MSc Cardiovascular Health and Disease (Research)

Course description

Our MSc Cardiovascular Health and Disease course is a research-focused master's course providing training in cutting-edge cardiovascular based research within a unique multidisciplinary training environment. This course provides preparatory training for academic research and is ideal if you want to eventually progress on to a PhD and develop a research career, or if you wish to gain research skills within specialist areas before committing to a PhD. The course also provides a solid foundation for biomedical careers within the NHS or industry. This course is also highly suited to medical students who want to intercalate.

Through this course, you will develop broad biomedical research skills, but with an emphasis on application to cardiovascular science. It is now widely recognised by employers and research councils that unravelling the basis of cardiovascular disease and developing new therapies is a high-priority area for investment, especially since the economic burden of cardiovascular disease is increasing. However, it is becoming increasingly clearer that a gap has opened up between the skills possessed by new graduates and the skills normally expected on entry to a research degree or an industrial research career. This MSc has been specifically designed to fill this gap for those who wish to pursue a research career in cardiovascular sciences.

Our course is suitable if you come from a medical or science background and have little or no previous research experience. Our course is designed to provide you with:

• specialist knowledge of the principles of the cardiovascular system in health and disease, with an emphasis on emerging technologies (taught lectures / masterclasses);
• laboratory skills, research methodology and data analysis (25-week project);
• critical analysis of scientific and medical literature and learning how to write a grant application (literature review and research proposal);
• intellectual skills for understanding and interpreting research problems (tutorials);
• communication of scientific data and concepts (oral presentations and written reports);
• practical, applied skills in a range of research methods through a 25 week project.

Teaching and learning

We have nearly 40 principal investigators in cardiovascular sciences, including clinicians and basic scientists with national and international reputations in their respective fields. There is a wide spectrum of research spanning clinical trials, whole organs, tissues, cells and single molecule studies. Assessment is through a combination of written reports (in journal format), literature review, tutorials and oral presentations. This range of training methods aims to promote a stimulating and dynamic learning environment. The different course units will enable the development of key transferable skills in the critical analysis of research methodologies, data interrogation, communication and time management.

We require an honours degree (at least an Upper Second) or international equivalent in an appropriate biological or medical subject. We will consider candidates with a Lower Second in exceptional circumstances. Intercalating students on the Manchester MBChB must have had satisfactory achievement in Years 1 to 3 or 4. For St Andrews students, this includes your three-year course plus the following one or two years spent in Manchester.