MSc Cancer Research and Molecular Biomedicine

• Take a research-focused master's course where you will learn through seminars, workshops, small group tutorials and research placements.
• Your research placement will be in the laboratory of a leading cancer scientist where you will perform experiments on a dedicated and original cancer project and develop your skills in relevant lab techniques, data management as well as the various forms of science communication to present your project.
• Study at a university ranked 7th in the UK for Biological Sciences (QS World University Rankings 2024).
• Prepare for a career in the biosciences industry or academic research.

Our MSc Cancer Research and Molecular Biomedicine course will give you thorough training in this area alongside lab-based research placements.

Rather than attending traditional lectures on your chosen subject, you will learn through an interactive approach involving seminars, workshops and small group tutorials. This will provide you with transferable skills in experimental design, statistics and science communication preparing you for relevant aspects of a science-based career. As this is a research-focused master's course, you will also undertake your own research project in the laboratory of a leading researchers.

You will take three units and then focus on a research placement in the labs of leading cancer researchers.

You will gain research experience and professional skills, perhaps in a different area to your first degree, before deciding on a future career in industry or academic research. This will allow you to make an informed choice about the research area you want to go into.

You choose the research placement from a list provided by your programme director in the lab of experienced cancer scientists working on processes relating to tumourigenesis. These include:

• understanding cell cycle control mechanisms and how they are disrupted in the formation of a tumour;
• investigating the cell fate choices of normal cells, and how these differ in cancer cells;
• investigating how cell signals regulate gene expression in different types of cells, and how this flow of information is compromised in cancer cells.

If you want to broaden your expertise beyond molecular cancer research, you can undertake a research placement in another area of molecular biomedicine.

We investigate the mechanisms underlying a range of diseases including hypertension, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and diabetes, and we aim to develop ways of preventing and treating these. Our research pages provide more information on our research interests.

PhD with integrated master's

If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health.

Full entry requirements

International students must demonstrate English proficiency at point of application through a secure and approved testing system.

We ask for English language proof if you are from non-majority English speaking countries (a list of majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Home Office, can be found here ).

Specifically, we require a minimum of:

• IELTS : 6.5 overall with 6.5 in each component
• TOEFL: 90 internet-based with 22 in each component

See further information about requirements for your country .

We may also accept evidence of a confirmed place on a University Pre-sessional English language course , if your current IELTS scores are:

• Minimum 6.0 overall (with 6.0 in each component) plus enrolment and attendance on the 6-week pre-sessional course (PS6)
• Minimum 6.0 overall (with 5.5 in each component) plus enrolment and attendance on the 10-week pre-sessional course (PS10).

Please note, we must approve this before you apply for the English course.

Career opportunities