Biomedical Sciences

Programme Aims

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and to demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas.

Knowledge and Understanding:
By the end of this programme students will be able to:

• demonstrate advanced knowledge and in-depth understanding of the research techniques used in biomedical sciences;
• undertake original research on defined topics in biomedical sciences;
• demonstrate detailed knowledge of best laboratory practice and appropriate biological containment.

Developing your skills:
By the end of this programme students will be able to:

Subject-specific/practical skills

• demonstrate the in-depth acquisition of research skills in advanced techniques used in biomedical sciences;
• design, plan and safely-execute significant laboratory experiments and analyse data;
• produce high-quality research reports and posters.

Intellectual skills

• identify, synthesise, summarise and critically-evaluate prior research findings in a specific area;
• critically-evaluate and analyse scientific data;
• present research findings in the form of written laboratory and project reports;
• demonstrate the ability to place original research findings in the context of existing knowledge;
• identify areas where further research is necessary;
• formulate and test hypotheses and solve problems through experimentation by defining scientific questions and addressing them critically.

Transferable/key skills

• demonstrate proficient oral and written communication skills by giving clear, well-constructed oral and written presentations on advanced topics in current biomedical research;
• use computers effectively to search databases, analyse data and present research findings in the form of written reports and posters;
• demonstrate proficiency in planning and managing time effectively by prioritising tasks and meeting deadlines.
• work co-operatively with colleagues to develop interpersonal and teamwork skills.

Teaching

• Lectures
• Laboratories
• Research seminars
• Workshops
• Two research projects
• Graduate School Introductory programme
• Reading of the literature
• IT sessions
• Directed study
• Private study

Assessment
All assessment, except for final award grades, is conducted in the immediate context of the courses comprising the programme. The intended learning outcomes indicated above are, however, generic to the programme as a whole and the extent of any individual student’s attainment of them will be demonstrated as follows:

Knowledge and Understanding:

• Poster presentation
• Analysis of scientific paper class exam
• Essay or problem questions
• Oral presentation
• Written project reports
• Project supervisor’s assessment
• Project vivas
• Research methods laboratory report
• Molecular methods class exam