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Biosciences MRes

London, Bloomsbury

UK students International students

Study mode

Full-time

UK tuition fees (2023/24)

£18,000

Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)

£35,000

Duration

1 calendar year

Programme starts

September 2023

Applications accepted

All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences, life sciences, or related subject area, or a medical degree (MBBS), or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants with an appropriate professional qualification and relevant work experience may also apply.

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

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. International Preparation Courses

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

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g., Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance. This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place.

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

Students gain knowledge of their chosen specialism through the major research project, alongside basic skills for planning research and the written, oral and visual communication of science. The acquisition and critical analysis of primary scientific literature are essential, as is experiencing the multidisciplinary and collaborative nature of bioscience research.

Who this course is for

The programme is designed for students who wish to increase their research experience or evaluate their suitability for research at this level before committing to a PhD. Applicants will have good fundamental knowledge of the area they wish to study. We will consider applicants with a broad range of experiences, from recent graduates to experienced laboratory scientists.

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

What this course will give you

UCL is recognised as one of the world's best research environments within the field of biosciences (THE World University Rankings 2021)

The UCL Division of Biosciences is in a unique position to offer tuition and research opportunities in internationally recognised laboratories, and an appreciation of the multidisciplinary nature of biosciences research.

The Division includes the Departments of Cell & Developmental Biology; Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology; Genetics, Evolution & Environment; and Structural & Molecular Biology and also hosts the Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine, the UCL Genetics Institute and the Institute for Healthy Ageing.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The flexibility and responsiveness of the Biosciences MRes programme provides training in many areas of cutting-edge scientific research. This launches our students into prime academic and industrial careers. Most of our students progress to further study in PhD positions at leading universities, whereas others have used the generic training from the programme to enter medical publishing and commercial science laboratories, for example.

Employability

This programme provides an ideal foundation for further doctoral research in the field of biosciences, and we envisage that many of the graduates of this programme will undertake a PhD or enter employment in an advanced capacity in industry or the public sector. Approximately 70% of graduates have obtained a funded PhD position, either at UCL or elsewhere.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through lectures, seminars and tutorials, combining research-led and skills-based modules. The compulsory modules are assessed by assignments and coursework, whereas the optional module will also have an examination element. The research project is assessed by an oral presentation, submission of a dissertation and is subject to oral examination.

Modules

The major component is a year-long research project. You will also take some taught elements that are designed to support your project and develop your professional skills. The degree is split into eleven subject streams for you to select one to graduate in

- Biology of Ageing; Biochemistry; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Computational Biology; Developmental and Stem Cell Genetics; Evolution and Origins of Life; Neuroscience; Pharmacology; Structural Biology; Vertebrate Form, Function and Evolution.

Compulsory modules

The Scientific Literature

MRes Biosciences Research Skills

MRes Biosciences Research Seminars

MRes Biosciences Research Project

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 is 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 MRes in Biosciences.

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 & Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time
Tuition fees (2023/24)	£18,000
Tuition fees (2023/24)	£35,000

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

Students will not face any additional costs.

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

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

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.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

Why you want to study Biosciences at graduate level
Why you want to study Biosciences at UCL
What particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging 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 indicate as the first line of your personal statement, your preferred subject stream, from: Biology of Ageing; Biochemistry; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Computational Biology; Developmental and Stem Cell Genetics; Evolution and Origins of Life; Genetics; Neuroscience; Pharmacology; Structural Biology; Vertebrate Form, Function and Evolution.

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.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.