Masters degrees in Medical Physics – Radiation study the application of Physics to the development and deployment of radiation technology in a clinical setting, detecting and treating disorders and diseases.
Related postgraduate specialisms include Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy. Entry requirements normally include an appropriate undergraduate degree such as Medicine or Physics.
The field of medical imaging is evolving rapidly, since diagnosis and treatment are increasingly supported by imaging procedures. The Medical Imaging Master’s programme combines elements from physics, mathematics, computer science, biomedical engineering, biology and clinical medicine. Master’s students will attain a high level of knowledge and skills in various areas of medical imaging, such as image acquisition physics, quantitative image analysis, computer-aided diagnosis, and image-guided interventions.
The programme is offered in close collaboration between the imaging divisions of the UMC Utrecht and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Two leading organizations at the forefront of health care and technology. This collaboration tops a solid technological basis with strong links to research performed in a clinical setting.
Are you a student with a clear interest in health care technology, a ‘beta-mindset’, a curiosity towards the natural sciences and medical imaging, and ambition in research? Do you have a background in natural or physical sciences, e.g. physics, mathematics, computer science or more applied technical sciences like biomedical engineering? This Master’s programme might just be a perfect fit.
Our Physics MSc is highly flexible, giving you the opportunity to structure your course to meet your individual career aspirations.
The course gives you the opportunity to broaden and deepen your knowledge and skills in physics, at the forefront of research in the area. This will help to prepare you to progress to PhD study, or to work in an industrial or other business related area.
A key feature of the course is that you can choose to study a wide range of optional modules or focus on a particular area of research expertise according to your interests and future career aspirations.
Under the umbrella of an MSc in physics, you can specialise in astrophysics, bionanophysics, soft matter physics, condensed matter physics, quantum technology, optical materials or medical imaging. Or you can take a diverse range of modules to suit your interests and keep their options open.
Our programme will give you a thorough grounding in the radiation and environmental protection aspects of nuclear physics.
This includes in-depth knowledge of radiation protection and showing you how the technical and organisational procedures of the discipline may be applied to the broader concept of environmental protection.
The substantial practical element of this programme enables you to relate taught material to real-world applications. Formal lectures are complemented with work in specialist radiation laboratories that were recently refurbished as part of a £1m upgrade to our facilities.
Here you will work with a wide range of radioactive sources and radiation detectors. There is also an extended project in the spring and an eleven-week MSc dissertation project in the summer.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The programme material is taught by a combination of academics from the Department of Physics at Surrey and specialists provided by industrial partners. The Surrey academics are part of the Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics which houses the largest academic nuclear physics research group in the UK.
In addition to the formal lectures for taught modules, the programme provides a wide range of experimental hands-on training. This includes a nine-week radiation physics laboratory which takes place in the specialist radiation laboratories within the Department of Physics at the University of Surrey.
These were recently refurbished as part of a £1 million upgrade to the departmental teaching infrastructure. Within the Department, we also have a common room and a departmental library, which contains copies of earlier MSc dissertations.
As well as the laboratory training, you will also undertake a research project at the beginning of the Spring semester as a precursor to the eleven-week research dissertation project which makes up the final part of the MSc.
There are many opportunities for both the spring research project and summer dissertation project to be taken in an external industrial environment.
The programme has produced over 500 UK and overseas graduates, many of whom have gone on to well-paid positions in companies in the nuclear and radiation sectors. In the UK we need to decommission old reactors and build new ones to provide a low-carbon source of energy.
This, together with, for example, the importance of radioisotopes in fields such as medicine, means that the career prospects of our graduates are excellent.
The programme integrates the acquisition of core scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills with a focus on professional career development within medical physics and radiation detection, and related industries.
The principle educational aims and outcomes of learning are to provide participants with advanced knowledge, practical skills and understanding applied to medical physics, radiation detection instrumentation, radiation and environmental practice in an industrial or medical context.
This is achieved by the development of the participants’ understanding of the underlying science and technology and by the participants gaining an understanding of the legal basis, practical implementation and organisational basis of medical physics and radiation measurement.
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
If you want to study Medical Physics with applications in nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, electronics and MRI University of Aberdeen has an world renowned historic reputation within major global innovation in this health area. Did you know the first MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanner was invented at Aberdeen over 30 years ago? Major innovations to this technology are still being researched at Aberdeen today. You learn everything you need to know as an advanced grounding in medical physics such as understanding anatomy and how cells are altered by disease. You look at the engineering behind MRI and other visual scanning techniques to understand how applications are made in areas such as nuclear, Positron, Tomography, Radio diagnosis (X-ray), MRI and Ultrasound. You understand radiation and you apply electronics and computing to medical physics. The degree ensures plenty of practical understanding and application and you learn MRI within the department that built it.
If you want to work within imaging and medical physics to pursue a medical career in hospitals, industry and healthcare and diagnose disease by different methods of imaging the degree in Medical Physics will help you towards this goal. You can also develop your own research portfolio and PhD from this MSc and work within academia to pursue innovation in the discipline.
You receive a thorough academic grounding in Medical Physics, are exposed to its practice in a hospital environment, and complete a short research project. Many graduates take up careers in health service medical physics, either in the UK or their home country. The MSc programme is accredited by the Institute of Physics & Engineering in Medicine as fulfilling part of the training requirements for those wishing to work in the NHS. You can also work as a researcher, risk manager, radiation physics specialist and within the medical device industry in product development and innovation.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
For health care professionals from diverse backgrounds who wish to expand their knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of oncology, including:
A full-time programme is also available.
The aim of this programme is to give you a scientific understanding of the cellular basis of cancer. We will then discuss how understanding the molecular pathology of the disease can help in stratifying patients to personalised cancer therapeutic approaches and disease management.
Aiming to allow you to understand the research process, this programme draws on examples from within this renowned research Institute and its associated Clinical Trials Unit. A key part of this Masters programme is the planning, execution and reporting of a piece of independent study leading to submission of a dissertation.
At all levels we aim to encourage interactive rather than didactic learning and lecturing. Therefore, in addition to assembling and learning facts you will also to consider some of the philosophical challenges which underlie the treatment of cancer.
The programme is studied part time over 2.5 years and includes a taught element plus a work place based dissertation. During the first year you normally study 4 taught modules (5 weeks of attendance), whilst in the second year you normally study 3 taught modules (3 weeks of attendance) plus start your dissertation. The programme however is intended to be flexible and other patterns of study are permitted (please discuss with the programme lead (Dr Jean Assender).
You can opt for a Postgraduate Diploma on completion of the core modules and 30 credits of optional modules, or an MSc on successful completion of the taught programme and an independently researched dissertation.
As a Birmingham student, you will be joining the academic elite and will have the privilege of learning from world-leading experts, as well as your peers. From the outset you will be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner. We want you to be challenged and will encourage you to think for yourself.
This programme is delivered via one or two 5 day blocks of teaching from Monday to Friday approx 9am-5.30pm. You will participate in a range of teaching styles such as lectures, eLectures (Surgical Oncology sample), small group tutorials, presentations, peer group learning, self-study etc.
You will have access to a comprehensive support system that will assist and encourage you, including personal tutors and welfare tutors who can help with both academic and welfare issues.
So you can get an idea of what some of our students have to say about the programmes we have been in touch with them and compiled some of their comments into student profiles for you to have a look at:
Dr Selvi Radhakrishna, a recent graduate from the PG Diploma in Clinical Oncology programme here at the University of Birmingham, has written a book that presents the various cultural issues an Indian woman might face when diagnosed with breast cancer. This New Indian Express article tells the story.
Careers Support for Postgraduate Students
Careers Network – We can help you get ahead in the job market and develop your career
We recognise that as a postgraduate student you are likely to have specific requirements when it comes to planning for your next career step. Employers expect postgraduates to have a range of skills that exceed their subject knowledge. Careers Network offers a range of events and support services that are designed for all students, including postgraduates looking to find their niche in the job market. The Careers Network also have subject specific careers consultants and advisers for each College so you can be assured the information you receive will be relevant to your subject area. For more information visit the Careers Network website.
Medical imaging is a rapidly-growing discipline within the healthcare sector, involving clinicians, physicists, computer scientists and those in IT industries.
This programme delivers the expertise you'll need to forge a career in medical imaging, including radiation physics, image processing, biology, computer vision, pattern recognition, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
This programme is studied full-time over 12 months and part-time over 48 months. It consists of eight taught modules and an extended project.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
To support your learning, we hold regular MSc group meetings where any aspect of the programme, technical or non-technical, can be discussed in an informal atmosphere. This allows you to raise any problems that you would like to have addressed and encourages peer-based learning and general group discussion.
We provide computing support with any specialised software required during the programme, for example, Matlab.
The Department’s student common room is also covered by the university’s open-access wireless network, which makes it a very popular location for individual and group work using laptops and mobile devices. There is also a Faculty quiet room for individual study.
We pride ourselves on the many opportunities that we provide to visit collaborating hospitals. These enable you to see first-hand demonstrations of medical imaging facilities and to benefit from lectures by professional practitioners.
To support material presented during the programme, you will also undertake a selection of ultrasound and radiation detection experiments, hosted by our sister MSc programme in Medical Physics.
The taught postgraduate Degree Programmes of the Department are intended both to assist with professional career development within the relevant industry and, for a small number of students, to serve as a precursor to academic research.
Our philosophy is to integrate the acquisition of core engineering and scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills (where relevant).
To fulfil these objectives, the programme aims to:
Medical Imaging is a rapidly growing discipline within the healthcare sector, incorporating engineers, physicists, computer scientists and clinicians. It is driven by the recent rapid development of 3-D Medical Imaging Systems, fuelled by an exponential rise in computing power.
New methods have been developed for the acquisition, reconstruction, processing and display of digital medical-image data with unprecedented speed, resolution and contrast.
This programme in Medical Imaging is aimed at training graduates for careers in this exciting multi-disciplinary area, and our graduates can expect to find employment in the medical imaging industry or the public health care sector.
It represents a blend of fundamental medical physics topics concerned with image acquisition and reconstruction coupled with imaging science and image engineering topics such that graduates understand how images are formed and how advanced machine-based methods can be bought to bare to provide new diagnostic information.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Our Medical Physics MSc programme is well-established and internationally renowned. We are accredited by IPEM (Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine) and we have trained some 1,000 medical physicists, so you can look forward to high-quality teaching during your time at Surrey.
The syllabus for the MSc in Medical Physics is designed to provide the knowledge, skills and experience required for a modern graduate medical physicist, placing more emphasis than many other courses on topics beyond ionising radiation (X-rays and radiotherapy).
Examples of other topics include magnetic resonance imaging and the use of lasers in medicine.
You will learn the theoretical foundations underpinning modern imaging and treatment modalities, and will gain a set of experimental skills essential in a modern medical physicist’s job.
These skills are gained through experimental sessions in the physics department and practical experiences at collaborating hospitals using state-of-the-art clinical facilities.
Why not discover more about our programme in our video?
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation project. Part-time studemts study the same content over 2 academic years.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that all modules are compulsory, there are no optional modules, and may be subject to change.
Common room
A student common room is available for the use of all Physics students.
Computers
The University has an extensive range of PC and UNIX machines, full internet access and email. The University has invested in resources to allow students to develop their IT skills. It also has an online learning environment, SurreyLearn. Computers are located in dedicated computer rooms. Access to these rooms is available 24 hours per day.
Hounsfield Prize
A prize of £200 is awarded annually for the best dissertation on the Medical Physics programme. Sir Hounsfield was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1979 for his work on Computed Tomography.
Mayneord Prize
A prize of £200 in memory of Professor Valentine Mayneord will be awarded to the student with the best overall performance on the Medical Physics course. Professor Mayneord was one of the pioneers of medical physics, who had a long association with the Department and encouraged the growth of teaching and research in the field.
Knoll Prize
A prize of £300 in memory of Professor Glenn Knoll is awarded annually to the student with outstanding performance in Radiation Physics and Radiation Measurement on any of the department's MSc programmes. Professor Knoll was a world-leading authority in radiation detection, with a long association with the department
IPEM Student Prize (MSc Medical Physics)
A prize of £250 is awarded annually to a student with outstanding performance in their dissertation.
The programme integrates the acquisition of core scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills with a focus on professional career development within medical physics and related industries. The principle educational aims and outcomes of learning are to provide participants with advanced knowledge, practical skills and understanding applied to medical physics, radiation detection instrumentation, radiation and environmental practice in an industrial or medical context. This is achieved by the development of the participants’ understanding of the underlying science and technology and by the participants gaining an understanding of the legal basis, practical implementation and organisational basis of medical physics and radiation measurement.
We give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities and through our international research collaboration. Hence, it may be possible to carry out the dissertation project abroad.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Our Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering first began in 1991 and provides all of the necessary technical knowledge, expertise and transferable skills to succeed in one of the fastest growing engineering disciplines. This degree offers four distinct steams, each of which accredited and employment-focused:
Biomedical Engineering with Medical Physics and Imaging.
Biomedical Engineering with Biomechanics and Mechanobiology
Biomedical Engineering with Neurotechnology
Biomedical Engineering with Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
The Medical Physics stream trains graduates in the physical understanding required for healthcare and medical research, focusing on human physiology, and the use of radiation in treatment and in clinical imaging (especially MRI, ultrasound, X-ray and optical techniques), as well as the signal and image processing methods needed for the design and optimal use of such systems in diagnosis and research.
The Biomechanics stream is focused on bioengineering problems related to major diseases associated with an ageing population, such as cardiovascular disease, glaucoma, and bone and joint disease (osteoarthritis, osteoporosis).
These are major causes of mortality and morbidity, and this stream prepares engineers for a career in these key growth areas.
The Neurotechnology stream covers the development of new technology for the investigation of brain function, focusing on the application of this to benefit society—for example the development of neuroprosthetic devices, new neuroimaging techniques, and developing drugs and robotic assistive devices for those with central nervous system disorders, as well as in biologically-inspired control engineering.
The Biomaterials stream is offered jointly with the Department of Materials.
It addresses the selection and use of biomaterialsin medical and surgical devices, including their application, properties, interaction with tissues and drawbacks. Existing and new biomaterials are studied, including bioactive and biodegradable materials, implants and dental materials.
Modules also cover the development of materials for new applications, the response of cells and the design of materials as scaffolds for tissue engineering, which involves tailoring materials so that they guide stem cells to produce new tissue.
You will be required to choose your stream at the time of application. All four streams lead to the award of the MSc in Biomedical Engineering. The Medical Physics and Biomechanics streams are accredited by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM).
The course is full-time for one calendar year, starting in October. It currently has an annual intake of about 100 students.
This programme pathway is designed for students with an interest in the engineering aspects of technology that are applied in modern medicine. Students gain an understanding of bioengineering principles and practices that are used in hospitals, industries and research laboratories through lectures, problem-solving sessions, a research project and collaborative work.
Students study in detail the engineering and physics principles that underpin modern medicine, and learn to apply their knowledge to established and emerging technologies in medical imaging and patient monitoring. The programme covers the engineering applications across the diagnosis and measurement of the human body and its physiology, as well as the electronic and computational skills needed to apply this theory in practice.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of seven core modules (105 credits), one optional module (15 credits), and a research project (60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) is offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) is offered.
Core modules
Optional modules
Students choose one of the following:
Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an independent research project within the broad area of physics and engineering in medicine which culminates in a written report of 10,000 words, a poster and an oral examination.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, practicals, assignments and a research project. Lecturers are drawn from UCL and from London teaching hospitals including UCLH, St. Bartholomew's, and the Royal Free Hospital. Assessment is through supervised examination, coursework, the dissertation and an oral examination.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Physics and Engineering in Medicine: Biomedical Engineering and Medical Imaging MSc
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Graduates from the Biomedical Engineering and Medical Imaging stream of the MSc programme have obtained employment with a wide range of employers in health care, industry and academia sectors.
Employability
Postgraduate study within the department offers the chance to develop important skills and acquire new knowledge through involvement with a team of scientists or engineers working in a world-leading research group. Graduates complete their study having gained new scientific or engineering skills applied to solving problems at the forefront of human endeavour. Skills associated with project management, effective communication and teamwork are also refined in this high-quality working environment.
The spectrum of medical physics activities undertaken in UCL Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering is probably the broadest of any in the United Kingdom. The department is widely acknowledged as an internationally leading centre of excellence and students receive comprehensive training in the latest methodologies and technologies from leaders in the field.
The department operates alongside the NHS department which provides the medical physics and clinical engineering services for the UCL Hospitals Trust, as well as undertaking industrial contract research and technology transfer.
Students have access to a wide range of workshop, laboratory, teaching and clinical facilities in the department and associated hospitals. A large range of scientific equipment is available for research involving nuclear magnetic resonance, optics, acoustics, X-rays, radiation dosimetry, and implant development, as well as new biomedical engineering facilities at the Royal Free Hospital and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore.
This programme pathway is designed for students with a developing interest in radiation physics, both ionising and non-ionising, that underpins many of the imaging and treatment technologies applied in modern medicine. Students gain an understanding of scientific principles and practices that are used in hospitals, industries and research laboratories through lectures, problem-solving sessions, a research project and collaborative work.
Students study the physics theory and practice that underpins modern medicine, and learn to apply their knowledge to established and emerging technologies in medical science. The programme covers the applications of both ionising and non-ionising radiation to the diagnosis and treatment of human disease and disorder, and includes research project, workplace skills development and computational skills needed to apply this theory into practice.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of seven core modules (105 credits), one optional module (15 credits), and a research project (60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma of eight modules (120 credits) is offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate of four modules (60 credits) is offered.
Core modules
Optional modules
Students choose one of the following:
Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an independent research project within the broad area of physics and engineering in medicine which culminates in a report of up to 10,000 words, a poster and an oral examination.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, tutorials, assignments and a research project. Lecturers are drawn from UCL and from London teaching hospitals including UCLH, St. Bartholomew's, and the Royal Free Hospital. Assessment is through supervised examination, coursework and assignments, a research dissertation and an oral examination.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Physics and Engineering in Medicine: Radiation Physics MSc
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
A large percentage of graduates from the MSc continue on to PhD study, often in one of the nine research groups within the department, as a result of the skills and knowledge they acquire on the programme. Other graduates commence or resume training or employment within the healthcare sector in hospitals or industry, both within the UK and abroad.
Employability
Postgraduate study within the department offers the chance to develop important skills and acquire new knowledge through involvement with a team of scientists or engineers working in a world-leading research group. Graduates complete their study having gained new scientific or engineering skills applied to solving problems at the forefront of human endeavour. Skills associated with project management, effective communication and teamwork are also refined in this high-quality working environment.
The spectrum of medical physics activities undertaken in UCL Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering is probably the broadest of any in the United Kingdom. The department is widely acknowledged as an internationally leading centre of excellence and students on this programme receive comprehensive training in the latest methodologies and technologies from leaders in the field.
The department operates alongside the NHS department which provides the medical physics and clinical engineering services for the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, as well as undertaking industrial contract research and technology transfer. The department is also a collaborator in the nearby London Proton Therapy Centre, currently under construction.
Students have access to a wide range of workshop, laboratory, teaching and clinical facilities in the department and associated hospitals. A large range of scientific equipment is also available for research involving nuclear magnetic resonance, optics, acoustics, X-rays, radiation dosimetry, and implant development.
