fees

Email to

Student Contact form

Plagiarism Form

Guarantor’s form