Medical Microbiology MSc

• Learn medical and molecular aspects of bacteriology, virology, mycology, epidemiology and management of infectious diseases.
• Study at a university ranked 8th in the UK and among the top 40 in the world for Medicine (QS World University Rankings 2022).
• Learn from academics at the University and NHS specialists in infectious disease.
• Gain practical experience in the laboratory.
• Prepare for a career in biomedical/clinical sciences, teaching or academic and industrial research.
• We offer units from this MSc as standalone courses, continuing professional development (CPD).

The course's extensive opportunities to gain practical experience in microbiological techniques really appealed to me.

I was also impressed by the range of placements available for the dissertation project. I would highly recommend studying in Manchester.

Emily Beswick / MSc Medical Microbiology graduate

Our long-running MSc Medical Microbiology course is ideal if you are a graduate or professional looking to develop or enhance your skills as a microbiologist.

The course is unique because you will spend much of your time in the laboratory, learning how to be a hands-on microbiologist. You will cover medical and molecular aspects ofmicrobiology and immunity to infection, incorporating traditional and current methods of laboratory diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology and management of infection.

We aim to give you a significant level of theoretical and practical understanding of the subject, which will be important if you want to follow a career in the diagnosis and study of infectious diseases.

Since its origins in the 1920s, the course has been taken by many UK and international medical microbiology consultants, clinical or biomedical scientists, along with those who have progressed into academic or industrial research.

During the course, and particularly your research project,you will have the opportunity to specialise in your preferred area (bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology, antimicrobials, molecular diagnostics, global health) whilst maintaining an understanding of integrated microbiology.

Thiscourse is delivered by academics from the University and NHS specialists in infectious disease and medical microbiology.

You will learn via a range of methods, including lectures, seminars, tutorials and comprehensive practical classes.

We use both face-to-face sessions and blended learning methods, with some material delivered and assessed online.

Find out more by visiting the postgraduate teaching and learning page.

How to apply for master's study

Once you've decided which course you want to study, you'll need to complete our online application form.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on what you need to do after you've chosen your master's course and how it works.

Step 1. Before you start your application

You'll be asked to set up an account which means you can save your application and come back to it at a later date. If you need help you can also watch our videos on how to create an account and how to submit an application.

Make sure that you use a personal email address when you register and not a University of Manchester address.You’ll be asked to fill in some security questions, your answers will be used if you ever lose or change your password, so we know it’s you.

Step 2. Starting your application

Once you start your application, use the left-hand navigation to move through the form, you can 'check your information' at each stage, which will:

• ask you to complete missing information or to correct formatting (such as dates);
• mark the section as 'complete';
• ask you to upload supporting documents, if needed.

Check closing dates

While lots of master’s courses do not have official closing dates, some do so you will need to check individual course pages for closing dates.

If you want to apply for funding, you need to check funding bodies' closing dates. Most bodies usually expect you to have a provisional offer from the University before you apply for a studentship, scholarship or award.

Step 3. Supporting documents

If you cannot upload supporting documents, there is often a field for you to say why so you can still submit your application; we will then give you instructions on how to add documents via an online portal, these usually include:

• evidence of qualifications (certificates or transcripts);
• evidence of English language ability, if English is not your first language (some test results are only valid for two years, your test report will need to be valid on the start date of your course);
• a research proposal, always check the department website for instructions as these vary;
• check the department website for additional requirements (for example, some courses ask for specific information in a personal statement);
• you may need two references, they will be contacted and asked to submit a reference directly to us via our referee portal. We will let you know when they have done this. Make sure your referees are aware in advance as they play a vital part in the assessment of your application.

Frequently asked questions

The application form should be easy to complete but we have some FAQs to help you: