MSc Occupational Medicine

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

• MSc (full-time distance learning)
  UK students (per annum): £15,200
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £31,500
• MSc (part-time distance learning)
  UK students (per annum): £6,080 for year 1 and 2, and £3,040 for year 3
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £12,600 for year 1 and 2, and £6,300 for year 3
• PGDip (part-time distance learning)
  UK students (per annum): £6,100
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £12,600
• PGCert (part-time distance learning)
  UK students (per annum): £3,000
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £6,300

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Students opting for MSc 1 year full-time or 2 year part-time course of study could qualify for a PGT loan from the UK government. Please see our university pages or contact admissions.

Students studying our MSc programme over 3 years part-time may also be eligible for a postgraduate loan if there is no other suitable full time equivalent course available in the UK at the time of application. Please contact our admissions for more information.

Please note: The fees do not cover any costs for travel or accommodation related to any optional on campus events.

Several of our students are sponsored by their employers or the governments of their home countries.

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).

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

A limited number of Equity and Merit scholarships are available to applicants from Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Please visit the Equity and Merit scholarships page for full details.

The Dissertation unit directs the student to evaluate and undertake an independent research study, demonstrating synthesis and contextualisation of knowledge in a chosen topic relevant to their field. The unit offers the opportunity to design a study, collect data, and disseminate findings with the support of an academic supervisor.

Teaching and guidance on ethics for scientific research is included. Students are supported to develop their scientific writing and critical appraisal skills by presenting their thesis in the manner commensurate with standard practice in the relevant discipline. University-wide study support is available for writing and statistical analysis throughout the year.

Students may undertake one of a number of dissertation formats, for example an adapted systematic review, or an empirical study into a chosen topic involving the collection of new data or analysis of secondary data. All formats will demonstrate research methods and data analysis knowledge. The expectations and assessment criteria for the MSc Dissertation are set out in the Dissertation Guide.

There is a workshop at the beginning of the academic year to support the learning objectives of this unit, with emphasis on the options for the dissertation and study design. Students present a brief outline of their dissertation proposal, for peer reviews. This is an opportunity for the student to meet the academic team and to discuss their ideas with the course tutors and other students. A Dissertation Supervisor is allocated following the workshop. Information on supervisory process is provided in the Dissertation Guide. A second workshop is provided at the start of Semester 2 which provides guidance on statistical analysis and writing your dissertation. Students are supported by approximately 20 hours of supervisor guidance.

Pre-requisites:

MSc Occupational Medicine: 
POPH68881, POPH68861, POPH68832, POPH68821, POPH68811, POPH68802, POPH68892 plus one further 15 credit unit 

MSc Occupational Hygiene: 
POPH68881, POPH68861, POPH68842, POPH60161, POPH68821, POPH63182, POPH68802, POPH68892 

The unit encourages the detailed exploration of the evidence-base relevant to professional practice, expressly aiming to inculcate a culture of scientific enquiry and innovation for problem solving and solution generation. The Dissertation unit prepares the student in respect of conceiving, preparing and submitting the Dissertation. The student should demonstrate ability in the design and conduct of research in a professionally relevant topic.
 

The intended learning outcomes expect the student to be able to: 

• formulate and justify a specific research question regarding a professionally relevant 
  issue; 
• select and justify the most appropriate study design and methods for the research 
  topic; 
• independently undertake a study of a specific research topic with periodic supervision; 
• demonstrate synthesis and evaluation of literature relevant to the research question; 
• critically evaluate study methodologies and results in the context of relevant literature and evidence; 
• evaluate and propose appropriate solutions applicable to practice; and 
• present the independent study in an organised and professional format appropriate for a scientific audience. 

The unit is predominantly self-directed through independent learning. Relevant information and formative feedback are delivered through online synchronous workshops at the start of each semester. Information and support are also made available through a dedicated space on Canvas or other University central learning environment.  
Student progress is monitored by supervisors. 

Upon completion, students should be able to:

• demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of evidence-based practice including the investigation, preparation and analysis of data to inform professional and/or clinical decision making;
• demonstrate knowledge of the techniques of scientific enquiry and appropriate methodology for the chosen topic; and
• demonstrate a working knowledge of relevant statistical methodology.

Upon completion, students should be able to: 

• critically evaluate scientific and clinical literature; 
• be capable of designing a systematic review/scientific enquiry; 
• be capable of selecting statistical methodology appropriate to the line of enquiry; 
• organise and manage the independent study with periodic supervision; and 
• present the independent study in an organised and professional format appropriate for a scientific audience.

Description	Weighting	Length
Dissertation	100%	Between 10,000 and 15,000 words

Written and any other feedback (oral, recorded etc) provided 30 working days after submission by supervisor and second marker.

If you have any questions regarding the content of this unit, please contact the Course Unit Lead, Melanie Carder, via melanie.carder@manchester.ac.uk.

If you have any other queries, please contact the Programme Admin team via shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk.