Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Science
- Duration
- 12 months full-time
- Entry requirements
-
We require an honours degree (minimum Upper Second) or overseas equivalent in:
- biological sciences
- medical sciences
With sufficient evidence of the relevant units taken.
- 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc | Y | N | N | N |
Course overview
- Take a research-focused master's course where you will learn through seminars, workshops, small group tutorials and research placements.
- Your placement will be in the labs of leading developmental biologists where you will work on original developmental biology research projects and develop your practical skills.
- Study at a university ranked 7th in the UK for Biological Sciences (QS World University Rankings 2022).
- Prepare for a career in the biosciences industry or academic research.
Open days
For details of the next University Postgraduate open day, go to open days and visits .
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2023, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MSc (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £13,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): £32,000
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
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
- Contact name
- Postgraduate Admissions Office
- Telephone
- 0161 529 4539
- pgtaught.biosciences@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/biology/
- 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 degree (minimum Upper Second) or overseas equivalent in:
- biological sciences
- medical sciences
With sufficient evidence of the relevant units taken.
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 : 6.5 overall with 6.5 in each component
- TOEFL: 90 internet-based with 22 in each component
See further information about requirements for your country .
We may also accept evidence of a confirmed place on a University Pre-sessional English language course , if your current IELTS scores are:
- Minimum 6.0 overall (with 6.0 in each component) plus enrolment and attendance on the 6-week pre-sessional course (PS6)
- Minimum 6.0 overall (with 5.5 in each component) plus enrolment and attendance on the 10-week pre-sessional course (PS10).
Please note, we must approve this before you apply for the English course.
English language test validity
Other international entry requirements
Relevant work experience
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.
Advice to applicants
We require the following documents before we can consider your application:
- Transcript of your studies to date.
- Degree certificate (if you have already graduated).
- Personal statement or statement of purpose.
- Curriculum vitae (CV).
- Two academic references. You must provide the contact details of two referees in your application form. Both references are compulsory, and at least one should be from a lab or project supervisor. Your referees will be contacted directly and asked to provide a letter of reference. When providing referee details, you must ensure the email addresses are accurate and official, typically ending with an institutional domain. We do not accept references provided from a personal email address, eg Hotmail or Gmail.
If any of the supporting documents is not in English, you must also provide us with an official or certified English translation.
If English is not your first language, we require proof of your English language ability. If you have already taken an English language qualification, please include your certificate with your application. We cannot provide an initial decision on an application without seeing some evidence of a good level of English language ability. If you do not provide this when you apply, your application will remain on hold until evidence is received.
How your application is considered
Interview requirements
Overseas (non-UK) applicants
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 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.
You cannot use your CAS to apply for a visa more than three months before the start date of your course. This means that if you intend to begin a course on 18th September 2023, we will not issue you with a CAS number before 18th June 2023.
Your CAS number is only valid for one student visa application.
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 research-focused MSc Developmental Biology course will give you extensive hands-on experience of conducting research on timely topics of developmental biology.
You will learn through an interactive approach involving seminars, workshops and small group tutorials rather than traditional lectures.
You will also undertake your own research project in the labs of leading researchers working on a range of model organisms and diverse areas of developmental biology.
You will gain research experience and professional skills, perhaps in a different area to your first degree, before deciding on a future career in industry or academic research. This will allow you to make an informed choice about the research area you want to go into.
You choose the laboratory placement from a list provided by your programme director. Examples of developmental biology research at Manchester include:
- studies of gene expression and cell signalling in model organisms, such as Drosophila, Xenopus and mice, to decipher the mechanisms by which different cell types and tissues arise during development. Findings obtained from these studies serve as general principles relating to human development;
- exploring how dysregulation of developmental mechanisms leads to human diseases, eg cancer, using various models;
- research into the mechanisms regulating stem cell maintenance and differentiation to harness the therapeutic potential of stem cells;
- looking at the healing process to improve wound repair and the longer-term regeneration of organs.
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.Special features
Extensive research experience
Gain laboratory experience with leading developmental biology researchers.
Teaching and learning
We use a range of teaching and learning methods, including tutorials, workshops, seminars and research placements.
Find out more by visiting the postgraduate teaching and learning page.
Coursework and assessment
We will assess your progress using:
- written reports on your research projects and tutorials
- oral presentations
- written assignments
- posters
- multiple choice exams
- critical assessment of literature
- online statistics exercises.
Course unit details
The course starts in September and runs for 12 months. You require 180 credits to complete the course, of which:
- 120 credits are project based
- 60 credits are from transferable skills units
Transferable skills
60 credits are achieved through completion of activities that develop your transferable skills in essential areas such as laboratory skills, experimental design, statistics, bioethics (included in the tutorial and workshop unit) and science communication.
The Experimental Design and Statistics unit runs at the start of the year to prepare you for your research projects. Elements of the other units run throughout the year alongside your research project.
- Experimental Design and Statistics(15 credits)
- Tutorial and Workshop(15 credits)
- Science Communication (15 credits)
- Laboratory Skills (15 credits)
Disclaimer
Our units teach the current trends in life sciences.
Consequently, details of our units may vary over time. The University therefore reserves the right to make such alterations to units as are found to be necessary. Before accepting your offer of a course, it is essential that you are aware of the current terms on which the offer is based. This includes the units available to you. If in doubt, please contact us.
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.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics & Experimental Design | BIOL65161 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Research Project 1 | BIOL66121 | 30 | Mandatory |
| Research Project 2 | BIOL66132 | 90 | Mandatory |
Scholarships and bursaries
For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.
Facilities
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
Our graduates acquire a vast array of subject-specific and transferable skills, as well as extensive laboratory research experience.
The University has a strong record of placing students in PhD programmes at Manchester and other universities, and several of our graduates have pursued research careers in industry.