The CCEA Life and Health Sciences A-Level was developed with industry in response to the needs of the growing life and health sciences sector in Northern Ireland.
Life and health science related industries make up over 25% of Northern Ireland’s total economic output and include a diverse range of public and private businesses and employment opportunities, including pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural, dental, nursing, environmental and allied health professions.
At Coleraine Grammar School pupils take the Single Award Life and Health Sciences A-Level and sit the following modules:
- Unit AS 1: Experimental Techniques
- Unit AS 2: Human Body Systems
- Unit AS 3: Aspects of Physical Chemistry in Industrial Processes
- Unit A2 1: Scientific Method, Investigation, Analysis and Evaluation
- Unit A2 2: Organic Chemistry
- Unit A2 5: Genetics, Stem Cell Research and Cloning
This pathway involves 2 modules of Biology, 2 modules of Chemistry and 2 practical modules. Each of these three areas make up one third of the overall A-Level qualification.
The specification can be seen here: GCE Life and Health Sciences Specification
These modules have been chosen to match some of the most in demand courses at university including nursing and midwifery which are currently fully funded in Northern Ireland. (Department of Health funded courses | Undergraduate Study at Ulster University).
It is also accepted as the science component of some other courses at Queen’s, University of Ulster and Stranmillis but many students also take the qualification for admission into non-science courses.
It is strongly advised to check with universities if they will accept Life and Health Sciences as a science A-Level as some degree courses, such as Medicine, will not accept it.