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Cell and Gene Therapy MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Cell and Gene Therapy MSc provides you with an in-depth insight into the cutting-edge and rapidly developing field of biological therapies. The programme is delivered by scientists and clinicians researching, developing and testing new treatments for genetically inherited and acquired diseases using gene delivery technology, stem cell manipulation and DNA repair techniques.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£17,300
£8,650
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£37,500
£18,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar 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

Applicants should be: holders of a life science degree (2:1 or equivalent) or a recognised medical or dental degree (at 2.1 standard where a grade is required); or qualified medical practitioners, with a qualification equivalent to a UK MBBS, or healthcare, pharmaceutical or biotech professional and scientists with equivalent experience (minimum of three years).

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.

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


This programme covers all aspects of cell and gene therapy, including biomedical science, the molecular basis of disease, stem cell biology and tissue repair, current and developing technologies, and clinical applications. You will also receive training in research methodology and statistics. Optional modules will provide you with the opportunity to explore areas within the field in more depth and enhance analytical and communication skills. The broad range of skills acquired from the taught modules will underpin your development of an independent research project and critical analysis and reporting of data.

Who this course is for

This programme is designed for BSc graduates in relevant subjects, medics and scientists who would like to develop their knowledge in this distinct and fast developing area, with a view to contributing to clinical and basic academic research, therapeutic developments in industrial settings, regulatory aspects of biological therapies, or clinical trials in the field.

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

What this course will give you

Development of biological therapies is rapidly expanding and poses different challenges to traditional drug development, hence the need for a new workforce with appropriate training for this task. This programme offers access to the breadth of expertise and cutting-edge research in this area available within UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UCL GOS ICH), its clinical partner Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), and UCL at large. This programme, taught by leading academics and clinicians in the field of cell and gene therapy, prepares you to become a scientist or researcher in academia or industry, or join regulatory bodies, as well as for progression to a higher research degree.

UCL has the largest concentration of clinicians and researchers active in cell and gene therapy research in Europe. This is reflected by the many groups conducting high-quality research and clinical trials in the field including researchers at UCL GOS ICH, the Division of Infection & Immunity, the Institute of Ophthalmology, the EGA Institute for Women's Health, the Institute of Genetics and the Cancer Institute. UCL GOS ICH, together with GOSH, is the largest centre in Europe devoted to clinical, basic research and postgraduate education in children's health, including haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and gene and cell-based therapies.

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

The foundation of your career

You will be provided with opportunities to develop specific scientific and analytical skills including:

  • data gathering
  • critical appraisal
  • writing scientifically
  • scientific presentation
  • debating
  • maintaining scientific dialogue
  • experimental design
  • clinical trial design
  • decision making
  • an awareness of topical as well as ethical and legislative issues

You are encouraged to keep a portfolio of transferable skills learnt through teaching practices and assessments, which will prepare you for progression to higher research degrees or the workplace.

Employability

This programme aims to equip students for careers in research, education, medicine and business in academic, clinical, industrial and regulatory settings. Examples of potential careers could include:

  • academic research and/or lecturing in a university or other higher education setting
  • developing new therapies or intellectual property in the pharmaceutical industry or other business venture
  • conducting clinical trials as part of a team of clinicians, scientists and allied health professionals
  • monitoring and analysing the results of clinical trials as part of a clinical trials unit

Several of our graduates have gone on to secure PhD places.

Networking

The Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health offers seven MSc programmes as well as an MRes in Child Health encompassing a wide range of topics. Our students come from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, from the UK and overseas providing great networking opportunities within and across programmes. We hold social events throughout the year for the whole student cohort to enable networking between students. Students on the master's programmes have the opportunity to join GOS ICH events such as the Otto Woolf lectures hosted by the research and teaching departments. These cover a variety of topics and provide an opportunity to hear from national and international experts and to network at the social event that usually accompanies these events.  

As an MSc Cell and Gene Therapy student, you may also have the opportunity to attend a relevant conference (e.g. Festival of Genomics) to engage and network with leading figures in the field. 

Teaching and learning

Teaching includes lectures, seminars, problem-solving classes, workshops, and tutorials including individual and group activities.

Assessment varies depending on the module and aims at developing different skills; assessments across the differing modules include written coursework, multiple-choice questions, written examinations, oral presentations, a practical analysis examination and a dissertation of up to 8,000 words and its presentation/discussion at a viva.

Typical contact hours and hours of self-directed study for this programme per module are: reading hours (50 hours), engagement with online material (20 hours), relevant seminars and tutorials (30 hours), revision (30 hours) and preparation for the final assessment e.g. coursework, essay (20 hours).

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, full-time nine months or flexible up to five years) is offered A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits, full-time 12 weeks, part-time nine months, or up to two years flexible) is offered.

Modules

This programme includes a focused set of six compulsory modules specialising in molecular aspects and clinical applications of cell and gene therapy, stem cells and tissue repair, applied genomics, and research methodology and statistics. We review the optional modules on this course to ensure they fit the remit of this programme and to reflect the current interests of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UCL GOS ICH) and the current research standings in the field of cell and gene therapy.

Optional modules may include molecular biology of normal development and birth defects, molecular and clinical aspects of childhood cancers, clinical genomics, genetics and rare diseases, critical thinking and science communication, and cell-based immunotherapy. You are given ample opportunities to develop specific analytic research skills during your independent 16-week research project (12 weeks for research and 4 weeks for writing it up) which begins in term 3. This research project will reflect the successful Cell and Gene Therapy research being carried out at UCL GOS ICH and you will be offered a dynamic choice of topics from laboratory-based research projects to in silico data analysis projects.  

8 taught modules to include core modules plus the project over a two year period.

8 taught modules to include core modules plus the project (last module to be taken) over a period of up to five years.

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 Cell and Gene Therapy. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Cell and Gene Therapy. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Cell and Gene Therapy.

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.

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) £37,500 £18,750

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

Visit the funding and studentship pages of the UCL GOSICH website for details of funding available to students, including the UCL GOSICH bursary.

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.

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 Cell and Gene Therapy at graduate level
  • why you want to study Cell and Gene Therapy at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this 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 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

UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL GOS Institute of Child Health

cgt@ucl.ac.uk

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