Edinburgh Napier University

The IS1 pathway is the equivalent to the first year of a four year Scottish undergraduate degree. This programme is designed to help you develop your academic knowledge and skills within your subject area.

You will also focus on improving your English academic literacy in preparation for continuing onto your chosen Edinburgh Napier undergraduate degree. Studied across three terms, you will continue straight onto year two of your degree course at Edinburgh Napier University once you have successfully completed the pathway.

Available Progression Degrees

Students can progress onto a range of degrees following successful completion of the business pathway programme:

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
• BSc (Hons) Biological Science
• BSc (Hons) Applied Microbiology

Common module across all IS1 pathway routes

English and Skills for University Study (ESUS)

The ESUS module raises your awareness of the critical importance of English language competence in all four language skills areas within an academic context and provides English language preparation for continuing study onto the later stages of an undergraduate degree programme. Emphasis is also placed on developing the study skills you require for success, for example, research, critical assessment of sources, academic writing, team working, and your understanding of the conventions of higher education and of the need for good academic practice.

30 Credits

Course specific modules

Anatomy and Physiology

In this module students investigate aspects of anatomy and physiology from the evolutionary as well as functional perspectives. Following an initial survey of the overall diversity of animals they focus on evolutionary trajectories of form, by surveying five key taxonomic classes. Functional physiology will also be investigated in an evolutionary way by looking at how physiological changes allow adaptation to novel evolutionary niches. Two laboratory sessions of three hours each are used to investigate diversity in animal anatomy.

20 credits

Cell Biology and Microbiology

This module provides a background to cell biology, covering fundamental concepts of cell organisation, structure and function in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell types.  The molecular component covers (in depth) the flow of genetic information: DNA replication, transcription and translation and cell signalling. Laboratory work introduces microscopy and DNA extraction. Students learn how to collect and assess data, incorporating into a lab report. The module proceeds to introduce students to an appreciation of the significance of microorganisms, as they feature in every areas of our lives. Students also develop an awareness of the methods used for the isolation, quantification and identification of microorganisms and how the dynamics of cell growth and death are measured.

30 credits

Foundations in Science

This module introduces students to biological and environmental chemistry;  fundamental concepts of general, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, e.g. atomic and molecular structure, thermodynamic and kinetics, classes of organic and biological molecules, structure-function relationship, carbon chemistry, natural compounds and environmental pollutants and their effect on plants and animals. Problem solving workshop and practical laboratory skills reinforce the conceptual understanding. An initial lab session of 3 hours is used to teach /consolidate basic laboratory techniques including the use of standard equipment and the awareness of health and safety aspects of lab-based work. Three further sessions of 5 hours each cover acids and bases, spectrometry and micro-molecular activity.
The mathematics element covers numbers, measurements of lengths. Areas and volumes, fractions and decimals, logarithms and powers, algebra including indices, algebraic fractions, functions, linear, quadratic equations and graphical representations of equations; an introduction to statistics, standard deviation, normal distribution, estimation, correlation and regression.

20 credits

Scientific Enquiry

In this module students learn how to understand, collect, and analyse research data. Students collect data and subsequently present, describe and analyse these, using R, in relation to an original research question and hypothesis. The skills developed are basic to science and cut across subject disciplines. They include the development of a clear research question or hypothesis, principles of study design, the choice of appropriate descriptive statistics, graphical representation, and inferential statistical tests. Some basic wet lab requirements, for example pipetting instruction, will have already been taught in the first lab session held in the module, ‘Foundations in Science’, obviating the need for wet lab access in delivery of this module.

20 credits