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

Important information with regards to this course will be put on Blackboard or emailed to you. If you have any queries or concerns at any time during your period of study in Manchester, there is a range of people you can approach. Your MSc Programme Administrator will be your first port of call. Alternatively, you may wish to contact your Personal Advisor or Programme Director. If all else fails or you wish to raise a confidential matter at School level, you should approach the PGT Director for the School of Medical Sciences: Dr. Carol Yates.

Responsibility for overall management of the Programme lies with the Programme Directors. The Programme Directors have assembled a Programme Committee, which meets regularly, to advise on content, structure, management, student supervision, and regulatory matters such as Programme improvement and refinement. The Committee also has two MSc student representatives. Each representative is democratically elected by MSc students in the year cohort they represent. Issues which you wish to feed back to the Programme Committee can be done by your student representative.

Points of contact

Programme Director	Dr Richard Byers University of Manchester richard.byers@mft.nhs.uk 0161 276 8816
Programme Administrator   Senior Members of Administrative Staff	Nadia Ezzedine PG.Molpath@manchester.ac.uk 0161 306 3411Lynsey McVey Graduate Education Manager lynsey.mcvey@manchester.ac.ukNick Cunningham Postgraduate Programme Manager nick.cunningham@manchester.ac.uk
Personal Tutor	To be allocated
MSc Student Rep	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 aim of the programme is to provide a wide and detailed understanding of the various aspects of molecular pathology. This training is being provided as part of The University of Manchester MRC/EPSRC Molecular Pathology node (Manchester Molecular Pathology Innovation Centre). It recognises the need, which has been expressed by the MRC and the Royal College of Pathologists, for increasing provision of training in molecular pathology amongst histopathology trainees, clinical scientists, and biomedical scientists. As such the programme addresses a wide audience, and has a wide mix of core modules to facilitate the different learning and training needs of these different groups of professionals. In addition, the taught components will give an in-depth understanding of molecular pathology and associated disciplines (including genomics and bioinformatics). The full MSc programme will also develop experience and skills in scientific investigation, in analytical thought, and in scientific criticism. The course has been designed in discussion with local histopathology training Programme Directors, and accreditation by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences is being sought.

Aims of the Programme

1. To provide an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the key theoretical and methodological issues in the application of molecular pathology.
2. To examine the role of pathological processes in disease, and diagnosis.
3. To provide experience and training in a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, particularly in genomic and associated molecular pathology research methods.
4. To develop a range of transferable skills including effective oral and written communication scientific critical analytical skills, use of and critical analysis of scientific literature, and interpretation of scientific laboratory results.
5. To gain an understanding of the nature of molecular pathology as a science, as a basis of clinical medicine, and as a basis of modern diagnosis.
6. An understanding of how science and medicine can cooperate to support each other and an understanding that both scientists and clinicians have complementary strengths and weaknesses.
7. To analyse literature critically and synthesise information from different sources.
8. To conduct a supervised research project and present it in the form of a dissertation/thesis.
9. To develop independence in time management, problem solving and responsibility for lifelong learning.

Learning Outcomes of the Programme

On successful completion of the programme students should be able to:

• To understand the molecular basis of neoplastic and non-neoplastic disease, and to apply this to clinical diagnosis.
• To understand the molecular organisation of cells, tissues and organs, and how molecular mechanisms can effect this organisation.
• To understand the role of cell differentiation and growth in normal homeostasis and its alteration in disease processes.
• To understand the molecular biology and pathology of normal and altered tissue injury and repair.
• To understand the molecular basis of cancer, including the hallmark features of angiogenesis, self-sufficiency and growth signals, insensitivity to antigrowth signals, evasion of apoptosis, limitless replicative potential and tissue invasion and metastasis.
• To understand the basis of molecular diagnosis of cancer, and the role of mutation detection in guiding personalised treatment.
• To understand the range of omics techniques available for study of molecular pathology including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics.
• To understand the role of diagnostic histopathology in basic cancer diagnosis including appreciation of tumour grade and use of histopathology to stage tumours locally.
• To understand the role of molecular pathology, including cytogenetics, FISH and in-situ hybridisation in cancer classification, diagnosis and prognostication.
• To understand the role of immunohistochemistry in the role of molecular pathology diagnosis and tumour classification.
• To understand the role of digital pathology in tissue acquisition, archiving and analysis.
• To understand sophisticated image analysis systems for cell counting, biomarker analysis and quantification, and tissue pattern recognition.
• To understand the role of proteomics in molecular pathology.
• To understand the role of chemical pathology in disease processes, and clinical diagnosis.

The programme will also provide the students with generic learning outcomes as follows.

• Demonstrate the application of appropriate methodological approach and research skills to specific research questions.
• Demonstrate effective communication in a range of styles and formats including oral and written communication, essay, journal, thesis and exam formats.
• Demonstrate independence and originality in solving problems.
• Demonstrate independence in planning and implementing tasks.
• Develop independent learning ability for professional development beyond the MSc.
• Understand and apply ethical standards to biomedical research within the MSc and future medical practice.
• Understand the role and scope of molecular pathology within health care practice and academia.

The specific aims and learning outcomes of each unit are provided in the unit specifications and the programme handbook.

Programme Structure and Credits

The MSc Molecular Pathology programme is a part-time programme delivered over three or four years. The programme is composed of a 120 or 150 credit taught component, which consists of eight 15 credit core modules (120 credits total) together with  a 60 credit research module. The core modules are summarised in the tables below and the timetable for their delivery given in the figure below. Detailed descriptions of each of the core modules are included below. Alternatively students may also choose to undertake, or exit with, a PG Certificate or PG Diploma as detailed below

• MSc: 8 core modules and a 60 Credit research Dissertation
• PG Diploma: 120 credits to be made up from; a choice of 4 out of 6 core modules (15 credits each), and a 60 credit research dissertation
• PG Certificate: 60 credits to be made up from a choice of 2 out of 4 core modules (15 credits each), and a 30 credit research dissertation

 

Core Modules
Module	Title	Format	Contact hours	Timing (S1/ S2)	Unit Lead
1	Molecular Pathology of Cancer and Application in Cancer Diagnosis, Screening and Treatment	Blended	30	S2	Dr Richard Byers
2	Molecular pathology of non-malignant disease	Online	24	S1	Dr Richard Byers
3	Omics Techniques and their Application to Genomic Medicine	Blended	28	S2	Dr Janine Lamb, Dr John Curtin, Dr Sid Banka
4	Professional and Research Skills	Workshops	19	S1	Dr Richard Byers
5	Diagnostic Histopathology and Molecular Diagnostic Pathology (30 credit double module)	Blended	50	S1	Dr Richard Byers
6
7	Digital Pathology	Blended	25	S1	Dr Martin Fergie
8	Proteomics and chemical pathology	Blended	30	S2	Dr Richard Byers
	Research Project [60 credit or 30 credit options]	N/A			n/a

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

Course Unit Outlines

 

Unit 1: Molecular Pathology of Cancer and Application in Cancer Diagnosis, Screening and Treatment

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title	Molecular Pathology of Cancer and Application in Cancer Diagnosis, Screening, and Treatment
Unit code	MEDN 67482
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	Lectures (15 hours); Tutorials, seminars and workshops (7 hours)
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities	Revision workshops/surgeries; Online discussions/tutorials; Meetings with Academic Advisers
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units
Member of staff responsible	Dr Richard Byers, Dr Miriam Smith, Dr Emma Woodward
ECTS*	7.5
Notional hours of Learning**	150

* ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System): There are 2 UK credits for every 1 ECT credit, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA). Therefore if a unit is worth 30 UK credits, this will equate to 15 ECT.

** Notional hours of learning: The number of hours which it is expected that a learner (at a particular level) will spend, on average, to achieve the specified learning outcomes at that level. It is expected that there will be 10 hours of notional study associated with every 1 credit achieved. Therefore if a unit is worth 30 credits, this will equate to 300 notional study hours, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA).

2. AIMS

To equip students with an advanced knowledge of molecular pathology and an understanding of the application of new technologies in the diagnosis and management of cancer.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit will provide a broad based knowledge of molecular pathology in the context of the pathogenesis of neoplastic diseases, and in the context of routine and emerging diagnostic practice. The lectures will be delivered by a range of clinical and non-clinical academic staff, many of whom are internationally recognised experts in their field.

4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	1. Explain the control of the cell cycle, cell proliferation and cell death. 2. Critically debate definitions of malignancy. 3. Describe genetic repair mechanisms. 4. Analyse the molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis, and explain how changes within genes of various categories may result in an altered phenotype. 5. Explain the differences between transformation and malignancy. 6. Explain the molecular basis for the known risk factors for tumours, such as viral infections and environmental carcinogens. 7. Explain familial cancer and its molecular basis. 8. Explain the molecular basis of tumour growth, angiogenesis, tissue invasion and metastasis. 9. Summarize tumour classification systems 10. Assess the role of pathology in cancer diagnosis, molecular sub-classification, aggressiveness (prognosis), and characterisation of metastases. 11. Explain why the therapeutic approach to neoplasia is based on an understanding of the differences between normal and malignant cells, the mechanisms of tumour growth and progression, and the host reaction. 12. Explain the importance of sample quality for tumour genomic analysis. 13. Critically evaluate the role of genomic testing of cell free tumour DNA in blood, for diagnosis and monitoring of solid cancers. 14. Evaluate the role of companion diagnostics. 15. Critically evaluate the methods available for monitoring disease following treatment (medical, surgical or bone marrow transplant).
Intellectual skills	Explain how molecular pathology is presently applied to routine clinical diagnostic practice. Summarize how neoplastic conditions are investigated at a molecular level. Evaluate the benefits of new technologies being introduced into diagnostic pathology.
Practical skills	Synthesise how molecular pathology informs clinical diagnosis and care as part of multi-disciplinary team decision-making.
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Enhance retrieval and critical review of contemporary scientific literature. Develop problem-solving skills through group discussion and debate. Enhance presentation skills.

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

The course contains 15 hours lectures and 7 hours of tutorial or workshop type of learning.

6. ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, E-ASSESSMENT, and INFORMATION ABOUT FEEDBACK)

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Short answer examination Written assessment	1 hour 2,000 words	Students will be provided with mock papers before the examination and feedback will be provided within 15 working days. Written feedback will be provided within 15 working days.	50% 50%

7. INDICATIVE READING LIST

Includes but is not limited to:

1. The Biology of Cancer, by Robert Weinberg 2013, published by Garland Science

For Information and advice on Link2Lists reading list software, see:

http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/academicsupport/informationandadviceonlink2listsreadinglistsoftware/

Unit 2: Molecular Pathology of Non-Malignant Disease

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title	Molecular Pathology of Non-malignant Disease
Unit code	MEDN 67520
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	30 hours Lectures online
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities	Revision workshops/surgeries; Online discussions/tutorials; Meetings with Academic Advisers
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units
School responsible	Institute of Inflammation and Repair
Member of staff responsible	Dr Richard Byers
ECTS*	7.5
Notional hours of Learning**	150

2. AIMS

To equip students with an advanced knowledge of the molecular pathology and pathological processes underlying non-neoplastic diseases

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit will provide a broad based knowledge of molecular pathology in the context of the pathogenesis of non-neoplastic diseases, with a focus on the molecular processes involved in inflammation, repair and regeneration, immunity and control of normal and diseases tissue structure and organisation. The lectures will be delivered by a range of clinical and non-clinical academic staff, many of whom are internationally recognised experts in their field.

4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should/will (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	On successful completion of the module students will have an understanding of the following areas of non-neoplastic molecular pathology as detailed below; Molecular Pathology Methods an understanding of what is meant by molecular pathology and the techniques involved, including histopathology; cell/tissue imaging; biochemical assays; cell analysis; genome, transcriptome and proteome analyses a knowledge of what monoclonal/polycloncal antibodies are, how they are obtained and how they can be used to localise, assay and isolate macromolecules bearing antigens against which they are directed. an understanding of the principles of novel –omics methodologies and potential application to diagnostic pathology Tissues and Organs a broad understanding of the range of molecules and structures found in human extracellular matrices. a general understanding of the structural and metabolic relationship between cellular surfaces and extracellular matrices. a knowledge of the fluid mosaic model of cellular membranes, the evidence for it and its application to cell surfaces and to endomembranes of various types. an understanding of how normal tissue homeostasis is maintained; how cells interact with each other and with the extracellular matrix, and how these interactions contribute towards pathological processes. Regulation of Cell Differentiation and Growth an appreciation of how cells grow and divide. an understanding of the mechanisms involved in hypoplasia and hyperplasia an understanding of differentiation and metaplasia an understanding of the molecular basis of inherited genetic disease The Biology of Tissue Injury and Repair an understanding of how labile (renewing) tissues respond to injury and how the responses of non- renewing tissues are both similar and different. a knowledge of the process of apoptosis, and the circumstances (pathological and physiological) in which it can occur. an understanding of necrosis and its types. an understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of “normal” wound healing and appreciated how disturbances in normal healing mechanisms may result in pathological fibrosis. an understanding of the mechanisms of recruitment of inflammatory cells an understanding of how inflammation is switched on and off, a knowledge of the cytokine network and control of cytokine activity a knowledge of stem cells and how they can be utilized for tissue regeneration an understanding of the pathophysiological basis of shock. The Immune Response and Immune-mediated Disease a knowledge of basic immune mechanisms (antigen receptors, antigen presentation, cell-cell interactions in the immune response, the anatomy of the immune system, effector mechanisms). This will provide the students with sufficient background knowledge to enable them to understand the major immune diseases (organ-specific and systemic autoimmune disease, hypersensitivity reactions). an understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the hypersensitivities, and how these reactions differ from normal immune responses. a knowledge of the pathological and clinical consequences of tissue injury following hypersensitivity reactions. an understanding of immune tolerance and, using examples of organ-specific and systemic autoimmune disease, the mechanisms by which it may fail. an understanding of the pathological basis of the clinical features of autoimmune diseases. an understanding of the HLA system and the immunological mechanisms of allograft rejection.
Intellectual skills	Students will know how molecular pathology is applied to understanding of the pathogenesis of non-neoplastic conditions.
Practical skills	N/A
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Students will be able to understand how molecular pathology is used to investigate and understand non-neoplastic diseases.

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

The course contains 30 hours of lectures provided online over semesters 1 and 2.

6. ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, E-ASSESSMENT, and INFORMATION ABOUT FEEDBACK)

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Short answer examination Written assessment	1 hour   2,000 words	Students will be provided with mock papers before the examination and feedback will be provided within 15 working days.Written feedback will be provided within 15 working days.	50%   50%

7. INDICATIVE READING LIST

Includes but is not limited to:

The Pathological Basis Of Disease.

Unit 3: Next Generation Sequencing and Omics in Medicine and Disease 

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title	Omics Techniques and their Application to Genomic Medicine
Unit code	BIOL 67562
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	Through ~30 hours contact time, including Lectures, Tutorials, and small group workshops
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities	Video capture and other elearning material will be provided
Pre-requisite units
Co-requisite units
School responsible	School of Biological Sciences
Member of staff responsible	Dr Janine Lamb
ECTS*	7.5
Notional hours of Learning**	150

2. AIMS

By the end of this module the student will:

• Have a fundamental knowledge and understanding of the basis of genotyping and detection of genetic variation.
• Have a basic understanding of bioinformatics approaches to the analysis and contextualization of genomic data
• Understand which methodology to utilise to detect different types of genetic variants, and be able to analyse and interpret sequencing data and contextualise genetic variants with regard to likely pathogenicity
• Be able to use literature and online resources to access information on disease and genetic variation
• Be able to apply bioinformatics approaches and develop a pipeline for the analysis of genomic data

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This module will provide an introduction to the basis of genotyping and detection of genetic variation. There will be an introduction to deep resequencing, including library preparation methods, sequencing chemistries and platforms. This module will provide a brief overview of methodologies for, and application of, detecting genetic changes including base substitutions (SNV) and copy number variants (CNV). This module will provide an overview of bioinformatics approaches to the analysis of genomic data. In addition there will be an introduction to different “omics technologies” and strategies to prioritise the pathogenicity of variants.

4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Describe and critically evaluate a range of up-to-date genomic technologies and platforms used to sequence targeted parts of the genome or whole genomes Discuss the application of other techniques (for example array comparative genome hybridisation, MLPA, qPCR) commonly used to interrogate genomic variation in the clinical setting Appraise technology platforms for applications in medical genomics either for research or medical diagnostic purposes Use publicly available bioinformatics approaches and tools to determine the likely pathogenicity of a sequence variant Describe techniques that can be applied to transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomic analysis Assess sequencing data quality, and annotate and interpret variants with regard to likely pathogenicity
Intellectual skills	Critically evaluate the different ‘omics’ technologies and platforms and their application to genomic medicine and the impact of personalised medicine
Practical skills	Discuss and critically appraise approaches to the bioinformatics analysis and interpretation of ‘omics’ data Evaluate the pathogenicity of variants identified in whole genome sequencing and other genomic technologies.
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Develop their problem solving skills through collaboration in group working and debate. Enhance their oral and written presentation skills.

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

This module will be delivered over a one week period and consists of a series of face to face lectures, interactive seminars, and computer practicals. Lectures are supported with online resources and/or key references.

6 ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, E-ASSESSMENT, and INFORMATION ABOUT FEEDBACK)

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Written assignment Oral Presentation	3000 words	Feedback is provided within 3 working weeks, in writing Formative feedback will be provided through practical computer workshops and small group discussions	50% 50%

7. INDICATIVE READING LIST

Pugh et al. The landscape of genetic variation in dilated cardiomyopathy as surveyed by clinical DNA sequencing. Genetics in Medicine. 2014 16:8;601-608

Gottlieb et al. Changing genetic paradigms: creating next-generation genetic databases as tools to understand the emerging complexities of genotype/phenotype relationships. 2014 8:1-9

Rizzo and Buck. Key Principles and Clinical Applications of ”Next-Generation” DNA sequencing. 2012 5:7;887-900

Platt et al. Points to Consider in the Clinical Use of NGS Panels for Mitochondrial Disease: An Analysis of Gene Inclusion and consent forms. J Genet Counsel. 2014 23:594-603

Newman and Black. Delivery of a clinical genomics service. Genes 2014 5:1001-1017

Hall et al. Realising genomics in clinical practice. Phg Foundation 2014

http://www.phgfoundation.org/phgpreview/cmsdemo/file/16206/

Unit 4: Professional and Research Skills

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title	Professional and Research skills
Unit code	MEDN 67371
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	Workshops: 19 hours
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities	Online lectures and tutorials. Assignments
Pre-requisite units
Co-requisite units
School responsible	SMS/SBS
Member of staff responsible	Dr Richard Byers
ECTS*	7.5
Notional hours of Learning**	150

2. AIMS

The overall aim of this module is to ensure that the trainee has the knowledge, skills and experience of the role of research, development and innovation in the NHS in improving patient care, including prevention, diagnostics, treatment and service delivery.

On completion of this module will have a knowledge and understanding of research, audit and innovation processes and associated funding streams. In addition, the trainees will also acquire an understanding of data analysis techniques and their application

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

The unit will cover the following topics:

Research methods/approaches

• Differentiation between audit and research
• Cohort studies
• Qualitative
• Quantitative
• Systematic review
• Meta-analysis
• Sampling techniques
• Clinical trials (pre-clinical to translational)
• Epidemiological studies
• Study design
• Hypothesis generation and testing

Ethical and governance research frameworks

• Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
• Human research
• Animal research
• Innovation
• Audit

Research, audit and innovation process

• Literature searching and referencing
• Innovation pathway (Invention, Evaluation, Adoption and Diffusion)
• Idea generation
• Patient/user involvement
• Peer/expert review
• Practical and financial criteria and constraints affecting research
• Dissemination/implementation
• Intellectual property
• Quality assurance
• Monitoring and reporting
• Archiving
• Roles and responsibilities of the research/innovation team

Data analysis techniques

• Data validity, reliability and appropriateness
• Application and interpretation of statistical techniques
• Power calculations
• Intention-to-treat analyses

Clinical guidelines

• Evidence-based practice
• Statutory and advisory regulatory bodies

Research and innovation funding

• Sources of funding including research councils and charities
• Grant applications

4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	1. Discuss and critically evaluate the context within which research, development, innovation and audit are undertaken to improve patient care, promote innovation and improve service delivery. 2. Describe, compare and contrast a range of research methods/approaches, including cohort studies, qualitative, quantitative, systematic review, sampling techniques and clinical trials. 3. Explain and justify current UK ethical and governance frameworks and processes spanning the conduct of human and animal research, innovation and audit. 4. Critically evaluate the literature/evidence base to identify a research question and create a new approach or technique to improve patient care or service delivery. 5. Discuss and justify the research, audit and innovation process from idea generation to dissemination/implementation, including patient/user involvement and intellectual property. 6. Describe and evaluate a range of data analysis techniques to ensure the validity, reliability and appropriateness to the research aim, design and conclusion. 7. Describe how clinical guidelines are produced and the concept of evidence based practice, including the role of current statutory and advisory regulatory bodies. 8. Identify potential sources of research and innovation funding for healthcare science/Clinical Scientists.
Intellectual skills	1. Critically analyse scientific and clinical data 2. Present scientific and clinical data appropriately 3. Formulate a critical argument 4. Evaluate scientific and clinical literature
Practical skills	1. Undertake an evidence-based literature review, critically appraise the output, draw appropriate conclusions and report the findings, and where appropriate, use the findings to inform a research project. 2. Identify, discuss and critically evaluate a research, innovation or audit project that has resulted in an improvement in patient care, diagnostics or service delivery.
Transferable skills and personal qualities	1. Present complex ideas in simple terms in both oral and written formats. 2. Consistently operate within sphere of personal competence and level of authority. 3. Manage personal workload and objectives to achieve quality of care. 4. Actively seek accurate and validated information from all available sources. 5. Select and apply appropriate analysis or assessment techniques and tools. 6. Evaluate a wide range of data to assist with judgments and decision making. 7. Interpret data and convert into knowledge for use in the clinical context of individual and groups of patients. 8. Work in partnership with colleagues, other professionals, patients and their carers to maximise patient care.

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

Lectures, tutorials, case studies and PBL

E-learning:

– evidence-based learning supported by course notes, audio lectures, case studies

– online tutorials

6. ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, E-ASSESSMENT, and INFORMATION ABOUT FEEDBACK)

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Assignment: detailed research project proposal: including literature review, project plan and risk analysis Assignment; critically evaluate a research paper or audit project.	2,500 words 1,000 words	Feedback provided in Grademark within 15 working days of submission date Feedback provided in Grademark within 15 working days of submission date	70% 30%

7. INDICATIVE READING LIST

Includes but is not limited to:

Bowers D, House A, Owens D. (2006). Understanding Clinical Papers. Wiley & Sons.

Mepham B. Bioethics: an introduction for the biosciences 2005. Oxford University Press.

Talbot-Smith A and Pollock A (2006). The new NHS: A guide: A Guide to Its Funding, Organisation and Accountability Routledge (London).

www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-other.htm

Craig JC, Irwig LM, Stockler MR. Evidence-based medicine: useful tools for decision making.

Medical Journal of Australia 2001;174:248-253.

Miller M, Kearnery N. Guidelines for clinical practice: development, dissemination and implementation. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2004;41:813-821

Rosenberg W, Donald A. Evidence based medicine: an approach to clinical problem-solving.

BMJ 1995; 310: 1122-1126

Thompson SG, Higgins JPT. How should meta-regression analyses be undertaken and interpreted? Statistics in Medicine 2002; 21: 1559-1574.

Bonita R, Beaglehole R, Kjellstrom T. Basic epidemiology, 2nd ed, Geneva, World Health

Organisation Company. 1987

Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.0.1 [updated September 2008]. The Cochrane Collaboration, 2008. Available from www.cochrane- handbook.org.

Last, JM , ed. A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 4th ed. New York , Oxford University Press.

2001

Omland LH , Krarup H , Jepsen P , Georgsen J , Harritshøj LH , Riisom K , Jacobsen SE , Schouenborg P , Christensen PB , Sørensen HT , Obel N ; On behalf of the DANVIR Cohort Study .

Silman AJ, Macfarlane GJ. Epidemiological studies: a practical guide (2nd edition).

Cambridge; Cambridge University Press 2002

Units 5-6 Diagnostic Histopathology and Molecular Diagnostic Pathology

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title	Diagnostic Histopathology and Molecular Diagnostic Pathology
Unit code	MEDN67542
Credit rating	30
Level	7
Contact hours	40 hours Lectures; 10 hours Tutorials, Seminars, Workshops
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities	Revision workshops/surgeries; Online discussions/tutorials; Meetings with Academic Advisers
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units
School responsible	Institute of Inflammation and Repair
Member of staff responsible	Dr Richard Byers
ECTS*	15
Notional hours of Learning**	300

2. AIMS

To equip students with an advanced knowledge of the use of molecular pathology in clinical diagnostic practise, with a focus on the role of tissue morphology in diagnosis and the role of ancillary molecular tests in refining diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of treatment response.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit will provide a broad based knowledge of molecular pathology in the context of the diagnostic histopathology, with a focus on the role of molecular testing for prognostication and treatment stratification in the context of personalised medicine. The lectures will be delivered by a range of clinical and non-clinical academic staff, many of whom are internationally recognised experts in their field.

4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should/will demonstrate:
Knowledge and understanding	1. An understanding of the role of tissue morphology in diagnostic practise. 2. An understanding of normal tissue morphology in selected organ systems and identification of abnormal morphology. 3. An understanding of how analysis of abnormal morphology is used in diagnostic practise. 4. An understanding of how molecular testing is used as an adjunct to morphology for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment stratification 5. An understanding of the diagnostic histopathology of skin disease, including skin cancer. 6. An understanding of the diagnostic molecular pathology of skin disease, including skin cancer. 7. An understanding of the diagnostic histopathology of lung disease, including lung cancer. 8. An understanding of the diagnostic molecular pathology of lung disease, including lung cancer. 9. An understanding of the diagnostic histopathology of gastrointestinal disease, including gastrointestinal cancer 10. An understanding of the diagnostic molecular pathology of gastrointestinal disease, including gastrointestinal cancer 11. An understanding of the diagnostic histopathology of soft tissue disease, including soft tissue tumours. 12. An understanding of the diagnostic molecular pathology of soft tissue disease, including soft tissue tumours 13. An understanding of the diagnostic molecular pathology of breast disease, including breast cancer 14. An understanding of the diagnostic molecular pathology of breast disease, including breast cancer 15. An understanding of the diagnostic molecular pathology of haematological disease, including haematological cancer 16. An understanding of the diagnostic molecular pathology of haematological disease, including haematological cancer 17 An understanding of the molecular techniques used in molecular diagnostic pathology through study of examples of use of different methods in case examples and workshops 18. An understanding of the role of integrated molecular diagnostic services, with focus on haematopathology
	Students will know have an understanding of the role of diagnostic histopathology in clinical practice and the use of molecular testing to refine diagnosis and guide treatment..
Practical skills	N/A
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Students will be gain a basic understanding of the nature and role of diagnostic histopathology, being able to correlate morphology with disease processes and will have an understanding as to how molecular analyses aid diagnosis and treatment stratification.

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

The course contains 40 hours lectures and 20 hours of tutorial or workshop type of learning

6. ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, E-ASSESSMENT, and INFORMATION ABOUT FEEDBACK)

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit
Short answer examination 2 x Written assessment	1 hour 2,000 words each	Students will be provided with mock papers before the examination and feedback will be provided within 15 working days for mock papers and for written assignments.	20% 40% each

7. INDICATIVE READING LIST

Includes but is not limited to:

Cell and Tissue Based Molecular Pathology. Tubb and Stoler. Churchill Livingstone 2008

Unit 7: Digital Pathology

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title	Digital Pathology
Unit code	MEDN67541
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	Lectures (15 hours); Tutorials, seminars and workshops (7 hours)
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities	Revision workshops/surgeries; Online discussions/tutorials; Meetings with Academic Advisers
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units
School responsible	School of Biological Sciences Division of Cell matrix biology and regenerative medicine
Member of staff responsible	Dr Martin Fergie
ECTS*	7.5
Notional hours of Learning**	150

2. AIMS

To equip students with an advanced knowledge of digital pathology and an understanding of its application in the delivery of pathology services and research.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit will provide a broad-based knowledge of digital pathology, particularly of whole slide imaging, with emphasis on 1) the drivers and obstacles to its introduction into clinical pathology, 2) integration into clinical pathology information systems 3) imaging metrics and image analysis, 4) its use in research, 5) its use in quality assurance/assessment schemes and 6) its economic benefits

The lectures will be delivered by a range of clinical and non-clinical academic staff.

4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students will:
Knowledge and understanding	Have knowledge of the hardware and software elements of whole slide scanning (WSI). Have practical experience of “virtual” microscopy – both through remote controlled microscopy and WSI. Have an understanding of the benefits and obstacles to its introduction into clinical pathology practice and research. Have an understanding of the benefits and obstacles to its introduction into research practice. Have an understanding of the benefits and obstacles to its introduction into laboratory quality assurance and assessment schemes. Have an understanding of how digital pathology can integrate into patient record systems and pathology management systems. Have experience and understanding of how digitized pathology images can be subjected to objective analysis. Conduct a supervised research project and present it in the form of a dissertation/thesis. Have an understanding of the economic issues around digital pathology.
Intellectual skills	To critically evaluate the various digitizing platforms; Assess factors that might affect image quality; Explore practical benefits/drawbacks of a digital imaging system (e.g. scan times, integration into information databases, re-training, cost [capital and running])
Practical skills	To critically appraise digital pathology in a diagnostic setting; Explore the opportunities as to how digital pathology might yield novel bioinformatics
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Enhance retrieval and critical review of contemporary scientific literature. Develop problem-solving skills through group discussion and debate. Enhance presentation skills. Evaluate the benefits of new technologies

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

The course contains 15 hours lectures and 10 hours of tutorial or workshop type of learning

6. ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, E-ASSESSMENT, and INFORMATION ABOUT FEEDBACK)

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Short answer examination Written assessment	1 hour 2,000 words	Students will be provided with mock papers before the examination and feedback will be provided within 15 working days. Written feedback will be provided within 15 working days.	50% 50%

7. INDICATIVE READING

To be given prior to module

Unit 8: Proteomics and Chemical Pathology

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title	Proteomics and chemical pathology
Unit code	MEDN69732
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	30
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities
Pre-requisite units
Co-requisite units
School responsible	Institute of Cancer Sciences
Member of staff responsible	Dr Richard Byers
ECTS*	7.5
Notional hours of Learning**	150

2. AIMS

The unit aims to:

Provide students with a sound understanding of the theory behind the main analytical technologies and diagnostic platforms employed in chemical pathology

Equip students with the necessary foundation in the biochemical principles that enable the diagnosis of disease within a clinical setting

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit will provide students with an in depth understanding of the physiology, biochemistry, pathogenesis and pathophysiology of disorders of the liver, GI Tract, urogenital tract, cardiovascular and endocrine system. In addition, students will gain an in depth insight into the role biochemical investigations play in the diagnosis of common disorders including, but not limited to, diabetes mellitus, lipid disorders and inborn errors of metabolism. This unit will also equip students with a critical appreciation and understanding of how information obtained through biochemical investigation can be applied to diagnose disease. This unit will provide students with an appreciation of the underpinning techniques and equipment employed in chemical pathology research.

4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should/will (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Explain normal biological homeostasis of the major organs. Show an awareness of current strategies and methods for laboratory diagnosis and treatment of the biochemical diseases outlined. Describe and explain the pathophysiology of these diseases. Describe and evaluate the principles of the chemical pathology techniques used to investigate these diseases.
Intellectual skills	Analyse and interpret data obtained from biochemical/chemical pathology investigations. Critically compare, contrast and evaluate the results of chemical pathology assessments. Demonstrate critical thinking in formulating appropriate strategies to identify disease through the application of chemical pathology techniques. Formulate appropriate research questions, objectives and hypotheses relevant to clinical setting, and critically and objectively select appropriate methodologies and techniques to answer research questions
Practical skills	Retrieve, manage and assimilate information from appropriate sources including, text books, course material, lectures and primary and secondary sources. Present complex medical and scientific information clearly and succinctly both verbally and in written reports. Communicate complex medical and scientific information in an effective manner. Work well both individually and as part of a wider team.
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Interact effectively with members of multidisciplinary teams. Recognise the importance of good communication for successful patient outcomes. Demonstrate capacity for independent self-directed learning aligned with critical thinking for problem solving. Relate theoretical knowledge to laboratory results for patient diagnosis and disease management in clinical practice

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

This unit will employ a number of teaching methods, including, lectures, seminars and workshops.

6. ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, E-ASSESSMENT, and INFORMATION ABOUT FEEDBACK)

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Formative: This will entail data interpretation exercises and exam questions. Closed book exam. Poster production and presentation.	2 hours	Mock exams will be given and feedback will be provided within 15 days Feedback will be given on the day of presentation and written feedback will be provided within 15 days	50% 50%

3. Teaching, Learning and Assessment

 

Teaching and Learning

Teaching on the programme is largely delivered through face-to-face, interactive sessions, consisting of some lecture material, with discussions and group work, and with a range of audio-visual stimuli including PowerPoint slides, images and videos. All units are supported by the use of Blackboard – a virtual learning environment – on which staff post lecture slides, reading lists and other accompanying material. Each unit on Blackboard also has its own discussion board, where students can interact with staff and other students on the course, for example by posting questions, responding to others’ questions, and making comments related to the course.

The research project will form the majority of the practical work for the programme, with the taught modules being largely theoretical (with some small practical exercise where appropriate).

For students completing the full MSc, a significant amount of teaching and learning will take place through the dissertation research unit (60 credits or 30 credits), in which the students will be expected to take a lead role in developing a research project with regular support, input, and mentorship from their project supervisor.

Assessment

Formative assessments will be given throughout the taught component of the programme and will take the form of MCQs, short answer questions, verbal presentations, data and method analysis exercises.

A range of summative assessments will be employed to assess a student’s knowledge and understanding and developing intellectual and transferable skills. Assessment methods employed will include verbal presentations, written assignments, data analysis and interpretation exercises, analytical method analysis and evaluation and formal unseen written examinations consisting of short answer questions and essays. The assessment methods employed by each unit will vary and be tailored to match the material delivered and stated ILOs of that particular unit. The assessments will test students’ abilities to gather information from a wide range of sources, evaluate and critically analyse information, make considered judgments about that information and synthesize material into logical and coherent pieces of work. Examples of the marking proformas used in the assessment of verbal and written assignments will be provided in the student’s handbooks and on Blackboard, the University’s virtual learning environment. Assessment is conducted in line with the University framework: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=7333

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.

 

Progression Requirements

Progression to the 30 or 60 credit Research Project of the MSc programme occurs once the criteria noted below have been met and approved at the Examiners’ meeting in May. If achievements do not meet the criteria as set out below by this date the student will normally be invited to submit for a PG Certificate or PG Diploma. If achievements do not meet the minimum criteria for those awards, the student will normally be excluded from the programme.

To progress with the 30 or 60 credit Research Project and therefore stay within the MSc programme, the student must pass all taught modules (6 core modules and 2 or 4 optional module) with compensation or referral if required, as well as satisfactorily attending and completing all compulsory elements (Health and Safety, Understanding Academic Malpractice) and appropriate components of the Faculty Regulatory courses (as agreed with their Programme Co-Directors).

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.

You will need to submit one copy of your dissertation through Turnitin. You no longer need to submit printed copies.

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:

• There is no need to describe at length many standard laboratory procedures. For example, cell culture could be described by: “HeLa cells were grown in a 5% CO₂ environment, in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and containing penicillin (x U/ml) and streptomycin (x U/ml).” Methods of cell splitting etc. need not be referred to unless they are intrinsic to the design of experiments.
• Many standard protocols use kits. These can be described by identifying the kit and stating that methods were followed according to the manufacturer’s instructions (with details of any modifications).

Results: A detailed description of the results and findings. These should not endlessly restate 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.

Research project

This permits students to develop and refine core research and transferable skills in addition to expanding their knowledge and understanding of molecular pathology through practical laboratory investigation of a novel research question.

The research project will usually be completed during years 3 and / or 4 of the course. The project can be undertaken for either 30 credits full-time over 6 weeks or 60 credits full-time over 12 weeks; alternatively both credit options can be undertaken part-time over an extended period. The programme expects employers to allow students sufficient “protected” time to complete their projects within the time frame outlined above. If a student is having difficulties he/she should immediately contact their Personal Advisor or the Programme Director.

At the end of the research project you will have to produce a dissertation of either 5,000-7,500 or 10,000-15,000 words depending on whether the 30 or 60 credit research project is chosen. You should expect some help from your project supervisor in writing the report. Obviously, the extent of this help may be reflected in the final mark, but as a rule your project supervisor will be expected to read and comment on a first draft of the report. You should however provide your supervisor with adequate notice when submitting your draft report since they have many calls on their time. You will find it helps to prepare figures and to work on aspects of your report throughout your research project, rather than leaving it until the end before you start writing.

It is important to remember that one of your markers will not be closely aware of your projects. It is therefore important to provide clear and concise write-ups. Given that projects will vary in the number and size of figures/images, the fairest and most consistent method to standardise the length is to impose a word limit.

Supervisor

Each student will be allocated a Research Project Supervisor. Supervision is governed by the University Manual of Academic Procedures, which outlines in more detail the responsibilities of the Supervisor and the Student. Briefly, the responsibilities of the Supervisor include: giving guidance about the nature of research and the standard expected; the planning of the research programme; and pointing the Student towards relevant literature and other sources of information.

The relationship between the Student and his/her Supervisor is of central importance. Both the Student and the Supervisor have a responsibility to ensure that the dissertation is completed within the prescribed period of the programme. Supervisors and students should establish at their initial meeting clear and explicit expectations of each other in order to minimise the risks and problems of misunderstanding, personality clashes, inadequate supervision and unsatisfactory work. Timetables for Progress Monitoring meetings must be closely observed. It should be noted that in some instances students may be jointly supervised by staff, and be assigned a principal and second supervisor.

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.

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

• General University information on the conduct and discipline of students can be found at  www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/appeals-complaints/conductanddisciplineofstudents/
• Faculty policies for students on communication and dress code, social networking. and drugs and alcohol can be found at:
  • http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29038 (Communication and Dress Code)
  • http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29039 (Drugs and Alcohol)
  • http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29040 (Social Networking)
• Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/guidance-to-students-on-plagiarism-and-other-forms-of-academic-malpractice/
• In accordance with the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes, ‘All typed summative assessment, including dissertations, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software, where appropriate’.

Extensions

All coursework extension requests should be submitted directly to the Programme Administrator. Please provide as much detail as possible (name, student registration number, course unit, assignment, reason for extension request), and be assured that all information will be treated confidentially. Course tutors do not accept extension requests.

Please send extension requests to the following e-mail address: PG.Molpath@manchester.ac.uk by 4.00 pm on the last working day before the assignment deadline.

Extensions will be granted at the discretion of the Programme Directors. Students are permitted a maximum extension of one week. One week extensions are only granted for acute illness around assignment submission time and any unforeseen life events that affect your ability to work in the short-term. Extensions are not given for inadequate time planning or due to holidays booked during term time.

In cases where a student may require longer than a one week extension, a mitigating circumstances form and appropriate evidence (e.g. medical certification) will need to be submitted. Students with approved mitigating circumstances may be offered the opportunity to submit at a later date to be agreed by the Programme Director.

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.

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

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.

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/counselling/

Occupational Health

Occupational Health 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.

http://www.occhealth.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, 9.30am to 4.30pm, 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:

• University Policy
• The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has produced guidance for healthcare students on fasting and caring: Fasting and Caring - Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan: guidance for health care students.

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 is Professor Jo Martin who is Professor of Pathology, Queen Mary, University of London.

Please note that it 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.

Final Examiners Meeting

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:

• https://stream.manchester.ac.uk/Play.aspx?VideoId=30453
• https://youtu.be/47pA877MKJg

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.