MClin Res Clinical Research

Year of entry: 2024

Overview

Degree awarded
MClin Res, PGDip Clin Res, PGCert Clin Res
Duration
MClin Res: 1 year (FT); 2 years (PT)
Entry requirements

We require an honours first degree (Upper Second or above) in a relevant subject from an approved higher education institution. We may consider applicants with a Lower Second degree if you include documented evidence of exceptional innovative practice, practice leadership, service development, research projects and publications in your application.

For part-time students, we also require written support from your employer to attend the course and complete any necessary requirements.

Full entry requirements

How to apply

Please apply via our online application form . See the application and selection section for details of the supporting documents we require.

We recommend that you apply as early as possible. We reserve the right to close applications if the course is full.

Course options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
MClin Res N N Y Y
PGDip N N Y Y
PGCert N N N Y

Course overview

  • Develop your research skills if you are a health professional or work in a health-related setting and are looking to advance your career or conduct specific research.
  • Learn when it suits you through our distance learning approach, which is complemented by workshops at our campus.

Open days

Attending an open day is a great way to find out what studying at Manchester is like. Find out about our upcoming open days .

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • MClin Res (full-time distance learning)
    UK students (per annum): £11,500
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £26,000
  • MClin Res (part-time distance learning)
    UK students (per annum): £5,750
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £13,000
  • PGDip (full-time distance learning)
    UK students (per annum): £9,200
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £20,800
  • PGDip (part-time distance learning)
    UK students (per annum): £4,600
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £10,400
  • PGCert (part-time distance learning)
    UK students (per annum): £2,300
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £5,200

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

NIHR Pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowships

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowships offer successful candidates backfill and fees to undertake MClinRes or other master's level study and to prepare a Doctoral Clinical Practitioner Academic Fellowship application. You need to apply directly to NIHR for one of these awards.

For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.

Contact details

School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Contact name
Cheryl Johnson
Telephone
+44 (0)161 529 4563
Email
Website
https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/nursing/masters/
School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

We require an honours first degree (Upper Second or above) in a relevant subject from an approved higher education institution. We may consider applicants with a Lower Second degree if you include documented evidence of exceptional innovative practice, practice leadership, service development, research projects and publications in your application.

For part-time students, we also require written support from your employer to attend the course and complete any necessary requirements.

English language

International students must demonstrate English proficiency through a secure and approved testing system.

We ask for English language proof if you are from non-majority English speaking countries (a list of majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Home Office, can be found here).

Specifically, we require a minimum of:

  • IELTS 7.0, with a score of 6.5 or above in each component
  • TOEFL 623 paper based
  • TOEFL 106 internet based (with a minimum score of 20 in each component)
  • TOEFL 250 computer based
  • GCSE English grade C 

See further information about requirements for your country .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Other entry requirements

We also require applicants to have:
  • two days per week minimum study time for part-time students) or full-time hours availability for full-time students;
  • consistent computer and IT access;
  • a PC or device that will enable you to connect with university learning platforms and video calling;
  • a webcam.

Application and selection

How to apply

Please apply via our online application form . See the application and selection section for details of the supporting documents we require.

We recommend that you apply as early as possible. We reserve the right to close applications if the course is full.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Course details

Course description

Our MClin Res Clinical Research course is aimed at health professionals and others working in a health setting who want to develop careers in clinical research, clinical and academic practice, or academic research with a strong clinical/healthcare practice component.

You will develop in-depth knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings of research and skills in research methods relevant to applied research in a range of contemporary health and social care settings.

The course is mainly delivered online, but is complemented by two compulsory four-day campus-based introductory and winter study schools, and one mid-semester study day in Semesters 1 and 2.

Most of the units that make up this course are shared with other students on master's and PhD programmes at Manchester.

Please note this course is not designed to develop the knowledge and skills for a laboratory-based research career.

PhD with integrated master's

If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health.

You can also visit this page for examples of projects related to integrated master's courses.

Aims

Our course has been designed to provide health professionals and others working in a health setting with the skills needed to conduct and manage research in health and social care settings, and to develop careers in clinical research, clinical and academic practice, or academic research with a strong clinical/healthcare practice component.

The aims of the course are to:

  • enable you to further develop systematic, in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of the nature, purposes, methods and application of research relevant to clinical/health care practice at an individual and/or organisational level;
  • contribute to building capacity and capability for research and evidence-based practice by equipping you with in-depth knowledge and essential skills to critically appraise, apply, design and undertake high quality research in a range of clinical/health care settings;
  • enhance the quality and evidence base for clinical research, practice and service development through the provision of robust research training in a stimulating, challenging and supportive learning environment that draws on outstanding resources and research and practice expertise;
  • promote lifelong learning in students and enhance opportunities to pursue a variety of research careers and/or further research training which support and advance clinical knowledge, research and practice;
  • equip you with key transferable skills in critical reasoning and reflection, effective communication, team and multi-disciplinary working, use of IT/health informatics, logical and systematic approaches to problem-solving and decision-making.

Special features

Interdisciplinary learning

You will learn from renowned lecturers and practitioners from various disciplines including nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, social work, speech and language therapy, audiology, psychology, and medicine.

Strong collaborations

We have strong links with other courses at Manchester and with experts from Health Innovation Manchester .

Learn using real research projects

You will learn from academics who use their own research projects to demonstrate different approaches to research, with some studies being examined in depth to look at the different stages of the research process.

Teaching and learning

The course content is primarily delivered online, giving you more flexibility over how you learn. You will also attend two three-day introductory and winter study schools and one mid-semester study days, allowing you to learn face-to-face and meet other students and staff at Manchester.

We use digital technology to ensure our supervision of and communications with students meet the high standards required for the learning process to work. This includes:

  • individual and group web-based audio-visual tutorials;
  • web-based collaboration areas and discussion boards
  • shared digital documents;
  • online, phone and face-to-face support from supervisors and academic advisors;
  • peer support through course-specific discussion boards and face-to-face meetings.

Find out more about postgraduate teaching and learning at Manchester.

Coursework and assessment

We will assess your progress using a variety of summative assessment methods that enable the integration of theory and practice. They also build on the continuous formative assessment exercises that come with each individual unit, which include interactive, stimulating online exercises with regular self-assessment and feedback.

Course unit details

Our MClin Res comprises six taught units (90 academic credits in total) and a 90-credit dissertation unit.

The PGDip Clin Res comprises six taught (90 academic credits in total) and a mini-dissertation (30 academic credits).

The PGCert Clin Res comprises four taught units (60 academic credits in total).

Year 1

Full-time study

Six taught units in the following areas, plus a dissertation:

  • Research design
  • Managing research in health and social care
  • Critical appraisal and evidence synthesis
  • Quantitative research design and analysis
  • Qualitative research design and analysis
  • Statistics

Part-time study

Year 1

Four taught units:

  • Research design
  • Managing research in health and social care
  • Quantitative research design and analysis
  • Qualitative research design and analysis

Year 2

Part-time study

Two taught units, plus a dissertation:

  • Critical appraisal and evidence synthesis
  • Statistics

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
MResearch Dissertation NURS60013 90 Mandatory
Critical appraisal and evidence synthesis NURS60015 15 Mandatory
Quantitative design and analysis NURS60016 15 Mandatory
Qualitative design and analysis NURS60017 15 Mandatory
Research Design NURS60018 15 Mandatory
Statistics NURS60019 15 Mandatory
Managing Research in Health and Social Care NURS60020 15 Mandatory

Scholarships and bursaries

For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.

Course collaborators

We collaborate with other courses at Manchester and with experts from Health Innovation Manchester .

Facilities

We are based in Jean McFarlane Building, which houses seminar rooms, IT facilities, clinical and interpersonal skills laboratories, and lecture theatres.

The University of Manchester also offers extensive library and online services to help you get the most out of your studies.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .

Careers

Career opportunities

This course is predominantly aimed at professionals from a range of disciplines who wish to enhance their skills and knowledge in health research.

It is aimed at those who wish to pursue clinical academic research careers e.g. clinicians, research nurses, clinical trials coordinators.  

The course provides comprehensive training in research, providing an excellent foundation for students who wish to go on to study for a PhD.