MSc in Medical Biotechnology and Leadership
Course Description
This programme will provide you with advanced knowledge of modern medical biotechnology and the leadership and project management skills required in a biotechnology setting. The course offers practical based teaching of a wide range of biomedical skills coupled to a detailed knowledge of drug discovery and development, along with the project management skills, crucial to successful medical biotechnology companies. The course culminates in the application of all of these taught skills to a 6 month cutting edge research project in aspects of medical biotechnology which align with the research activities within BLS.
Course Duration
12 months full time or 24 months part time
Entry Requirements
At least a second class Honours degree, or its equivalent, in an appropriate subject.
Candidates holding other academic qualifications may also be considered for admission provided they have substantial relevant professional experience. Interviews and/or qualifying essays may be used to determine the suitability of applicants who do not meet the criteria outlined above.
If appropriate applicants should have an IELTS score of at least 6.5.
If you are an Overseas Applicant, the deadline for submitting your application to study on our postgraduate programmes commencing in October 2012 in the Faculty of Health and Medicine, is Wednesday 15 August 2012, as from this date there will be insufficient time remaining before the start of the programme for us to be able to make a decision in time for you to apply for and obtain a Visa.
Applications from overseas candidates for study on postgraduate programmes with later or flexible start dates will continue to be accepted.
Fees for 2012 entry
£6,700 inclusive of bench fee full time UK/EU students, £15,665 inclusive of bench fees for Overseas students.
Part-time fees are charged at 50% of the full-time fees.
Bursaries
£1000 bursaries are available to all overseas (non EU) students studying on the taught Medical Biotechnology and Leadership Masters degree, these are subject to satisfactory progress and are awarded during the year.
Structure of programme
The MSc in Medical Biotechnology and Leadership can be undertaken full-time (12 months) or part-time (24 months). The modular programme incorporates the following elements which are delivered through standard formats such as lectures and practicals and also through case studies and business planning workshops. Assessment is through course work assignments, examinations and production of a project report which is worth 50% of the total assessment.
Research Skills: This practical based section will start with basic laboratory skills, cover routine cell and molecular biology skills such as recombinant DNA technology, protein expression and protein analysis, with an ultimate focus on advanced research techniques such as cloning, bioinformatics of sequence data, analysis of microarrays, flow cytometry, and bioimaging to include confocal microscopy, electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy and their applications in medical biotechnology. This section of the course will also explore the ethical aspects of genomics and biomedical research.
Leadership and Project Management: This section of the course will blend knowledge of how modern biotech businesses operate, and, the importance of project management with an understanding of commercial exploitation of research. A module studying drug discovery from concept to clinic will run alongside the module in project management using case studies and visiting lecturers from medical biotechnology companies.
Advanced Topics: This section allows you to choose from a range of modules which provide advanced knowledge of core topics in medical biotechnology. These optional modules will cover topics such as models of disease used in research, emerging therapeutics in immunology, stem cell therapies and tissue engineering, microbes and disease, neurodegenerative diseases, molecular basis of cancer and biomedical toxicology.
Medical Biotechnology Research Project
The focus of research in BLS is in four areas based around the research groupings submitted to the highly successful RAE 2008:
- Parasitology and Microbiology,
- Ageing and Neurodegenerative Disease,
- Cancer Biology and DNA Damage,
- Medical Cell Biology.
You will undertake a substantial Medical Biotechnology research project, using our modern laboratories and facilities, in one of these areas. This will utilise all the skills gained during the earlier taught elements of the course.
Opportunities for graduates of the programme
The MSc programme prepares graduates either for further postgraduate study leading to a PhD and careers in academia or for direct entry into the job market. In particular biotechnology industries, including pharmaceuticals and healthcare, will welcome the unique blend of high level practical knowledge coupled to some business skills such as leadership and project management. This strong practical base will also provide a competitive edge in applications for further PhD study.
Contacts
Dr Sarah Allinson, Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ.
E-mail:-
shm-pg-admissions@lancaster.ac.uk
Phone:- 01524 593936
Online applications
Applications can be made through our MyLancaster admissions portal.