Overview
- Degree awarded
- MSc/PGCert
- Duration
- MSc: 1 year FT, 2 years PT; PGCert: 4 months FT
- Entry requirements
-
We require a First or Upper Second class degree in a relevant biomedical/biosciences subject, or an equivalent overseas qualification.
Non-standard applicants for the course will be considered on an individual basis.
This course is also available for intercalating medical students, both from The University of Manchester and other UK universities, upon completion of their third year. For St Andrews students, this includes the three-year course, plus the following one or two years spent in Manchester.
- Number of places/applicants
- Up to 20 places.
- 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 | Y | N | N |
PGCert | Y | Y | N | N |
Course overview
- Understand viruses, the diseases they cause, and how to diagnose, control and prevent infections.
- Cover topically relevant viruses such as novel coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, Influenza and Monkeypox.
- Hear about new viral problems such as non A-E hepatitis and potential causes.
- Learn from experienced academic and clinical virologists.
- Study at a university ranked 8th in the UK and among the top 35 in the world for medicine (QS 2023).
Open days
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MSc (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £14,500
International, including EU, students (per annum): £35,500 -
MSc (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £7,250
International, including EU, students (per annum): £17,750 -
PGCert (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £5,800
International, including EU, students (per annum): £14,200 -
PGCert (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £2,900
International, including EU, students (per annum): £7,100
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 Team
- Telephone
- 0161 529 4539
- pgtaught.biosciences@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/biosciences/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 a First or Upper Second class degree in a relevant biomedical/biosciences subject, or an equivalent overseas qualification.
Non-standard applicants for the course will be considered on an individual basis.
This course is also available for intercalating medical students, both from The University of Manchester and other UK universities, upon completion of their third year. For St Andrews students, this includes the three-year course, plus the following one or two years spent in Manchester.
English language
International applicants from non-majority English speaking countries 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 on the GOV.UK website ).
Specifically, we require a minimum of:
- IELTS : 6.5 overall with 6.5 in all components
- TOEFL: 90 internet-based with 22 in all components
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).
See further information about requirements for your country .
If you wish to be considered for a pre-sessional course, please contact us .
English language test validity
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).
- An academic reference. You will be required to provide the name and contact details of two referees during completion of the application form.
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 also require proof of your English language ability. If you have already taken an English language qualification, please include your certificate with your application. We may be willing to consider your application without this document, but if we choose to make you an offer, the conditions will include IELTS (or equivalent qualification).
How your application is considered
Interview requirements
Returning to education
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 16th September 2024, we will not issue you with a CAS number before 16th June 2024.
Your CAS number is only valid for one student visa application.
Fitness to practise / health requirements
Deferrals
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
As demonstrated by the recent pandemic, many of the world's greatest global health challenges arise from viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2, other novel coronaviruses, HIV, Mpox and the Ebola and Zika viruses. To tackle these major health threats, we need well-trained virologists with the knowledge and skills to diagnose, treat and prevent such disease.
Our MSc Medical and Molecular Virology course will provide education and training in medical virology to equip you with the molecular skills and knowledge to understand the increasingly important role molecular and bioinformatic analysis plays in modern virology.
You will acquire in-depth knowledge and understanding of viruses, the diseases they cause and how they cause them. You will also learn how to diagnose, control and prevent infections in individuals and in communities.
Later in the course, you will choose a research project and carry it out under the supervision of an academic or clinical supervisor, depending on your interests. This is your opportunity to study a relevant and topical question in medical virology using state-of-the-art techniques and facilities.
By combining academic study with the practice of clinical virology in the health service, our MSc is highly relevant and at the cutting edge of medical and molecular virology.
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.
Visit The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation to find out more about immunology research at The University of Manchester.
Aims
Our graduates will possess the knowledge, understanding, specialist practical skills and critical analysis skills to take up roles as virologists in the context of clinical, medical, diagnostic, industry and academic or research settings.
They will understand the global health impact of viral infections and be able to make a positive contribution to tackling the challenges associated with managing this impact.
Each student will develop an appreciation and understanding of research along with the practical and intellectual skills needed to undertake independent problem solving in virology.
Special features
Clinical virology expertise
Clinical Virologists from local NHS laboratories contribute to teaching on our course and offer research projects based on current clinical problems in their everyday clinical and laboratory practice.
Hands-on laboratory experience
You will gain practical laboratory experience during all of our taught units and then undertake a substantial laboratory-based research project within the university labs or in a clinical diagnostic lab. In silico projects based on viral genome sequence analysis are also available.
Various study options
You can study either full-time or part-time on both the MSc and Certificate routes, enabling you to fit learning around your other commitments if needed. The part-time route requires full-time attendance for certain periods.
Teaching and learning
You will learn through lectures, seminars, e-learning, group discussions and extended case study-based practical laboratories. You will be encouraged to develop independent thinking and leadership skills.
You will also learn to plan and design a research project using a blended learning approach through online resources and discussion with an individually assigned supervisor.
You will carry out a 6 month research project that addresses a real-world problem in virology.
Coursework and assessment
Course unit details
- Introduction to Medical and Molecular Virology (15 credits)
- Viruses and Disease 1 (15 credits)
- Viruses and Disease 2 (15 credits)
- Viruses and Disease 3 (15 credits)
- Viruses and Disease 4 (15 credits)
- Research Skills in Practice (30 credits)
- Research Project and Dissertation (90 credits)
Our first unit introduces the concepts and tools used in medical and molecular virology and how they are applied. The next three units cover the various infections, diseases and syndromes caused by viruses. You will learn how to identify, diagnose, treat and prevent such infections and about the immense global impact of viruses.
The second part of the course gives you the practical skills needed to undertake research in virology and then allows you to apply this learning to a real-life laboratory or in-silico based research problem in virology under the supervision of an academic or clinical virologist.
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Introductory Medical and Molecular Virology | BIOL65201 | 15 | Mandatory |
Viruses and Disease 1 | BIOL65211 | 15 | Mandatory |
Viruses and Disease 2 | BIOL65221 | 15 | Mandatory |
Viruses and Disease 3 | BIOL65231 | 15 | Mandatory |
Research skills in Practice (short version) | BIOL65242 | 30 | Mandatory |
Research Project | BIOL65252 | 90 | Mandatory |
Course collaborators
Facilities
Most of the teaching on this course takes place in Stopford Building on Oxford Road, on the main University campus, and is delivered in a newly refurbished and state-of-the-art teaching laboratory.
Our virology research labs are nearby, and interaction between our master's students and PhD students and our virology community of practice is facilitated and strongly encouraged.
We hold the regular Manchester Infection Seminar series with external speakers, and students are welcome to attend.
Stopford Building has a medical library and various social spaces, including a postgraduate hub available only to postgraduate students.
You will also have access to facilities across the wider University campus.
Disability support
CPD opportunities
Careers
Career opportunities
You will graduate with the skills and knowledge required for a career as a modern virologist.
You will be well placed to pursue a career as a diagnostic laboratory scientist or manager, or as a scientist in industry or academia in medical and/or molecular virology, or in any of a number of biotechnology fields relevant to virology.
These include:
- gene therapy (where recombinant viruses are the mainstay of the technology);
- molecular biology, particularly next generation sequencing and new virus discovery;
- vaccinology;
- antiviral development;
- epidemiological and public health control.
For medically qualified applicants, the course will benefit those wishing to specialise in virology or infectious diseases, or pursue a clinical academic route in this or related subjects.
The course is also an excellent stepping stone to PhD research in virology or a related subject.