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Precision Medicine MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This full-time or part-time MSc in Precision Medicine is an interdisciplinary course relating to the understanding of disease, and the technologies that detect, diagnose and treat them. It is ideally suited for life sciences graduates who want to pursue a career in industry or academia related to this growing field, as well as medical students doing an intercalated degree.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£17,300
£8,650
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£34,400
£17,200
Duration
1 academic year
2 academic years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 28 Jun 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

An upper second-class Bachelor of Science honours degree in a relevant subject from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, or an appropriate professional qualification or relevant work experience.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Recent advances in omics technology and the growing availability of health data obtained via molecular profiling, medical imaging and diagnostic testing have opened new opportunities to design and test treatments. Life or medical science graduates with enhanced skills and knowledge are highly valued in this rapidly growing area of science.

This internationally-renowned, interdisciplinary programme equips you with cutting-edge knowledge relating to the mechanistic understanding of disease. You will learn about the technologies that detect, diagnose, and treat causal factors of disease, while developing advanced knowledge in all aspects of precision medicine.

The course covers genomics, bioinformatics, structural biology, genetics and epigenetics of disease and their precision diagnosis and treatment, biomedical imaging techniques, nanomedicines, and the generation and analysis of big data.

You will gain awareness of the context in which precision medicine is being applied in healthcare, research and industry. You will also develop a range of intellectual, practical and transferable skills essential for a career in this field.

The course is delivered by clinical and scientific experts from across UCL and industry and is run in partnership with UCL Hospitals.

Who this course is for

This MSc is primarily suitable for life science or medical science graduates. Students with an interest in precision medicine who have a background in biological sciences, chemical sciences, physics, mathematics or pharmacy may also be eligible to apply.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities.

  • The chance to study in a centre with a global reputation for translating pioneering scientific research into tangible treatments.
  • Access to teaching from UCL’s internationally renowned Division of Medicine, in partnership with UCL Hospitals, working with experts in the field of precision medicine. The Division has pioneered multidisciplinary research and successfully translated innovative research into useful clinical benefit.
  • The opportunity to interact and conduct research with leading groups in the field. Our research expertise includes inflammation, internal medicine, metabolism, nephrology, respiratory, liver and digestive health, medicinal chemistry, computational drug design, neuronal development and signalling, cell cycle control, intensive care medicine, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, nanomedicine, stem cells, mitochondrial biology and cancer.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Precision medicine graduates go into a wide variety of careers. Recent graduates have taken their skills into industry and start-ups, and gone onto further degrees in research, including PhDs or other subjects within clinical medicine. The course provides students with enhanced skills and knowledge that are highly valued in this rapidly growing area of science.

Employability

The MSc provides an excellent foundation for those looking to establish a career in biotech, pharma, national research laboratories and NHS agencies.

The knowledge and transferable skills acquired will also be useful for those who want to pursue academic research or medical studies related to this growing field of medicine.

Networking

This programme offers many networking opportunities through our cross-disciplinary departments and research centres. We offer research seminars organised by the Division of Medicine, including weekly UCL Medicine Case & Seminar Series, where you can meet and hear about cutting-edge research via experts from academia, clinical medicine, and industry.

We also encourage students to broaden their skills and expand their networks by attending relevant seminars across UCL where they are relevant to Precision Medicine, as well as online seminars organised by other institutions and industry.
 

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a mix of lectures, tutorials, self-study, practical sessions and discussion groups. The research project forms one third of the programme.

Each of the taught modules is assessed by unseen written examination and coursework. The research project is assessed by the dissertation, oral presentation and an interdisciplinary three-minute video project.

  • The full-time (one year) MSc consists of approximately 12 hours of teaching and 10 hours of independent learning a week during term time.
  • The part-time (two year) MSc consists of approximately six hours of teaching and four hours of independent learning a week during term time.

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) is also offered. A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) is also offered.

Modules

If you choose to study full-time, you will take five core taught modules during terms one and two, then select three from seven optional modules in term two. This allows you to learn the essential concepts, theory and practices of precision medicine, while also tailoring the course to your specific interests.

During this period, you will also develop transferable skills through individual and group activities, such as oral and poster presentation, literature review, essay writing, attending conferences and scientific talks.

The concepts and skills you develop will prepare you for completing your research project in term three. This project gives you the chance to gain real research experience in a UCL or industry setting. The project can be wet laboratory or computer/informatics based and lasts for at least three months.

60 credits in year one (two modules in term one, two in term two) and 120 credits in year two (two modules in term one, two in term two, and the research project).

Compulsory modules








Optional modules











Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Precision Medicine. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Precision Medicine. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Precision Medicine.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Virtual Event for MSc Advanced Biomedical Imaging, MSc/MRes Clinical Drug Development, MSc/MRes Drug Design and MSc Precision Medicine

The UCL Division of Medicine Team hosts a virtual event where they give a short presentation about the programmes, details on different modules, and what teaching will look like in 2020.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Respiratory Clinical Science MSc (Q&A Session)

This MSc focuses on the study of the scientific and clinical basis of respiratory diseases with all courses and modules directed towards understanding disease and the effects on patients. It will provide you with the tools to develop further careers in the area and create opportunities to interact with researchers, clinicians and pharmaceutical experts in respiratory medicine. Please join us to ask your questions about this exciting programme. Speaker - Dr Vitor Teixeira

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £17,300 £8,650
Tuition fees (2024/25) £34,400 £17,200

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

There are no additional costs for this programme.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

Bursaries are available for several Division of Medicine programmes. Find out if this course is eligible.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 14 December 2023
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Division of Medicine PGT Bursary

Deadline: 31 July 2024
Value: £5,000 towards fees (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Precision Medicine at graduate level
  • why you want to study Precision Medicine at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Division of Medicine
Division of Medicine

divmed.postgrad@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.