Viewing course details for 2024 year of entry

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Code: PGB90A
Attendance: Full-time, Part-time
Start: September 2024
Fees: £10,500 (UK) £16,800 (INT)
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Course Leader: Song Wen
Study mode: On campus
Location: Hendon campus
School / Department: Department of Natural Sciences

Currently Reading: Course overview

Why choose Biomedical Science (Cellular Pathology) MSc at Middlesex?

Cellular pathology saves many lives each year by helping to fight serious illness. It is the study of changes in cells, tissues, and organs that cause disease. This specialism is constantly evolving and plays a crucial role in the fight against serious illnesses, particularly cancer.

Our MSc emphasises practical skills and hands-on experience in diagnostic techniques. Our specialist laboratories are fully equipped with specialist technology, including a cell culture facility and proteomics facilities. You will learn to use cutting-edge techniques and equipment for cellular and molecular analysis, such as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometers, flow cytometers, DNA sequencing, real-time PCR, electrophoresis, and HPLC.

Our biomedical science courses have an excellent international reputation. All our teaching staff are involved in research and many are pioneers in their own field. Our Centre for Investigative and Diagnostic Oncology has made significant breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis and treatment, including our breakthrough in the development of a vaccine for bladder cancer.

We have strong links with London hospitals and NHS Laboratories which means that you will be studying the latest developments, practices, and research.

What you will gain

In addition to gaining in-depth knowledge of your subject, you will acquire a comprehensive understanding of designing and conducting experiments, statistical analyses, and techniques for analysing samples and molecules.

You will also be proficient in managing a laboratory, including people management, business plans and budgets, safety regulations, and quality management. Additionally, you will become familiar with ethical and legal issues that may arise in specific types of research, such as assisted reproduction and genetics, genetic testing, and human or animal research.

All our teaching staff are involved in research and many are pioneers in their own field. The course is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science, so on graduation you'll have fulfilled the academic requirement for Licentiate membership of the institute; you can apply for student membership while you study.

Accreditations

This course is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS). You will graduate with a professional qualification that will give you a competitive edge in pursuing your scientific career ambitions.

Graduating from this course are entitled to become a member of The IBMS, which is the professional body for biomedical scientists in the UK. It can help its members to develop their careers and scientific knowledge as well as provide them with personal and professional support.

biotech

Leading experts

All our teaching staff are involved in research and many are pioneers in their own field of expertise – particularly in cancer diagnosis and treatment

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Accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS)

You will graduate with a professional qualification that will give you a competitive edge for pursuing your scientific career ambitions

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Excellent employment prospects

Our graduates have gone on to work at Anthony Nolan Trust, NHS Hillingdon, Boots, and NHS Whittington

About your course

In this course, you will learn about the body's major organs, how diseases affect them, and how to treat and prevent them. You will also study the cellular structure and function of different organs and tissues, and how to diagnose diseases using histopathology and cytology. You’ll look specifically at cancer, cervical screening and the HPV vaccination along with oncogenes, organ transplants, genetic disorders and Human Tissue Authority regulations.

The module aims to examine advanced bioanalytical techniques that are used in biomedical research, for the analysis of products, for improving diseases understanding and for the analysis of disease biomarkers. It also provides a detailed understanding of the principles, theory and practice of bioanalytical techniques, including safety, instrumentation, sample preparation techniques together with analysis and interpretation of analytical data.

The module aims to provide insight into a range of ethical and legal issues that relate to professional practice, to research with human and animal subjects and to human reproduction, particularly various forms of reproductive technology. It will also aim to give students a broad overview of the relevant current UK ethical and legal regulations for research using human tissues. The module will further explore the ethical issues present in the rapidly developing area of genetic technology, including genetic testing and selection, genetic engineering, and the concept of genetic disease. After an introduction to basic ethical theory and legal principles, the focus of the module will be on exploring ways in which, by applying theoretical considerations to practice, ethical and legal issues can be critically analysed and addressed.

The module aims to provide student with the knowledge and understanding of the principles of carcinogenesis, malignancy and metastasis. They will learn cellular pathology to the diagnosis and management of a range of common cancers. They will apply cellular pathology techniques in cancer and gain experience of interpreting results from patient investigations.

The module aims to provide students with the tools required to design effective and efficient experiments and to test scientific hypotheses. The module will also equip students with the tools necessary for statistical analysis in a hypothesis testing context.

This module will provide the student with knowledge and understanding of the role and application of genetics testing in the diagnosis and management of patients with genetic disorders and the implications to other family members.

The module aims to provide students with current theories and approaches to leadership and management in order they can bring about effect positive change in the team or organisation that they lead or manage.

This module aims is to provide the student with the knowledge and understanding of the cellular structure and function of the major organs and the cellular pathological findings in a range of clinical disorders other than cancer. An additional aim is to provide knowledge on the techniques that can be apply to investigation a range of clinical disorders and gain experience of interpreting results from patient investigations.

This module aims is to provide the student with the knowledge and understanding of the pathological basis of disease and the use of histopathology and cytopathology to detect and diagnose disease.

Module aims to develop students' skills in planning and execution of an analytical, laboratory-based study and critical evaluation of real research results drawing on their acquired knowledge from other modules. In addition, the module aims to develop students' communication skills to enable them to communicate their findings in written and oral form.

To find out more about this course, please download the MSc Biomedical Science Specialisms (PDF).

Register your interest

Teaching

The course is delivered by our academics and industry partners in person and via digital platforms. Our learning activities include lectures, presentations, seminars, webinars, one-to-one tutorials and group projects. You will work in workshops or labs when possible. You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience.

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Teaching vs independent study

In a typical year, you’ll spend about 1200 hours on your course.

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework and presentations.

Typical weekly breakdown

A typical week looks like this:

Learning	Hours per week
On-campus	9
Online	4
Independent study	40

For placement, there may be additional hours.

Learning terms

On-campus or online: This includes tutor-led sessions such as seminars, lab sessions and demonstrations as well as student-led sessions for work in small groups. Most of teaching will be conducted in campus, but a small percentage of teaching will be online live streaming due to unexpected circumstances

Independent study: This is the work you do in your own time including reading and research.

Part-time study

You can also study this course part-time.

Our Hendon campus, north London.

We have a strong support network online and on campus to help you develop your academic skills. We offer one-to-one and group sessions to develop your learning skills together with academic support from our library, IT teams and learning experts.

There are no exams but your coursework will include your research project and dissertation and you will be assessed through presentations and written assignments. Other work including essays, laboratory reports and logbooks, data analysis exercises, case study assignments, and papers made up of a literature review, hypothesis and research question will be assessed.

For your dissertation, you'll design, conduct, evaluate and present the results of your own independent and original research project in a clinical or laboratory setting. You can base your project at your workplace if you’re in relevant employment. You will present your finding through a 12,000 to 15,000 word report and a presentation to your tutors and fellow students.

You'll evaluate your work, skills and knowledge and identify areas for improvement. Sometimes you'll work in groups and assess each other's progress.

Each term, you'll get regular feedback on your learning.

Four students walking through the Hendon campus

North London campus

Our north London campus is 23 minutes away by underground train, travelling from London Kings Cross.

Learn more

A female student looking through a telescope — The Bioscience Lab

A man working with scientific equipment in a lab — The Bioengineering and Medical Lab

A student looking at a telescope in a lab — Cell Culture Lab

The Cell and Tissue Culture facility is essential to cancer, reproductive and stem cell research.

Facilities

Specialist labs

Learn within the University's cutting-edge laboratories, which include:

A well-equipped cell culture facility and histology lab
Fully equipped proteomics facilities.

Bioscience Suite

Our bioscience suite is equipped with an incredible range of equipment with which you can analyse environmental samples.

Facilities include fluorescence microscopes to examine biological samples. You will also have access to microbiological and molecular equipment, affording a broad range of analytical capabilities.

Cell and Tissue Culture Lab

Our dedicated Cell and Tissue Culture Lab is focused on the culture of mammalian cell lines. The laboratory's outstanding facilities include:

Biological safety cabinets for the sterile handling of cells
Four phase-contrast microscopes
Several atmosphere-controlled incubators for growing cells.

You can use the lab to discover new biomarkers which can be used to detect disease, as well as in vitro models to determine the efficacy of many potential treatments for disease.

This facility is essential to cancer, reproductive, stem cell and nano-pharmaceutics research at Middlesex.

The Sheppard Library

Our library is open 24 hours a day during the term and includes:

Over 1,000 study areas with rooms for group study and over 600 computer spaces
350,000 books and e-books and more than 24,000 online journals
Free laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Neurodiversity team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries. We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

Careers

How can the MSc Biomedical Science (Cellular Pathology) support your career?

Biomedical Science represents the second-largest profession registered by the Health Professions Council and there is a high demand for well-qualified graduates. Our university's postgraduate courses have been recognised for their ability to support your career.

95% of our postgraduate students go on to work or further study – Graduate Outcomes, 2022.

Career paths

Some of our graduates have gone on to work in management, consultancy, lab supervision, or international roles within hospitals, schools and universities. Many graduates go on to become cellular pathologists, biomedical scientists working alongside doctors, analysing patients’ samples to produce often urgent results, and advising on treatment.

Alternatively, you could work in a medical or pharmaceutical research lab, developing new techniques for diagnosing and treating diseases. There are also opportunities in diagnostic laboratories within both the public and private sectors.

If you're currently working in cellular pathology, this MSc will help you progress to a more senior position. You might also wish to explore your options in research or academia, or even complete further study at a doctoral level.

There are many opportunities available in a variety of sectors including academia, education, biotechnology, and even areas like patent law, forensic science and science journalism. Biomedical scientists also work with Public Health England, the Medical Research Council and the Health and Safety Executive.

MDXWorks

MDXworks, our employability service, will help you make the most of your experience and connections to achieve your career goals. You'll have unlimited access to one-to-one advice and support from specialists in your sector plus 24/7 online support. You can also make the most of events and networking opportunities, on and off campus.

Global alumni network

You’ll be studying with students from 122 countries who’ll become part of your personal global network. You'll learn how to work with a global mindset and make invaluable connections on your course for your chosen industry.

Entry requirements

Qualifications

We welcome your application regardless of your background or experience.

For this course, ideally, we are looking for:

A 2:2 honours degree or above in a related subject.

If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements.

We welcome students from the UK, EU and all over the world. Join students from over 122 countries and discover why so many international students call our campus home:

Quality teaching with top facilities plus flexible online learning
Welcoming north London campus that's only 30 minutes from central London
Work placements and networking with top London employers
Career support to get you where you want to go after university.

Qualifications

Here are the qualifications relevant for this course:

A 2:2 honours degree or above.

If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements.

English language

You'll need good English language skills to study with us. Find out more about our English language requirements.