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BSc (Hons) Cosmetic Science with Integrated Foundation Year

Gain expertise in the formulation and manufacture of cosmetic, fragrance, and personal care products. Join an exciting and growing industry that offers creative and scientific careers and generates billions of pounds a year.

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A cosmetic science student in lab wearing a lab coat and protective eyewear
UCAS codeB3R6
Duration4 years
Fee (UK)£9,790
LocationOn campus

Course summary

If you're passionate about science and interested in the beauty, skincare, or personal care industries, the BSc (Hons) Cosmetic Science degree is your gateway to a creative and fast-growing sector. You’ll explore the science behind cosmetics through core subjects like chemistry, physiology, dermatology, and the principles of formulation, with a strong focus on how these apply to real-world products. You'll also gain an understanding of the regulatory, business, and marketing frameworks that shape the global cosmetics industry.

In your second year, you'll take a deeper dive into formulation science, dermatology, and professional practice, learning about the importance of colour, and how products are manufactured at both lab and industrial scale.

Your final year includes a research project, which you can tailor to your interests or link to a previous placement or work experience, which is an excellent opportunity to impress future employers and apply your knowledge to a real-world challenge.

You’ll benefit from:

  • Access to labs and technology in the John Dawson Sciences Complex
  • Teaching shaped by over 100 years of science expertise
  • Strong industry links that help keep your learning current and career-focused
  • A one-of-a-kind curriculum covering every aspect of cosmetic science.

As a cosmetic science graduate, you’ll be ready for diverse careers across the cosmetic, fragrance, and personal care sectors. Career paths include research and development, product formulation, regulatory affairs, perfumery, marketing, product testing and claims, and even roles in media or TV.

With the UK’s cosmetics sector continuing to thrive, this degree opens doors to exciting, creative, and science-driven career opportunities.

Integrated Foundation Year

This course is also available with an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year route is an additional year built into your degree, designed to support your success and help you progress with confidence.

If you have valuable work or life experience but no formal qualifications, are returning to education after a break, or want to change direction and explore a new career path, the Integrated Foundation Year offers a supportive way to transition into university study.

If you’ve just missed the entry requirements for a three-year course, the Integrated Foundation Year offers a supportive route to start your university journey.

We’re excited to be enhancing our Integrated Foundation Year to give you an even stronger start to your degree. The updated modules will be more aligned with your chosen subject area and carefully designed to build the knowledge, confidence and skills you’ll use throughout your studies. Full details will be shared soon. We can’t wait to tell you more.

Please note, this route isn’t available to international students.

Since graduating, I'm working as a junior chemist at Herrco Cosmetic and Medicals Ltd, where I'm honing my skills in formulating products for leading brands.

Ronak Limbad

Read Ronak Limbad's story

What you'll study

*Placements are subject to availability and placement providers may require an interview as part of the process. If successful, you'll remain an active student and will have access to a wide range of support from Graduate Prospects.

Many of our courses include a range of modules you can choose from. Some of these options may only be available if you’ve already studied specific required modules. If you’re not sure what you need before picking a module, your course leader can help.

Undergraduate module credits should total 120 credits per academic year. If optional modules are available alongside core modules on your course, you should choose an amount that totals 120 credits.

How you'll learn

In Year 1, you'll become familiar with the range of raw materials, cosmetic formulations, and formulation techniques in the cosmetics field.

This will then feed into your Year 2 modules where your knowledge and formulation skills will build up to the formulation and quality control of specific cosmetic products. In your final year, you'll study modules which involve the design of more challenging and sophisticated formulations, awareness of formulation protocols, and the use of statistics in formulation design.

During the course, you'll also become aware of the diverse global legislative and regulatory framework surrounding cosmetics and perfumes, and acquire fundamental knowledge of the physiology of the skin, eye, nail, oral cavity, and hair, alongside the role of the endocrine system.

Entry requirements

Fees and finance support

UK£9,790

Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. If you're a Home fee-paying student, the fee for your first year of study for 2026/27 will be £9,790. You'll pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

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See all course tuition fees.

If you're a full-time UK/Irish/EU settled/EU pre-settled student on the Integrated Foundation Year route, you may be eligible to receive financial support to cover your fees for the full four years. UK and EU settled students may also be eligible to receive a maintenance loan.

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UK students

Disclaimer

We want to make sure you have clear and accurate information about our courses. Our website always shows the latest updates. If you’ve applied and been offered a place, we’ll contact you in writing if anything important changes.

View our programme specifications(opens in new tab) for further information about what the course covers, learning outcomes and the skills you'll gain when you graduate.