Doctor of Biomedical Sciences

Content

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Research Theory and Practice - Training in project management to help you achieve a work/life/research balance, plus research governance, Health and Safety, good clinical practice and intellectual property rights. Through coursework, you will also gain skills in presentation, statistics, IT, writing for publications and being a reflective practitioner/researcher.
• Project Development towards a Doctorate - You'll begin this module with an idea of the area of research you'd like to explore, and we guide you in researching the literature, formulating hypotheses, and planning your research methodology, work packages and timescales.
• Interim Report - Designed to encourage the 'thoughtful researcher', this module features structured sessions on scientific writing, thesis writing skills, systematic review, poster presentation and oral presentation skills.
• Professional Development for Biomedical Science - Develop the skills and confidence you need to be a reflective practitioner. You'll do this through a range of workshops including intellectual property, leadership, presentation skills, systematic reviews, biomedical ethics and group dynamics.
• Research Project - You'll conduct research at your workplace that will inform your 30,000 word thesis. You submit your proposal idea for research when you apply for the programme, and develop it with our supervision team and a suitable work colleague. The final thesis should be completed and submitted no later than 12 months after the end of the five-year programme.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we will inform you.

Learning and Teaching

There are five one-day sessions per annum, covering the modular structure and supervised research and learning, giving you excellent opportunities to engage with experts throughout the course, both in person and online.

For more details see our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Study time

This course is a five year part-time route only, during which you attend campus on five one-day sessions each year. This ensures optimum integration of doctorate training with full-time employment.

Assessment

Assessed work varies with each module, but will comprise a written research proposal, reflection on the research process, a systematic review of the research topic, visual and oral presentations, and a reflective portfolio of attendance at workshops and research seminars. There will be doctorate-level viva voce examinations midway through your research and after your research thesis submission.

There are 30 credits per module (120 in total) and you must complete them before submitting your final thesis. Interim qualifications, based on modular credits, are available at the end of Years 1 and 2 if you can't complete the full five-year programme.

For more details see our full glossary of assessment terms.