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Duration

One year, part-time

Application Deadline

Overseas fee payers: 1 July | Home fee payers: 19 August

Location

St George's, University of London

Start dates

September 2024

Genomic medicine is a rapidly evolving discipline that is already making an impact in the fields of oncology, pharmacology, cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, infectious disease, and biomedical research in general. The science behind improvements to patients’ clinical care and health outcomes is supporting the development of personalised, or precision medicine, ultimately saving lives.

The Genomic Healthcare PgCert is the perfect fit for professionals such as clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, and midwives who want a patient-centric study experience. It aims to provide complementary knowledge on subjects relevant to healthcare practice that can help your daily work.

This PgCert comprises four mandatory modules that are also offered as standalone modules. You may want to consider the latter option if you are an existing healthcare professional looking to upskill and study on a modular basis towards your Continuous Personal and Professional Development (CPPD). The modules are:

  • An Introduction to Counselling Skills in Genomics
  • Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues in Applied Genomics
  • Fundamentals of Human Genetics and Genomics
  • Genomics of Common and Rare Disease

If you work in the NHS, our modules are available fully funded by NHS England (NHSE) as part of ‘workforce development’ (subject to available commissions). If you are interested in applying for NHSE funding, please liaise with our Course Admissions Tutor Dr Kate Everett-Korn before applying.

Course highlights

  • Taught at St George’s, University of London, institution with world-class research, clinical and teaching expertise across the full spectrum of genomic medicine.
  • You will have the option to upgrade to Genomic Medicine MSc/PgDip in a second consecutive year of study.
  • If you work in the NHS, our modules are available with or without assessment fully funded by NHSE (subject to available commissions).
  • St George's is one of the NHS preferred providers and leading teaching hospitals.
  • St George's has participated in the Genomics England 100,000 Genomes Project to sequence 100,000 whole genomes from around 85,000 NHS patients with rare diseases or cancer, now using expertise to understand critical illness in Covid-19.
  • 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.
  • You will be surrounded by like-minded individuals which helps to build your multidisciplinary understanding and context.

Want to know more?

Find out more about postgraduate study at St George’s, University of London by registering for our introductory email series.

Course structure

The Genomic Healthcare PgCert has been designed based on feedback from our healthcare students. In recent years, a broad range of health professionals have chosen to study with us, including GPs, surgeons, consultants, research nurses, genetic technologists and biomedical scientists.

Our wide range of specialist modules can also be studied individually as part of Continuous Personal and Professional Development (CPPD). If you work in the NHS our modules are available with or without assessment, fully funded by NHS England as part of ‘workforce development’ (subject to available commissions).

Modules

2024/25 Genomic Healthcare PgCert Timetable

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An Introduction to Counselling Skills in Genomics

This module will provide you with an introduction to general communication skills and specific counselling skills used in genomic medicine. Students undertaking this module will be taught how to communicate and provide appropriate support to individuals and their families. Development of counselling skills will be achieved via theoretical and practical sessions through the use of role play within an academic setting. You will understand the importance of a family history and communication of pathogenic and/or uncertain results.

Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Applied Genomics

You will be provided with a platform of ethical understanding from which to consider issues of confidentiality, privacy and disclosure, autonomy, welfare, informed consent and justice. Upon this platform, students will consider the impact of genomic technologies on individual lives and public discourse. The social implications of the availability of genetic testing and screening will be considered, especially in the context of reproductive technologies. Finally, you will be provided with a discussion of legal issues surrounding the use of genetic information as well as the use of genetic data for research, diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Fundamentals of Human Genetics and Genomics

This module will prepare you to understand the role of genetics in disease and how genomic information can be utilised to elucidate disease mechanism and biology. It will cover the structure and variations in the human genomics, including fundamental principles of genetics and genomics. You will review the architecture of the human genome and the functional units embedded in it and will cover aspects of gene regulation and chromatin structure and consider the importance of the epigenome in these processes.  

In addition, this module will cover DNA sequence variation and structural variation; how this sort of variation is normal but that sometimes it can be associated with disease. Classic chromosomal abnormalities will be described and the mechanisms that lead to them explained. You will learn about monogenic and multifactorial genetic disorders and how gene mapping and sequencing can be used to identify causal and contributory variants. In essence, this module covers what the genome is, what abnormalities can arise and how they arise, as well as how they can be detected.

Genomics of Common and Rare Diseases

This module uses examples of both common and rare diseases from across the entire healthcare spectrum to demonstrate the clinical utility of genomic data in the healthcare setting. These will give an insight into how advances in genomic technologies and integration of genomic data into clinical pathways are impacting on the management of patients from the prenatal setting, through paediatrics and into adult medicine and cancer. The module will explore the clinical presentation and genetic architecture of disease, as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of genomic data for a myriad of common and rare inherited conditions using expertise from across St George's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomans' NHS Foundation Trust, St George's, University of London and King's College London.

We will explore a range of approaches used to identify genetic predisposition to common and rare inherited diseases within the context of clinical diagnostics. You will learn how to select patients with unmet diagnostic needs that will benefit from exome, or whole genome, sequencing, and some of the complexities involved in the interpretation of genomic data in the clinical context. We will also discuss the Genomics England, genomic medicine services and data infrastructure.

Entry criteria

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

  • meet the entry criteria
  • write a personal statement
  • provide two suitable references

Undergraduate degree or equivalent

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

We may invite you to interview if are unable to make a decision directly from your application.

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 international qualifications. 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

This is a Group 1 course.

Full details can be found on our English Language requirements webpages.

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.

Teaching and learning

Teaching will be delivered at St George’s, University of London. Teaching methods combine a mixture of lectures, to provide key theory and concepts, and interactive tutorials and workshops, allowing you to apply your new knowledge and skills. Teaching occurs in blocks of five consecutive working days for each module (see module dates). You are expected to attend all teaching sessions on those days, and you should expect the timetable to run from 09.00 - 17.00 each day.

Three Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have been designed to support student learning outside of this face-to-face teaching time. One of these, The Genomics Era: the Future of Genetics in Medicine, usually runs in July to August and is expected as pre-course learning for all students. You will need to use your time between teaching blocks to embed your knowledge through recommended reading and to prepare assignments.

St George’s adopts a patient-centred approach to its education. The module ‘An Introduction to Counselling Skills in Genomics’ supports the development of appropriate attitudes and behaviours towards the diagnosis and management of patients whose care will be influenced by genomic investigations. As such, where possible, we will invite representatives from patient groups or someone who has been through a genetic process to share their own experience and what it meant to them.

Our expertise

One of the things students tell us they like most about the course is the passion, knowledge, and experience of our lecturers.

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 with a global reputation as experts in genomics, population health, infection and immunity, and molecular and clinical sciences. We enjoy a close relationship with the hospital, as exemplified by the recent establishment of the Genomics Clinical Academic Group – a cross-institutional group comprised of scientists, clinicians, nurses and bioinformaticians all working together in both research and education.

Recently, clinicians and researchers from across the University and Hospital have been leading urgent public health studies and trials into Covid-19 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 on to their babies in the womb.

Assessment methods

Progress throughout the course will be assessed through a variety of methods, including single best answer questions, short answer questions, essays, and oral presentations. As this is a modular course there is no final exam. Instead, each module has one or two online assessments which must be passed for academic credit (15 credits per taught module).

Equipment

You will need a personal laptop or computer with administrator privileges (i.e., you can install new software on it by yourself) and access to the internet to participate in online sessions and complete your assessments. Chromebooks are not recommended. 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.

Facilities and support

St George’s is the only UK University situated within a hospital site, St George’s Hospital, which is where much of the Channel 4 television series 24 hours in A&E was filmed. We offer a unique opportunity to study and work alongside the full range of clinical professionals and their patients as well as a range of specialist health and academic facilities to support your learning.

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.

Library and learning technologies

Our modern health sciences library offers a wide range of books, e-books, academic journals and other resources to support you. 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. 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.

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 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. We attract 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.

If you require reasonable adjustments or disability services you can find information on our disability information for students pages. For any further information please contact the disability adviser.  

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, should you need it.

Academic support

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

Careers service

Our careers service works to support both current students and graduates to find and maintain the career of their dreams. They work with careers tutors from each course area to ensure that careers activities specific to your programme and future profession come to you. Our careers services offer to current students and alumni face-to-face or online appointments and provide CV and application advice. Moreover, a series of careers education workshops specifically tailored to postgraduate students is organized every year.

International student support

Our International Students Support service is part of the Student Life Centre and provides guidance and information on visas, settlement schemes, enrolment and more. If you are an international student, please do get in touch with them as soon as you accept the offer in our programme at student.immigration@sgul.ac.uk

Careers

Those already working in the healthcare field typically return to their jobs with enhanced knowledge, the ability to apply this to their work, and a passion to disseminate this new knowledge.

Some of our students decide to do more modules from our Genomic Medicine course as CPPD and many upgrade to higher awards such as the PgDip (120 credits) or MSc (180 credits) Genomic Medicine.

Fees and funding

In this tab you will find the financial information for this course of study, including details of financial support.

Tuition fees

2024 UK entry (home)

  • Part-time PgCert Genomic Healthcare: £5,800
  • Standalone Genomic Medicine module: £1,450

2024 International (including EU)

  • Part-time PgCert Genomic Healthcare: £10,000
  • Standalone Genomic Medicine module: £2,450

Additional costs

We do not expect students to incur any extra costs over and above those that we have advertised on the course page. To get the most from your studies, you will need your personal computer or laptop (Windows 10 or macOS) and an internet connection in your home. Find out more about technology requirements associated with online learning.

Funding

If you work for the NHS then you may be eligible for funding from NHS England (NHSE) for up to four taught modules. NHSE funding is limited so please liaise with our Admissions Tutor Dr Kate Everett-Korn as soon as possible. Then, if applicable, we will guide you through the application process and will forward your information to NHSE for consideration. Visit Genomics England Education for more information.

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

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.

If you work for the NHS and wish to be considered for NHSE funding, please make this clear on your application.

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

Guidance on submitting an application can be found on our how to apply webpage.

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Accessing our online application system

Select the application link for your chosen course and mode of study:

Application process:

  1. You will be asked to create an account.
  2. Once you have created your account, you will 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.

Applying for a module

Modules starting February – March 2024:

If you are applying to study a module please note the following:

Current students on a Genomic Medicine stand-alone module at St George's should contact genomics@sgul.ac.uk to enquire into studying further modules. Please do not use the above links.

Please note applications for all modules close one week before the module start date.

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.

Apply now

Duration

One year, part-time

Application Deadline

Overseas fee payers: 1 July | Home fee payers: 19 August

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Page last updated 16/04/2024 03:16 PM

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