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Duration

One year, full time

Application Deadline

1 July 2022

Location

St George's, University of London

Biomedical scientists work at the cutting edge of research and medicine, helping to solve some of the most threatening diseases and conditions facing mankind.

St George’s has enjoyed an outstanding track record of research and innovation in infectious disease ever since the ‘father of vaccinology’ Edward Jenner, based here, created the world’s first vaccine (against smallpox). More recently, our research has included a focus on tuberculosis, malaria, HIV in low and middle-income countries and Covid-19.

We offer four pathways in Biomedical Science – in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Infection and Immunity, Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer, and Reproduction and Development. Originally established in 2007, they have been growing in strength and reputation ever since, and provide excellent preparation for either a PhD and research within an academic or industrial setting, or a career in the biomedical and medical sector.

This specialist pathway – one of few of its kind in the UK – focuses on the science behind reproduction, embryo formation and fetal development. Studying the interplay between genes and physiology during these processes and the complications that can arise, your research will seek solutions to improve fertility, and identify, treat or manage birth defects.

Read more information about our courses and university services terms and conditions.

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Course overview

The key to life, reproduction is a fascinating, complex process that does not always go to plan. According to NHS, around one in seven couples have difficulty conceiving, while one in eight pregnancies will end in miscarriage. Each year in England, one in 47 babies is born with a congenital anomaly – anything from cleft palate or limb defect to heart conditions or spina bifida.

This MREs in Biomedical Science (Reproduction and Development) will give you an insight into how improved understanding of the cellular processes involved in reproduction and early development can help scientists to design strategies to aid fertility and treat or manage defects in development, both pre-conception and within the womb.

We offer four specialist postgraduate pathways in Biomedical Science – in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Infection and Immunity, Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer, and Reproduction and Development.

Core modules, common to each pathway, provide advanced training in the practice of biomedical research across a broad range of laboratory and computer-based biomedical science, while the specialist module prepares you to conduct high-calibre in-depth research in your chosen research field.

Unlike many other courses, our Research Project offers a chance to spend up to nine months working as part of an active research team. This may provide an opportunity to work with clinical staff on our hospital sites. For example, one past research project studied first trimester placenta cells to identify future indicators of pre-eclampsia, while another analysed the mutation of gonadal genes which to provide new insight into what causes a failure to initiate or complete puberty naturally.

The course provides excellent preparation for PhD study, which around a fifth of our students complete here at St George’s or elsewhere, and this can lead to a research career within academia or industry. Alternatively, on completion, you could pursue a career in the biomedical and medical sector in roles where some research background is required but not necessarily at PhD level. This may include job opportunities as research support staff, technicians, medical laboratory assistants, specialist services provision, equipment operators and laboratory management.

St George’s University of London is the UK’s only university dedicated to medical and health sciences education, training and research. We share our site with a major London teaching hospital which is both on the clinical frontline for a diverse local community and a centre of excellence for specialist conditions. You’ll study in a clinical setting with like-minded individuals, mixing with the many different healthcare professionals you will go on to work alongside throughout your career.

Course highlights

Established in 1752, St George’s, University of London is the UK’s specialist health university, and we are the only UK university to share our campus with a major teaching hospital, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which is both on the clinical frontline for a diverse local community and a centre of excellence for specialist conditions.

When you study this course with us you will have:

  • access to specialist expertise in clinical, epidemiological and laboratory research within both the University and the hospital

  • the opportunity to spend up to 9 months on a research project working directly alongside high-calibre leading researchers, respected within their fields

  • access to a dedicated Image Resource Facility which features a range of imaging analysis options to enable you to image histology samples, cells and molecules of all varieties, and model organisms using light, fluorescent and  electron microscopy systems

  • access to excellent biomedical research facilities to help you develop strong research knowledge and skills, including tissue culture, handling of clinical specimen, flow cytometry, gene cloning and protein techniques, microbiological techniques and animal experimentation, among many others

  • the chance to learn numerous, valuable transferrable skills including critical appraisal, problem-solving, research techniques, accessing technology for fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF), utilising large data, numeracy, and presenting skills.

Want to know more?

Find out more about postgraduate study at St George’s, University of London by clicking the button below to receive our free intro email series.

To be considered for this course, you will need to:

  • meet the entry criteria

  • write a personal statement

  • provide 2 suitable references.

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Undergraduate degree or equivalent

You should have or be expected to achieve, a minimum of a second class degree (2:2). For healthcare graduates, a pass is required. All degrees must be awarded before 1st August on the year of entry.

We welcome applications from individuals from a range of backgrounds, including humanities, science and healthcare.

We may invite you to interview if are unable to make a decision directly from your application. If you are invited for an interview you will be asked to write a short paper (no more than half a page) on a subject associated with biomedical research.

Alternative professional qualifications, or previous related experience, may be considered and we encourage you to apply.

International qualifications

We accept equivalent qualifications gained in other countries and use UKNARIC to assess.

Please see our International Student Support pages for more information.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at study@sgul.ac.uk

English language requirements

For details on English Language requirements, please see here.

This is a Group 2 course.

Personal statement and references

You will be asked to outline your reasons for applying for the course in a brief personal statement on the application form.

You will also need to provide two satisfactory references

Go to the ‘Apply’ tab for more information.

Event

Virtual postgraduate open evening

Join us for this virtual event to showcase the postgraduate experience at St George's, University of London.

05 May 2022

The MRes is made up of 180 credits. All modules are compulsory and have been designed to equip you with essential skills and knowledge to conduct high quality biomedical science research and gain a detailed insight into your chosen specialism.

St George’s gives you the opportunity to undertake a nine-month research project in your chosen specialism. This will give you time to immerse yourself in detailed research, generating high quality data that could be impactful enough for publication and has led to many exciting discoveries and important breakthroughs.

This pathway takes advantage of the active research taking place within St George’s Cell Biology and Genetics Research Centre. Our researchers employ a wide range of approaches in vitro and in vivo to gain a mechanistic understanding of cellular processes, diseases and factors that occur during preconception and in utero development. You will learn not only to investigate the many causes of reproductive decisions, pregnancy outcomes and child health, and their impact, but also how to develop new clinical innovations to improve the outcomes at each stage.

Core modules

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Research methods (15 credits)

This module looks at a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research study designs and approaches, their advantages and disadvantages. We focus on good research practice, designing studies using tools and approaches to minimise bias and maximise scientific rigour. 

Statistics (15 credits)

You are introduced to modern statistical techniques and methods so that you can analyse quantitative data and make inferences from the results when undertaking your research project. Emphasis is placed on the language and logic of statistical investigation, and not on formulae or calculations, building your confidence in interpreting and discussing the methods and statistics in biomedical, healthcare and clinical research and literature.

Research project planning and management (15 credits)

This module prepares you for conducting and managing a research project and includes ethical, legal, safety and time management aspects of research. You will learn how to identify and appropriately address any ethical and legal issues in your project, as well as safety issues when working with hazardous substances, organisms or equipment. This will also include lectures on writing up scientific work.

Reproduction and development (30 credits)

This pathway module begins exploring the science of reproduction and covers various aspects of women’s health, including normal sexual differentiation, endocrine disorders, hormonal control of fertility, pregnancy and contraception. It covers embryonic development and disease with an emphasis on molecular mechanisms and human congenital disorders.

You will be introduced to experimental techniques, terminology, model organisms and the use of transgenic mouse technology. The module will also provide you with insight into how new sequencing technologies and ‘omics’ methodologies are helping to decipher the cellular mechanisms involved in reproduction and development. 

While studying this module, you will learn how to appraise and critically evaluate scientific papers, through a series of journal club sessions and presentations. Appraisal of scientific literature is essential in guiding your own research strategies and objectives, as well as peer reviewing other researchers’ works in your specialist area, for example, reviewing manuscripts submitted for publication in scientific journals.

Research project (105 credits)

This is the main module of our MRes course. Dissertation projects will involve the assembly, analysis and interpretation of substantial research data, primarily lab generated, although some projects may involve metanalyses of theoretical data. You will have the freedom to choose from a wide-ranging list of projects, and to work in a vibrant research environment with world-renowned researchers. You will also work with their research teams, PhD students and postdoctoral scientists to gain insight and experience over the course of your project.

At St George’s, you will benefit from working as part of a small, close-knit team. Students, clinicians and researchers work happily and effectively together, and you will be welcomed into our small specialist research community, with all the advantages that brings for personal input and development.

During the first term you will meet potential supervisors to familiarise yourself with the research activity within each pathway and to identify an appropriate project. Project titles and areas for research will be identified by module leaders and will relate to the pathway selected. Broadly speaking, your topic should be within the fields of biomedical sciences, healthcare, or health services and use appropriate scientific methods. You will choose your research project and start with laboratory work from mid-October, completing your research by the following August.

Teaching for core modules is concentrated in the autumn term, while teaching for specialist modules takes place over the year. Throughout this time, you will either be attending lectures or laboratory sessions on most days of the week.

Teaching is delivered through a variety of methods, such as lectures, course-specific seminars and small group sessions. You will also participate in self-directed study and wider reading, as well as individual and group practical sessions. The self-directed component of your course includes the in-depth study of an area of interest, developing research and presentation skills, and gaining insight into possible careers.

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Our expertise

For over two centuries, St George’s has been at the forefront of developing new and innovative solutions to enhance the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease. We enjoy a global reputation as experts in population health, infection and immunity, and molecular and clinical sciences thanks to our four world-class research institutes – Molecular and Clinical Science, Population Health Research, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education and Infection and Immunity.

In recent months, clinicians and researchers from across the University and Hospital have been leading urgent public health studies and trials into Covid-19 as part of the Oxford Vaccine trial and testing different treatments as part of the national recovery trial. St George’s is also leading on studies to develop rapid antibody tests for the disease and understand whether pregnant mothers can pass coronavirus onto their babies in the womb.

Our leading researchers in reproduction and foetal development include Dr Suman Rice, a council member for the Society for Reproduction and Fertility (SRF), one of the principal scientific societies specialising in reproductive biology both within the UK and internationally. Her research concentrates on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and dysfunctional ovarian follicle growth, with its resultant fertility issues. PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder affecting five to 10% of women of reproductive age.

Assessment methods

Assessments are designed to help you with preparation for your dissertation. They help you review published work critically, use appropriate experimental design, and analyse experimental data. They also enable you to develop scientific writing and presentation skills.

All modules are assessed through written assignments or an oral presentation, with the exception of the statistics module which is assessed via examination. Following the research project, you will be asked to present a poster on your research.

If you want to pursue a career in biomedical research – whether in academia, industry or government – our course provides a solid foundation which can accelerate your career. On completion, you will be equipped with practical research-based training and skills to plan, conduct, publish and obtain funding for successful research, all vital for career progression.

The depth and quality of the academic research that you will undertake on your nine-month project will provide you with significant research skills and experience, putting you in a good position to apply for a PhD, which many of our students choose to do.

Transferrable skills in critical thinking, communication skills, time management, planning and logistics and data analysis make you well-equipped for a wide range of careers outside the lab, such as medical writing, biomedical marketing, health communication or teaching.

Many St George’s graduates have gone on to work in a variety of exciting and fulfilling careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnical Industries. They have found work with contract research organisations like Immunocore company in Cambridge and academic institutions, such as Imperial College London, the University of Birmingham and here at St George’s. Roughly one in 10 go on to apply for graduate entry medicine.

If you are interested in a career as a biomedical/healthcare scientist in the NHS, you can undertake the NHS Scientist Training Programme following graduation.

Careers support for alumni

Graduates from St George’s have access to support from the careers service for two years after graduation.

Facilities

St George’s is the only UK university based on a hospital site, St George’s Hospital, which is where the Channel 4 television series 24 hours in A&E is filmed. We offer a unique opportunity to study and work alongside the full range of clinical professionals and their patients. Based in the thriving multi-cultural hub of Tooting in South West London, our location has the added advantage of being just a short tube ride from Central London and all the city lifestyle has to offer.

We also have a range of specialist health and academic facilities to support your learning, listed below. 

Laboratories

Our teaching laboratories are fully fitted with equipment for biological, chemistry, biomedical, molecular biology and pharmacy practicals. This includes microscopes, spectrophotometers, DMA amplifiers, organ baths and specialist glassware. We also have audio visual equipment installed, so that microscope images can be projected on to large screens. Furthermore, the students will have on their disposal tissue culture facilities, flow cytometry, use of pathogen containment facilities and well animal research facilities.

Image Resource Facility (IRF)

First established in 1979, the IRF has developed to encompass Light Microscopy, Electron Microscopy, and sample preparation for both, all housed in a single department providing a range of imaging analysis options and the expertise to compliment them. Users of the IRF have the ability to image histology samples, cells and molecules of all varieties, and model organisms such as zebrafish using any of the light microscope, slide scanning, or electron microscope systems we maintain, supported by experienced staff at all stages of analysis.

Dissection room

The dissection room is where present and future healthcare professionals and scientists in the hospital and University learn or refresh their anatomy knowledge directly from the human body, through access to cadaveric material and models, and plastinated (preserved) specimens.

Pathology museum

Our on-site museum houses a collection of over 2,000 pathological specimens, including a number of original specimens donated by Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie in 1843. This space is used for small group tutorials by students across all of our courses as an educational tool to help you understand the mechanisms of disease.

Library and learning technology

Our modern health sciences library offers a wide range of books, e-books, academic journals and other resources to support you. You will also have access to online resources, such as the Canvas virtual learning environment

and our Hunter discovery service to help you find the information you need. The library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and comprises silent, quiet and group learning areas, as well as four group discussion rooms.

IT facilities

We have five computer suites housing 260 workstations. Three of these suites are accessible 24 hours a day. It’s easy to find a free space with our handy real-time computer locator. We also have 75 self-service laptops available. Free Wi-Fi covers the whole campus, including all accommodation. You can use these resources to access your course materials, discussion boards and feedback through Canvas.

Student support

Whether you are an existing healthcare professional, returning to education after a break or joining us after graduating from an undergraduate degree, we want to ensure your experience is positive from the outset. At St George’s, you’ll be welcomed by a multicultural student and staff body of different ages, ethnicities, nationalities and backgrounds, all with one thing in common – an interest in healthcare, science and medicine.

Students frequently tell us they greatly appreciate the diversity of our student and staff body, as well as the patients who access healthcare services in the borough of Tooting. The University attracts a substantial number – over two-thirds – of ‘mature’ students, aged 21 or over when they start; many have family and caring responsibilities.

We offer a full range of academic support and student services across all institutes, departments and faculties, some of which are listed below. We take pride in offering a transformative educational experience underpinned by cooperation and collaboration between staff and students.

Personal academic tutor

On arrival, you will be allocated a personal tutor – someone with whom you can have regular contact, who you ask questions and discuss problems with, both academic and personal. The main purpose of a personal tutor is to monitor your progress, pick up and help you resolve any problems, whether academic or welfare related. Even if they don’t have the answer they will point you in the right direction towards the best people to deal with specific problems.

Induction programme

The main goal of induction is to make sure that you are set up for your studies and start to feel part of the University and our community. As well as course-specific activities, we run an online ‘Get Started’ module which provides lots of information about social and enrichment activities, student safety, wellbeing and learning support, including study skills, a library induction and guidance about our careers and employability services. Additional information is provided for international students.

Academic staff support

You’ll have access to your lecturers, usually by arrangement via email.

Student Life Centre

Our Student Centre team can help you with every aspect of student life: finances, accommodation, exams and assessment, academic procedures, admissions, international queries, disability and wellbeing, even finding your way around – whatever it takes to make you feel at home. Each course has a designated contact within the student centre to link to and your personal tutor can signpost you to relevant support, including a confidential counselling service.

Careers service

Our careers service works to support current students and recent graduates to find and maintain the career of their dreams. We work with careers tutors from each course area to ensure that careers activities specific to your programmes and future profession come to you.

How to apply

Before beginning your application please check the entry criteria of the course you wish to study to ensure you meet the required standards.

Applications must be submitted through our online application system, which you can access below. 

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Access our online application system

  1.   Click the application link and create an account: Biomedical Science MRes - Reproduction and Development

  2. Once you've created an account, you will then be able to complete an application form and upload any relevant documents. You can save a partly completed form and return to it later. Please make sure you complete all sections. Please make sure that the information you provide is accurate, including the options you select in menus.

  3. Add pgadmissions@sgul.ac.uk to your address book to ensure you do not miss any important emails from us.

  4. When you have checked that your application is complete and accurate, click ‘submit’.

You can track your application through your online account.

Guidance for completing your references

When completing your application, you will be asked to provide contact details of two referees. Please ensure these details are accurate. As soon as you have submitted your application, your referees will be contacted by the university asking them to upload a reference to your online application.

One must be a recent academic reference. The other should be either a second academic reference or a professional/employer reference. They should cover your suitability for the course and your academic ability.

Your referees should know you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. We do not accept references from family, friends, partners, ex-partners or yourself.

We will send reminder emails to your referees but it is your responsibility to ensure that contact details are correct and referees are available to submit a reference. References should be uploaded within two weeks of making your application.

In this tab you will find the financial information for this programme of study, including available financial support and scholarships.

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Funding your study

We have a range of funding opportunities available for students. You may be eligible for the following.

Find out more on our fees and funding webpage.

Tuition fees

2022 UK: £14,000.

2022 International (including EU): £24,500.

Fees are reviewed annually.

Additional costs

The following table gives you an indication of additional costs associated with your course.  These costs are not included in your tuition fees.

Item 

Description

Technology requirements

Find out more about technology requirements associated with online learning.

Postgraduate scholarships

We offer a number of scholarships for outstanding students wishing to study a postgraduate course with us.

Biomedical Science MRes scholarship

St George's currently offer a scholarship for applicants to our Biomedical Science MRes courses.

Details of this scholarship and how to apply are set out below. The deadline for applications is 1 July 2022.

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Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:

  • complete an application for the course, either for full-time or part-time study
  • not already be qualified at Masters level or above (e.g. PhD)
  • be self-funding (courses fully funded by the NHS or students receiving employer or sponsor funding are not eligible)
  • have or be predicted to obtain at least a 2:1.

All eligible candidates will be shortlisted on 1 July 2022 (please note scholarships cannot be deferred to 2023 or later entry)

Applicants with the highest scores across all courses will be considered for the scholarship and may be invited for interview.

Assessment criteria

If you are a Home (UK) or International (EU or non-EU) applicant applying for a taught postgraduate programme which has a scholarship, you will be automatically considered for the scholarship, providing you apply by the deadline (1 July 2022).

You do not need to submit an additional application form. However, you may be asked to attend a physical or virtual interview.

Successful candidates will be those whom the Scholarship Committee consider will make a positive contribution to the academic environment at St George's and achieve the highest scores.

Your application will be scored based on:

  • your degree classification
  • your personal statement
  • your interview
  • your references.

Value of the scholarship

The scholarship covers the tuition fee cost at the Home (UK) rate.

Candidates who qualify as international students will be considered, with the view of meeting the cost difference between the Home (UK) and International (EU and Overseas) rates.

The scholarships are paid towards the course fees via an internal transfer within the university.

Our priority is to keep our students and staff safe and support their wellbeing, while protecting our community from the risks of Covid-19 on our site, based inside a hospital. We have listened to feedback and preferences from our student community about St George’s as a place to study. 

We won’t be making any significant changes to the content of our programmes, but there will be some changes to the way they are delivered. Please see below for further details of how this may affect this course. 

If government advice changes, we may need to update our plans, but our approach is designed to make it possible to continue with much of the on-campus teaching planned. If we do need to make changes, we will update this information, and will keep current students and offer holders informed by email.

We will also continue to update our frequently asked questions page for applicants and offer holders and current students as more information becomes available.

Course content

We are not making any significant changes to the content of the Biomedical Science MRes programme.

There is a possibility that government advice on social distancing may change in the future and this may restrict access to the campus. Even if this were to be the case, we expect to be able to continue to deliver the core modules of the programme, while the project module may be altered to include more theoretical analysis and less laboratory-generated data.

Supporting vulnerable students

Students considered to be most at risk from Covid-19 should work at home wherever possible in line with government advice. Students who are going on placement will be required to complete an individual risk assessment and others may choose to do so. In addition, students from vulnerable groups, including care leavers, students estranged from their families and students with disabilities, are prioritised for help from the University’s Hardship Funds and for accommodation in Horton Halls. Priority for loans of laptops from the University will be given to those eligible to receive a hardship grant; those registered as disabled, care leavers or with caring responsibilities; and international students who may have difficulty sourcing an appropriate device on arrival in the UK.

We recognise the impact that the current circumstances may have on mental health and have expanded our counselling provision, offering remote appointments to any student. In addition, every student will be allocated a personal tutor to offer individual pastoral and academic support from the start of their studies. (Further information about health and wellbeing advice during Covid-19 is available here.)

Priority consideration has been given to support for students with disabilities when accessing teaching and learning online, through the provision of automatic live captioning and British Sign Language within our primary technologies of Panopto, MS Teams and Big Blue Button. These can benefit a range of students, especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as students with an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), memory processing issues, and for whom English is an additional language.

Human-level captioning is also available where a need has been established through the Disability Advisory team. Human-level captioning requests are processed by the Learning Technology Services (LTS) section and can be requested by email to lts@sgul.ac.uk.  

How the course will be delivered

The existing learning outcomes for our modules and courses will remain in place. From September to December 2020 all students will primarily access their learning, including learning materials, via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Canvas. Hands-on practical teaching and learning activities will be delivered on campus with appropriate social distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE) measures put in place, and with controls on the number of people in each location.

The online components of the course will be designed to balance interactive real-time sessions with lecturers and other students, with self-paced independent study. Students will have clear learning pathways through the activities they are expected to engage with, and there will be opportunities to check learning and progress.

Personal tutor support and all other student support, such as the Academic Success Centre, will also be online for this period, using a range of methods for staying in touch, such as telephone, email and the University’s web conferencing systems BigBlueButton and MSTeams.  

Pending Health Education England (HEE) approval, placements are currently expected to resume from September 2020 with minimum changes to planned delivery or timings. All students on placement will be expected to undertake a risk assessment and adhere to local Trust working patterns and guidance.   

To get the most from online study, hardware requirements have been established and communicated to all existing students and offer holders. Students will need their own personal computer or laptop and an internet connection in their place of accommodation. This needs to be in place at the start of the course. Once enrolled, students will have the ability to use Office 365 as part of our institutional licence, and access software required for their modules/courses via AppsAnywhere. In addition, we offer Office for Mac via Ofice365, but only the following applications are available for Mac: Teams, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote. Web-based Office applications are available on Mac. Full details are available here. There is a provision for students who may struggle to meet the hardware requirements to contact our IT Hardship team.

Risk assessment

Students with pre-existing illnesses or disabilities, or who are shielding

If you suffer, or have suffered, from a serious illness (physical or psychological) or have a disability, or have been required to shield due to Covid-19, please let us know. St George’s is committed to supporting our students and will explore all reasonable adjustments to support you to thrive on your course.

Please contact our Disability Advisor as soon as possible with details to help us establish whether your health history or disability is likely to affect your ability to study or practise. This will also give us sufficient time to carry out a detailed assessment, obtain reports and organise additional expert assessments if required.

Attendance at site

Most of our courses include elements of teaching for which you will be required to attend the University site. Attendance at these sessions will be essential to enable you to engage with the course and undertake assessments.

Placements

You will be required to undertake a personal risk assessment before you can attend any placement that is part of your course (or undertake certain other activities, such as those which include the practice of clinical skills or require the use of PPE). Where a health concern arises, every effort will be made to identify alternative placement arrangements, but your health and safety will be the first priority, and alternative arrangements may not be possible. This may have implications for the continuation of your study. If you are clinically vulnerable or have been shielding, we strongly encourage you to contact the Disability Advisor now to undertake an assessment.

Course length

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Incoming students (starting September 2020)

 

 

At this stage, we expect to deliver the course within the planned timescales to enable students to complete the course within one academic year.

Although some assessments are designed to be taken on-site, we have developed an alternative strategy to enable students to complete assessments remotely without coming on to campus.

This programme does include a research project module which requires students to spend 6–9 months in a laboratory. Research projects can start as late as the beginning of January, and these will be run as planned in 2020/21 with appropriate social distancing measures in place.

There is a possibility that government advice on social distancing may change. If that is the case, we will endeavour to delay the start of the project and will grant students the necessary extensions to complete their programme. Alternatively, we will allow students to choose to switch from a laboratory-based project to theoretical analysis, enabling them to complete the course on time.

Current students

The current cohort of Biomedical Science MRes students were required to pause their research projects from 25 March to 20 June 2020, while all other teaching and assessments moved online. During the interruption, students were offered a choice to either return to their research projects when Covid-19 measures allowed, or to convert to theoretical projects without the need to return to the laboratory. All students were offered extensions to adjust to these changes and both options were taken. As a result, the converting students will graduate within the original course timelines, while the students who chose to complete their projects will graduate three months later.

We will continue to offer research projects that enable students to work with professional research groups tackling real medical and health problems. We expect to offer laboratory-based projects with appropriate social distancing measures in 2020/21.  Our capacity to do so may change if government guidelines change. However, we will strive to ensure that alternative arrangements are in place to enable students to complete on schedule, such as, for example, conversion of their laboratory research project to one based on theoretical analysis.

University response to Covid-19

Find out more about how we are ensuring our campus is safe and what our community can do to protect each other.

Additional costs

We do not expect students to incur any extra costs over and above those that we have advertised on the course page.

As a result of our courses beginning with the majority of teaching online, you will need a personal laptop or computer and access to the internet to participate in online lectures. Information is available on recommended device specification. If you are worried you might struggle to meet these requirements, you should email IThardship@sgul.ac.uk so we can look at support options for you.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided for you if needed.

Assessment methods

We assess the knowledge, skills and attributes of our students in a variety of ways. These include a written formal exam (statistics), written assessments such as essays, practical write-ups, special study reports and the final dissertation, and oral and poster presentations. 

Assessments are carried out between Dec 2020 till Aug 2021. At this stage, we expect to deliver these assessments as planned. Although some assessments are designed to be taken on site, we successfully developed an alternative strategy in 2019/20 to enable students to complete assessments remotely without coming on to campus. For example, oral presentations were delivered remotely using the Microsoft Teams platform. If the government advice on social distancing changes, we will take this approach again.

Award

The MRes Biomedical Science programme is not accredited and so the changes that we are making will have no bearing on the qualification.

Location of study

All face-to-face teaching will take place at St George’s, University of London, on the campus that we share with St George’s Hospital in Tooting, with appropriate social distancing measures in place. We have not explored alternative locations for teaching and have no immediate plans to do so. If government advice on social distancing changes, we will consider ways in which we can deliver teaching on site in a manner that is safe for students and staff.

Consenting to these changes

The changes that we are making are the consequence of current public health advice, and our capacity to offer alternatives is limited by that advice. If you wish to avoid these changes by deferring your offer please contact admissions@sgul.ac.uk.

Apply now

Duration

One year, full time

Application Deadline

1 July 2022

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Page last updated 12/05/2022 11:41 AM

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