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Duration

One year full-time (MRes, MSc, PgDip and PgCert), two years part-time (MSc only)

Application Deadline

TBC

Location

St George's, University of London

UK, EU and non-EU (international)

citizens may apply

The Translational Medicine MRes/MSc/PgDip/PgCert is currently being reviewed for 2024/25 entry. 

About the course

Translational medicine refers to the area of biomedical science that seeks to apply advances in basic research, in order to develop new diagnostic tools, therapies and preventive strategies for human diseases. Subjects covered by the course include clinical trials management, genomics, personalised medicine, bioinformatics and population health research (see "Modules" for more details).

There are multiple opportunities on the course to develop your transferable professional skills, especially in scientific writing, presentation and data analysis. Professional training further includes a three-month research project, involving the active immersion in a translational science project.

Past graduates have gone on to study medicine, start PhD training or obtain employment in roles such as data analyst, clinical trials manager or conducting research within the biotechnology sector.

Who can study Translational Medicine?

The course is aimed at students with a degree in biomedical science or a related bioscience discipline. Previous participants have also joined with qualifications in biotechnology, dentistry, medicine, pharmacology and pharmacy. Good writing skills and a fundamental understanding of molecular biology, genetics and arithmetic are essential to succeed.

MSc: Become a self-reliant scientist 

Completing our MSc will help you develop into a confident and self-reliant scientist with extensive knowledge and understanding of translational science. You’ll be equipped for both academic study at a doctoral level, as well as for a career in research and development.  

MRes: Graduate as a resourceful researcher 

Our MRes is designed to turn you into a competent and resourceful researcher. It gives you the opportunity to pursue a range of extended research and technological skills, from developing an extended translational research project to gaining an advanced understanding of the fundamentals of genetics and genomics, and learning about the technology used in biomedical or translational research. 

PGCert and PGDip

Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma degrees in Translational Medicine are available that are shorter and cover a subset of the full-length degree components. 

Study abroad

You can also spend part of your study abroad with the Erasmus/Turing programme.

For more information about the course, watch the Translational Medicine Course Talk 2020.

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.

“Doing a Masters in Translational Medicine enabled me to gain expertise in molecular biology, bioinformatics, and genomics. Undertaking a 6-months research project allowed me to cultivate essential laboratory skills to become a more confident and competent researcher in cell and molecular biology.”

- Parisa Rahimnashat, Translational Medicine alum

“My MSc in Translational Medicine has been of great importance for continuing with my PhD. During my MSc I had the opportunity to considerably improve my scientific writing competency as well as my informatics and statistics skills. I also learned how to carry out a research project and how to work as a member of a research group. I’ve been using these skills from the very first day of my PhD.”

- Aurora Campagna, Translational Medicine alum

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

Tuition fees are set by St George’s, University of London. Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course (unless stated). Fees for second and subsequent years are likely to increase annually in line with UK inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index (RPI-X). They will not normally increase by more than 5 per cent each year, except when the rate of inflation is significantly more than that projected in the preceding year.

2023 UK (Home)

  • Full-time MRes: £15,000
  • Full-time MSc: £12,500

  • Part-time MSc: £6,500 per annum.

  • Full-time PGDiploma: £8,500
  • Part-time PGCertificate: £5,000

2023 EU and International

  • Full-time MRes: £26,000
  • Full-time MSc: £24,000

  • Part-time MSc: £12,750 per annum.

  • Full-time PGDiploma: £16,750
  • Part-time PGCertificate: £9,500

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.

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

  • meet the entry criteria
  • write a personal statement
  • provide 2 suitable references.

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.

Experience of the research process and/or completion of an undergraduate dissertation is essential. 

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.

International qualifications

We accept equivalent qualifications gained in other countries and use to 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 requirement

See details of English Language requirements here. This is a Group 1 course.

You can choose to study Translational Medicine at an MSc or MRes level.

Your modules will be delivered in lectures, tutorials, presentations, discussions, online activities.

MSc modules

On the MSc, you will study 7 taught modules, and then complete a 3-month research project. The MSc course will equip you for academic study and a career in research and development.

View the MSc module guide.

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Semester 1

  • Case Studies in Drug Discovery and Development (15 credits)

  • Genomic Technologies in Clinical Diagnostics (15 credits)

  • Research Methods and Management (15 credits)

  • Clinical Trials (15 credits)

Semester 2

  • Big Data in Biomedicine (30 credits)

  • Personalised Medicine (15 credits)

  • Population Health Research (15 credits)

Semester 3

  • Research Project (60 credits)

MRes modules

As the MRes has a greater focus on research, you’ll study four core taught modules during the first part of the year, with the remaining time focused entirely on project work. This course is designed to turn you into a resourceful researcher.

View the MRes module guide.

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Semester 1

  • Case Studies in Drug Discovery and Development (15 credits)

  • Genomic Technologies in Clinical Diagnostics (15 credits)

  • Research Methods and Management (15 credits)

  • Research Project (105 credits across all 3 semesters)

Semester 2

  • Big Data in Biomedicine (30 credits)

  • Research Project (105 credits across all 3 semesters)

Semester 3

  • Research Project (105 credits across all 3 semesters)

PGDip modules

The Postgraduate Diploma consists of seven taught modules listed for the MSc above, without a research project.

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Semester 1

  • Case Studies in Drug Discovery and Development (15 credits)

  • Genomic Technologies in Clinical Diagnostics (15 credits)

  • Research Methods and Management (15 credits)

  • Clinical Trials (15 credits)

Semester 2

  • Big Data in Biomedicine (30 credits)

  • Personalised Medicine (15 credits)

  • Population Health Research (15 credits)

PGCert modules

Students entering the Postgraduate Certificate programme are required to complete the following two taught “core” modules:

  • Case Studies in Drug Discovery and Development (15 credits)
  • Clinical Trails (15 credits).

Furthermore, students on the PGCert programme have to complete additional modules worth 30 credits, to be chosen from the following list:

  • Genomic Technologies in Clinical Diagnostics (15 credits)
  • Big Data in Biomedicine (30 credits)
  • Personalised Medicine (15 credits)
  • Population Health Research (15 credits).

Our postgraduate courses in Translational Medicine equip graduates with expertise in bench-to-bedside pathways, genomic diagnostics and data analysis.

The MRes emphasises research and prepares you for transition to a PhD-level programme or to work in research and development in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology setting. 

By providing practical research experience and training in drug development, genomic diagnostics and data analysis, our Translational Medicine MRes equips you with skills that are in great demand in the life sciences sector. 

Access career pathways 

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have helped us design the programme. This means you’ll be equipped with expertise in the relevant bioscience and bench-to-bedside development pathways. You’ll also gain technical knowledge to prepare you for a PhD-level programme and to participate in research and development in pharmaceutical and biotechnology settings.  

Address the skills shortage

According to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, there is currently a skills shortage in translational medicine which requires complex understanding to bridge the gap between bench and bedside.

Parisa Rahimnashat

image of translational medicine alum parisa rahimnashat

What is your current role?

I currently work as a Research Assistant in Vector Design team at Freeline Therapeutics. Freeline is a liver-directed gene therapy company focused on developing and innovating gene therapies to create better lives for people with chronic monogenic diseases. As part of my role, I am responsible for the design and optimization of the recombinant Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) expression cassette and its production in large scales for testing. Vector design plays a crucial role in directing AAV-recombinant therapy to a specific tissue as well as regulating gene expression at therapeutic level.

Which aspects of your degree have been particularly useful in your current role?

Doing a Masters in Translational Medicine enabled me to gain expertise in molecular biology, bioinformatics, and genomics. Undertaking a 6-months research project allowed me to cultivate essential laboratory skills to become a more confident and competent researcher in cell and molecular biology. On the other hand, the taught modules introduced me to the computational side of science and research. Having a background in bioinformatics enabled me to implement and practice new innovating pipelines for improving AAV transgene expression.

Due to my enthusiastic approach to bioinformatics, Freeline Therapeutics have been supporting me to take on my second Master’s in bioinformatics as an apprentice at Cranfield University. Doing this course opened a prosperous working opportunity for me at Freeline Therapeutics with an excellent career development path in bioinformatics.

What did you enjoy?

The course director (Dr Axel Nohturfft) and other module leads are super friendly and supportive of their students learning. The university is well funded, and they always have PhD opportunities, scholarships, and grants for grabs! I was one of the lucky students who was granted a £10,000 scholarship to take on this amazing course.

Aurora Campagna

image of translational medicine alum, aurora campagna

What is your current role?

I’m currently a PhD student at SGUL undertaking a research project aimed to investigate the role of a subset of non-conventional T lymphocytes, called gamma-delta T cells, in infiltrating and killing prostate cancer three-dimensional spheroids.

Which aspects of your degree have been particularly useful in your current role?

My MSc in Translational Medicine has been of great importance for continuing with my PhD. During my MSc I had the opportunity to considerably improve my scientific writing competency as well as my informatics and statistics skills. I also learned how to carry out a research project and how to work as a member of a research group. I’ve been using these skills from the first day of my PhD and I’ll certainly be utilising them for the whole duration of my project.

What did you enjoy most about studying Translational Medicine and why would you recommend the course to others considering applying?

I think that the field of Translational Medicine is extremely interesting and lets you combine wet-lab work with clinical practice, giving a more polyhedric aspect to research.

What I enjoyed the most about studying it was the possibility of acquiring competency and being exposed to different branches of this incredible medicine field. Gaining new knowledge in genetics, bioinformatics, personalised medicine techniques, and clinical trials has been helpful to understand what I most liked about this field and where I wanted to continue with my career.

I strongly recommend undertaking this course for the variety of taught programs as well as research projects it offers. This course and my research project have shaped my interests and led me to get passionate about research and undertake a PhD on the same topic!

Filip Djukicgna

translational medicine-filip

What is your current role?

I am a Research Data Analyst for the Centre for Neonatal & Paediatric Infection (CNPI) team here at St George’s, University of London. A few of my responsibilities include performing extensive data analysis and generating analytical reports for various clinical trials. A project that I am currently involved in is known as the global accelerator for paediatric formulation network (GAP-f) which is hosted by the WHO and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This project aims at identifying gaps in current paediatric formulation to promote investigation, development, and delivery of new formulations.

Which aspects of your degree have been particularly useful in your current role?

Completing my MSc Translational Medicine has allowed me to acquire many vital skills pertaining to my current position. I have gained expertise on how clinical trials are conducted, from evaluating safety and effectiveness in phase I-III trials and applying them to larger scale populations. During the MSc, I have also learned to investigate and manipulate large clinical and genomic data with numerous statistical softwares such as R programming.

What did you enjoy most about studying Translational Medicine and why would you recommend the course to others considering applying?

I strongly believe the Translational Medicine field is an excellent area for any individual who has a desire to further explore the vast potential that science and medicine have to offer. Personally, from my clinical experience, I always wanted to do more and discover how I can make a change in the medical and research field. The MSc in Translational Medicine has allowed me to achieve this goal.

I enjoyed my time studying the MSc, as it has opened my eyes to many areas of research such as personalised medicine, genomics, clinical trials, drug discovery and development, and population health.

The professors and staff were incredible. Each one provided expertise in their respective field and allowed me to acquire a new perspective in the field of translational medicine on how to make an impact and take something from bench to bedside.

Apply now

Duration

One year full-time (MRes, MSc, PgDip and PgCert), two years part-time (MSc only)

Application Deadline

TBC

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