Biomedical Sciences Research MSc

This programme brings together expertise from across the many subject areas in the biomedical sciences to provide you with training in several key areas of current research interest. The programme focuses on experimental science and it is research-informed. It will provide you with practical laboratory-based experience with access to specialist techniques, in state-of-the-art facilities.

It is a flexible programme: you will select three units of your choice during your studies, giving you the opportunity to investigate a range of different topics within the biomedical sciences. For your final research project, you again have the flexibility to choose your research area from a wide range of suggested projects or you can design your own research project, working with academic staff. You can also choose a project offered at an off-campus site, such as Southmead Hospital, Bristol Dental School or the Bristol Heart Institute.

You will learn in small teaching and tutorial groups. The taught and research elements of this MSc are carefully balanced: your research project, for example, runs over a 12-week period free of lectures, allowing you to focus solely on your project.

The skills you can develop during this programme include presentation, report-writing and work-planning. Several students have contributed to published papers and many go on to study at PhD level.

Programme structure

Core skills
-A series of practical classes, lecture-based teaching sessions and tutorials that prepare you for the practical project, provide a foundation for further studies and develop a range of transferable skills.

Literary project
-An extended essay on a subject chosen from an extensive list supplied by the unit organiser. You work independently under the guidance of a member of staff.

Project proposal and research project
-Each school provides a number of research project topics within the themes described below. You work independently under the guidance of a member of staff to produce a written project proposal. This is followed by a 12-week research project investigating your chosen topic. The research project forms the basis for a dissertation.

Lecture-based units
You will study three lecture-based units from:
-Cancer Biology
-Cardiovascular Research
-The Dynamic Cell
-Infection, Immunology and Immunity
-Pharmacology
-Neuroscience

Each taught unit is assessed independently by written examinations, or - in the case of Core Skills - by written examinations and coursework. The literary project, project proposal and practical projects are presented as written dissertations.

Careers

Approximately one third of our students have gone on to PhD-level studies at the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin and Plymouth, among others. The next largest group of students are those that have gone on to study medicine. Others have gone on to research assistantships, teacher training, biomedical scientist training or non-scientific careers, such as accountancy.

Visit the Biomedical Sciences Research MSc page on the University of Bristol website for more details!