1. General Information

 

 

Welcome to the School of Medical Sciences

Welcome to your Postgraduate Taught Programme in the School of Medical Sciences within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester. The University has a worldwide reputation based on high quality teaching and research, and I am sure that your programme will provide a solid foundation for your future career success.

Within the School and the wider Faculty, our goal is to create an environment that allows you to excel and reach your full potential. Offering access to first-class facilities and strong links with regional health-service providers, our postgraduate programmes are designed to meet the diverse needs of all our students. The curriculum of our taught programmes provides the knowledge and skills you will need in your subject area and all our Masters programmes include an opportunity to carry out an independent research project on topics spanning all areas of biomedical research from molecular to experimental biology and clinical medicine. While subject areas cover a broad range, all our taught programmes have two common aims:

  • To develop your skills in your chosen field of study
  • To enhance your knowledge within the field you have chosen. Whether you are a graduate, professional or have a clinical background, the programmes have been tailored to meet your specific needs.

As a student of the School of Medical Sciences, you will be expected to take responsibility for your degree, within a supportive environment that fosters your development and helps prepare you for your future career. This handbook will be a useful resource as you progress through your programme. It provides programme-specific information that I am sure that you will find helpful throughout your study. If however, you have questions or would like some further advice, please do not hesitate to contact the people listed in this handbook for further information and assistance.

I wish you every success as you embark upon your programme, and in your future career.

Dr Carol Yates
Director of Postgraduate Taught Education
School of Medical Sciences
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Updated version
Academic year 2019/20

Points of Contact

Programme Director & Project Co-ordinator
Dr Michael Taylor
Lecturer in Proton Therapy Physics
Tel: 0161 275 0044
m.j.taylor@manchester.ac.uk

Unit Leaders
Dr Michael Merchant
Lecturer
michael.merchant@manchester.ac.uk

Professor Karen Kirkby
Richard Rose Chair in Proton Therapy Physics
karen.kirkby@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Katherine Finegan
Lecturer in Cancer Biology and Therapy
K.G.Finegan@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Adam Aitkenhead
Honorary Research Associate
adam.aitkenhead@christie.nhs.uk

Dr Amy Chadwick
Research Associate
amy.chadwick@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Alan McWilliam
alan.mcwilliam@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Julia Handley
julia.handley@christie.nhs.ac.uk

Dr Geoff Budgell
Honorary Lecturer
Geoff.budgell@christie.nhs.uk

Professor Ranald Mackay
Honorary Clinical Chair
ranald.mackay@christie.nhs.ac.uk

Dr Thomas Mee
Research Associate
thomas.mee@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Professor Norman Kirkby
Research Fellow
norman.kirkby@manchester.ac.uk

Professor Kaye Williams
Research
kaye.williams@manchester.ac.uk

Programme Administrator
Laura Watson
Programme Administrator
School of Medical Sciences
1.485, 1st Floor, Stopford Building
University of Manchester
Tel: 0161 275 5688
cbrp@manchester.ac.uk

Consortium Lead Dr Phil Macdonald

Personal Tutor To be allocated.

MSc student representative To be appointed democratically.

Online Skills Training Resource

The Faculty has developed a skills training resource to support you through your postgraduate taught programme. This online material should supplement the assessed learning material and activities undertaken in your taught programme.

Accessing the online skills resource
You can access Blackboard through the My Manchester portal (http://my.manchester.ac.uk). The skills training resource is available in an academic community space available to all registered PGT students in the Faculty through Blackboard.

If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard please contact your Programme Administrator.

Content
Full details of all these resources can be found in the introduction to each unit. These resources have been designed to give you formative feedback on your progress through them. If you experience any problems and would like to talk to someone please contact your Programme Director. If you have questions about referencing and how it applies to your own work, please contact your Programme Director or dissertation supervisor/module lead.

Academic Writing This is an excellent resource that supports you to write your assignments and dissertation. It is split into units that focus on key areas that previous students have found difficult and aims to enhance your academic writing style.
Research Methods* This course is spilt into 3 units that cover introductions to study design, statistics and dissertation skills. It has a number of online quizzes where you can test your knowledge.
Statistics* The course provides a valuable foundation for understanding and interpreting biostatistics. It aims to provide you with the fundamentals of quantitative analysis.
Presentation Skills This short interactive unit is designed to help you to enhance your presentation skills. Regardless of whether you are presenting in public, preparing for conferences, an oral examination or more informal settings this unit will give you the tops tips to improve your delivery.
Qualitative Research Methods* This unit has been designed to give you an introduction to Qualitative Research.
SPSS* This is an introduction to statistics, using SPSS, a popular and comprehensive data analysis software package containing a multitude of features designed to facilitate the execution of a wide range of statistical analyses.
Intellectual Property Awareness Resource This Intellectual Property (IP) awareness resource has been created in order to improve your understanding of IP. Topics include: Types of intellectual property • Copyright and IP clearance • University policy on IP • IP commercialisation • IP in research or consultancy • IP issues to be aware when dealing with academic materials

 * NOTE: the material in this online resource is for reference and formative learning purposes only. In some of your taught programme you may be required to undertake assessed course units for Research Methods, Qualitative Research or Statistics. If your programme involves taught units then you should refer to the Blackboard material relating to that course unit. Please contact your Programme Administrator if you are unsure which material relates to your assessed work. You will still be able to refer to the online skills resource in later years.

Introductory Courses

All students are automatically enrolled onto an introductory unit that provides information on health and safety, academic malpractice and academic literacy. Completion instructions for each of these sections are clearly defined within the course. Completion of the academic malpractice and health and safety sections is mandatory for all students. All assessments must be completed as soon as possible after the programme begins, with the academic malpractice assessment completed before the first piece of coursework is submitted. Completion of these assessments is monitored by the School. All students are also strongly advised to complete the academic literacy section.

Communication with Students

Please note that only Blackboard, the University e-learning platform and your allocated student university email address will be used as official communication by University staff. It is your responsibility to ensure that you can access and read email from this source.

Students are required to keep the University informed of any change to their personal circumstances such as change of name or address. Changes can be recorded by the student via their own personal online record. It is also essential to inform the Programme Administrator if you do not intend to return to the next session of the course, if, for example, you are moving away.

2. Overview of the Programme

 

Programme Overview

The MSc/PGDip/PGCert in Cancer Biology and Radiotherapy Physics aims to develop multidisciplinary scientists to create the necessary skill base that will drive radiotherapy forward in the UK. With around 40% of all cancer cure cases involving radiotherapy in some capacity and the UK soon to have a high-energy proton therapy service, the need for multidisciplinary scientists in this field has never been greater.

The programme is run in partnership with The Christie, the largest single site cancer hospital in Europe, with content being delivered by staff with a range of expertise, including physicists, biologists, engineers, clinicians and oncologists. This close collaboration with The Christie will provide access to a range of unique research projects utilising state-of-the-art radiotherapy equipment such as the MR-Linac and the Proton Beam Therapy Research Facility, the likes of which cannot be offered elsewhere in the UK or in most of Europe.

Aims of the Programme

The overarching objective of the programme is to deliver a masters-level training programme in Cancer Biology and Radiotherapy Physics.

  • Provide students with critical insight into the technical principles underlying radiotherapy.
  • Provide the means to critically evaluate and contrast current treatment technologies and techniques.
  • Provide students with an understanding of the patient pathway.
  • Provide an overview of the outstanding challenges in radiotherapy and how these are being addressed through research.
  • Provide critical insight into the biological principles underlying cancer development.
  • Provide students with critical insight into the physical principles underpinning radiotherapy, medical imaging for radiotherapy, radiation protection, radiation dosimetry and further developments of radiotherapy.

Produce graduates equipped with the knowledge, specialist practical skills and critical awareness that will enable them to find employment in the field of radiotherapy.

Learning Outcomes of the Programme


Knowledge and Understanding

  • Appraise and critique different radiotherapy treatment modalities
  • Examine and discuss the science underpinning radiotherapy
  • Appraise and critique the major medical imaging methods used in radiotherapy
  • Appraise and critique the biological basis of cancer
  • Analyse and compare the benefits and risks of radiotherapy
  • Critically evaluate the rationale behind therapeutic interventions to treat cancer
  • Examine the scientific principles governing radiation induced damage and repair at the molecular and cellular levels
  • Analyse and compare how the tumour microenvironment affects radiation damage and repair

Intellectual Skills

  • Describe the fundamental principles of physics as applied to medical physics.
  • Describe the interactions of radiation with matter and human tissue.
  • Describe the equipment and techniques used in radiotherapy
  • Explain the principles of radiation protection
  • Demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills in the field of radiotherapy physics
  • Critically evaluate the biological basis of cancer at the molecular level
  • Critically analyse the rationale underpinning treatment options for cancer patients
  • Distinguish and critically evaluate different radiotherapy techniques and their application
  • Critically analyse the national implementation of radiotherapy in the UK.
  • Differentiate between different treatment planning techniques

Practical Skills

  • Explain and demonstrate the use of Monte-Carlo simulation techniques for radiation transport
  • Explain the patient pathway in radiotherapy
  • Demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills in the field of cancer biology
  • Analyse and discuss data obtained from empirical measurements
  • Demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills in the field of radiotherapy
  • Perform simple radiobiological calculations of cell survival
  • Identify key bibliographic databases relevant to radiotherapy
  • Have a clear understanding of the key components of academic writing

Transferable Skills and Personal Qualities

  • Apply analytical skills to radiotherapy problems
  • Demonstrate creative problem solving skills
  • Develop information technology skills to support lifelong learning
  • Participate in collaborative learning and peer support
  • Undertake independent learning through critical evaluation and synthesis of evidence that enhances and challenges current knowledge
  • Develop practical skills in biology, physics and radiobiology
  • Systematically evaluate a range of evidence to inform decision-making and professional practice
  • Manage time; work to deadlines; use initiative when seeking information

Programme Structure and Credits


SMS Introductory Course – Lab-based (MEDN67810)
All students are automatically enrolled onto an introductory course unit that provides information on health and safety, academic malpractice and academic literacy. Completion instructions for each of these units are clearly defined within the course. Completion of these units is mandatory for all students. All assessments must be completed as soon as possible after the programme begins, with the academic malpractice assessment completed before the first piece of coursework is submitted. Completion of these units is monitored by the School.

Research Methods (15 credits)
This unit is a 15 credit, interactive blended learning unit which will give you a comprehensive introduction to key information and skills required for the design, execution, interpretation and dissemination of medical, scientific and clinically-related research.

Taught Units:
5 core (including Research Methods) and 3 optional = 120 credits

Core Units (Semester 1):

  • The Physics of Radiotherapy (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Dr Michael Merchant and Prof. Karen Kirkby
  • The Biology of Cancer (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Dr Katherine Finegan
  • Clinical Radiotherapy (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Dr Adam Aitkenhead
  • Radiobiology (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Dr Amy Chadwick
  • Research Methods (Medicine) (15 credits)
    Unit Co-ordinator: Dr Vitalia Kinakh (Unit Lead)

Optional Units (Semester 2):

  • Imaging for Radiotherapy (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Dr Alan McWilliam
  • Treatment Planning (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Dr Julia Handley
  • Radiotherapy Dosimetry (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Dr Geoff Budgell
  • Advanced Radiotherapy (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Prof. Ranald Mackay
  • Computational Methods (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Dr Thomas Mee and Prof. Norman Kirkby
  • Biomarkers (15 credits)
    Unit Lead: Prof. Kaye Williams

Research Project (Semester 2)

  • Dissertation: (60 credits)
    Unit Leads: Individually allocated supervisor and the programme directors

Course Unit Outlines

Research Methods MEDN 69910 (15 Credits)

The Research Methods Course is a 15 credit, interactive blended learning course which provides students with an introduction to key material required for the design, execution and interpretation of medical, scientific and clinically-related research and the production of a high quality dissertation.

The unit will run online over one semester. There will be online material opened on each topic at specific timetabled slots throughout the semester and face-to-face consolidation sessions.

The unit incorporates online material and 10 face-to-face sessions covering:

Introduction to Blackboard and research methods online;

Dissertations skills – covering literature search, principles of academic writing, critical appraisal of publications, plagiarism and abstract writing;

Study design – covering project planning, time management and an overview of specific research designs, ethical issues  and principles of good governance that apply to all clinical research;

Statistics – covering a basic introduction to statistical methods;

Communication skills – presentation skills and posters.

Aims

The unit aims to:

– introduce students to the skills and knowledge to critically design, effectively implement, ethically conduct and knowledgeably interpret research in Biomedical and Human Sciences.

– provide students with life-long critical appraisal skills that they will be able to apply to any research evidence that comes before them.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit successful students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

·         understand basic statistical issues needed for the development of a study protocol

·         understand key epidemiological concepts

·         understand the structure of, and be able to differentiate between, the common types of epidemiological studies

·         identify different types of data

·         understand the key issues to consider when critically appraising different study designs

·         understand key ethics and research governance documents and legislation, such as the Helsinki Declaration, and legislation such as the UK Data Protection Act.

·         understand procedures relating to obtaining ethical approval for your research, using the UK NHS Ethics Committee system as an example.

·         understand the basics of exploratory and inferential statistics.

·         understand which types of data can be analysed by which statistical techniques.
Intellectual skills

·         discuss the role of research in a clinical discipline

·         explore the development of a research idea from hypothesis through to the drawing of conclusions

·         make a judgement on the quality of a research article with consideration of implications for clinical practice/future research

·         discuss issues regarding the implementation of research findings.

·         develop critical appraisal of what statistical analysis can and cannot achieve.
Practical skills

·         identify key bibliographic databases relevant to the area of specialty

·         carry out focussed searches to identify research literature relevant to a chosen topic area

·         develop and implement a framework for successful project/time management

·         have a clear understanding of the key components of academic writing

·         be able to use bibliographic software (EndNote) for searching online bibliographic databases, managing citations and references, creating bibliographies and figure lists

·         critically appraise literature to a high standard
Transferable skills and personal qualities

·         manage time; work to deadlines; use initiative when seeking information

·         use information technology and appropriate related software to a high standard

·         apply skills for identifying, appraising, synthesising and applying evidence, in professional life

·         apply research related skills to professional life

 

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course unit will be delivered predominantly through e-learning over one semester, with seven timetabled face-to-face sessions run by the Graduate Training Team and three face-to-face sessions run by the Library Training Team. A variety of online material will be utilised including web-based reading, podcasts, online discussions, tutor feedback, interactive exercises, self-assessment through MCQs and self-reflection.

The timetabled sessions will be a mix of tutor presentations, group discussions and workshops.

Assessment Methods

To help students appropriately focus their efforts throughout the unit, a combination of formative and summative assessments is offered.

All students must complete all formative assessments by the end of the semester.

Summative assessments will contribute a percentage towards the final mark. All students must complete three summative assessments in total. Two summative assessments “Critical appraisal of literature” and “Ethical issues related to clinical research” are compulsory for all programmes. Whereas each programme of study can choose the third summative assessment from three optional assessments: either Abstract writing or Grammar quiz or Statistics quiz.

Feedback Methods

Students will be provided with personalised feedback for their summative assignments, within 15 working days.

CORE UNITS:

The Physics of Radiotherapy


Aims
Provide students with critical insight into the physical principles underpinning radiotherapy, medical imaging for radiotherapy, radiation protection, radiation dosimetry, and future developments of radiotherapy. Students will also gain critical insight of the scientific and engineering principles concerning the design of radiotherapy accelerators.

Description
The unit will investigate modern radiotherapy equipment in order for the student to develop a systematic understanding of the scientific basis underpinning photon, electron and proton treatment modalities, medical imaging for radiotherapy, and the fundamental principles of radiation interactions with matter.

Topics covered:

  • Radioactivity
  • Interactions of radiation with matter
  • X-ray generation
  • Medical linear accelerator technologies
  • Detection and measurement of radiation fields.
  • Properties of clinical beams
  • Sealed and unsealed sources
  • Physics of imaging for radiotherapy
  • CT
  • MR
  • PET/SPECT
  • Time dependent imaging
  • Motion management
  • Charged particle therapy
  • Particle accelerator principles
  • Nanodosimetry of particle beams
  • Radiation transport simulation

The Biology of Cancer


Aims
Provide critical insight into the biological principles underlying cancer development. Explore the biological rationale of the therapeutic options for treating cancer (including radiotherapy).

Description
This unit will investigate the fundamental and translational science that underpins cancer development and therapeutic intervention, to provide the student with an in-depth understanding of the biology of cancer.
The unit will also examine the biological characteristics of tumour cells, at the molecular level, that set them aside from their non-malignant counterparts. Students will also obtain insight into how we target these hallmarks for therapeutic advantage in cancer patients, via radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapies. Cutting-edge approaches for cancer therapy in development and/or clinical trial will be highlighted. The cooperativity between multi-modal treatment strategies will be highlighted.

Clinical Radiotherapy


Aims
Provide students with critical insight into the technical principles underlying radiotherapy. Provide students with critical insight into how current radiotherapy technologies and techniques fit into the history of radiotherapy development. Provide the means to critically evaluate and contrast current treatment technologies and techniques. Provide students with an understanding of the legislation governing radiotherapy, and the means to assess how this relates to clinical practice. Provide students with an understanding of the patient pathway. Provide an overview of the outstanding challenges in radiotherapy and how these are being addressed through research.

Description
The unit will investigate all contemporary forms of radiotherapy in order for the student to develop a systematic understanding of each treatment modality. This will include brachytherapy and external beam (including photon and charged particle) therapies, with the benefits and disadvantages of each technique being discussed. For each modality, differing delivery techniques and planning approaches will be analysed to provide a comprehensive overview of clinical radiotherapy. The legislation relating to radiotherapy will be discussed, including an examination of how the legislation is practically implemented in the clinic and the relationship this has with patient safety and quality assurance. The challenges associated with radiotherapy, such as motion management, will also be highlighted and the state-of-the-art research being done to overcome these issues will be considered. The implementation of radiotherapy in the UK will also be explored in terms of the national agenda and the patient journey.

Radiobiology


Aims
Provide critical insight into the radiobiological principles underpinning radiotherapy. Investigate the biology governing radiation damage and repair at the molecular level and the response of cells, tissues and tumours to ionising radiation. Examine the effects of the tumour microenvironment and how this affects cellular processes and survival following radiation damage. Analyse the evidence for the radiobiological effectiveness of the radiation used in contemporary radiotherapy modalities.

Description
This unit will explore the fundamental and translational radiobiology that underpins modern radiotherapy. The unit will cover the molecular and cellular response to ionising radiation in particular damage and repair and how radiation affects cellular processes and cell survival. How these microscopic effects translate to local tumour control will be discussed and how the tumour micro microenvironment affects radiation damage and repair. The radiobiological effectiveness of the radiation used in variety radiotherapy treatment modalities will also be discussed

OPTIONAL UNITS:

Imaging for Radiotherapy


Aims
This unit aims to provide students with knowledge of the role of imaging in radiotherapy. Students will be able to understand the processes of image acquisition and reconstruction of CT, cone beam CT, MRI and PET and the role of each in the radiotherapy patient pathway. Students will be introduced to image processing and image fusion and will be expected to be able to apply this knowledge on clinical images within python software they develop within the module.

Description
The unit will:

  • Describe imaging in radiotherapy using the example of a lung cancer patient to describe the clinical aspects.
  • Provide the understanding of why imaging is important in radiotherapy and where it fits in the patient pathway including why different imaging is required for different patient groups.
  • Provide knowledge of the DICOM standard, including practical experience in setting up a DICOM network with multiple nodes including an image viewer. Students will perform simple operations to query networked databases and send images to be viewed.
  • CT will be discussed in detail including the machine, acquisition of images and image reconstruction including non-rigid registration.
  • Additional imaging modalities used in radiotherapy will be introduced; cone beam CT, 4DCT, MRI and PET. Each modality will be discussed including the machine, image acquisition and reconstruction. Practical examples will be included to provide information to compare and contrast each modality.
  • Image processing will be introduced and discussed including: what is an image, window and level, filtering, image interpolation, edge detection, rendering, transformations, filtering, thresholding.
  • Image registration will be introduced, explaining how the techniques described above can be used to fuse multiple images. Automated techniques and cost functions will be introduced.
  • The current status of image based research will be discussed to provide context of the wider field.

Treatment Planning


Aims
Enable students to evaluate external beam treatment planning algorithms and techniques and their application to different clinical sites.

Description
The unit will explore the different approaches to external beam treatment planning used in contemporary radiotherapy. This will include the following:

  • Treatment planning algorithms and their advantages and disadvantages
  • International guidelines for prescribing dose, treatment volumes and margins
  • Forward and inverse treatment planning of a range of clinical sites
  • Plan evaluation
  • Monitor unit calculation
  • Clinical use of electrons
  • Considerations for proton treatments
  • Quality Assurance of the treatment panning system
  • Patient Specific Quality Assurance
  • Case based discussions for site specific tumours e.g. breast, pelvis, lung, head and neck and Central Nervous System(CNS)

Radiotherapy Dosimetry


Aims
Enable students to identify and describe the different types of dosimetric measurement used within radiotherapy, to explain which type of measurement is appropriate for different contexts and to analyse & interpret measured radiotherapy data.

Description
The unit will explore the different methods of dose measurement used in contemporary radiotherapy for:

  • the calibration of radiotherapy treatment units
  • collection of data for treatment planning
  • carrying out and verifying radiation protection calculations
  • commissioning of new treatment machines
  • commissioning new treatment techniques
  • verification of treatment delivery

The principles of absolute dosimetry used in the UK including national Codes of Practice will be explored.
Differing types of measurement device and their functionality will be assessed. The dosimetric challenges associated with new modalities such as protons, MR linacs, FFF beams and small-field dosimetry will be highlighted.
Measurement data will be analysed and interpreted in order to enable student to evaluate the quality and meaning of radiotherapy measurements.

Advanced Radiotherapy


Aims
Describe the range of advanced treatment options available in radiotherapy. Enable students to gain a thorough understanding of how underlying physics dictates the delivered dose distribution in state-of-the-art radiotherapy and the consequent clinical treatments that are enabled by advanced delivery techniques. Explore the limitations of current techniques and future research areas.

Description
This unit examines the advanced treatment techniques available today. It will cover a number of relevant topics:-

  • The concept of conformal and image guided radiotherapy
  • Advanced radiotherapy techniques including:
    • Intensity Modulated RadioTherapy (IMRT)
    • Volume Modulated Arc Therapy(VMAT)
    • Stereotactic RadioSurgery (SRS),
    • Stereotactic ABlative Radiotherapy (SABR),
    • Total Skin Electron Therapy (TSET)
    • Total Body Irradiation(TBI)
  • Particle therapy including protons, helium, carbon and Very High Energy Electrons (VHEE)
  • Adaptive radiotherapy
  • Motion management
  • Challenges to the multidisciplinary team in advanced radiotherapy
  • In vivo dosimetry for advanced techniques
  • Current research areas

Computational Methods


Aims
Provide students with an insight into computational modelling methods and principles in general, as well as specific implementation of these in the NHS and radiotherapy landscape with a brief introduction to data requirements, information governance and data protection.

Description
This unit will introduce the students to different programming languages and computational methods in order for the student to develop an understanding of its application to various oncology scenarios. This will include an overview of team-working methodologies for combined model and software development, examples of current NHS/academic projects utilising computer programming and the challenges around data use within the example projects.

Topics will include:

  • Hardware configuration
  • Networking
  • Monte Carlo modelling
  • Big data analysis
  • Machine learning
  • Biological modelling
  • DICOM data exchange and HL7 compliance
  • Software management
  • Relational databases
  • Legislation
  • Security

Biomarkers


Aims
Provide students with an understanding of what biomarkers are, what they can be derived from and critical insight into how they can be used in patient and disease management and clinical decision making. The unit will detail the linkage between clinical unmet need, biomarker derivation and validation, with a focus on linking key biological phenomenon underpinning radiation response with biomarker development.

Description
The unit will introduce the concept of a biomarker as a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. The types of biomarkers currently used- tissue, imaging, circulating will be discussed in the context of how and why they are applied. Examples will be drawn from areas of cancer biology and drug development alongside those directly related to radiotherapy. Comprehensive review will be undertaken of current biomarkers, techniques utilized and the “pros and cons” of various approaches, matched to clinical application and current unmet need. The unit will span molecular biomarkers through to imaging, brining in the concepts of signatures and “omics” as required.

3. Teaching, Learning and Assessment

 

Coursework and assignments

We normally require you to submit written coursework and assignments via the Blackboard e-learning environment.

You should be given an assignment brief by either the academic leading the course unit or your programme administrator. Your assignment brief should contain the following information:

  • Methods for submission (e.g. via Blackboard, email etc.)
  • Word count (excluding bibliography/reference list, figure legends, tables and appendices).
  • Details of any penalties which would be incurred for exceeding the word count.
  • Referencing style to be used (e.g. Harvard, Numeric – all written work must contain referencing.)
  • The weighting the assessment contributes towards the course unit

Submitting your assignments

Do:

  • Ensure that your student ID number is contained in the filename for your submission.
  • Ensure that your student ID number is contained within the body of your assignment (e.g. in the header or footer).
  • Leave adequate time to upload your assignment via Blackboard. The portal for submission will be closed after the deadline.
  • State the word count of the assignment (word counts exclude bibliography/reference list, figure legends and tables and appendices). NB Legends and tables must be of appropriate length and students cannot use figure legends or text within tables to try and side step the word limit.

Do Not:

  • Include your name in the file name.
  • Include your name in the body of the assignment (except for the final dissertation).

If you have technical difficulties on the day of the deadline and cannot submit via Blackboard, then as a last resort you should email your work to cbrp@manchester.ac.uk

Please refer to your Blackboard unit spaces for more information regarding coursework and assessment, including submission deadlines: https://my.manchester.ac.uk/

Preparing for your Exams

Practice exam questions will be made available to you within the appropriate course unit space on Blackboard.

All aspects of the course unit are eligible for assessment/examination unless stated otherwise by the programme director. On some occasions speakers/lecturers may advise you that particular elements are not examinable – PLEASE IGNORE THIS! However, please note it is not appropriate for us to offer specific guidance on what will and will not be examined.

Do:

  • Ensure you arrive at least 15 minutes before the exam start time.
  • If you are delayed and may not be able to arrive for the exam start time please notify the programme team.
  • Always bring a calculator; your invigilator will be able to advise you at the start of the exam whether or not calculators are permitted for that paper. NB It is not the University’s responsibility to provide calculators in an examination.

Exam Timetable Information, Locations and Equipment

All exams are arranged by the programme team. Therefore, details of your Exam date, location and time will be made available by your programme administrator normally through the programme community space in Blackboard / via email during the academic year.

Grades and Feedback

We aim to make grades available within 15 working days of the assignment submission or exam date. We aim to give feedback on written assignments (feedback may be sent by either academic or administrative staff). Feedback comments for examinations are available on request.

Grades for all assessed work are released via the Campus Solutions Student System which can be accessed via the My Manchester area https://my.manchester.ac.uk .

Within the Student System navigate via Self Service>Student Center>Academics>Assignments

All grades are subject to final ratification at Examination Board.

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations for Students

Students should familiarise themselves with the degree regulations for Postgraduate Taught Degrees by clicking on this link http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate-degree-regulations/ or reading the University document here: Introduction to the Postgraduate Degree Regulations for Students

Please note that students cannot progress to the MSc Paediatric Anaesthesia dissertation unless they have successfully completed 120 credits at Masters Level.

 

Guidance for Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations

The University of Manchester guidance on presentation of taught Masters Dissertations is available at:
Guidance for the presentation of Taught Masters dissertations

The guidance explains the required presentation of the dissertation, and failure to follow the instructions in the guidance may result in the dissertation being rejected by the examiners.

Detailed Format for Writing a Masters Dissertation

The dissertation should be prepared in line with the University of Manchester’s Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations. The document is available via the following link: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2863

Additional information that needs to be provided with the Dissertation includes:

Introduction and aims: This section should provide information about the background to the project. The main aim of the Introduction is to inform the reader why the area of research is important, and how the project contributes to the research field. This section should end with one or two paragraphs that clearly state the overall aims (e.g. what hypothesis will be tested?) and the key objectives (e.g. what experiments will be performed?) of the project. The Introduction should be self-contained and should not require the reader to access additional material in order to understand it. Neither should it be a leisurely review of the field. It should be limited to around 6-10 pages of typescript. The referencing of reviews to cover large areas of literature is appropriate. However, research that is directly relevant to the project should be referenced in full as primary research papers. The use of figures to illustrate concepts or previous work is encouraged. It is best that figures are originals. Where unavoidable, figures may be copied or adapted from journals, in which case they must be cited in full within the legend.

In summary, it is important to identify in the Introduction:

  • The research topic or area;
  • The question or questions being addressed, and why they are important;
  • The purpose of the project. In most cases, the project should seek to test a hypothesis. Some projects may be more observational, in which case it is important to identify how these observations will be utilised to advance the field.

Materials and Methods: This should provide a description of the experimental systems and designs employed to obtain data, the materials used (including suppliers), and the methods of data and statistical analysis. Detail should be sufficient for others to repeat the work and to demonstrate that the student has understood the methods used. The key here is to appreciate which methodologies require detailed descriptions and which standard procedures can be dealt with quickly by referencing previous publications or manufacturers’ instructions.

Results: A detailed description of the results and findings. These should not endlessly re-state the aims of the project but should provide sufficient information to allow the reader to ascertain the aim of each experiment/method development and what the result was. The results are often best divided into sections, each with a theme.

The text should be supported with figures and tables. These should be placed in the appropriate position within the main body of the report, i.e. immediately following the first reference to each table or figure, and not all put at the end of the report. Tables and Figures should be self-contained with appropriately detailed legends and it should normally not be necessary to describe every aspect of the table/figure in the text. There may however be occasions when you want to draw the reader to specific components of the Table/Figure (for example, “note differences between columns X and Y in Table II”, or “note the asterisked bands in lane 6 of Figure 4” etc).

Tables should be numbered consecutively. They must have an informative heading and an explanatory legend. These should make the general meaning comprehensible without reference to the text. Consider the layout carefully so the significance of the data can be grasped readily. Statistics should be quoted where appropriate. Units in which the results are expressed should be given at the top of each column.

Figures should also be numbered consecutively and should contain appropriate headings, annotations and legends. Do not make the figures over complicated by presenting too many sets of data. On graphs, each line should have a separate symbol and error bars should be shown where appropriate. Unless there are special reasons, do not present the same data in more than one form.

Discussion: The Discussion should not be a paraphrasing of the results and is normally headed only by a brief summary of your findings. The Discussion should consist of a logical flow of arguments and reasoning that explains and expands upon the results in simple English, and identifies their relevance to published findings. You will be expected here to refer mainly to primary papers in the literature. The Discussion also provides an opportunity for you to defend your conclusions, identify how experiments could have been improved upon, and to discuss how the project might develop given more time.

Conclusions: A short summary will identify whether the approaches used have been successful and whether the aims that the student set originally have been achieved.

References: There should be a single reference section at the end of the document. References must be cited in full (all author names and initials, date, title, journal, volume, pages). References can be cited in the text either by author and date (e.g. Smith, 1996 or Smith and Brown, 1980 or Smith et al., 1990) or by numbering e.g. (34). You are encouraged to use a referencing software package such as Endnote or Reference Manager.

Acknowledgements: You may wish to acknowledge the people who have helped you in your project.

Appendices etc: Appendices are useful ways to include supplementary data (e.g. DNA sequences) without breaking the flow of the dissertation. Buffer compositions are best described in parentheses within the Methods section, but their inclusion in an appendix is acceptable. Abbreviations should be listed on a separate page, preferably after the Table of Contents. Terms that are abbreviated should be used 3 or more times in the text. They should be written in full the first time they are used, followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis.

Turnitin and Plagiarism


Plagiarism and Other Forms of Academic Malpractice
Academic malpractice is any activity - intentional or otherwise - that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. It includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results, and anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it. Academic malpractice can result from a deliberate act of cheating or may be committed unintentionally. Whether intended or not, all incidents of academic malpractice will be treated seriously by the University.

The Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health have designed a learning module to raise your awareness of academic malpractice and how it can occur in general writing during your studies. This resource can be accessed via Blackboard - SMS Introductory Course and must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic writing for assessment.

The University provides workshops and online training via My Learning Essentials

Please refer to the University of Manchester guidance to students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice

The full guidance document can be viewed here: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2870

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Cases can be found at: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=639

Turnitin
The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking.  Such systems include TurnitinUK, the plagiarism detection service used by the University.
As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of your work to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University (this requirement may be in addition to a requirement to submit a paper copy of your work).  If you are asked to do this, you must do so within the required timescales.
The School also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.
Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a database to allow appropriate checks to be made.

Mitigating Circumstances

Mitigating circumstances are personal or medical circumstances which are unforeseeable and unpreventable that could have a significant adverse effect on your academic performance. You should only submit a mitigating circumstances application if you consider it serious enough, and the timing critical, to have affected your performance in your assessed work and examinations.

Request for mitigation must be submitted to your programme administrator, in advance of your assessment submission deadline or exam. Requests for mitigation submitted after the assessment or exam (except those requests made as a result of circumstances that have arisen during the course of that assessment period) will not be considered without a credible and compelling explanation as to why the circumstances were not known before the beginning of the assessment period or why you were unable to complete or submit an application prior to the assessment or exam. Please note that not informing the University of circumstances due to personal feelings of embarrassment and pride, or having concerns over the confidential treatment of requests for mitigation, are not considered to be credible and compelling explanations

All mitigating circumstances applications must be supported by independent third party evidence. The type of evidence required will vary according to the nature of the circumstances. Examples of evidence include a doctor or other health professional’s letter, counsellor’s letter, self-certification form signed by your GP or GP’s Medical Practice (for illnesses of 7 days and under only). Please note that it is a University policy that the self-certification form must be signed by a GP; we cannot accept forms which have not been signed by a GP. Please note that if evidence has not been received within 2 weeks of the submission of your form, and you have not contacted them to inform them of any delay, your application will be refused and no further action will be taken.

Please ensure that you password protect or encrypt your mitigating circumstances form and supporting evidence before sending to your programme administrator.

Any requests for mitigation will be considered confidentially by a mitigating circumstances panel or sub-panel. Where a request for mitigation is supported, a recommendation will be made to the exam board for them to decide on the best course of action for the student.

You are advised to consult the following guidance, which directs you to seek advice and support before and whilst submitting a request for mitigation.

The University form and guidance for students is available on the web: A Basic Guide to Mitigating Circumstances.

For further information about the process and acceptable grounds for mitigation see: Mitigating Circumstances Policy & Procedures: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=4271

Please be advised that any requests need to be submitted by midday the day before the pre-arranged Mitigating Circumstances meeting.

23rd October 2019
27th November 2019
8th January 2020
19th February 2020
18th March 2020
22nd April 2020
20th May 2020
17th June 2020

Late Submission Penalty (Including Dissertation)

Work submitted after the deadline without prior approval will be subject to a late penalty in accordance with the University Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes.  The penalty applied is 10% of available marks deducted per day/24 hours (from the time of the original or extended deadline), until the assignment is submitted or no marks remain.

Penalties for late submission relate to 24 hours/calendar days, so include weekends and weekdays, as well as bank holidays and University closure days.

The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by:
10% of the available marks deducted if up to 24 hours (1 day) late
20% of the available marks deducted if up to 48 hours (2 days) late
30% of the available marks deducted if up to 72 hours (3 days) late
40% of the available marks deducted if up to 96 hours (4 days) late
50% of the available marks deducted if up to 120 hours (5 days) late
60% of the available marks deducted if up to 144 hours (6 days) late
70% of the available marks deducted if up to 168 hours (7 days) late
80% of the available marks deducted if up to 192 hours (8 days) late
90% of the available marks deducted if up to 216 hours (9 days) late
100% of the available marks deducted if up to 240 hours (10 days) late

If the assessment is submitted within 10 days of the deadline the assessment should be marked and feedback to the student provided. If this mark before the penalty is applied reaches the appropriate pass mark but the applied penalty results in a fail of the assessment, the student should not be required to resit the assessment as the original mark can be taken as the resit mark. Further information and examples can be found in the Policy and associated Guidance documents.

For work submitted more than 10 days late, it is regarded as a non-submission and need not be marked. In this case a mark of zero will be awarded and normal resit regulations will apply.

The sliding scale should only be applied to first-sit submissions. For all referred (resit) assessment, any late submission will automatically receive a mark of zero.

For further information:

Guidance on Late Submission

Policy on the Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

 

Assignment Word Count (Including Dissertation)

In accordance with the University Policy on Marking:

Each written assignment has a word limit which you must state at the top of your first page. It is acceptable, without penalty, for you to submit an assignment within a range that is plus 10% of this limit. If you present an assignment with a word count exceeding the specified limit+10%, the assignment will be marked but 1% will be deducted from this mark for every 100 words over the limit given.

For an original word limit that is 1000 words and an assignment that is marked out of 100.  If a submission is made that is 1101 words then it exceeded the 10% leeway, and is more than 100 words over the original limit and should receive a 1 mark deduction.

 In accordance with accepted academic practice, when submitting any written assignment for summative assessment, the notion of a word count includes the following without exception:

  • All titles or headings that form part of the actual text. This does not include the fly page or reference list
  • All words that form the actual essay
  • All words forming the titles for figures, tables and boxes, are included but this does not include boxes or tables or figures themselves
  • All in-text (that is bracketed) references
  • All directly quoted material

Certain assessments may require different penalties for word limits to be applied. For example, if part of the requirement for the assessment is conciseness of presentation of facts and arguments. In such cases it may be that no 10% leeway is allowed and penalties applied may be stricter than described above. In such cases the rules for word count limits and the penalties to be applied will be clearly stated in the assessment brief and in the submission details for that assessment.

Academic Appeals, Complaints, Conduct and Discipline


Academic Appeals

  • Students have a right of appeal against a final decision of an Examination Board, or a progress committee, or a graduate committee or equivalent body which affects their academic status or progress in the University.
  • Students thinking of appealing should first discuss the matter informally with an appropriate member of staff, in order to better understand the reason for the result or decision.
  • Should you wish to proceed to a formal appeal, this must be submitted within the timeframe outlined in the Academic Appeals Procedure to the Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team, Room 3.21, Simon Building, University of Manchester, M13 9PL (e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).
  • The Academic Appeals Procedure (Regulation XIX) and associated documents, including the form on which formal appeals should be submitted, can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic


Student Complaints

  • The University’s Student Complaints Procedure (Regulation XVIII) and associated documents, including a complaints form, can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic
  • The University has separate procedures to address complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or victimisation - see https://www.reportandsupport.manchester.ac.uk/
  • Students thinking of submitting a formal complaint should, in most instances, attempt informal resolution first (see the procedure). Formal complaints should be submitted on the relevant form to Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team, Room 3.21, Simon Building, University of Manchester, M13 9PL (e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).


Conduct and Discipline of Students

4. Student Progression

 

Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The programme director and teaching staff will monitor the work and attendance of students on the programme. This is for your benefit and helps to ensure you are coping with the work. Regular or a pattern of non-attendance and/or engagement will result in you being contacted by the School to meet with your programme director. Following this, further action will be taken if there isn’t a significant improvement in attendance.
For further information see:
Regulation XX Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The University offers a range of advice and support to students experiencing problems with attendance. The A-Z of Services can be found on the MyManchester website. Here you can find a information on a wide range of topics such as library services, disability support and careers advice.

You can also speak to your Programme Director and/or Academic Advisor.

What to do if you are absent
In case of illness you should supply a doctor’s certificate or, if the illness is brief, a self-certification.  If you are absent for other reasons then you should write a letter to the Programme Director explaining the circumstances. Medical certificates or letters should be given in person or sent to the Programme Administrator. Whatever your reason for being away, tell your supervisor about it and make any necessary arrangements to catch up with work you have missed.

Requests to Take Leave

Because of the structure of the MSc we are not always able to follow standard Semester dates and University holiday periods. You are expected to attend for all taught lectures, tutorials and exams. We also expect that following completion of your taught assessments that you are actively engaging with your studies for your research project. If you wish to take leave, please submit a request with dates to your programme administrator, who will seek approval from the programme director.

Special Permissions


Interruptions to programme and extensions to writing up
It is the expectation of the University that postgraduate taught students pursue their studies on a continuous basis for the stipulated duration of their programme. However, it is recognised that students may encounter personal difficulties or situations which may seriously disrupt or delay their studies. In some cases, an interruption or extension to your programme of study may be the most sensible option.
Students who wish to interrupt the programme or extend to write up the dissertation should initially discuss their plans and reasons with the Programme Director and/or their Academic Advisor.
Students should also provide documentary evidence when appropriate, for example, doctor’s letter, sick note etc.
The forms required for formal application are available from your Programme Administrator.

 

Tier 4 Visa Attendance Monitoring Census

The University operates attendance monitoring census points within the academic year in order to confirm the attendance of students holding a Tier 4 Student Visa. This is to ensure the University meets the UKVI statutory requirements as a sponsor of Tier 4 students and its responsibilities in accordance with its Highly Trusted Sponsor status.
If you are a Tier 4 visa holder, you must attend these attendance monitoring census points, in addition to complying with your programme’s attendance requirements.

When are the census points?
In the 2019/20 academic year, the attendance monitoring census points will be during the following periods:

  • 23rd September - 4th October 2019
  • 13th January - 24th January 2020
  • 13th May - 3rd June 2020
  • 13th July - 24th July 2020

Please note:

  • If you are a new student, registration is your first point to confirm your attendance at the University and you will not be required to attend a separate census point in September/October 2019.
  • You will receive an e-mail from your programme administrator to confirm when and where you should go to have your attendance confirmed. You must check your University e-mail account regularly. Failure to check your e-mail account is not a valid reason to be absent from a census point.

What if a Tier 4 student cannot attend a census point?
If you cannot attend in person due to a valid reason which includes: illness; placement; field studies; on year abroad; research work; or any other reason connected to your programme of study, you must email your programme administrator to inform us of your absence and your inability to attend in person. In the case of illness, you must provide a copy of a medical certificate. If you are in this position you should report in person to the School as soon as possible after you return to campus.
Students who are recorded as interrupting their studies are not expected to attend during their period of interruption.

What happens if a student does not attend a census point?
The School must be able to confirm your presence to the UKVI by the end of each census point in the academic year. If you do not attend a census point when required by your School and you do not provide a valid explanation for your absence you will be deemed to be “not in attendance”.
Those students identified as “not in attendance” will be reported to the UKVI and the University will cease to sponsor the student’s Tier 4 visa. The Tier 4 visa will then be curtailed and the student must leave the UK within 60 days.

Further information
For more information on Tier 4 visas: https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa
If you have any concerns about the attendance monitoring census points, or your Tier 4 visa status, please contact visa@manchester.ac.uk

Withdrawal from the Programme

Students who are considering withdrawing from the programme should discuss this in the first instance with the Programme Director.
If arrangements for withdrawal need to be made, this will be handled by the Programme Administrator, who will manage communication with the Fees and Records Departments and other University bodies as appropriate OR Students may liaise directly with the Programme Administrator who will communicate this information directly to the University Student Services Centre.

5. Student Support and Guidance

 

Student Support and Guidance


Student support and guidance within the programme
Support and advice is available to all students both formally and informally from the Programme Directors, the Programme Administrator and research project supervisors.
If you have any queries or would like to discuss any issues at all – academic, administrative, technical or personal – please do not hesitate to get in touch. All personal issues will be dealt with confidentially.
If we are unable to help you directly, we can put you in touch with many of the support services that are available to students of the University through our Student Services Centre. You can approach these services independently, without the involvement of programme staff. Use the A-Z of Student Services Guide as an additional source of information.

Student support for the dissertation
During the research project and writing up of the dissertation, students will have individual support from their research project supervisor and scheduled structured sessions to monitor their progress and provide support, with help being offered if any problems are being encountered. In addition, students are made aware that they have the option of contacting the programme directors at any time if they are experiencing difficulties, whether this is in relation to their project, or indeed, with regard to any other issue of relevance.

Student support from the University
The University offers a range of support and guidance services to students, for example, Student Health Service, Student Union Advice Centre, Student Counselling and Careers Advice. Details of all these services can be obtained from the A-Z of Student Services

Counselling Service
The Counselling Service is available for all students. It is free and consists of a team of professional counsellors. The service provides confidential counselling for anyone who wants help with personal problems affecting their work or well-being.
The service is open 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday all year round except public holidays.

Occupational Health
The Occupational Health service is a specialised area of medicine concerned with the way in which an individual’s health can affect his or her ability to do a job and to study and conversely how the work environment can affect an individual’s health. Their aim is to promote the physical, mental and social well-being of students and to reduce the incidence of ill-health arising from exposure to work place hazards.

Students Union Advice Centre
The Students Union has advisers who can help with any matter ranging from finances to housing and beyond. On the South Campus, the Advice Centre is on the first floor in the Student Union Building, and is open Monday to Friday, 10.00am to 4.00pm, term time and vacation. There is no need to make an appointment.

Academic Success Programme

You’re studying at the University of Manchester – congratulations!  Writing and speaking Academic English can be challenging, even for native speakers.  Our team of experienced tutors are here to support you, and will help boost your confidence to work independently in English through a series of interactive workshops - freely available to all University of Manchester students.

To find out more, and to register, please go to www.manchester.ac.uk/academicsuccessprogramme

Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS)

The University of Manchester welcomes students with a disability or specific learning difficulties. The University has a Disability Advisory and Support Service, who can supply further information and DASS advisors will be pleased to meet you to discuss you needs. DASS will liaise with your School through the Disability Coordinator to make the necessary arrangements for your support during your time in Manchester.

The DASS office can also provide a copy of the University’s Disability Statement, ‘Opportunities for Students with Additional Support Needs at the University of Manchester’ which sets out the policy and provision for students with a disability.

DASS Contact Details:-
Location: 2nd Floor, University Place
Email: dso@manchester.ac.uk; Phone: 0161 275 7512
Text: 07899 658 790; Website: www.dso.manchester.ac.uk/

Disability Coordinator Contact Details:-
Name: Kay Gardner (0161 306 7978) & Wiktoria Obidniak-Marciniak (0161 306 5519)
Email: kay.gardner@manchester.ac.uk or wiktoria.obidniak-marciniak@manchester.ac.uk

Students Union Advice Centre

The Students Union has advisers who can help with any matter ranging from finances to housing and beyond. On the South Campus, the Advice Centre is on the first floor in the Student Union Building, and is open Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 4.00pm, term time and vacation. There is no need to make an appointment.

Religious Observance and Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan 

Policy on Religious Observance:

6. Student Representation and Feedback

 

Student Representation and Feedback

Students, in consultation with the Programme Administrator, should arrange an informal election of their Student Representative near the beginning of the academic year. If more than one person is interested in the role, then each candidate is asked to write a short proposal which is circulated to the student body, and an election is held.

The overall responsibilities of the Student Representative are

  • to liaise between staff and students about matters of concern
  • to provide two-way feedback on programme and teaching quality
  • to promote active student involvement in the development of the programme
  • to identify student issues and needs on the programme
  • to attend programme committee meetings representing the student voice
  • to find effective ways to feedback the outcomes of meetings to the student body
  • to attend relevant student representative training
  • to liaise with other Student Representatives to gain support and ideas
  • to become established as a central point for information and guidance for students in the group.

Student representatives are not required to get involved with fellow students’ personal problems, academic difficulties, or individual student allegations of unfair or inappropriate treatment.

Confidentiality is imperative when dealing with student issues. The representative is chosen by fellow students and has their trust, and must maintain it. Any discussion of an individual student’s situation with a third party requires their consent beforehand.

7. Programme Management

 

Programme Management and Committee Structure

Programme Management

The programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedures of the University of Manchester.

Programme Directors relate to the School and Faculty Postgraduate Teaching Committees on matters relating to admissions, exams, reviews and approval of new programmes and units, quality assurance etc. and policy issues of broad relevance to the Graduate School.

The Programme Committee will meet each semester and consist of the Programme Director, Programme Administrator, Programme Committee members and the unit co-ordinators.

The remit of the committee will be to:

  • Oversee the teaching, assessment and examining arrangements;
  • Monitor cohort progression including failure rate, withdrawal rate;
  • Evaluate the extent to which the learning outcomes are achieved by students;
  • Monitor, maintain and enhance standards of all aspects of the programme;
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and of assessment in relation to programme learning outcomes;
  • Evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of the teaching and learning methods employed;
  • Review and revise the programme in the light of any relevant Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) benchmarks, any other relevant external and/or professional requirements and developing knowledge in the subject area;
  • Receive, consider and respond to feedback from students, employers and external examiners;
  • Where the need for change is identified, effect the changes quickly and efficiently;
  • Produce an annual action plan via annual monitoring;
  • Produce reports for periodic review
  • Produce relevant information for an Institutional Audit;
  • Review programme documentation, e.g., programme handbooks, programme specifications, promotional literature and programme website;
  • Ensure suitable and efficient arrangements are in place for recruitment, admission and induction.

Committee Structure

The Programme Committee acts as a curriculum development team for the Programme. The Programme Committee will report to a School, or Department, or Faculty level committee. The Programme Director is responsible for the management of the programme, and the Programme Committee is established to support the Programme Director in the carrying out of their responsibilities.

The role of the External Examiner

External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes of the University to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate deliberation. They also ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable with those in equivalent higher education institutions.

External Examiners’ reports

External Examiners’ reports relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives and details of any actions carried out by the programme team/School in response to the External Examiners’ comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they require any further information about External Examiners’ reports or the process for considering them.”

External Examiner Details

The External Examiner for this programme will be confirmed at a later date.

Please note that this is for information only and it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments.

Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners should report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact their Programme Administrator in the first instance.

External Examiner Meetings

For operational and administrative purposes the MSc is divided into three parts.

Initial consideration of marks – April / May

Examiners Meeting – June

Final Examination Board – November

The MSc Programme has one External Examiner, who advises the Faculty on the quality of the MSc Programme and its management, as well as providing advice on the quality of the assessment procedures and fairness of the decisions made about individual students. He/she will be sent the assessments from the taught units and the research project dissertations.

Initial consideration of marks (April/May)

The programme team will monitor your results throughout the academic year. We would normally expect to have complete course unit results for half of your taught units by April/May. Students who have scored below 50 in any course units may be contacted by the programme team to discuss their marks.

Examiners Meeting (June)

An Examiners Meeting is held to ratify the provisional marks for all completed taught units and to determine which students should progress through to research project. Students must have passed all taught units at Masters level (including any units passed by compensation or referral, within the referral / compensation allowance defined in the Postgraduate taught degree regulations) and the Research Project 1 unit to be able to progress to the Research Project 2 unit.  Students who do not meet the criteria to remain on the Masters pathway will be considered for an alternative exit award (PG Diploma or PG Certificate).

Final Examiners’ Meeting (November)

During this meeting the progress of each student will be discussed. The marks from the research project dissertation will be combined with the taught unit marks to provide a final weighted average percentage score. The panel will then recommend the student be awarded.

Please note the MSc Programme Director, MSc Programme Committee or the Graduate Office are not permitted to disclose the recommendations made at the Final Examiners’ meetings.

8. Learning Resources

 

Learning Resources


Libraries
All registered students may become members of the University of Manchester Library on the main campus.
Up-to-date news about the library is available here.

IT Services and eLearning


IT Services Support Centre online
Details of what IT support is available and how to access it can be found on the FBMH eLearning Support page.
Login to the Support Centre online to log a request, book an appointment for an IT visit, or search the Knowledge Base.
Telephone: +44 (0)161 306 5544 (or extension 65544).  Telephone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In person:  Walk-up help and support is available at the Joule Library, Main Library or Alan Gilbert Learning Commons:
Use Support Centre online for support with eLearning, from where you may make a request, report a fault, or search the Knowledge Base.  The email address is: elearning@manchester.ac.uk

Blackboard
Blackboard, the University's 'virtual learning environment', will be used for online teaching.

What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a web-based system that complements and builds upon traditional learning methods used at The University of Manchester. By using Blackboard you can

  • view course materials and learning resources,
  • communicate with lectures and other students,
  • collaborate in groups,
  • get feedback
  • submit assignments
  • monitoring your own progress at a time and place of your own convenience.

Training in the use of software
The Faculty eLearning team have produced a short introduction to Blackboard for new students.  The recording is hosted in two places: the VLS and on YouTube:

The recording is just over seven minutes long and covers most of the commonly used tools in Blackboard.

9. Useful Links

 

Academic and Student Support Policies


Academic Support Policies
A full list of University Policies and documents

Academic Appeals (Regulation XIX)

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Cases

Basic Guide to Student Complaints

Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulations XVII)

General University information on the Conduct and Discipline of Students

Faculty policies for students on Communication and Dress Code, Social Networking and Drugs & Alcohol can be found at:

Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it

Data Protection

Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations

Guidance to Students on Plagiarism and Other Forms of Academic Malpractice

Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

Policy on Mitigating Circumstances

Mitigating Circumstances Guidance for Students

PGT Degree Regulations

Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students

Student Complaints Procedure

Student Charter

Work and Attendance of Students (Regulation XX)

Student Support Issues

A-Z of Student Services

Accommodation

Blackboard
Students should access Blackboard via My Manchester

Careers Service

Counselling Service

Disability Advisory and Support Service

University Language Centre – Study English - Tel: 0161 306 3397

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Staff and Students

Health & Fitness

Health & Safety Policy

International Advice Team

IT and eLearning Support

Mature Students Guide

Occupational Health Services for Students

Personal Development Planning

A Personal Safety Guide for International Students

Students Union

10. Appendix

 

Roles and Responsibilities of Supervisors and Students

Roles and Responsibilities of Supervisors

The responsibilities of Supervisors include:

a) giving guidance about the nature of research and the standard expected, the planning of the research programme, literature and sources, attendance at taught classes where, appropriate and about requisite techniques (including arranging for instruction where necessary);

b) maintaining contact through regular meetings (the frequency of meetings being appropriate to the research being undertaken and agreed in advance);

c) being accessible to the student at other appropriate times for advice and responding to difficulties raised by the student;

d) giving detailed advice on the necessary completion dates of successive stages of the work so that the thesis may be submitted within the agreed timescale;

e) requesting written work or reports as appropriate and returning written material with constructive criticism and in reasonable time;

f) ensuring that for degrees where an oral examination is required the student is adequately prepared by arranging for the student to present his or her work to staff and graduate seminars;

g) ensuring that the student is made aware when progress is not satisfactory and facilitating improvement with advice and guidance;

h) establishing at an early stage the Supervisor's responsibilities in relation to the student's written work, including the nature of the guidance and comments to be offered as the work proceeds and on the draft of the thesis before it is submitted. It must be made clear to the student that research for a higher degree is undertaken within the general principle that a thesis must be the student's own work;

i) ensuring that at the end of each year of the course the student produces a research report, to which the Supervisor should add comments on progress. The Supervisor's comments on progress should be signed by the student to confirm that they have been seen, before the annotated report is submitted by the Supervisor to the appropriate Supervisory body in accordance with established Graduate School procedures;

j) making students aware of other researchers and research work in the department and Graduate School;

k) encouraging the student to publish the research;

l) providing pastoral support and advising students, where appropriate, of University support services;

m) bringing to the attention of the students the health and safety regulations and academic rules, regulations and codes of practice of the University. More detailed guidance on Health and Safety is available in the University's Health and Safety Policy Notice UMHSP 33, available from Health and Safety Services, which interprets and applies the CVCP Note of Guidance N/93/111, "Health and Safety Responsibilities of Supervisors towards Graduate and Undergraduate students". Guidance on specific situations is available from the staff of Health and Safety Services;

n) to recommend examiners for the student’s thesis after discussion with the student to ensure that the proposed examiners have not had a significant input into the project, a significant personal, financial or professional relationship with the student, or that there is no other good reason to doubt the suitability of the recommendation.

 

Responsibilities of the Student

The responsibilities of the student include:

a) pursuing the programme with a positive commitment, taking full advantage of the resources and facilities offered by the academic environment and, in particular, contact with the Supervisor, other staff and research students;

b) discussing with the Supervisor the type of guidance and comment believed to be most helpful, and agreeing a schedule of meetings;

c) ensuring that he/she is aware of the health and safety regulations and academic rules and regulations and codes of practice of the University;

d) successfully completing any training programme arranged within the prescribed time period;

e) taking the initiative in raising problems or difficulties, however elementary they may seem, bearing in mind that prompt discussion and resolution of problems can prevent difficulties and disagreements at a later stage;

f) maintaining the progress of the work in accordance with the stages agreed with the Supervisor, including in particular the presentation of written material as required, in sufficient time to allow for comments and discussion before proceeding to the next stage. Where possible, students will be given details of the work programme for the academic year at the beginning of the year;

g) providing at the end of each year a report on progress to the Supervisor for submission to the appropriate Supervisory body in accordance with established Graduate School procedures. The report at the end of the first year will normally be a substantial piece of work in accordance with Graduate School procedures. Reports at the ends of subsequent years, occurring before the completion of the thesis, should adequately describe the progress made during the preceding year. If industrial research contract reports are being written on a regular basis, the Supervisor might judge these to be a satisfactory alternative to progress reports;

h) agreeing with the Supervisor the amount of time to be devoted to the research and the timing and duration of holiday periods;

i) deciding when to submit the thesis. The student should take due account of the Supervisor's opinion but must recognise that it is only Advisory. The student must ensure that appropriate notice of intent to submit a thesis is given, in accordance with the published University procedures;

j) checking the completeness and accuracy of the text of the thesis submitted; failure to check the thesis carefully may result in the thesis being failed or cause a delay in the award of a degree;

k) to disclose, in discussion with Supervisors concerning potential examiners for the thesis, any information that could significantly affect the suitability of the proposed examiner (s).  Such information may concern a significant input from the examiner(s) into the project or a significant personal, financial or professional relationship they may have had, with the student.