MSc Cancer Research and Molecular Biomedicine

Alumni Panel Session on Monday 29 April, 2-3pm. Join our online panel of biosciences graduates and find out about studying master’s at Manchester, and the careers this can lead to. Book your place here . 

Please apply viaour 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.

We also offer the Transformative Oncology course, which is 100% online and part-time. This course is research-led, clinically relevant and medically applicable education for those who want to gain a greater perspective and understanding of the field of oncology to improve outcomes for patients with cancer.

You may also consider the Oncology Research course to develop your skills in cancer research. This MSc develops your understanding of the scientific basis of cancer and its treatments and how to evaluate the potential effectiveness of new treatments.

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). Please, make sure you explain any laboratory or project experiences that you gained outside your standard undergraduate laboratory practicals, which should also be listed in the official application form.
• Evidence of English language ability.
• Two academic references. You must provide the contact details of two referees in your application form.

Both references are compulsory. At least one should ideally be from a lab or project supervisor. Applications will not be considered for a final decision until two references are received.

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 are not in English, you must also provide us with official or certified English translations.

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.

Our MSc Cancer Research and Molecular Biomedicine course will give you thorough training in this area alongside lab-based research placements.

Rather than attending traditional lectures on your chosen subject, you will learn through an interactive approach involving seminars, workshops and small group tutorials. This will provide you with transferable skills in experimental design, statistics and science communication preparing you for relevant aspects of a science-based career. As this is a research-focused master's course, you will also undertake your own research project in the laboratory of a leading researchers.

You will take three units and then focus on a research placement in the labs of leading cancer researchers.

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 research placement from a list provided by your programme director in the lab of experienced cancer scientists working on processes relating to tumourigenesis. These include: 

• understanding cell cycle control mechanisms and how they are disrupted in the formation of a tumour;
• investigating the cell fate choices of normal cells, and how these differ in cancer cells;
• investigating how cell signals regulate gene expression in different types of cells, and how this flow of information is compromised in cancer cells.

If you want to broaden your expertise beyond molecular cancer research, you can undertake a research placement in another area of molecular biomedicine.

We investigate the mechanisms underlying a range of diseases including hypertension, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and diabetes, and we aim to develop ways of preventing and treating these. Our research pages provide more information on our research interests.

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.

Extensive research experience

Gain laboratory experience through a research placement in a leading cancer and molecular biomedicine laboratory preparing you for your future science-related career.

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.

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.

Doing my master's at Manchester has given me the opportunity to acquire extensive laboratory experience and enriched my knowledge in the field of cancer. This is also combined with a great student life!

Elli Marinopoulou

You will be able to access a range of facilities throughout the University.

This course will provide training in both transferable and subject-specific skills. Your experience of group-based activities, literature research, applied science communication, data management and hands-on experimental training will provide you with invaluable skills that prepare you for successful PhD applications and a subsequent career in academic research within almost any area in the biological sciences, for industry-based jobs or even non-scientific careers.