MSc Reproduction and Pregnancy (Research)

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/EU 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 £1,000 towards their tuition fees or provide a sponsor letter (which we must first confirm), 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.

Tommy's Bursary

A bursary is available for one MSc student undertaking stillbirth research. This is funded by Tommy's the baby charity (£1000) and will be applied as a fee reduction. It is awarded on the basis of your personal statement and performance at an invited interview.

We require an undergraduate degree (First or Upper Second) or overseas equivalent in a relevant biomedical or medical subject.

This course is also available for intercalating medical students, both from the University of Manchester and other UK universities. For intercalating MBChB students, we require satisfactory achievement in Years 1-3 or 1-4, with normally no failure at any examination, as well as research motivation.

We will consider applicants with other professional (including midwifery) or research-related experience.

We do not require applicants to develop a research proposal or have any research experience.

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 all components 

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. Please visit the University Language Centre webpage for details.

Please note, we must approve this before you apply for the English course. If you wish to be considered for a pre-sessional course please contact the admissions team pgtaughtmedicine@manchester.ac.uk .  

CAS Information

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.

Please upload a copy of your current valid passport with your application showing the photograph page with your application. For CAS purposes, this must show your full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and the date the passport is valid until, which must be later than the date of your planned arrival in the UK, and the start date of your course.

You cannot use your CAS to apply for a visa more than three months before the start date of your course, the Admissions Team will contact you at the appropriate time.

Your CAS number is only valid for one Tier 4 application.

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.

Our MSc in Reproduction and Pregnancy (Research) addresses the causes, diagnosis and treatments of fertility and pregnancy disorders.

Fertility and pregnancy problems are very common. In the UK:

• infertility affects one in seven couples;
• miscarriage affects 15% to 20% of recognised pregnancies;
• fetal growth restriction (FGR) affects 5% to 8% of pregnancies;
• pre-eclampsia affects 3% to 5% of pregnancies;
• stillbirth affects one in 250 pregnancies, or around 4,000 per year;
• pre-term labour affects 8% of pregnancies.

There is also growing recognition that the health of the fetus dictates adult health. Research into solving pregnancy problems therefore has the potential to reduce the lifelong disease burden.

Diseases of pregnancy are major causes of mortality and morbidity in mothers and infants. Knowledge of causative mechanisms is poor, while treatments are conspicuously lacking.

The Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre aims to find solutions to problems like these through a holistic approach to understanding, managing and treating diseases affecting mothers and babies, and through training the next generation of researchers in an interdisciplinary research environment.

This is a Master of Science (MSc) that also has a strong research component. You will undertake two interrelated research projects, supported by taught units providing detailed knowledge of reproduction and pregnancy and training in research skills.

Research Units:

Research Project 1

You will select your research project and supervisory team in the first three weeks of the course. Between October and January, you'll complete an in-depth literature review on your research topic, followed by a research proposal based on a six-month project.

Research Project 2

From February to August, you will undertake a six-month research project focused on a specific aspect of reproduction or pregnancy. All projects are co-supervised, often by a clinical and non-clinical supervisor. Thorough training and supervision is given for all laboratory and clinical methodologies.

Projects are all based on translational medical research, with a goal of solving clinical problems in reproduction and pregnancy. They range from understanding the basic science of fertility and pregnancy problems, through to the clinical research projects involving patient interaction and sample analysis.

You will write a dissertation at the end of the research project and give a poster presentation based on your findings.

Taught Units

Research Methods

A series of lectures and training workshops that provide an introduction to research and transferable skills such as experimental design and statistical assessment, IT skills, critical analysis of research papers, health and safety, scientific writing and communication and career development.

Laboratory Skills 

Training in a range of basic laboratory techniques applicable to medical research. Workshops include cell culture, histology, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology. Training in recording laboratory methods and analysis of results is provided.

Reproduction and Pregnancy Masterclass

A series of three masterclasses that provide understanding of translational reproductive and obstetrics research and insight into bench to bedside research processes. These include lectures and discussion groups on:

• Assisted reproductive technologies
• Development of new drugs for pregnancy complications (from bench to bedside)
• Our pioneering research antenatal clinics for high risk pregnancies.

Reproduction and Pregnancy Tutorial 

You will have an opportunity to learn about and discuss research in reproduction and pregnancy and the clinical problems and basic science areas that are central to the discipline. Tutorials use a range of teaching styles, including taught seminars and group presentations. Assessment will be via group oral presentations, leaflets, quizzes or written reports.

Programme committee: 

• Dr Mark Dilworth (Programme Director) 
• Dr Elizabeth Cottrell (Deputy Programme Director) 
• Dr Victoria Palin
• Dr Michelle Desforges 
• Prof Alexander Heazell 
• Dr Stephanie Worton

Course advisors:

• Dr Lucy Higgins
• Dr Adam Stevens
• Dr Michelle Desforges