Introduction
Study Information
At a Glance
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MSc
- Duration
- 12 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- January
- Location of Study
- Aberdeen
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.
View the Aberdeen Global ScholarshipWhat You'll Study
- Stage 1
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Compulsory Courses
- Host - Pathogen Interactions (MB5516)
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15 Credit Points
Why do some microorganisms cause disease, yet others don’t? This course explores host-pathogen interactions from bacterial, fungal, parasite, viral and host perspectives in a lecture series, examining virulence factors, host defences and immune responses.
Students develop a detailed knowledge of one specific host-pathogen interaction through self-directed study and working as a group to review a specific disease selected by the students. In addition, students will enhance their ability to work within teams and will develop their skill in academic writing, creating a group-written review article.
Course workshops discuss experimental design for analysis of host-pathogen interactions, virulence and evaluation of novel drug treatments.
The course materials will enable students to develop and refine their understanding of the roles of host and pathogen in infectious disease.
Please note that some of the material on this course may describe animal research and/or may discuss disease outbreaks.
- Applied Statistics (PU5522)
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15 Credit Points
This course in Applied Statistics intends to focus on the application of statistical techniques in postgraduate research for health professionals, with a particular emphasis on the correct interpretation of statistical analyses. The course will NOT concentrate on the statistical theory underlying the subject. An important component of the course is the use of a statistical package, IBM SPSS Statistics, which can be used to implement all the methods taught on the course.
- Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5506)
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This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.
Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
- Evaluating and Communicating Research (MB5529)
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15 Credit Points
The aim of this course is to develop understanding of hypothesis-led research and to provide an opportunity to study advanced science concepts and critically evaluate research led by an experienced member of academic staff.
Optional Courses
Students choose one of the following courses:
- Biologic Drug Discovery (BT5509)
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15 Credit Points
Biologic therapies represent one of the most important and novel areas of drug discovery in the 21st century. The aim of this course is to provide an insight into the success of protein, peptide or antibody based biologic therapies and to examine how this exciting new area will develop over the next decade.
- Advanced Genomic Tools in Biomedical Research (MB5528)
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15 Credit Points
A course describing the wide range of ways in which genome sequencing has transformed biomedical research and our understanding of human disease.
Contains material detailing a range of examples of advanced genomic tools and technologies and their applications in biomedical science.
A course that makes wide use of the literature, allowing you to read about and understand the latest genomics-based methods.
A course placing a high value on its teaching and learning; lecture material supported by workshops – your chance to put knowledge into practice, ask questions and enjoy the science.
- Stage 2
-
Compulsory Courses
Students take one of the following:
- Masters Research Project (Laboratory) (MB5904)
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60 Credit Points
This course offers students the opportunity to complete a substantial piece of data-driven, empirical work within their field of study under the supervision of an experienced researcher.
Topics available will be varied but within the domain of their field of study. Alongside supervisors, students will identify a suitable topic area, describe an appropriate study design and implement an empirical study to be completed within a laboratory setting. Students will be involved alongside the supervisors in the process of defining the research question, and developing the research plan and, where appropriate, obtaining regulatory approvals. This course is for laboratory-based projects (if you are intending to undertake a project in non-laboratory setting you should register on PU5913)
- Masters Research Project (PU5922)
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60 Credit Points
This course offers students the opportunity to complete a substantial piece of data-driven, empirical work within their field of study under the supervision of an experienced researcher.
Topics available will be varied but within the domain of their field of study. Alongside supervisors, students will identify a suitable topic area, describe an appropriate study design and implement an empirical study. Students will be involved alongside the supervisors in the process of defining the research question, and developing the research plan and, where appropriate, obtaining regulatory approvals. This course is for non-laboratory based projects (if you are intending to undertake a project in a scientific laboratory setting, you should register on MB5904).
- Stage 3
-
Compulsory Courses
Students take a compulsory course in Current Microbiology.
Plus one or both of the following: BT5014 and/or MB5021
Plus, one or both of the following: MB5025 and/or MB5028
- Current Microbiology (MC5009)
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15 Credit Points
This course will provide students with microbiology knowledge for further advanced studies and will provide training in microbiological laboratory techniques. At the end of this course students will have an understanding of microbes associated with health and disease (including bacteria, fungi and viruses), academic and practical understanding of laboratory techniques required for the culture, identification and characterisation of microbes, and increased confidence in reading and critiquing primary research literature.
Please note that some of the material on this course may describe animal research and/or may discuss disease outbreaks.
- Biotechnology (BT5014)
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15 Credit Points
Modern biotechnology is absolutely dependent upon our increasingly sophisticated ability to use microbial and mammalian host cells as factories to produce high quantities of protein pharmaceuticals, e.g. insulin. Increasingly, cells engineered with multiple foreign genes are also being used to drive small molecule drug production. This course will explore how such heterologous protein expression processes can be engineered and optimised to drive efficient synthesis of the next generation medicines on which healthcare systems are increasingly depending.
- Bioinformatics (MB5021)
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15 Credit Points
A course containing a series of lectures describing 'latest-methods and discoveries' in areas of bioinformatics and functional genomics including transcriptomics, proteomics, and DNA sequence analysis.Contains a series of in-depth workshops that teach the principles and practice of next generation sequence analysis, transcriptomics, proteomics and sequence similarity analysis.
- Molecular Genetics (MB5025)
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15 Credit Points
The course provides a detailed exploration of the structure and function of genes at the molecular and biochemical level. It covers the analysis of genome activity from the 3D structure of chromosomes through to RNA and DNA-protein interactions. The course will provide you with a thorough understanding of the approaches and molecular biology techniques used in modern molecular genetics research and its applications in gene editing and gene therapies.
- Profiles of Immunology (MB5028)
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15 Credit Points
Today, the profound influence of novel immunotherapies to treat cancers, autoimmune disease, infection and even to maintain transplant survival strategies means that a good understanding of basic immunology is valuable in many aspects of Biomedical Science. This course provides background knowledge of the innate and adaptive immune system and how that understanding is being used in a range of disease scenarios to provide new therapeutic options for patients.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page. In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips.
Fees and Funding
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| UK | |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | £12,200 |
| Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year | £12,200 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year (University of Aberdeen Graduates *) | £7,000 |
| Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (University of Aberdeen Graduates *) | £7,000 |
| EU / International students | |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | £26,250 |
| Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year | £26,250 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year (Self-funded Students *) | £18,250 |
| Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (Self-funded Students *) | £18,250 |
Scholarships and Funding
UK Scholarship
Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme. More about this funding opportunity.Funding Database
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Careers
There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.
- More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen
- More information on the Careers and Employability Service
Our Experts
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.