Masters Degrees (Echocardiography)

MSc in Medical Ultrasound

The MSc in Medical Ultrasound programme is both academic and vocational in nature and is the only MSc of this type to offer a clinical attachment as part of the course.

The MSc aims to train students to use research and development skills to develop the field of medical ultrasound. Students can choose one of two sub specialities:

Full time course

MSc in Medical Ultrasound – Vascular (Course Code: A3A1)

MSc in Medical Ultrasound – Echocardiography (Course Code: A3A2)

You will be placed in a clinical attachment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Attending 5 days per week for the duration of the course. (this is included in the fee)

Students should not expect to be scanning every day and hardly at all in the 1^st term.

Part time course

MSc in Medical Ultrasound – Vascular (Course Code: A3A124)

You must already be working in a suitable vascular dept elsewhere. You will have to attend lectures and tutorials one day per week from October – March and any exam dates.

Intake & Application

There is only one intake per year, in October. Registration usually opens in November/December the year before and will continue until all places are full.

Places on the course are very limited (25) and we receive 100’s of applications so early application is strongly advised.

Your application will only be reviewed if submitted with all College requirements and has two recent academic references. It will not proceed any further without these.

All information for the MSc is available using the links below:  

Course information

Entry requirements & Applying

English Requirements and all IELTS information

Future prospects

Applicants should note that this is an academic course and does not entitle you to become a sonographer. This course is not CASE registered.

Further exams would have to be taken by either the:

Society of Vascular Technologists

Or

The British Society of Echocardiography

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The Masters course focuses on 3-D Echocardiography and new technologies, congenital research methods, ultrasound literature, obstetric and medical conditions and completes with an advanced case studies practicum.

The course is consists of 12 x 12.5 point subjects to achieve 150 points of study. The subjects that need to be completed will depend on whether students have previously completed the Graduate Certificate and/or the Graduate Diploma in Clinical Ultrasound.

The Masters course aims to provide the knowledge base to become competent at an advanced level of echocardiography and the knowledge base to become competent in additional imaging techniques and modalities.

Following completion of the course students are expected to:

• Have a diagnostic-level understanding for echocardiography including transoesophageal echocardiography.
• Have acquired additional knowledge within their discipline, and be familiar with methods of applying ultrasound related knowledge in their clinical practice; and
• Have a high consistency of knowledge between students within each craft group or discipline.

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Delivered by experts from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, this programme focuses on the practical application of research, including intermediate life support and phlebotomy.

•Available to study full time (1 year) and part time (2 years)
•Course developed by world-leading academics in our pioneering School of Sport and Exercise Science
•Student numbers are capped at 20 for this highly competitive course to give you dedicated access to staff and facilities
•Access state-of-the-art laboratories in our award-winning Tom Reilly Building
•Enjoy a combination of invaluable practical experience (including a substantial clinical placement) and theoretical learning
•The School houses 12-lead ECG and cardiopulmonary stress exercise testing equipment
•We also house ultrasound machines – echocardiography and vascular physiology, and we are world leaders in utilising this equipment in a practice-based setting
•Look forward to enhanced job opportunities

There has never been a more exciting time to undertake an MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology. Exercise now represents one of the world’s major businesses and scientists have an increasingly prominent role in working with healthy and clinical populations to maintain healthy lifestyles and reduce disease.

This Masters programme is ideal if you want to go on to specialise in exercise physiology in a clinical setting or work at doctoral level in academia.

The programme provides a detailed knowledge of physiology applied to clinical contexts, but is also designed to extend your knowledge beyond ‘classical’ exercise physiology studies and into novel techniques and theories underpinning exercise physiology and health.

The MSc programme provides extensive practical experience in key physiology laboratory tests such as ECG and cardiopulmonary testing. It also gives a good understanding into modern and novel ultrasound assessments of cardiovascular function. Academic development is provided in fundamental scientific techniques including research methods, statistical analysis and scientific communication.

Please see guidance below on core and option modules for further information on what you will study.
Level 7
Pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease
Technical training for exercise physiology
Advanced exercise physiology and exercise prescription
Promotion, adherence and compliance
Clinical placement and thesis
Research methods

Further guidance on modules

The information listed in the section entitled ‘What you will study’ is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal Academic Framework review, so may be subject to change. Students will be required to undertake modules that the University designates as core and will have a choice of designated option modules. Additionally, option modules may be offered subject to meeting minimum student numbers.

Academic Framework reviews are conducted by LJMU from time to time to ensure that academic standards continue to be maintained. A review is currently in progress and will be operational for the academic year 2016/2017. Final details of this programme’s designated core and option modules will be made available on LJMU’s website as soon as possible and prior to formal enrolment for the academic year 2016/2017.

Please email [email protected] if you require further guidance or clarification.

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Taught by industry recognised experts, this course provides a solid grounding in research methodologies, experimental design and statistics — delivering all the transferable skills required for a career executing specialist cardiac ultrasound procedures.Following the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) syllabus, you will be equipped with the advanced theory and practice of cardiac ultrasound and signal processing.

With a significant leaderships and management component, the course teaches the management, legal and ethical concepts required of leadership positions. Our specialist laboratory, run by experienced practitioners, also houses a wide range of diagnostic equipment that you can access not only during classes, but also for independent study and research.

This course is designed for healthcare practitioners, including sonographers and physiologists, already working in the field of cardiac ultrasound. However, it is also suitable for graduates, who are interested in a research or an academic career, and will provide you with the knowledge and skills required for further study at doctoral level.

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The Ultrasound in Emergency and Critical Care PG Cert will appeal to a wide range of healthcare professionals who wish to develop focused ultrasound skills as an extension of their clinical practice. This course offers a combination of work-based learning and lectures that cover the underlying theoretical concepts of ultrasound scanning and clinical applications of Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST), Assessment of the Abdominal Aorta for Aneurysm (AAA), Focused Echocardiography in Life Support (ELS) and Ultrasound Guided Vascular Access (VA). In addition basic assessment of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and emergency assessment of the female pelvis will be covered.

Key Benefits

• Accredited by the Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education.
• You will be supported to undertake learning in your own workplace to support the academic learning and to construct a Clinical Portfolio of Evidence
• Located in the heart of London, across three of King's Thames-side campuses (Waterloo, St Thomas' and Guy's).
• Flexible part-time study pathway with the opportunity to extend modules studied and gain either a PG Diploma or MSc in Medical Ultrasound.

Description

The course is an intensive and enjoyable training experience which has been designed to bring together the core elements of RCEM with additional features of other point-of-care areas of ultrasound that provide decision making tools to guide patient triage. 

The course focuses on the theoretical areas required for understanding the principles of ultrasound followed by intense practical sessions. The practical areas will have clear objectives leading to competence assessment and preparation for use within a clinical setting and progression to the Level 2. 

Assessment

You are assessed through a combination of:

• Coursework
• Written examination
• Objective Structured Computer Examination (OSCE)
• Presentations
• Case Studies
• Clinical Portfolio of Evidence
• Clinical Assessment

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they may change if the course modules change.

Extra information

Location

The course is primarily taught at the King’s College London St Thomas’, Waterloo and Guy’s campuses. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.

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This course provides an opportunity for health care practitioners to achieve a recognised qualification in obstetrics, gynaecological, vascular, general medical ultrasound, breast, musculosketetal and echocardiography, supported by a combination of structured clinical experience and academic study.

Key benefits

The course is accredited by the Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education (CASE).

Course detail

The course is designed to produce clinically competent advanced practitioners, who will be able to meet the needs of the service in a changing health care environment.

The course was planned in full consultation with a wide range of relevant professionals from the South West region, who are experts in the field of diagnostic ultrasound or associated clinical specialisms. These experts are instrumental in the delivery of the course, along with experienced educationalists from within the University.

Structure

Postgraduate Certificate (Year 1)
• Ultrasound Technology (compulsory) (30 Level M credits)
• Plus one 30 credit clinical module or two 15 credit modules

Postgraduate Diploma (Year 2)
In addition to the above:
• Two 30 credit clinical modules or one 30 credit plus two 15 credit modules

MSc Medical Ultrasound (Year 3)
In addition to the above:
• Health and Social Care Research: Methods and Methodologies (compulsory) (15 level M credits)
• Dissertation (45 or 60 level M credit modules)

CPD

This course can also be studied on a modular basis as professional development, over whatever time period you choose. You may wish to build credits up to one of the awards above, or complete the module(s) as standalone study.

Format

The course aims to provide you with:
• the knowledge and skills to practise in a safe and competent manner
• the educational and research base to critically evaluate and inform ultrasound practice
• the opportunity for interprofessional collaboration and shared learning
• an understanding of the contribution of ultrasound to the overall management of the patient
• a recognised qualification in ultrasound
• the skills to engage in research, evaluation and systematic reviews of practice
• an appreciation of the importance of life-long learning activities

Placements

The obstetric ultrasound, general medical ultrasound and negotiated specialist modules will require an appropriate work placement, and a designated clinical appraiser. The programme team are developing a work-based learning approach for some modules. A wide range of assessments will be utilised, to include the assessment of clinical competence.

Assessment

Assessment will involve a variety of methods including coursework, presentations, seminars, written and practical examinations.

Careers / Further study

Once you have completed this course you will have the knowledge and skills to practice in a safe and competent manner, a recognised qualification in ultrasound, the educational and research base to critically evaluate and inform ultrasound practice, the opportunity for inter-professional collaboration and shared learning, and an understanding of the contribution of ultrasound to the overall management of the patient.

How to apply

Information on applications can be found at the following link: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/study/applyingtouwebristol/postgraduateapplications.aspx

Funding

- New Postgraduate Master's loans for 2016/17 academic year –

The government are introducing a master’s loan scheme, whereby master’s students under 60 can access a loan of up to £10,000 as a contribution towards the cost of their study. This is part of the government’s long-term commitment to enhance support for postgraduate study.

Scholarships and other sources of funding are also available.

More information can be found here: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/feesandfunding/fundingandscholarships/postgraduatefunding.aspx

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