MSc — 2025 entry Medical Physics

These lectures describe in detail the principles of radiation detection, measurement and dosimetry.

Lectures provide a detailed and systematic overview of atomic and nuclear physics including basic energetics of radioactive decay. An introduction on interactions of radiation with matter and introductory material describing detector operation.

This course starts with an overview of human biology, followed by a discussion of the nature of the interaction of ionising and non-ionising radiation with biological systems. The course emphasises the effects at the cellular level and the impact that this has on the individual and across the population. The behaviour and effects of ingested and inhaled radionuclides are also covered.

The module will provide students with practical skills and background knowledge needed to work in a clinical setting. It includes two seminars/workshop on research ethics and intellectual property and a set of radiation laboratory experiments.

All students aiming for the MSc degree qualification undertake an MSc dissertation project. Students choose a project either from a list of proposed topics within the University, or in some cases arrangement is made for the project to be undertaken in industrial, research or hospital-based environment. The majority of part-time students arrange to undertake the project in their place of work. Students are assigned a supervisor relating to the project chosen. Students undertaking their project outside of the University are assigned both an internal and an external supervisor. The work is assessed as follows:   Project write-up A write up of no more than 40 pages in total, including title page, brief abstract, text, diagrams and references must be submitted. Supervisors will give guidance on the layout of the project and the first draft of material where appropriate. When referencing in your written work, you should use the Harvard referencing system unless otherwise directed by the Module Co-ordinator. Further information relating to referencing in your work, can be found on the University Library website at http://www.surrey.ac.uk/library/subject/bibref/  

Radiations of various types are widely used for therapeutic purposes. The bulk of hospital physicists work with ionising radiation and hence the topic is fundamental for anyone entering the profession. In this module, an introduction is given to radiotherapy systems, for beam delivery, guidance and dosimetry. Around one-third of the module is then devoted to a number of key uses of non-ionising radiation in delivery of various therapies, with sources based on laser light, uv and high-intensity focused ultrasound.

Ionising radiation is widely used for diagnostic purposes, and multi-modality imaging is now becoming ubiquitous. The majority of hospital physicists work with ionising radiation and hence the topic is fundamental for anyone entering the profession. In this module, an introduction is given to imaging systems and image perception. Detailed lectures then cover X-radiography, X-ray computed tomography, radiopharmaceuticals, nuclear medicine. The lectures will be supported by an assessed nuclear medicine practical and by tutorials in image processing and image registration.

The module is designed to give students knowledge of the basic physics that underpins nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR / MRI) and ultrasound, together with details of common imaging strategies.It delivers material on the basic principles of NMR and medical MRI . It also provides an introduction to ultrasound, a major non-ionising radiation imaging modality, with lectures complemented by three laboratory sessions.

The module is aimed at giving students an understanding of the use of computers in the broader context of medical physics and radiation protection. This will range from the use of Monte Carlo modelling using TOPAS for dosimetry and experimental design, to the use of Python to code simple problems related to image processing and data science. In addition, they will learn the importance of data security and data governance with specific application to a clinical context.

These lectures describe in detail the principles of radiation detection, measurement and dosimetry.

Lectures provide a detailed and systematic overview of atomic and nuclear physics including basic energetics of radioactive decay. An introduction on interactions of radiation with matter and introductory material describing detector operation.

The module will provide students with practical skills and background knowledge needed to work in a clinical setting. It includes two seminars/workshop on research ethics and intellectual property and a set of radiation laboratory experiments.

Ionising radiation is widely used for diagnostic purposes, and multi-modality imaging is now becoming ubiquitous. The majority of hospital physicists work with ionising radiation and hence the topic is fundamental for anyone entering the profession. In this module, an introduction is given to imaging systems and image perception. Detailed lectures then cover X-radiography, X-ray computed tomography, radiopharmaceuticals, nuclear medicine. The lectures will be supported by an assessed nuclear medicine practical and by tutorials in image processing and image registration.

The module is aimed at giving students an understanding of the use of computers in the broader context of medical physics and radiation protection. This will range from the use of Monte Carlo modelling using TOPAS for dosimetry and experimental design, to the use of Python to code simple problems related to image processing and data science. In addition, they will learn the importance of data security and data governance with specific application to a clinical context.

This course starts with an overview of human biology, followed by a discussion of the nature of the interaction of ionising and non-ionising radiation with biological systems. The course emphasises the effects at the cellular level and the impact that this has on the individual and across the population. The behaviour and effects of ingested and inhaled radionuclides are also covered.

The module will provide students with practical skills and background knowledge needed to work in a clinical setting. It includes two seminars/workshop on research ethics and intellectual property and a set of radiation laboratory experiments.

All students aiming for the MSc degree qualification undertake an MSc dissertation project. Students choose a project either from a list of proposed topics within the University, or in some cases arrangement is made for the project to be undertaken in industrial, research or hospital-based environment. The majority of part-time students arrange to undertake the project in their place of work. Students are assigned a supervisor relating to the project chosen. Students undertaking their project outside of the University are assigned both an internal and an external supervisor. The work is assessed as follows:   Project write-up A write up of no more than 40 pages in total, including title page, brief abstract, text, diagrams and references must be submitted. Supervisors will give guidance on the layout of the project and the first draft of material where appropriate. When referencing in your written work, you should use the Harvard referencing system unless otherwise directed by the Module Co-ordinator. Further information relating to referencing in your work, can be found on the University Library website at http://www.surrey.ac.uk/library/subject/bibref/  

Radiations of various types are widely used for therapeutic purposes. The bulk of hospital physicists work with ionising radiation and hence the topic is fundamental for anyone entering the profession. In this module, an introduction is given to radiotherapy systems, for beam delivery, guidance and dosimetry. Around one-third of the module is then devoted to a number of key uses of non-ionising radiation in delivery of various therapies, with sources based on laser light, uv and high-intensity focused ultrasound.

The module is designed to give students knowledge of the basic physics that underpins nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR / MRI) and ultrasound, together with details of common imaging strategies.It delivers material on the basic principles of NMR and medical MRI . It also provides an introduction to ultrasound, a major non-ionising radiation imaging modality, with lectures complemented by three laboratory sessions.