Course specification and structure
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PMMEDICS - MSc Medical Genomics

Course Specification


Validation status Validated
Highest award Master of Science Level Masters
Possible interim awards Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate
Total credits for course 180
Awarding institution London Metropolitan University
Teaching institutions London Metropolitan University
School School of Human Sciences
Subject Area Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Attendance options
Option Minimum duration Maximum duration
Full-time 1 YEARS  
Part-time Day 2 YEARS  
Course leader  

About the course and its strategy towards teaching and learning and towards blended learning/e-learning

The MSc Medical Genomics course is designed to promote a deep understanding of the rapidly evolving field of genetics and genomics as applied to human health and disease. Students will develop knowledge and skills, which will equip them for future careers in medical genomics and related areas. The course will foster students to become effective learners/practitioners by developing a variety of personal skills and capabilities.

Emphasis will be placed on self-directed and problem based learning within a lecture/tutorial/ practical framework. Students will explore case studies and real genomic data to promote high level reasoning in a professional context and to enhance a comprehensive and critical understanding of the existing state of knowledge in medical genetics. Students will gain intellectual and practical skills necessary for the collection, analysis, interpretation and understanding of scientific data through practical exercises, IT exercises and a research project.

Tutorial exercises and progress tests/quizzes will be used to provide students with feedback on their progress. Summative assessment of students’ knowledge base and their understanding will be incorporated into formal in-course tests, reports, extended essays, examinations, presentations completed during or at the end of each module together with a report, a dissertation and an oral examination for the research project. Formative assessment of students’ approach to literature research is incorporated in group activities and project seminars.

Students have access to the innovative Graduate Centre to meet and discuss their courses. The Islington campus library has undergone a successful refurbishment and extended opening hours, offering specialised group study areas as well as access to a comprehensive range of textbooks, journals and online learning resources. There are also a number of new open areas in the tower building offering well equipped study areas with access to IT facilities with several terminals at each one and ubiquitous wifi access.

Practical and data-mining IT skills are an essential part of the MSc course and students have access to the unparalleled facilities in the Science Centre Teaching Laboratory. Practical classes and IT sessions are designed to reinforce the knowledge from the lectures and tutorials. The course aims to promote a good knowledge-skills balance of laboratory, IT, and theory. The Science Centre also provides an excellent facility to carry out the final research project. MSc project assessment will culminate in the presentation of a dissertation and a viva exam/poster defence, which also explores knowledge and understanding.

Course aims

The Postgraduate taught Medical Genomics programme aims to:

  • provide a programme of advanced study for graduates that will equip them for future careers in medical genomics including genetics and related areas;
  • foster intellectual skills necessary to develop a critical and comprehensive understanding of the scientific principles, informatics and ethical frameworks that underlie the theory and practice of medical genomics;
  • develop skills for the collection, analysis, interpretation and understanding of scientific data;
  • provide practical opportunities in a multidisciplinary environment;
  • enable students to become effective learners/practitioners by developing a variety of personal skills and capabilities

Course learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
By the end of the course the student is expected to have developed:

  • an advanced systematic and critical knowledge of the theoretical aspects of scientific topics studied and an awareness of current issues and insights;
  • the ability to apply the use of bio-informatic databases and software to problems in medical genomics;
  • the ability to understand ethical implications of advances in genetics and genomics and their impact on medical practice;
  • the ability to design and plan a research relevant to medical genomics.

Cognitive/intellectual skills
By the end of the course the student is expected to have developed higher-level skills that are reflected in their ability to:

  • assimilate information and develop ideas on issues, methodologies or disease processes with the context of medical genomics;
  • formulate, and devise a test for, a hypothesis within a medical genomics context;
  • extract knowledge from informatics data;
  • critically evaluate material on a complex genetic topic in order to present an informed and balanced review;
  • plan the execution of an extensive research project and assessing the outcome (MSc only).

Transferable Skills
By the end of the course the student is expected to be able to:

  • communicate effectively verbally, in writing, and by electronic means;
  • implement an advanced information search, extract relevant information and interpret that information, drawing conclusions from and recognising the limitations of the available data;
  • carry out rational and balanced debate of complex biomedical issues;
  • demonstrate individual initiative, organisation and the capacity for independent learning;
  • display the interpersonal skills required to work in a scientific, particularly laboratory, based environment;
  • employ a full range of investigative skills which can be applied to any set task;
  • use analytical and reviewing skills in order to produce accurate summaries based on a body of literature.

Subject-specific Practical Skills
It should be remembered that the term "practical skills" in relation to the experimental sciences has a specific meaning related to performance in experimental work carried out in the laboratory.
Students should be able to demonstrate development of practical skills, through

  • experience of advanced or novel practical methodologies;
  • application of knowledge to practical problems, including test selection and the design of appropriate experimental protocols with due regard to safety and quality control issues;
  • experience of IT software and databases eg in gene and genome analysis, genetic disease, epidemiology and in searching biological and medical literature;
  • comprehension and application of quantitative analysis in genetics;
  • organisation and execution of practical work in an extensive Research Project (MSc only).

Principle QAA benchmark statements

Although there are no QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) benchmark statements for Medical Genomics at Postgraduate level, course outcomes are in line with Generic QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) guidelines on Masters level qualifications.

Assessment strategy

Students are assessed through a variety of methods including problem solving exercises, in-class tests, quizzes, data analysis, practical reports, case studies, oral/poster presentation, extended essays, examinations, research project interim report, oral examination and dissertation.
Practical skills are summatively assessed through the coursework assignments, including those in the final Project module. Data handling skills are summatively assessed by, practical reports, problem solving exercises, information abstracting and reviewing exercises, oral presentations and examinations.
Formative assessments include group activities in tutorial classes, pre-laboratory exercises and project workshops.

Course specific regulations

This course shares modules with Biomedical Science which are approved by the IBMS.
BM7037 Medical Genetics
MS7P40 Research project
MS7001 Scientific Framework for Research
BMP008 Ethical Issues in Biomedical Science
BM7004 Advanced Immunology
MS7036 Biomedical Informatics
MS7042 Biomedical Diagnostics
MS7027 Bioinformatics and Molecular Modelling

Modules required for interim awards

BM7120 Fundamentals of Genetics and Genomics
BM7122 Medical Genetics and genomics
MS7P40 Research project
MS7001 Scientific Framework for Research
BMP008 Ethical Issues in Biomedical Science
BM7121 Genetic and genomic informatics

Arrangements for promoting reflective learning and personal development

During the induction phase of the programme students will be introduced to structured reflection on their development of postgraduate skills which constitute much of the substance of personal development planning. Progress with these postgraduate skills will be articulated to students as the programme progresses through feedback from tutors and peers enabling them to reflect on their advancement based on the evidence available. During the research project, students complete a ‘personal statement’, the style of which would be appropriate to a job application and address specific questions. This is introduced in the Scientific Frameworks module. Other activities, outside of the academic landscape of university life, will also contribute to students’ postgraduate skills. Within each module students will be encouraged to develop their personal portfolio and to critically review their learning experiences, set their future personal and academic goals and evaluate their own progress towards these goals.

Arrangements on the course for careers education, information and guidance

The resources of the Careers Service are available to all students, who, as Postgraduates, may already be pursuing defined career goals. Students are also made aware of the advantages of membership of the British Society for Genetic Medicine, Genetics Society or Royal Society of Biology, their careers information and the employment opportunities advertised on their websites.

Other external links providing expertise and experience

External speakers are utilised to enhance delivery and maintain currency of laboratory practice within the fields studied on this course. Members of academic staff come from appropriate research backgrounds.

Career opportunities

With your training in human genetics, many opportunities will be available to you upon graduation. Genomics is important in both public and private domains, and there is increasing demand for new graduates in a growing number of new genome centres and companies in the UK and abroad, such as the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambirdge and Medgenome in India. Genomics is also a key area for the NHS, with governmental initiatives such as the 100,000 Genomes Project.

As genetics becomes a recognised part of all biological sciences, there will be an increasing demand for individuals with expertise in this field.

Entry requirements

You will be required to have:

  • a lower second class (2.2) UK undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject (eg biology, biomedical science, biological science or medical genetics)

All applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications, please see our English language requirements.

Official use and codes

Approved to run from 2016/17 Specification version 1 Specification status Validated
Original validation date 17 Aug 2016 Last validation date 17 Aug 2016  
Sources of funding HE FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND
JACS codes C450 (Genomics): 100%
Route code MEDICS

Course Structure

Stage 1 Level 07 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
BM7001 Scientific Frameworks For Research Core 20 NORTH SPR WED AM
          NORTH AUT TUE AM
BM7120 Fundamentals of Medical Genetics and Genomics Core 20 NORTH SPR TUE AM
BM7121 Genetic and Genomic Informatics Core 20 NORTH SPR WED PM
BM7122 Medical Genetics and Genomics Core 20 NORTH SPR MON PM
BM7P40 Research Project for Medical Genomics Core 60        
BM7004 Advanced Immunology Option 20 NORTH AUT WED AM
BM7008 Ethical Issues in Biomedical Science Option 20        
BM7009 Epidemiology of Emerging Infectious Disease Option 20        
BM7027 Bioinformatics and Molecular Modelling Option 20        
BM7042 Biomedical Diagnostics Option 20 NORTH AUT THU AM
BM7047 Molecular Oncology Option 20 NORTH AUT TUE PM

Stage 1 Level 07 January start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
BM7001 Scientific Frameworks For Research Core 20 NORTH SPR WED AM
BM7120 Fundamentals of Medical Genetics and Genomics Core 20 NORTH SPR TUE AM
BM7121 Genetic and Genomic Informatics Core 20 NORTH SPR WED PM
BM7122 Medical Genetics and Genomics Core 20 NORTH SPR MON PM
BM7P40 Research Project for Medical Genomics Core 60        
BM7004 Advanced Immunology Option 20        
BM7008 Ethical Issues in Biomedical Science Option 20        
BM7009 Epidemiology of Emerging Infectious Disease Option 20        
BM7027 Bioinformatics and Molecular Modelling Option 20        
BM7042 Biomedical Diagnostics Option 20        
BM7047 Molecular Oncology Option 20