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Molecular biology – the study of the basis of life - focuses on the structure and function of DNA, RNA and protein and their interactions with each other.
Year of entry
2024-25
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Part-time
Duration
1 year full-time
2 years part-time
18-20 months (with professional experience)
Course code
HLST176; HLST177(with professional experience)
Start date
September 2024
This master’s course responds to the demand for highly skilled scientists who can identify defects in cellular systems at the nucleic acid level and conduct genetic modification of organisms which allow a greater understanding of cellular function.
The MSc with Professional Experience2 provides you with the opportunity to undertake a six-month professional experience either on or off campus. Professional experience opportunities (whether within an external company or within the university) are subject to a competitive application and selection process. Such experiences may be paid or unpaid, and this will depend on what is being offered and agreed with the host organisation or university.
Professional experience opportunities will normally be undertaken for three to five days per week for 18-22 weeks over two semesters. If you are not successful in securing professional work experience outside the university, you will have the opportunity to undertake campus-based professional experience, which will deliver similar learning outcomes through supervised projects and activities designed to offer students the opportunity to integrate theory with an understanding of professional practice.
This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:
As part of this course, you will undertake a professional development module which is currently accredited by the Chartered Management Institute for the 2023-24 intake. Upon successful completion of this module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice at no additional cost. Further details can be found under the module section and on the Professional Development module homepage. Coventry University’s accreditation with CMI is currently ongoing for the relevant modules and is frequently reviewed and monitored by the CMI through their quality systems.
With space for over 250 students and packed full of industry-standard equipment, the Coventry University Superlab is an amazing place to learn, experiment and discover. Find out what we’re doing in our Superlab to make it greener and reduce our waste and carbon emissions.
The MSc with Professional Experience2 provides you with the opportunity to undertake a six-month professional experience either on or off campus. Professional experience opportunities (whether within an external company or within the university) are subject to a competitive application and selection process. Such experiences may be paid or unpaid, and this will depend on what is being offered and agreed with the host organisation or university.
Professional experience opportunities will normally be undertaken for three to five days per week for 18-22 weeks over two semesters. If you are not successful in securing professional work experience outside the university, you will have the opportunity to undertake campus-based professional experience, which will deliver similar learning outcomes through supervised projects and activities designed to offer students the opportunity to integrate theory with an understanding of professional practice. Please note that fees for students on the Professional Experience route are higher than the standard fees payable by students on the MSc course without professional experience (see fees section for more information).
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
Teaching can be taken over a standard one-year full-time course, a two-year part-time course, or over 18-20 months with professional experience included. This incorporates two additional non-credit bearing professional experience modules - Professional Experience Placement 1 and 2 - where you have the opportunity to gain experience through either an internship with an external organisation or with the university2.
Internships, subject to competitive application and selection, will normally be undertaken for three to five days per week for 18-22 weeks over two semesters, though shorter internships are subject to approval.
Teaching across all versions can include:
You will have the opportunity to receive a series of lectures and seminars on selected contemporary topics in molecular biology, delivered by university teaching, research staff and invited speakers from other universities’ research institutes (subject to availability).
The Molecular Biology MSc course can be offered on a part-time basis. The Molecular Biology with Professional Experience MSc is only available on a full-time basis.
Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Request further information about part-time study.
In a typical teaching week, you will have on average 15-18 hours of teaching contact based on lectures, tutorial and practical-based teaching sessions.
The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.
Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 12 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.
Assessment methods include:
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Coventry University is committed to preparing our students for the challenges of the global employment market and to strengthen and develop their broader personal and professional skills.
You may have the opportunity to present a poster in an international location as part of a Scientific Presentation module2. You will work with other students on joint presentation projects, which allow you to learn from and interact with students from a different institution and culture.
Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements are therefore not guaranteed2.
2024/25 tuition fees.
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | £11,200 | £21,250 (with prof. experience) per year | Request fee information |
EU | £11,200 | £21,250 (with prof. experience) per year with EU Support Bursary** £18,600 | £21,250 (with prof. experience) per year without EU Support Bursary** |
Not available |
International | £18,600 | £21,250 (with prof. experience) per year | Not available |
For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.
We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.
Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.
Our multi-million-pound Alison Gingell Building features a range of mock healthcare settings, analytical labs and research labs, all equipped with top-of-the-range equipment you’ll need to succeed in this course. These include flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography, and confocal microscopy4.
Our SuperLab can hold up to 250 students at one time and has equipment that allows you to gain skills and experience with techniques and equipment that you will encounter in your graduate careers including biosafety hoods, flow cytometers and DNA sequencers.
This is where you can apply your practical and theoretical knowledge to real-life working scenarios. We use a new generation chromatography technique to analyse products ranging from pharmaceutical agents, to cosmetics, drinks and toxins.
On successful completion of this course, you will have knowledge of:
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
The scientific knowledge and skills you acquire during the course can be a useful basis for a career in teaching; technical and scientific writing (such as medical writing or writing for the media); clinical trials; drug registration, patenting or monitoring; medical publishing or other information services; regulatory affairs; or sales and marketing. Opportunities also exist for further study at PhD level upon completion of the course.
Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university’s Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
Previous students have gone on to do related PhDs, work as genetic counsellors for the NHS and work for bioscience/biotechnology start-up companies.
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.
1Accreditations
The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.
2UK and international opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.
3Tuition fees
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.
For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.
4Facilities
Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.
Satisfactory health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure is also required. As part of the health clearance checks, you will be required to provide information about your immunity and vaccination status. The information you provide will be used to determine your eligibility to go on placement(s). Placements are provided at the placement provider’s discretion. The University is, therefore, unable to guarantee the provision of placements or the location and type of placement offered.
Student Contract
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2023/2024 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2024/25 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.