Biomedical Professionals
Health Teaching in the School of Biological Sciences
The School of Biological Sciences currently offers a range of provision aimed at
health professionals in Biomedical Science and Cardiology.
Pre-registration provision is currently offered via full-time BSc programmes,
click
here for further details of these programmes, funding and admissions
criteria. Post-registration provision is currently offered at Masters level on a
full-time, part-time and modular basis.
It is also possible to take
individual modules
on a stand-alone basis, for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) purposes.
MSc degrees in Biomedical Science
A new suite of IBMS-accredited MSc's, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate
Certificates in Cellular Pathology, Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology with
Hospital Transfusion Practice and Medical Microbiology has been developed in
collaboration with practising biomedical scientists for biomedical and clinical
scientists working in NHS laboratories in the eastern region. It aims to offer
this group of health professionals the chance to develop their skills and
enhance their careers. For career progression, biomedical scientists must attain
academic knowledge through a postgraduate qualification. Students on the new BMS
courses will normally be employed as biomedical scientists at the time of
admission to their course.
Each course allows students to take a number of generic modules, including
Research Methods, Validation & Development, Immunity in Health and Disease and
Laboratory Management. Two dedicated modules in modern techniques are offered,
giving students the opportunity to gain practical experience of the latest
modern techniques in biomedical science, learning how these might be used in a
clinical setting. Each course also includes two discipline-specific modules,
delivered by a number of specialist lecturers brought in from the NHS on a
part-time basis, eg clinicians and senior biomedical scientists, with
contributions from University staff. All modules have a University of Essex
supervisor. One third of each MSc course is entirely devoted to a workplace
research project.
Health professionals are encouraged to register on an MSc, Postgraduate
Diploma (PGDip) or Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in one of the following
fields, according to their specialised area:
The School also offers a generic
Postgraduate Certificate in Biomedical Science, for those who do not wish to
specialise in a particular discipline.
The programmes are offered on a modular basis; individual modules can be
taken for CPD purposes and a Masters degree, Postgraduate Diploma or
Postgraduate Certificate can be obtained by credit accumulation over a period of
up to six years. In order to enable NHS employees to attend, teaching will be
delivered in a block on one day per week (Monday) probably between the hours of
3.00pm and 8.00pm. Regional hospitals have already expressed a keen interest in
Masters-level courses in Biomedical Science at Essex. Employees registering on
the courses will only have to be released from work for half a day per week (or
even less), in comparison to a one day per week release if they were registered
on a London-based course.
Students will apply and register for each module individually, allowing them
to manage their studies to fit in with work and other commitments. For the award
of MSc, they are required to complete nine modules within a minimum of two and a
maximum of six years, including a one-year workplace research project in the
last year of study. The research project will be entirely work-based at the
student's place of work. PGDip students are required to complete eight modules
and PGCert students four modules.
MSc in Cardiac Rehabilitation
The
MSc in Cardiac Rehabilitation is aimed at graduates from a variety of life
science backgrounds as well as nurse practitioners and a range of allied health
professionals. Course content will particularly focus on enabling graduates of
the scheme to provide evidence-based physical activity advice and to manage
intervention programmes for patients at risk of, or suffering from a variety of
cardiovascular disorders. The course is available on a full-time basis over 12
months or part-time over 24 months. Possibilities may also exist for modular
study.
Short Course Programme
In addition to its BSc, MSc, PGDip and PGCert provision, the School of
Biological Sciences offers a range of short courses. These are all also modules
forming part of existing MSc/PGDip/PGCert provision and credits obtained may be
used towards an award of study.