MSc Nanomedicine by Research

Year of entry: 2025

Overview

Degree awarded
Master of Science
Duration
12 Months Full Time
Entry requirements

We require an honours degree (minimum Upper Second class) or overseas equivalent in:

  • biological sciences
  • pharmacy
  • medical sciences
  • biomedical materials
  • chemistry
  • bio/chemical engineering

Full entry requirements

How to apply

To apply for a course you will need to complete and submit our online application form. For information and guidance, see: How to apply

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

  • Understand the role of nanomedicine within healthcare innovation, particularly focussing on the delivery of therapeutics (including COVID-19 vaccine and cancer therapies), biomarker discovery, bioimaging and for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Develop your research skills through a 25-week lab-based research project.
  • Prepare for a PhD, specialist clinical training or careers in pharmaceuticals or biotechnology.
  • Study at a top ten UK university for biosciences and medicine (QS 2023).

Open days

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 could lead to. Book your place here

Fees

Fees for entry in 2025 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2024 were as follows:

  • MSc (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £14,000
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £34,500

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

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
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Telephone
+44 (0)161 529 4539
Email
Website
http://www.nanomedicinelab.com/
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 class) or overseas equivalent in:

  • biological sciences
  • pharmacy
  • medical sciences
  • biomedical materials
  • chemistry
  • bio/chemical engineering

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. Specifically, we require a minimum of:

  • IELTS: minimum 6.5 overall with 6.5 or above in each component.
  • TOEFL: 90 internet-based with 22 or above in each component.

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

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 international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For more details see entry requirements from your country.

Application and selection

How to apply

To apply for a course you will need to complete and submit our online application form. For information and guidance, see: How to apply

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.

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 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

We consider your full academic history including which undergraduate course units you have taken and the marks obtained. When application numbers are high, even if you have met our minimum entry requirements, we will take into account your marks in the most relevant undergraduate course units in our final decision making.

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

Combining interdisciplinary teaching with cutting-edge laboratory-based research, our MSc in Nanomedicine by Research provides a robust scientific understanding of this highly competitive and fast-growing research area. This course is aligned with two of the main research beacons at Manchester: Advanced Materials and Cancer.

Nanomedicine uses nanotechnology to bring innovation to healthcare, for example encapsulating drugs and enabling more precise targeting with controlled release. It also has the potential to enable early detection and improve diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of many diseases including, but not limited to, cancer.

Currently, nanomedicine has hundreds of products under clinical trials, covering all major disease areas including cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, musculoskeletal and inflammatory disorders. Enabling technologies in all healthcare areas, it is already accounting for approximately 80 marketed products, ranging from nano-delivery systems (including mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV2) and pharmaceuticals to medical imaging, diagnostics and biomaterials.

This course has both taught and research components and is suitable for those with little or no previous research experience. You will learn practical skills through both taught units and a 25-week laboratory-based research project.

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

This course aims to enable you to:

  • Demonstrate understanding of the use of nanomaterials in medicine, with emphasis on nano-bio interactions, principles of nanosafety and nanotoxicology, the use of nanotechnology to improve detection and treatment of disease, nanomedicine-enhanced cancer immunotherapy, biomedical imaging, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. 
  • Develop critical appraisal skills through critical analysis of peer reviewed articles and reviews. You will be able to analyse current advances, issues and controversies in the field, critically analyse the data, formulate and defend scientific opinion and develop academic writing skills.
  • Perform an extensive lab-based project that will prepare for PhD study, specialist clinical training or a career in related industries, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology and tissue engineering sectors.

Teaching and learning

This course is structured around taught elements and laboratory-based research projects, with an emphasis on the research-based element.

You will gain hands-on laboratory experience through both the laboratory skills unit and research placements (nanomedicine focussed) at the University lasting for 25 weeks.

You will experience the interdisciplinary nature of the field during the course and gradually increase the depth and complexity of your research through the Introduction to Nanomedicine and Advances in Nanomedicine Research units.

Coursework and assessment

You will be assessed continually during the year through:

  • oral presentations;
  • short answer exam;
  • poster presentation;
  • group participation;
  • written reports;
  • a final dissertation;
  • assessment of research performance;
  • multiple choice questions and self-reflections

Each project is written up and assessed separately when submitted during the year.

Research placements will be assessed by a literature review, research proposal and a dissertation.

Your final research project will be assessed by submission of a dissertation (moderated, 60% weight), oral presentation and examination (15% weight), poster presentation and examination (15% weight) and an assessment of research performance (10% weight).

Course content for year 1

The course consists of four core compulsory taught units (4 x 15 credits) and two research projects:

  1. Introduction to Nanomedicine - 15 credits
  2. Advances in Nanomedicine Research - 15 credits
  3. Laboratory Skills Unit - 15 credits
  4. Research Methods Unit - 15 credits
  5. Research Project 1 (literature review and project proposal) - 30 credits
  6. Research Project 2 (research project) - 90 credits

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
Introduction to Nanomedicine BIOL64511 15 Mandatory
Advances in Nanomedicine Research BIOL64611 15 Mandatory
Research Project 1 BIOL65611 30 Mandatory
Research Project 2 BIOL65622 90 Mandatory
Laboratory Skills BIOL66111 15 Mandatory
Research Methods MEDN69910 15 Mandatory

Facilities

The University of Manchester 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. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

After the course, most students continue their studies and register for a PhD in a related field of research. However, the course is also of value to students wishing to progress in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology sectors or go into specialist clinical training.