The University of Liverpool Bovine Reproduction PGDip is a two-year part-time postgraduate course.
Students study a selection of modules and complete a 10,000 dissertation in order to graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma.
This two year part-time master's level programme is known as the Diploma in Bovine Reproduction continuing the tradition started when the programme commenced in the 1980’s and reflects the academic comparability to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Diploma qualifications. The qualification is recognised by both the RCVS and European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR). It provides postgraduate education in an important aspect of the bovine health. The overall aims of the programme are to enable veterinary surgeons in regular contact with cattle to:
achieve a widely-based and deep understanding of bovine reproduction, which will enable them to provide sound scientific advice to the cattle industry;
develop appropriate skills; and
maintain a critical approach to their own work.
The programme is modular in structure, with eight residential weeks spaced over two years. Learning methods include lectures, demonstrations, videos, practical work, discussions, field visits and directed reading. Participants will be expected to satisfy essay and work based continual assessments for each module during the course; to pass written, practical and oral examinations of the final module at the end of the programme; and to present a dissertation, not exceeding 10,000 words, before the award of the Diploma.
Guidance is given by staff of the University of Liverpool and by invited contributors, each a recognised authority in a specialised field. Teaching takes place mainly at Leahurst, the University of Liverpool’s rural campus.
Although mainly restricted to the study of reproduction in cattle, the programme includes reference to other species to establish biological principles or to illustrate concepts for which information is not available in cattle and also covers key areas impinging on fertility such as nutrition and infectious disease.
Module Code Module Title Credits
Module DBRM611 Normal Non-Pregnant Female 15
Module DBRM612 Nutrition and Fertility 15
Module DBRM613 Fertility in Post-Partum Period 15
Module DBRM614 The Male 15
Module DBRM615 Genetics 15
Module DBRM616 Early Pregnancy 15
Module DBRM617 Late Pregnancy and Parturition 5
Module DBRM618 Synopsis and the Future 15
Module DBRM621 Dissertation 60
RAE 2008
In the latest Research Assessment Exercise, 45% of the School’s research activity was deemed world-leading or internationally excellent and a further 45% internationally recognised.
Facilities
The School has two bases: the University’s main campus in Liverpool and the Leahurst campus in Wirral. Leahurst has highly equipped research laboratories, which are shared with the research institutes of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, as well as being home to the Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital, the Farm Animal Practice and the Small Animal Teaching Hospital.
Our clinics provide numerous cases for clinical investigation, as do our co-operating veterinary surgeons in private practice. The School also has excellent relationships with farming enterprises and Chester Zoo.
Individual topics within the DBR are also offered as CPD for those who do not wish to attend the whole programme.
Why School of Veterinary Science?
Excellent reputation
The DBR has been successfully completed by over 100 vets whilst working in full time clinical practice. It has an academic and support structure proven to achieve a high completion rate whilst maintaining academic rigour validated by RCVS and ECAR external observers.
Many leading cattle clinicians have obtained the qualification and feedback from past students is excellent.
Consistently strong League Table and National Student Survey performance
Veterinary Science at Liverpool is consistently highly rated in The Times Good University Guide (rated 2nd in the UK in 2011), the Complete University Guide (rated 1st in the UK 2011), and in the National Student Survey (rated first or second for several years).
Collaboration across academic disciplines
Our staff work closely with colleagues from medicine, life sciences, and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, not only on animal disease and welfare, but on human health too – taking a ‘one health’ approach from long before the phrase was invented. We also collaborate with colleagues from social sciences to exploit fully the comparative nature of veterinary science. This greatly extends the postgraduate study and research opportunities at Liverpool.
Wide coverage across the postgraduate programmes
The School of Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool provides excellent postgraduate scientific and clinical training, from population to whole animal studies to the molecular level.
Recognised by the European College of Animal Reproduction
Successful reproduction is the cornerstone of the dairy industry. The DBR has been rin for nearly 30 years and has been completed by some of the leading farm animal vets practicing in the U.K. They have also contributed back into the course to maintain its relevance to modern Cattle Practice.
The DBR is recognised as a Diploma level qualification by RCVS and a recognised training course by the European College of Animal Reproduction.
Course participants are in employment as veterinary surgeons and most become employed in specialist private practice. Some have moved to academia internationally.
Many practices are using the fact they have DBR holders and support such study when advertising for new staff and to gain farmer clients. Candidates use the qualification as a springboard to specialisation.
The following postgraduate funding may be available to study the Bovine Reproduction PGDip at The University of Liverpool.
(English and Welsh postgraduate loans are not currently available for Postgraduate Diploma courses.)
This specialist pathway has been designed for those interested in reproductive endocrinology, fertility, assisted reproductive technology, prenatal development, birth defects, embryogenesis, molecular biology and genetics.
-Shared campus with one of the largest teaching hospitals in the UK.
-Expertise in clinical, epidemiological and laboratory research within the University and St George’s Hospital
-Excellent Image Resource and Biomedical Research facilities to gain strong research knowledge and skills
The 30 credit Reproduction and Development module will begin with the exploration of the science of reproduction covering a range of aspects of women’s health including normal sexual differentiation, endocrine disorders, hormonal control of fertility, pregnancy and contraception amongst others.
The module will also explore development and disease covering embryonic development with an emphasis on molecular mechanisms and human congenital disorders. It will also include an introduction to experimental techniques, terminology, model organisms and the use of transgenic mouse technology.
This pathway will take advantage of active reproduction and development research taking place at St George’s, laboratory skills sessions and clinical case-based lectures giving you an understanding of the cellular processes involved in reproduction and development can help design strategies to aid fertility and treat/manage defects in development. The module will also provide you with insight into how new sequencing technologies and ‘omics’ methodologies are helping to decipher the cellular mechanisms involved in reproduction and development.
The course is highly effective for accelerating your development within your general healthcare career. As a direct result of the depth and quality of the academic research that you’ll undertake on your nine month project, you will also be in primary position when it comes to successfully applying for PhDs.
This vocational training programme is for recent biology, biomedical, biochemistry and medical graduates who want to develop a career in the field of clinical embryology and assisted reproductive technology (ART) and/or the associated reproductive sciences. It provides a detailed knowledge of the underpinning theory and practices and is a laboratory-based science degree not a clinically-based infertility treatment course.
The programme emphasises all aspects of practical training for clinical embryology and assisted reproduction technology. You’ll receive hands-on training from specialist practitioners in andrology, gamete handling, IVF, ICSI, embryo culture, gamete and embryo freezing, vitrification and biopsy and will interact with established, clinical embryologists and reproductive medicine specialists. You’ll also be trained in research methods.
You will be part of a world-renowned School, being taught by and working with internationally recognised scholars.
More information
The programme has been developed by the Division of Reproduction and Early Development within the Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics, in association with the clinicians and embryologists working at the Leeds Centre of Reproductive Medicine in the Leeds NHS Trust. The programme leaders have over 20 years of experience of training clinical embryologists, reproductive medicine practitioners and reproductive scientists.
You can also study this subject at Postgraduate Diploma level.
Through a series of compulsory modules you’ll learn about:
The programme also gives you valuable insights into the theory underpinning clinical treatments and the ethical and legal controversies surrounding assisted reproduction in humans.
Compulsory modules
The programme is delivered using a blended learning approach, which combines lectures, seminars, tutorials, interactive group discussions, presentations and problem-based-learning sessions or case studies, with self-directed learning.
Theoretical training is complemented by the original research conducted by the student and by an extensive series of laboratory-based ART practical and skills training sessions.
The course content is enhanced by extensive online resources and the provision of printed versions of all module workbooks, as appropriate.
Course assessments will include essays, presentations, projects, practical log books, a research dissertation and examinations.
The Clinical Embryology and Associated Reproductive Technology MSc equips graduates to pursue a career in human assisted reproduction (eg clinical embryology, infertility treatment) and/or research in the reproductive sciences.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Our MRes Reproduction and Pregnancy course is designed to train those who wish to pursue a research career in reproductive medicine or pregnancy, or to work in associated areas in health or science.
You will undertake two interrelated research projects on a specific topic in reproduction and pregnancy, alongside taught units providing up-to-date knowledge of reproduction and pregnancy and training in research skills. You do not need any prior research experience before starting the course.
Our course will give you hands-on experience of cutting-edge technologies applicable to reproduction and pregnancy, and transferable to other areas of medical research.
You will also gain training and experience in scientific writing and developing a research proposal and receive a grounding in a wide range of reproductive medicine and pregnancy-related issues by attending seminars in the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre.
We also give you the opportunity to contribute to public domain research output. Most of our students do so either during or after the course, with output including conference presentations (national and international conferences), published abstracts, published papers (first or co-authored papers), and awards such as RCOG oral presentation and essay prizes and travel grants.
You will graduate with an in-depth knowledge of clinically relevant reproduction and pregnancy research from bench to bedside, as well as advanced research skills and experience of running your own research project.
You will also have a strong understanding of the ethical issues and social implications of research in reproduction and pregnancy and a strong CV for your future research or medical career.
Manchester Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre
You will be based in the Manchester Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, the largest pregnancy research group in Europe, and Tommy's Stillbirth Research Centre, working alongside internationally renowned researchers in IVF/early pregnancy, placental biology, pregnancy complications and stillbirth.
You will be an active part of the research centre, together with researchers (with basic science and clinical backgrounds) undertaking research as part of their degrees or training (from undergraduate to PhD and postdoctoral research).
Through the MRes and by attending the MFHRC seminar series, you will learn about our interdisciplinary translational research - 'from bench to bedside' - from embryo implantation to pregnancy pathologies and developmental programming in the offspring.
You will able be exposed to our pioneering research antenatal clinics for high risk pregnancies. Integration of the research clinics and the research laboratories provides rich opportunities for translation from clinic to laboratory and application of research findings to the clinic.
Our MRes in Reproduction and Pregnancy addresses the causes, diagnosis and treatments of fertility and pregnancy disorders.
Fertility and pregnancy problems are very common. In the UK:
There is also growing recognition that the health of the fetus dictates adult health. Research into solving pregnancy problems therefore has the potential to reduce the lifelong disease burden.
Diseases of pregnancy are major causes of mortality and morbidity in mothers and infants. Knowledge of causative mechanisms is poor, while treatments are conspicuously lacking.
The Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre aims to find solutions to problems like these through a holistic approach to understanding, managing and treating diseases affecting mothers and babies, and through training the next generation of researchers in an interdisciplinary research environment.
You will benefit from individual and small group supervision by experienced academic staff with scientific and clinical backgrounds. Our staff include internationally renowned experts in reproduction and pregnancy.
Assessment is conducted through coursework, including a dissertation and final thesis, marked by the supervisors and an independent MHFRC staff member under the scrutiny of an expert external examiner.
The course is delivered from a world class integrated laboratory and clinical research and teaching facility in the women's hospital on campus.
You will also have access to a dedicated study area equipped with Wi-Fi and adjacent staff tea room, where lively informal interaction occurs with academic and research staff.
The University of Manchester offers extensive library and online services to help you get the most out of your studies.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
This course can be taken by qualified and experienced professionals to update your knowledge of current developments in reproduction and pregnancy, and acquire research skills.
We are developing more CPD opportunities for NHS staff, ranging from one-hour lectures to PGCert and PGDip-level courses. Please contact us for more information.
Our MRes graduates have continued their scientific or medical careers in the following areas.
Many of our students have stayed in the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre to undertake further research training.
We keep in contact with our MRes alumni and invite all past students to our annual welcome event for the new intake each October.
This vocational training programme is for recent biology, biomedical, biochemistry and medical graduates who want to develop a career in the field of clinical embryology and assisted reproductive technology (ART) and/or the associated reproductive sciences. It provides a detailed knowledge of the underpinning theory and practices and is a laboratory-based science degree not a clinically-based infertility treatment course.
The programme emphasises all aspects of practical training for clinical embryology and assisted reproduction technology. You’ll receive hands-on training from specialist practitioners in andrology, gamete handling, IVF, ICSI, embryo culture, gamete and embryo freezing, vitrification and biopsy and will interact with established, clinical embryologists and reproductive medicine specialists.
You will be part of a world-renowned School, being taught by and working with Internationally recognised scholars.
More information
The programme has been developed by the Division of Reproduction and Early Development within the Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics, in association with the clinicians and embryologists working at the Leeds Centre of Reproductive Medicine in the Leeds NHS Trust. The programme leaders have over 20 years of experience of training clinical embryologists, reproductive medicine practitioners and reproductive scientists.
You can also study this subject at Master of Science level.
Through a series of compulsory modules you’ll learn about:
The programme also gives you valuable insights into the theory underpinning clinical treatments and the ethical and legal controversies surrounding assisted reproduction in humans.
Compulsory modules
The programme is delivered using a blended learning approach, which combines lectures, seminars, tutorials, interactive group discussions, presentations and problem-based-learning sessions or case studies, with self-directed learning.
Theoretical training is complemented by a small number of laboratory-based practical sessions.
The course content is enhanced by extensive online resources and the provision of printed versions of all module workbooks.
Course assessments will include essays, presentations, projects, practical log books, a research dissertation and examinations.
The Clinical Embryology and Associated Reproductive Technology PGDip will educate graduates who want to pursue a career in human assisted reproduction (eg clinical embryology, infertility treatment) and/or research in the reproductive sciences.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Your programme of study
If you want to make a difference to life itself and you come from a biological or molecular science discipline or similar subject area you have a great opportunity to gain more knowledge of reproduction, genomic technologies, diseases and all major areas that affect reproduction.. The university offers one of the best medical schools in the UK and there are an impressive number of graduates who have developed world class innovations that made a difference to all of us who studied or taught at Aberdeen, or started their own spin out companies as a result of studying demand lead areas of the wider medical sciences. The Scottish Government also sees the need for highly qualified professionals in many of its innovation centres around the medical sciences to drive new discoveries, customised treatments and a step change in medical sciences. You could join this impressive range of people - past, present and future.
The reasons for infertility can be complex and you are guided by a mix of discipline expertise to identify best practice and understand the reproductive health area. You gain essential knowledge and the latest thinking from research driven teaching to understand embryonic and foetal development, in vitro fertilisation and genomic technologies, disease and defects and treatments. Guidance and support comes from known academics and clinicians in the discipline and you can go on to enjoy a PhD, become a research scientist or expert with a specialist set of skills. As far as careers are concerned there are wide ranging opportunities available in universities, institutes, publishing and patent offices, outreach and diagnostics to pursue on top of your own research, interest and blue sky thinking to develop your career where you want it to go.
Courses listed for the programme
Semester 1
Compulsory
Optional
Semester 2
Compulsory
Optional
Genome- Enabled Medicine
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Why study at Aberdeen?
Where you study
International Student Fees 2017/2018
Find out more from the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
Scholarships
View all funding options in:
Living in Aberdeen
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
The MA in Healthcare Ethics & Law course aims to provide the highest quality of training in health care ethics and health care law in a flexible and interdisciplinary way. There is an emphasis on the application of bioethical and legal theory to real world scenarios, thus catering to the practical needs of health care and legal professionals and those in related fields. Students gain an expert knowledge and understanding of bioethical and medico-legal theories, and the skills needed to apply them to real world scenarios in a diverse range of contexts. They will also develop the ethical and medico-legal knowledge and research skills required for writing a Masters-level dissertation, and will be well prepared for further research if they so desire.
You study a wide variety of ethical and legal subjects including autonomy, consent, refusal of treatment, confidentiality, the moral status of the foetus, resource allocation, genetic testing, HIV testing, medical malpractice, clinical negligence, organ and tissue transplantation, fertility treatment, genetic manipulation, research ethics, stem cell research and euthanasia.
Teaching tends to defy the traditional boundaries associated with lectures and seminars. Generally, each class in a course unit has a duration of 2 or 3 hours per week, and is split roughly equally between a formal, didactic period and a structured discussion period (most often based on the so-called challenge-response model). Nevertheless, each class is considered a seminar or lecture, and attendance of all classes of a course unit for which a student is enrolled is thus compulsory . For course units of 15 credit value there will generally be 15 hours of face-to-face teaching throughout the semester in which the unit is delivered, and twice that amount for 30 credit units.
Assessment of all taught course units (to a total of 120 credits) is by assessed coursework in the form of essays of 4,000 words per 15 credit course unit and up to 7,000 words for the two 30 credit core course units. In addition, students who wish to complete the MA must submit a 12,000 to 15,000 word dissertation by independent research (60 credits); no dissertation is required for the PGDip or PGCert. Part-time students undertake a supervised dissertation in the summer months of year two. Please note that the part-time students can extend their registration for extra 3 months to submit their dissertations in December of their second year, instead of September (you will be advised of the exact date on the second year of the course).
Those who do not successfully complete the MA you may be considered for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma.
Those who do not successfully complete the Postgraduate Diploma may be considered for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate.
The awards of the MA or Postgraduate Diploma are classified according to Pass/Merit/Distinction. The Postgraduate Certificate is awarded unclassified.
Students will be required to complete 180 credits: 120 credits comprised of taught course units (each of 15 or 30 credits value), and an independent research element of the course worth 60 credits by way of a Masters dissertation of between 12,000 and 15,000 words, which is undertaken over the summer months of the course. The dissertation should be predominantly law-based.
On the full time course, the 120 taught credits can be split in one of two ways: (1) 60 credits in each of the two semesters; or (2) 75 credits in semester one and 45 credits in semester two.
Students registered on the MA in Healthcare Ethics and Law would need to select a majority of their optional courses from the 'ethics' list (Ethics, Genetics and Genomics; Research Ethics). Global Health Law and Bioethics can count as an ethics or law course.
Details of all current course units available in the School of Law can be found on the Faculty of Humanities website.
The School is offering a number of awards for students applying for masters study. To find out more please visit our Master's funding opportunity search page .
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
Successful graduates are able to progress within a wide variety of roles in both medical, legal and ethical fields. Graduates from previous years have, for example, proceeded to specialise in medico-legal practice and academic careers, and the degrees have enhanced the careers of healthcare professionals.
The MA Healthcare Ethics and Law course aims to provide you with the highest quality of training in health care ethics and health care law in a flexible and interdisciplinary way, thus catering to the practical needs of healthcare and legal professionals and those in related field.
You will gain an expert knowledge and understanding of bioethical and medico-legal theories, and the skills needed to apply them to real world scenarios in a diverse range of contexts.
You will study a wide variety of ethical and legal subjects including autonomy, consent, refusal of treatment, confidentiality, the moral status of the foetus, resource allocation, genetic testing, HIV testing, medical malpractice, clinical negligence, organ and tissue transplantation, fertility treatment, genetic manipulation, research ethics, stem cell research and euthanasia.
You are provided with a comprehensive set of course materials at the beginning of each course unit. These interactive specially designed materials provide an introduction to the issues and skills central to each unit and direct you to other study components such as further reading.
Each unit is supported by a virtual learning environment where you can access all course materials, online reading lists, podcasts, and the University's online library. You are encouraged to use the VLE to discuss issues raised in the course materials with your course tutor and fellow students. Tutors are also available to provide one to one support by telephone, skype, e-mail and face to face meetings. You will have access to a wide range of online resources to support your learning via the library website. An optional study day is held each year giving you an opportunity to meet tutors and colleagues face to face on campus. Students studying by distance learning are welcome to attend the regular research seminars that take place on campus during term time.
At the end of each of the course units for our distance learning courses, you are required to submit an essay of 4,000 words (for course units to the value of 15 credits) or 7,000 words (for course units to the value of 30 credits). In addition, MA students must submit a supervised 12,000 to 15,000 word dissertation by independent research (60 credits). As a part-time student, you will undertake a dissertation in the summer months of year two. Please note that you can also extend your registration for extra 3 months to submit a dissertation in December of your second year, instead of September (you will be advised of the exact date on the second year of the course).
Those students who do not achieve success in the MA may be considered for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma. The award of the MA is classified according to Pass/Merit/Distinction.
Students will be required to complete 180 credits: 120 credits comprised of taught course units (each of 15 or 30 credits value) and the independent research element (dissertation) worth 60 credits. On the distance learning course students complete 60 credits of taught course units in the first year and 60 credits in the second year, together with a dissertation of between 12000 -15,000 words, which is undertaken over the summer months in year 2.
The Core course units for the distance learning course are:
Students must choose optional course units to a total value of 30 credits from the following list:
Details of all current course units available in the School of Law can be found on the Faculty of Humanities website
The School is offering a number of awards for students applying for masters study. To find out more please visit our Master's funding opportunity search page .
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
Successful graduates of the MA are able to progress within a wide variety of roles in both medical, legal and ethical fields.
Graduates from previous years have, for example, proceeded to specialise in medico-legal practice and academic careers, and the degrees have enhanced the careers of health care professionals.
