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Human Tissue Repair MSc

London, Hampstead (Royal Free Hospital)

Build your specialist knowledge of human tissue repair after injury and in disease on our globally recognised MSc. You will be taught by UCL's leading scientists and clinicians, study integrated topics on inflammation, immunotherapy, tissue engineering and transplantation sciences, and be well prepared for a PhD or a career in biomedicine.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£18,400
£9,200
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
£18,250
Duration
1 academic year
2 academic years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A medical degree or a minimum of an upper second-class UK bachelor's degree in an appropriate subject (biological science, biomedicine, biophysics, chemistry, medicine), or an overseas qualification or an equivalent standard.

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



Human tissue repair after injury and in disease, and the development of effective treatments, are the focus of all biomedical research. This programme is one of the only MScs in the UK to take an integrated multidisciplinary approach to learning about human tissue repair, regeneration and therapy.

You will learn about the fundamentals of inflammation and immune response in human health and disease, while also studying cellular and molecular mechanisms of human tissue repair, and the therapies designed to repair and restore tissue function. Treatments covered include immunotherapy, transplantation, tissue constructs and medical devices. You will also obtain additional practical, analytic, and transferable skills essential for conducting your own biomedical research.

UCL offers a world-class research and teaching environment in biomedical sciences. You will be part of UCL's internationally renowned Divisions of Medicine and Surgery & Interventional Science and based at the new Institute of Immunity and Transplantation at the Royal Free Campus.

The course offers the ideal stringboard for those embarking on further academic study and working at the highest levels within biomedical sciences.

Who this course is for

This programme is for both scientists or clinicians who are looking to gain a thorough knowledge of human tissue repair, inflammation, immunotherapy, tissue engineering or transplantation sciences. It is particularly relevant for those interested in working on cutting-edge biomedical research, with an emphasis on developing your practical laboratory and transferable skills. It will help you take your research to the next level or prepare you for work in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry.

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 world-class research and teaching environment in biomedical sciences, within UCL's new Institute of Immunity and Transplantation at the Royal Free Campus.
  • Access to teaching from UCL's internationally renowned Divisions of Medicine and Surgery and Interventional Science (the programme is run jointly by both).
  • Access to multi-disciplinary training in inflammation, immunology, tissue engineering, transplantation, drug discovery and in understanding and treating human disease.
  • Opportunities to work with experts across UCL institutes and divisions, in UCL partner hospitals, and with industrial partners.
  • The chance to develop the skills and techniques required to work successfully in a biomedical research science lab.
  • The chance to work on research that could lead to publication.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

You will gain awareness of the commercial opportunities and diverse funding mechanisms for developing new ideas, technologies, and applications, and be well prepared for careers in academia or industry.

According to the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey (2018-2022), around 83% of Human Tissue Repair MSc graduates were in work (75%) or further study (8%), with a large majority undertaking highly skilled work.

It gives a very good, solid foundation. It equips you with all the fundamental knowledge regarding repair and regenerative medicine. It offers a new perspective of looking at things and coming up with answers.

Ioannis Nikolaou

Ioannis Nikolaou

Human Tissue Repair, MSc

Learn more about Ioannis

Employability

The programme provides a solid foundation and network for further academic study and for working at the highest levels of biomedical sciences. Previous graduates have joined graduate-entry programmes in Medicine both in the UK and abroad. 

You could take the specialist skills you develop into the public healthcare sector and NHS, industry and biopharma, government and research councils, biomedical charities and stakeholders, sports medicine, or scientific media and publishing houses. Graduates are also equipped with transferable skills in presentation, writing, organisation and teamwork.

According to the HESA survey, MSc Human Tissue Repair graduates have gone on to work for biotech companies such as Educell and Engitix, as well as medical services partners and consultants such as Open Health.

Their roles include biochemists and biomedical scientists, industrial relations, quality assurance technicians, and professionals in natural or social sciences. Some have also gone onto work at universities, or entered graduate-entry programmes in Medicine, both in the UK and overseas.

Networking

There are regular networking opportunities, including events where you can hear from expert speakers. We encourage students to broaden their skills and expand their networks by attending and participating at conferences.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a mix of seminars, lectures, e-learning, laboratory work, practicals and small group tutorials.

Assessment is through examination, presentations, coursework, practical reports and a dissertation. Examinations are taken in-person, coursework is submitted online, and practical reports are completed during lab time. Research project dissertations are written in the style of a research manuscript prepared for a scientific journal.

Term one has approximately 16 hours of teaching a week and 12 hours of independent learning. Typically, there are two days of lectures (four hours per day) at the beginning of each week. There is a study day (no contact) in midweek, followed by two days of tutorials (four hours per day) to consolidate the topics covered.

Term two has approximately 23 hours of teaching a week and 12 hours of independent learning. You spend four hours per week (lectures and tutorials) on your selective ‘pathway’ module and four hours per week each on two optional modules. You also spend 1.5 days (11 hours) per week in a wet laboratory to gain practical research skills.

Modules

Term one establishes the foundation of knowledge required for the MSc with four compulsory modules: 'Principles of Inflammation', 'Principles of Immunology', 'Tissue Repair and Regeneration', 'Research Methods'.

Towards the end of the first term, you will be asked to select one of two routes (either 'Immunotherapy' or 'Tissue Engineering'), and a research project based on your scientific interests. You will then transfer onto that route. The following outlines what happens depending on which route you choose.

In term two, you will then choose one of two selective modules as your route: 'Immunological Basis of Disease' or 'Applied Tissue Engineering'. This will determine the name of your final degree, i.e. Human Tissue Repair ('Immunotherapy' or 'Tissue Engineering').

Optional modules include: 'Applied Tissue Engineering', 'Immunological Basis of Disease', 'Stem Cell Therapy', and 'Transplantation Science'. This list of optional modules is not exhaustive, and students may have other options by agreement with the programme lead.

In term two, you will also complete a compulsory 'Practical Laboratory Research Skills' module. This is a wet-laboratory module where you will be taught the basic skills and techniques required to work successfully in a biomedical research science lab. This will prepare you for your chosen research projects.

In term three, you will carry out a research project chosen from a list of projects available within the Division of Medicine, according to your scientific interest and chosen route. You will be placed in, and be part of, research groups on active projects, generating valuable data. Projects typically last four months full time in our laboratories.

Year one

Term one:

  • Principles of Inflammation
  • Principles of Immunology

Term two:

  • Immunological basis of Disease

or

  • Applied Tissue Engineering

Year two

Term one:

  • Tissue Repair and Regeneration
  • Research Methodologies and Transferable Skills

Term two:

  • Practical Laboratory Research Skills
  • Optional module one
  • Optional module two

Term three:

  • 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 Human Tissue Repair.

Accessibility

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

Where you'll study

Division of Medicine Cruciform building

We have one of the largest concentrations of biomedical scientists in Europe. Among over 100 principal investigators are Fellows of the Royal Society, members of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and Senior Investigators of the National Institute for Health Research. Teaching is split between the Royal Free campus in Hampstead and Bloomsbury campus. For undergraduates, most of the first year will be based at the Royal Free campus, with some practical activities taking place in Bloomsbury. As you progress, more modules are based at Bloomsbury, which means you are likely to build strong familiarity with both of these sites.

Learn more about the Division of Medicine, our departments and institutes

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £18,400 £9,200
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500 £18,250

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

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

If you want to make the most of our facilities, you may need to factor in the cost of travel between our campuses. Find out about the cost of using public transport at Transport for London.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

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: 12 December 2024
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Div. of Medicine Biomedical Sciences Programme Bursary

Deadline: 22 August 2025
Value: £5000 towards tuition fee (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Div. of Medicine Lead Departmental Student Representative Bursary

Deadline: 22 August 2025
Value: £5000 towards tuition fee (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Div. of Medicine Nutrition Programmes Bursary

Deadline: 22 August 2025
Value: £5000 towards tuition fee (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. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Human Tissue Repair at graduate level
  • why you want to study Human Tissue Repair 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 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: 2025-2026

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.