Overview
- Degree awarded
- MSc, PGDip, PGCert, CPD available
- Duration
- MSc 1Yr FT 2Yr PT, PGDip 1Yr FT 2Yr PT
- Entry requirements
-
We require an honours degree (minimum Upper Second) or overseas equivalent in:
- biomedical science
- medicine
- nursing
Flexibility on entry requirements will be applied to candidates with appropriate extensive professional experience. Subject to confirmation of suitability, the following number of credits can be accepted as Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL):
- MSc: 60 credits
- PGDip: 45 credits
- PGCert: 15 credits
Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) will also 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.
- 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 |
| PGDip | Y | Y | N | N |
| PGCert | Y | Y | N | N |
Course overview
- Learn to apply genetics, genomics and bioinformatics to patient care.
- Learn from clinical and academic experts from The University of Manchester, Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine.
- Study at a university ranked 8th in the UK and among the top 35 in the world for medicine (QS World University Rankings 2023).
- Units from this MSc are available as standalone courses for continuing professional development (CPD). Please visit the Genomic Medicine CPD units page.
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): £12,500
International, including EU, students (per annum): £33,000 -
MSc (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £6,250
International, including EU, students (per annum): £16,500 -
PGDip (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £10,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): £26,400 -
PGDip (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £5,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): £13,200 -
PGCert (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £5,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): £13,200 -
PGCert (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £2,500
International, including EU, students (per annum): £6,600 -
Modular (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £1,250 per 15 credits
International, including EU, students (per annum): £3,500
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
Funding is available to NHS staff for course units on this programme through Health Education England.
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.
Funding is available to NHS staff for course units on this programme through Health Education England.
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/medicine/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 an honours degree (minimum Upper Second) or overseas equivalent in:
- biomedical science
- medicine
- nursing
Flexibility on entry requirements will be applied to candidates with appropriate extensive professional experience. Subject to confirmation of suitability, the following number of credits can be accepted as Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL):
- MSc: 60 credits
- PGDip: 45 credits
- PGCert: 15 credits
Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) will also 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 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 or above in each component
- TOEFL: 90 internet-based with 22 or above in each component
For HEE funded applications only:
- IELTS: 7.0 overall with 7.0 or above in each component
- TOEFL: 100 internet-based with 25 or above 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
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 (approx. 300-500 words about why you wish to take this course and how it will affect your personal and professional development. This statement should refer to your current role and must clearly demonstrate that you have background knowledge of human genetics if this is not obvious from your degree or transcripts. Applicants that cannot demonstrate this may be rejected on the basis that they have insufficient background knowledge to allow them to cope with a Master's level course in the subject).
- 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 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
Your application will be reviewed by the course director once we receive all supporting documentation.
We consider applications on an academic and relevant professional experience basis based on all of the information provided.
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 relevant undergraduate course units in our final decision making.
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 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.
Deferrals
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 MSc in Genomic Medicine is accredited by Health Education England and is designed to fulfil the aspirations of the 100,000 Genome Project to create a world-class NHS workforce that understands and applies genomics for patient care. Our MSc consists of taught units and a literature review or a bioinformatics-based project. You will be encouraged to use your intellectual curiosity, creativity and critical thinking in the practical application of genomics and bioinformatics.
We emphasise the practice of genomics and bioinformatics in the NHS and academia as a partnership between multiple stakeholders, including clinical, academic and industrial involvement. As such, you will learn from clinical experts from the Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine , The University of Manchester, and Qiagen.
NHS professionals will learn how genomics impact on their area of clinical practice and how they can apply their new knowledge in their workplace.
This course is also ideally suited to science graduates wanting to further their specialist knowledge in human genomics. The knowledge and training from this course is appropriate for securing employment in the healthcare industry (eg diagnostics, data interpretation) or for entry into further training programmes (eg NHS Scientist Training Programme).
Aims
This course will train healthcare professionals from different disciplines (eg medicine, nursing, scientists and technologists) in genomic knowledge that will impact on their service delivery to patients. We will provide contemporary genomic education for the multi-professional healthcare workforce to support:
- the embedding of genomics education at all levels of the current and future workforce;
- the building of capacity and capability in the NHS workforce in genomic medicine, both clinical and research.
The course will also equip biomedical science graduates with the skills and knowledge to secure employment in the healthcare industry or pursue a PhD in the field.
Teaching and learning
We take a student-focused and patient-centred approach to teaching and learning.
The course content is delivered using a combination of lectures, problem and evidence-based learning, workshops and collaborative learning.
The course content is designed to help you develop the deeper contextualised specialist knowledge and critical evaluative skills necessary for a questioning and innovative approach to your learning and clinical practice.
You will learn from healthcare professionals and industry partners who are working at the forefront of practice and clinical research and can draw on their scholarship and expertise to help you build your knowledge.
Coursework and assessment
Course unit details
The course units are split into three categories; core, elective core and optional.
Master's students must complete all the core units, a minimum three of four elective core units, and additional optional units in order to attain 180 credits. In addition, master's students will undertake a project as either a 60 credit bioinformatics or research based project for full-time students, or a 30 credit literature review for part-time students.
PGDip students must complete any 8 units to achieve the required number of credits (120 credits). PGCert students must complete any 4 units to achieve the required number of credits (60 credits).
Core units: Bioinformatics, Interpretation, Statistics and Data Quality Assurance; Fundamentals of Human Genetics; Omics Techniques and their Application to Genomic Medicine; Project (30 or 60 credits).
Elective core units: Application of Genomics in Infectious Disease; Genomics of Common and Rare Inherited Diseases; Molecular Pathology of Cancer and Application in Cancer Diagnosis, Screening, and Treatment; Pharmacogenetics, Pharmacogenomics and Stratified Healthcare.
Optional units: Counselling Skills for Genomics; Disease Modelling and Genome Engineering; Economics of Genomics and Precision Medicine; Health Informatics.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacogenomics and Stratified Healthcare | BIOL67481 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Molecular Pathology of Cancer | BIOL67482 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Fundamentals of Human Genetics | BIOL67561 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Omics Techniques and their Application to Genomic Medicine | BIOL67562 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Genomics of Common and Rare Inherited Diseases | BIOL67582 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Research Project MSc Genomic Medicine | BIOL67980 | 60 | Mandatory |
| Bioinformatics, Interpretation, Statistics and Data Quality Assurance | BIOL67981 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Health Informatics | BIOL67361 | 15 | Optional |
| Economics of Genomics and Precision Medicine | BIOL67372 | 15 | Optional |
| Research Project MSc Genomic Medicine | BIOL67380 | 30 | Optional |
| Displaying 10 of 16 course units | |||
| Display all course units | |||
Course collaborators
We collaborate with the following organisations to deliver this MSc:
What our students say
So far, I have completed four modules on Bioinformatics, Human Genetics, Pharmacogenomics and Genetic Counselling. I can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed each of these and they have opened my eyes to the potential transformation of healthcare in the NHS through genomic medicine.
Bradley Horn, Genetic Technologist
Disability support
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
CPD opportunities
We offer all of the taught units from this MSc as standalone courses for continuing professional development (CPD). Please visit the Genomic Medicine (CPD units) page for further information.
Careers
Career opportunities
Our course is designed to support and upskill healthcare professionals working in the NHS in areas where genomic medicine is becoming part of clinical practice.
Our science graduates have gone on to apply their new knowledge and skills in genetic service labs in the NHS or their home country's health systems, gained employment in commercial companies that develop and supply genetic testing kits, undertaken further study in the NHS Scientist Training Programmes for Genomic Counselling, Genomics, and Cancer Genomics, or have continued their research to pursue a PhD in the field.
Accrediting organisations
This course is accredited by Health Education England.