This MSc programme combines knowledge of the engineering and medical sciences with advances in technology and practice to generate applications and solutions to clinically relevant problems.
It affords a Masters level degree in this clinical area, while considering globally the effects of disability within a population and society’s approaches globally.
This is one of the few programmes globally that offers a specific degree in prosthetics and orthotics. The National Centre for Prosthetics and Orthotics (NCPO) has an international reputation for quality education within this field. The staff of the NCPO is involved in research and clinical practice both nationally and internationally.
The main aim of the course is to produce postgraduates capable of developing careers in allied health professionals and biomedical engineering (research, industrial and NHS).
We require candidates first degree to be in Prosthetics & Orthotics. Our learning environment brings together ideas and concepts from science, medicine and engineering to enable the development of relevant clinical and industrial research.
Taught classes, laboratory demonstrations, practical exercises and clinical visits take place during semesters 1 and 2. Diploma students then complete a project dissertation and MSc students complete a research or development project reported by a thesis.
Visits to local clinical centres and lectures from industrialists and visiting experts from the UK and overseas are an integral part of our courses.
You'll also have the opportunity to meet our many industrial and clinical collaborators to help advise and further your career.
You'll undertake a clinically relevant project in the rehabilitation area of prosthetics and/or orthotics.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering consists of the Bioengineering Unit and the National Centre for Prosthetics and Orthotics – two complementary and key areas of health technology teaching and research within the University.
The National Centre for Prosthetics and Orthotics was established in 1972, growing out of the Bioengineering Unit at the University of Strathclyde, which was established more than 50 years ago, both being internationally-recognised centres of excellence for education and research at the interface of engineering and the medical science, with particular emphasis on clinically-related teaching and research. The new department of Biomedical Engineering in 2012 was formed through the merger of these two esteemed units.
Research areas include:
The department also hosts the Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Devices and Health Technologies, the Strathclyde Institute of Medical Devices and the Centre for Excellence in Rehabilitation Research.
In addition the department is a major partner in the Glasgow Research Partnership in Engineering; Health Technologies Knowledge Transfer Network; and Glasgow Health Technology Cooperative.
This programme will include internationally recognised lecturers from the World Health Organisation and large NGOs globally which may include Handicap International and the international Committee for the Red Cross.
The course is delivered through a wide range of lectures, tutorials, practical laboratories, teaching seminars, networking events, and career support sessions.
The course is assessed through a range of varied methods including: written assignments, exams, written assignments, presentations, and individual projects.
This Masters degree in Prosthetics & Orthotics is planned to afford the graduates the ability to consider and evaluate prosthetic and orthotic clinical practice with an evidence-based approach. The programme is designed to develop the ability to assess the country specific health care needs as recommended in the World Health Organisation guidelines and standards, and in alignment with the UN convention of Human Rights of the persons with a Disability. Future careers would include:
The postgraduate courses offered are modular and intended for off-campus delivery. The courses can lead to an award of an MSc., Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate.
The courses have been designed for professionals already working in prosthetics, orthotics, healthcare, medicine or associated disciplines. They are offered by distance learning allowing you to study at your own pace, at times and places that are convenient for you.
You'll select courses from the range of instructional modules available. The choice will be limited by initial qualifications.
Optional modules
* not available to prosthetists or orthotists
Restricted modules (for professional prosthetists/orthotists only)
Please note that not all modules may be offered every year.
All modules count for 20 credits towards a postgraduate qualification.
You must obtain a total of 180 credits which includes 120 credits from a selection of compulsory, optional and restricted modules and 60 credits from a final project to be awarded an MSc in:
If you obtain a minimum of 120 credits from a selection of the optional and restricted modules, you may be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in:
If you obtain a minimum of 60 credits from a selection of the optional and restricted modules, you may be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in:
The final year project aims to develop planning, resourcing and implementing healthcare focused research skills within a work based research project. You'll be involved in a number of processes which include:
The project may take the form of an extended literature review or involve experimental work. This project work will have been supported by compulsory modules in research methodology and data analysis.
You select instructional modules from the range available. All the modules include:
Some modules will require you to attend a residential week at the National Centre for Prosthetics & Orthotics.
The course is delivered by distance learning. All course materials are available on the University's virtual learning environment 'Myplace' along with a timetable of coursework submission and feedback dates. You can upload coursework to myplace at the appropriate time for each module and feedback is provided by an agreed feedback date. Skype is also available for individual contact with supervisors.
A range of guest lecturers contribute the research methodology/data analysis and clinical gait analysis residential weeks.
You must perform all coursework and course assignments satisfactorily. Some modules may require a pass in a written exam at the end of a compulsory residential week. Exams are held at the conclusion of each of the instructional modules, either at the end of the residential week in the National Centre or overseas at a nominated local institute or British Council Office.
If you do not show satisfactory progress you may, on the advice of either the Course Co-ordinating Committee or the Board of Examiners, be permitted to transfer your registration to the Postgraduate Diploma or the Postgraduate Certificate.
You’ll only be allowed one attempt to pass each exam. However, the Board of Examiners may, in special circumstances, allow you one further attempt to pass an outstanding exam.
The MSc is a modular conversion course which provides broad training in biomedical engineering to help you progress with a career in research, industry or in the NHS.
We bring together engineering, medicine and the life and physical sciences to enable the development of relevant clinical and industrial research.
The programme explores advances in technology and engineering to generate applications and solutions to clinically relevant problems.
As part of the course you’ll go on visits to local clinical centres and attend lectures from industrialists and visiting experts from the UK and overseas. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet our many industrial and clinical partners to help advise and further your career.
The first and second semesters consist of taught classes, laboratory demonstrations, practical exercises and clinical visits.
Following this, Diploma students complete a project dissertation and MSc students complete a research or development project reported by a thesis.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering was formed in 2012 following the merger of the Bioengineering Unit and the National Centre for Prosthetics & Orthotics.
The MSc in Biomedical Engineering is accredited by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM). An IPEM-accredited MSc is normally required for those wishing to pursue careers as Clinical Scientists in the National Health Service.
Instructional classes include:
You’ll also have the opportunity to visit local clinical centres and attend seminars given by visiting experts from the UK and overseas.
This credit-based modular degree comprises assessed instructional modules and project work.
The Institute for Bioengineering (IBioE) connects Engineering, Physical Sciences, Biology and Medicine, for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical devices and technologies.
Research themes include:
Synthetic Biology - to design and construct (e.g. to ‘engineer’) biological devices and systems, often at cellular level. Applications range from therapeutic to environmental.
Tissue Engineering - the production of 3D or 2D scaffolds or guidance cues for biological cells. Applications are largely therapeutic and also include new forms of lab-on-chip technology.
Biomedical Modelling and Measurement - understanding biological materials through modelling and measurement for applications in, for example, prosthetics, prediction of failure in blood vessels and the behaviour of bone with ageing. We also study the behaviour of biological materials experimentally and in most cases, non-invasively (e.g. via Raman and CARS spectroscopy).
Biomedical Devices and Sensors - working with colleagues in chemistry, we develop sensors on silicon for simple biological parameters (e.g. oxygen concentration) along with sensors of specific biomarkers of disease and therapy.
The development of transferable skills is a vital part of postgraduate training and a vibrant, interdisciplinary training programme is offered to all research students by the University’s Institute for Academic Development (IAD). The programme concentrates on the professional development of postgraduates, providing courses directly linked to postgraduate study.
Courses run by the IAD are free and have been designed to be as flexible as possible so that you can tailor the content and timing to your own requirements.
Our researchers are strongly encouraged to present their research at conferences and in journal during the course of their PhD.
Every year, the Graduate School organises a Postgraduate Research Conference to showcase the research carried out by students across the Research Institutes
Our researchers are also encouraged and supported to attend transferable skills courses provided by organisations such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
An MSc by Research is based on a research project tailored to a candidate’s interests. It lasts one year full time or two years part time. The project can be a shorter alternative to an MPhil or PhD, or a precursor to either – including the option of an MSc project expanding into MPhil or doctorate work as it evolves. It can also be a mechanism for industry to collaborate with the School.
Robots have the potential to revolutionise society and the economy, working for us, beside us, and interacting with us. This EPSRC-sponsored programme will produce graduates with the technical skills and industry awareness to create an innovation pipeline from academic research to global markets.
The robotics and autonomous systems area has been highlighted by the UK Government in 2013 as one of the eight Great Technologies that underpin the UK's Industrial Strategy for jobs and growth. Key application areas include manufacturing, assistive and medical robots, offshore energy, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, defence, and support for the ageing population.
The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University are jointly offering this innovative four-year PhD training programme, which combines a strong general grounding in current theory, methods and applications with flexibility for individualised study and a specialised PhD project.
Robotics and autonomous systems are increasingly studied beyond the range of classical engineering. Today robots represent one of the main areas of application of computer science and provide challenges for mathematics and natural science.
It is impossible to imagine transportation, warehousing, safety systems, space and marine exploration, prosthetics, and many other areas of industry, technology and science without robots. Robots are used in theoretical biology and the neurosciences as a model of behaviour.
Areas of interest specific to the center include: movement control, planning, decision making, bio- and neurorobotics, human-robot interaction, healthcare applications, robot soccer, neuroprosthetics, underwater robotics, bipedal walking, service robots, robotic co-workers, computer vision, speech processing, computer animation realistic simulations, and machine learning.
Many more topics can be found be exploring the Centre’s web pages, particularly the personal web pages of the Centre supervisors:
Our four-year PhD programme combines Masters level coursework and project work with independent PhD-level research.
In the first year, you will undertake four or five masters level courses, spread throughout robotics, machine learning, computational neuroscience, computer architectures, statistics, optimization, sensorics, dynamics, mechanics, image processing, signal processing, modelling, animation, artificial intelligence, and related areas. You will also undertake a significant introductory research project. (Students with previous masters-level work in these areas may request to take less courses and a larger project.)
At the end of the first year, successful students will be awarded an MSc by Research by the University of Edinburgh. From this basis, the subsequent three years will be spent developing and pursuing a PhD research project, under the close supervision of your primary and secondary supervisors. The PhD will be awarded jointly by the University of Edinburgh and the Heriot-Watt University.
You will have opportunities for three to six month internships with leading companies in your area, and to participate in our industrial engagement programme, exchanging ideas and challenges with our sponsor companies.
Throughout your studies, you will participate in our regular programmes of seminars, short talks and brainstorming sessions, and benefit from our pastoral mentoring schemes.
Our user partners in industry include companies working in offshore energy, environmental monitoring, defence, assisted living, transport, advanced manufacturing and education. They will provide the real world context for research, as well as opportunities for reciprocal secondments, internships and involvement in our industrial engagement programme.
The School of Informatics holds a Silver Athena SWAN award, in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The School is deploying a range of strategies to help female staff and students of all stages in their careers and we seek regular feedback from our research community on our performance.
You will have access to the outstanding facilities in the Edinburgh Robotarium, a national facility for research into robot interaction, supporting the research of more than 50 world-leading investigators from 17 cross-disciplinary research groups.
Research groups at the Edinburgh Robotarium include humanoid movement control, underwater, land and airborne autonomous vehicles, human robot interaction, bio- and neuro-robotics, and planning and decision making in multirobot scenarios.
In addition, our research groups contain a diverse range of compute clusters for compute and data-intensive work, including a large cluster hosted by the Edinburgh Compute and Data Facility.
Our aim is to produce innovation-ready graduates who are skilled in the principles of technical and commercial disruption and who understand how finance and organisation realise new products in start-up, SME and corporate situations.
We intend for our graduates to become leaders in the globally emerging market for autonomous and robotic systems that reduce risk, reduce cost, increase profit and protect the environment. This vision is shared by our industrial supporters, whose support for our internship programme indicates their strong desire to find highly qualified new employees.
Our component research groups already have excellent track-records in post-graduation destinations, including the research labs of industry-leading companies, and post-doctoral research positions in top tier universities.
The Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour (IPAB) focuses on how to link computational perception, representation, transformation and generation processes to external worlds, in theory and in practice.
This covers domains such as visual perception, dynamic control of robot systems, active sensing and decision making, biomimetic robotics, computer-based generation of external phenomena, such as images, music or actions, and agent-based interaction within computer games and animation.
Supported by the dynamic research culture of IPAB, you can develop robots that learn their own motor control, mimic animal behaviours, or produce autonomous and coordinated team actions. Or you can work with systems that interpret real images and video, or generate complex behaviour in animated characters.
We aim to link strong theoretical perspectives with practical hands-on construction, and provide the hardware and software support to realise this vision.
You carry out your research within a research group under the guidance of a supervisor. You will be expected to attend seminars and meetings of relevant research groups and may also attend lectures that are relevant to your research topic. Periodic reviews of your progress will be conducted to assist with research planning.
A programme of transferable skills courses facilitates broader professional development in a wide range of topics, from writing and presentation skills to entrepreneurship and career strategies.
The School of Informatics holds a Silver Athena SWAN award, in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The School is deploying a range of strategies to help female staff and students of all stages in their careers and we seek regular feedback from our research community on our performance.
Our robotics labs contain a range of mobile platforms, robot manipulators, humanoid robots, and custom-built sensor and actuation systems that attract continuous interest from funders, industry and members of the public.
Recent developments include the UK's only NASA Valkyrie robot platform, application of robotic hardware to prosthetics and assisted living, and a team that competes in the international robot soccer league.
Our new Edinburgh Centre for Robotics (ECR) brings collaboration with Heriot-Watt University to expand the range of facilities and applications we can explore, and to fund research training.
The machine vision lab has facilities for 3D range data capture, motion capture and high-resolution and high-speed video, and the high performance computing needed for graphics is well supported, including hardware partnerships with companies such as NVIDIA.
While many of our graduates go on to highly successful academic careers, others find their niche in commercial research labs, putting their knowledge and skills to use in an industry setting.
Several of our recent graduates have set up or joined spin-out robotics companies. Our graphics researchers have strong connections to the media and games industries.
This is a unique podiatry programme at master’s level leading to Health and Care Profession Council registration. Currently the only programme in the UK.
This is a 3 year full-time programme in which you will be developing practical skills with patients from the first semester (in the University in-house clinics) and then on placement within health services in subsequent years. The placements will be in wide variety of specialisms and you will be supervised by experienced and specialist podiatrists. Aligned with this is the academic component of acquisition of knowledge, the development of critical enquiry, research and application of research into practice. You will be taught by national and internationally recognised academics who are subject specialists. You will also have the opportunity to be involved in the Foot and Ankle Research Programme, led by Professor Chris Nester. You will be taught by and have opportunity to work with senior post-doctoral researchers who, have published in peer reviewed journals and written books aligned to the profession. You will be supported by academic, personal tutors and placement supervisors in the development of skills for critical reflection in order to ensure ongoing professional and personal development, and enhance employability.
Please note: For applications for entry in September 2017 or later, it is likely there will be changes to the funding of fees and a bursary may no longer be available.
This non-standard 3 year full time programme will provide you with a master’s level academic qualification together with a professional practice qualification, which is a pre-requisite for registration to the Health and Care Professions Council. It will provide you with the knowledge, skills and attributes to become leaders in the podiatry profession with research and/or the clinical roles.
The ethos of the programme is to enhance:
Theoretical components
Practical components
Podiatry clinic
Our podiatry clinic adds a cutting-edge to your training, as well as providing a valuable asset to the local community.
The clinic includes:
Clinical gait analysis and research facility
This laboratory was part of a £1.5 million renovation of the podiatry clinical education and research spaces. The laboratory hosts the Salford Gait Analysis Service which provides quantitative gait analysis and consultation services for four National Health Service Trusts in the Manchester area.
The service supports the care of children with cerebral palsy by enabling assessment of their gait to input to their care pathways. We also offer gait and human movement assessment related to amputees, neuromuscular disorders (such as stroke) and a range of orthopaedics disorders.
The equipment includes:
Human movement laboratory
This is the original gait laboratory within the University, and is located adjacent to the prosthetics and orthotics clinical suite and technical workshops.
This lab is used for research, clinical and educational work and has:
Currently, BSc (Hons) students work within NHS services or the independent sector.
With this new programme it is anticipated that in addition to the above, the students will increase their employability in these areas and also increase their career progression. It is also anticipated that students may subsequently want to continue in education to complete PhD studies or to gain employment in the commercial sector.
NHS clinical services/ commercial organisations aligned to podiatry for placements, career advice and mentorship.
PhD in the Foot and Ankle research programme – Health Sciences
Our Maxillofacial Prosthetic Rehabilitation MSc has been designed for maxillofacial prosthetists, technologists and prosthodontists to learn to use cutting edge digital technology for intra and extra-oral prosthetic facial rehabilitation in clinical practice.
Delivered primarily online, the programme will enable you to develop your technical skills and develop higher standards of clinical practice without disrupting your professional and personal life. The content is prepared by world-leading experts, augmented with face-to-face skills training, and enables you to enhance your knowledge of prosthetic facial rehabilitation and improve your clinical and technical skills while continuing to practice anywhere in the world.
This programme will allow you to develop and demonstrate your extended knowledge, understanding and advanced skills in the treatment of patients who require prosthetic facial rehabilitation. You will study and practice a broad range of treatments for the replacement of missing hard and soft tissues, using both traditional and advanced digital technologies. The course includes:
Please note - The provision of any clinical opinions, treatment planning, treatment plans and/or any advice in relation to care of individual patients will not be provided by the teachers and staff of the programme. Patient treatment and care is the sole responsibility of the treating clinician. Advice regarding the suitability of a clinical case for submission for the clinical module can be given at the tutor’s discretion.
Intensive face-to-face training blocks
Delivered primarily online, the course also provides 18 days of intensive teaching and practical training at Rangoonwala College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Pune, India. Under expert supervision, these blocks are an invaluable way to consolidate learning and progress to the final year.
Teaching
You will be taught mostly online through King's E-learning and Teaching Service (KEATS) which provides information, interactive questions, assignments, use of bibliographic databases and reading material. This gives you the freedom to study without interrupting your work and personal life, and to put your skills directly into practice. Our students participate in online tutorials and discussion groups, interacting with expert tutors and their fellow students. Face-to-face lectures and hands-on training take place in blocks in the first two years. Students are required to undertake and submit 4 cases of clinical work in their place of work.
60% per cent of each module will be assessed through exams and 40% through in-course assessment, with the exception of the Clinical Practice module, which is assessed entirely through coursework, and the Maxillofacial Prosthetic Rehabilitation Research Report module which is assessed on a dissertation.
You can take your exams in London or, for overseas students, at centres in your country of residence.
Teaches clinical and technical aspects for the provision of facial prostheses; ocular prostheses; orbital and skull cranioplasties and obturators. Programme includes: recognising oral disease; infections; skins lesions directly related to the provision on intra- and extraoral prostheses; core teaching in all restorative disciplines. Participate in research programmes, including: investigation into digital technologies used in colour formulation of facial prostheses; biocompatibility of titanium to hard and soft tissue for cranioplasties; bonding of acrylic to silicone and patient centred outcomes of implant treatment.
Maxillofacial & Craniofacial Technology ground-breaking programme open to both dental technicians and dentists. Teaches clinical and technical aspects of facial prostheses; ocular prostheses; orbital and skull cranioplasties and obturators. Covers: recognising oral disease; infections; skin lesions related to intra- and extra-oral prostheses; core modules in all restorative disciplines.
Ground breaking programme open to both dental technicians and dentists. For both overseas and UK applicants the programme provides training to a specialist level in maxillofacial and craniofacial technology.
Modular programme consisting of 180 credits, as follows:
As we are seeking to identify your suitability for this clinical environment, we expect our interviewees to adopt the dress code required of clinical dental students at King's. Further information will be given should you choose to apply. Entry to the programme is strictly dependent upon occupational health clearance that you are able to conduct exposure prone procedures (EPPs) before you start clinical work. This will assess your hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C antibody status, HIV and TB status following the completion of a health questionnaire and a further health check before or at enrolment.
If offered a place on the course, overseas students are advised to be tested locally and send the results of these checks with the questionnaire, prior to a separate full test in the UK at the College's Occupational Health Department before term begins. All offers of a place on a programme are made subject to a satisfactory criminal conviction disclosure. If you are from overseas or have never lived in the UK before, you should contact the relevant authorities in your home country to arrange for the equivalent check to be conducted and/or a certificate of good conduct to be issued.
