MSc Medical Microbiology (Research)
- Programme director
- Dany Beste
- Programme length
- Full-time: 24 months
- Programme start date
- February 2013, September 2013, February 2014
This full time programme combines the part-time MSc with a substantial research project.
Programme overview
This full-time programme combines the part-time taught MSc with a substantial research project. The combination of taught programme and research provides an ideal starting point for a PhD programme, especially for candidates who need a more structured platform for their research degree.
Applicants select a preferred relevant research topic within the Faculty. The programme is designed to be completed in two years. With satisfactory progress and the Board of Examiners’ agreement, students may be allowed to submit their project reports as transfer documents and undergo viva voce examination. Successful completion will allow transfer to a PhD programme. Students will then continue their research which may be submitted for a PhD after a minimum of one further year.
This is usually offered to exceptional candidates. However, others may complete their MSc and be allowed to register for a further two years to obtain a PhD. It involves intensive laboratory training with a demanding taught programme based on our part-time degree, which is one of the longest running and most successful programmes in its field.
Entry requirements
Applicants should usually possess at least a 2.2 honours degree in a relevant subject from an approved university.
Other applications may be considered, depending on the length and quality of their experience, published works and recommendations from employers. Such candidates may be required to complete a qualifying assessment.
Selection is based upon candidate application, references and informal interview. In special circumstances, candidates may be set a work assessment prior to being offered a place on the programme.
English language requirements
IELTS minimum overall: 7.0
IELTS minimum by component:
6.5
Fees and funding
All fees are subject to increase or review for subsequent academic years. Please note that not all visa routes permit part-time study and overseas students entering the UK on a Tier 4 visa will not be permitted to study on a part-time basis.
| Programme name | Study mode | Start date | UK/EU fees | Overseas fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Medical Microbiology (Research) | Full-time | Feb 2013 | £9,210 | £17,585 |
| MSc Medical Microbiology (Research) | Full-time | Sep 2013 | £9,210 | £17,585 |
| MSc Medical Microbiology (Research) | Full-time | Feb 2014 | £9,210 | £17,585 |
Funding
Students are usually sponsored by their employers for the duration of the programme, or are self-funded.
Programme content
Module Overview
The taught programme consists of the following modules, which run in a two-year cycle. Each module is worth 15 credits.
Compulsory Modules
Viral Infections
This module covers the aetiology, clinical features, laboratory diagnosis, pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of viral diseases.
Bacterial, Protozoal and Fungal Pathogens 1
This module covers the aetiology, clinical features and pathogenesis of bacterial protozoal and fungal diseases.
Bacterial, Protozoal and Fungal Pathogens 2: Diagnosis and Treatment
This module covers the laboratory diagnosis, epidemiology and control of bacterial diseases. The two Bacterial, Protozoal and Fungal Pathogens modules and the Viral Infections module aim to consolidate and expand your prior basic knowledge and form the core of medical microbiology.
Immunology and Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease 1 and 2
These modules give you a broad, basic understanding of the cellular and biochemical mechanisms involved in protecting the host from disease. The modules highlight the roles of immunology and the infecting microorganism in the generation of pathological changes accompanying infectious disease. The modules involve a mixture of lectures and practical exercises.
Microbial Genetics and Molecular Biology
This module consolidates prior basic knowledge of microbial genetics, and considers further those aspects especially relevant to medical microbiology. The module involves a mixture of lectures and practical exercises.
Epidemiology: Disease Control and Public Health
This module examines the strategies used in controlling infectious diseases, the basic methods used in epidemiology and the factors affecting disease spread. The module includes an introduction to the microbial ecology of food and water, the effects of processing/treatment and the practical measures taken to ensure a safe and wholesome supply.
Management and Laboratory Skills
This module is an introduction to aspects of management (presentation skills, team-building, problem-solving, and so on) and the skills required for research management, including the principles of laboratory safety.
Research project
All students aiming for the MSc qualification undertake a research project and submit a dissertation. Students will do their project in one of the Faculty’s research laboratories.
The project carries 60 credits for the full-time programme.
Who is the programme for?
This two-year full-time, enhanced MSc/PhD in Medical Microbiology (Research) is designed for theoretical and practical training in medical microbiology and its allied fields.
The programme provides more extensive research training than one-year, full-time MSc programmes. You will spend four days per week pursuing a research project in internationally recognised laboratories and receive a full, taught MSc programme from leading experts in the field of medical microbiology and its associated disciplines.
The full-time programme is especially suitable for overseas students who are contemplating a PhD, and for whom the combination of a full-scale research project with a structured taught programme is particularly advantageous.
Awards
Students on the full-time programme who have successfully pursued a research project and achieved an appropriate standard throughout the duration of the taught programme may be permitted to transfer their registration and, in a minimum of one further year, obtain a PhD. Thus, the awards offered by this programme, and the minimum periods of registration, are:
- Enhanced MSc: 2 years
- PhD: 2 years + 1 year
- MSc and PhD: 2 years + 2 years
In addition, Postgraduate Certificates are available.
Short courses
- All our lecture modules are offered as stand-alone short courses and are accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences for the purposes of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- All our lecture modules are offered as stand-alone short courses
- Each module lasts for around six weeks, with the lectures taking place on Wednesdays throughout the academic year
- Individuals wishing only to attend the lectures may do so; alternatively, you may decide to take the assessment and acquire credits which may contribute to a postgraduate qualification, either at the University of Surrey or elsewhere
- You may take up to three modules as stand-alone courses before registering retrospectively for the MSc and counting the accumulated credits towards your degree
The fee structure for short courses is different to that for registered students and details may be obtained upon enquiry to the programme administrator. Also contact the programme administrator for information regarding the timing of each module:
T: +44 (0)1483 689 733
E: fhms-pg1@surrey.ac.uk
Length of study
The master’s programme is designed to be completed in two years. You may start in October or February in any year. The normal programme duration is 24 months but where appropriate extensions have been allowed. An MSc may be awarded up to 48 months from initial registration.
Students registered for the full-time programme may complete their master’s programme in two years and may be allowed to continue for a minimum of two further years to obtain a PhD. Alternatively (subject to satisfactory progress) you may apply for transfer to PhD registration before completing your MSc, when a minimum of one year of further research will be required.
Programme structure
The programme consists of six taught modules totalling 90 credits, and a research project. These include five compulsory modules and one chosen by the student.
Students attend lectures on Wednesdays and join a research group at the University to receive their practical and research training within our research laboratories.
Assessment
Each taught module will be assessed by examination and/or coursework. This may take the form of essays, data manipulation and analysis, practical reports or multiple choice questions.
Programme objectives
The full-time Medical Microbiology (Research) programme leads to the award of Master of Science.
The programme of study has been designed to increase your understanding and the development of critical and analytical skills, such that you may identify problems, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, acquire and interpret data, and draw conclusions.
Upon successful completion of the programme, you will have a greater depth of knowledge of your chosen subject and will have developed management and research skills which will enhance your professional activities.
Why study Medical Microbiology at the University of Surrey?
- The programmes provide excellent training in medical microbiology
- The part-time programme, Medical Microbiology, provides established graduates working in medical microbiology laboratories (or other comparable laboratories) with an opportunity to enhance their career prospects
- The full-time programme, Medical Microbiology (Research), provides an excellent research training in an internationally renowned group, coupled with a full taught MSc
- The part-time MSc programme is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS); it fulfils one entry criteria for the Higher Specialist Diploma examination and also enables eligible members of the Institute to be recognised as Chartered Scientists
- The programmes offer flexibility in the method of study, allowing you to meet personal and professional commitments
- The University of Surrey has a long tradition as an international university and, whether part-time or full-time, you will have access to all the facilities that such an institution can provide
- The programmes are run within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, which was rated as one of the top research faculties in the country by the latest Research Assessment Exercise
- Staff associated with the programmes have research expertise in the fields of microbial physiology and biochemistry, molecular biology, virology, bacteriology, food microbiology, immunology, toxicology, pathology and epidemiology
- You will be provided with a broad appreciation of subjects such as the biological and pathogenic properties of microorganisms, their role in health and disease, the reactions of the host to infection, and the scientific basis for the detection, control and anti-microbial treatment of infectious diseases
- We engage a range of outside lecturers who are experts in their field to provide an emphasis on recent advances in the areas covered – this ensures that you receive an education from the best clinicians and scientists
- You will be exposed to the most recent developments in microbiology, including the rapidly expanding fields of molecular biology and immunology
Department links
Contact us
For general enquiries
0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 681 681
For admissions enquiries
+44 (0)1483 686 400