Health and Medical Sciences — Cancer Care Innovation

This programme is a sub-specialty route within the Health and Medical Sciences programme. Healthcare professionals and health service managers can tailor this adaptable interdisciplinary programme to their individual needs by selecting from a library of modules with cancer specialist and generic themes. A Student Advisor supports students in selecting modules and in reviewing their personal development plan and career goals.

Students learn and develop skills and knowledge to foster high-quality professional practice across healthcare with the opportunity to focus on specific areas of interests relating to the care of cancer patients. The acquisition of advanced and up-to-date knowledge, skills to support evidence-based practice, and the ability to critically evaluate current research in students’ chosen field of study are implicit.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of two core modules (30 credits), six optional modules (90 credits), and a research dissertation (60 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma comprising one core module (15 credits) and seven optional modules (105 credits), flexible study two to five years is offered.

A Postgraduate Certificate comprising one core module (15 credits), three optional modules (45 credits), flexible study one to two years is offered.

Core modules

• Research Innovation and Practice
• Research Methods in Healthcare (or a suitable alternative)

Optional modules

Optional modules can be chosen from each of these three categories:

• Professional Development (for example, leadership, clinical education, research skills, health informatics)
• Clinical Practice/Patient Care (for example, cancer therapeutics, cancer biology, behavioural approaches to cancer prevention, early diagnosis and survivorship)
• Service Improvement (for example, healthcare quality, evidence-based practice)

Dissertation/report

All MSc students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 to 12,000 words.

Teaching and learning

Some modules combine formal contact time with academic staff, research fellows and guest speakers and interactive online study using the virtual learning environment. Other modules are taught on campus through lectures, seminars and workshops. Assessment is a mixture of written coursework, formal examination, oral presentation and the dissertation.

A medical degree (MBBS) or a minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Students who do not meet these requirements but have relevant professional experience may also apply.