Welcome to the Centre for Health Informatics postgraduate courses in Health Data Science. You join the University of Manchester to study Health Data Science at a very exciting time. The delivery of healthcare is set to change, and to do this we need to make best use of health data. This requires individuals who understand the healthcare sector, medicine and biology; how data is collected and analysed, and how this can be communicated to influence various stakeholders – Health Data Scientists (HDS).

This programme will bring together academics and practitioners from complementary fields to train students with the health data science skills required by the healthcare, academic and industrial sectors. It will train the people required to meet the challenges to the healthcare systems in the UK and abroad. They will learn the skills necessary to make best use of healthcare related data to improve health and the economic efficiency of healthcare delivery.

This programme has been prepared in conjunction with the main work that is conducted at the Health eResearch Centre (http://www.herc.ac.uk). We are a world- leading digital-health network that provides research and education across Northern England and beyond. Our aim is simple: we strive to improve public health and healthcare services for the benefit of patients through cutting edge informatics research and digital health innovation.

The programme emphasises a self-directed approach, and encourage participation and discussion between students and tutors through on-line discussion boards, collaborative exercises and face-to-face workshops. Sharing that knowledge and experience with your tutors and other students will significantly enhance what you get from the course.

We hope this handbook will provide you with most of the information you will require to progress with your studies. Every effort has been made to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information; however, some minor details might change during the course of your studies. All changes and additions will be brought to your attention. If you have any queries or comments, or would like to contact us for advice and guidance on any issues, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

On behalf of The University of Manchester I wish you an enjoyable and successful time on your chosen programme.

Prof Tjeerd van Staa,

Programme Director, September 2021

Introduction to the School

Welcome from the Director of Postgraduate Taught Education

$\\nask.man.ac.uk\home$\Downloads\thumbnail_Andrew%20Mawdsley.jpg$ I am delighted to welcome you to the School of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. We are extremely pleased you have chosen the University of Manchester to commence or continue your postgraduate study journey; whether you are progressing straight from your undergraduate studies, seeking to develop your knowledge/skills in your chosen career or, are bravely, taking a completely different direction in life.

In the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and humanity, we will place you at the centre of a transformational learning process to support you to achieve your individual goals and aspirations. Our challenge to you is to embrace all of the opportunities available to you; be bold, think differently and realise your potential. We want your postgraduate journey with us to be intellectually stretching, rewarding and fun.

We are aware that most of you will need to juggle a number of competing priorities during your postgraduate taught studies. Some of you will already be in full time employment, while others will need to secure part time employment to fund your studies. We know that many of you will have family and caring responsibilities that will have to be prioritised before your own learning. We hope the information detailed in this programme handbook will help you in managing these competing commitments. Whether you are joining us on campus, or studying at a distance, you are an integral part of our School and University, and we are here to support you.

We are extremely proud of our postgraduate student community and alumni who are making a difference, both locally and globally. We look forward to working with you, confident that you too will play a role in transforming the lives of people who use health and social care services, whether during your studies or upon graduation.

I wish you every success in your postgraduate studies here at the University of Manchester.

$\\nask.man.ac.uk\home$\Downloads\sig2.jpg$

Mr Andrew Mawdsley
Director of Post Graduate Taught Education
School of Health Sciences

Contacts and communication

Head of School: Centre Director:

Professor Kay Marshall Professor John Ainsworth

Programme Director: Professor Tjeerd van Staa

tjeerd.vanstaa@manchester.ac.uk

Programme Administrators: Christina Shoesmith – Programme Support

Imaan Ashram – Assessments

Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 7917

E-mail: healthdatasciences@manchester.ac.uk

G.606, Ground Floor Stopford Building

The University of Manchester Oxford Road

Manchester

M13 9PL

HDS Programme Admissions: Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 5438

Fax: +44 (0) 161 275 3924

E-mail: pgtaught.cbm@manchester.ac.uk

You can contact us Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm, UK local time.

PGT Programmes Manager:

(for programmes within the Division of Population Health and the Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Science)

Ona Sumner (working days Wednesday – Friday)

Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 0467

Email: ona.sumner@manchester.ac.uk

HDS Blackboard eLearning Technologist (FMHS modules):

mail: elearning@manchester.ac.uk *

HDS Moodle e-learning support

(CS modules):

Email: moodlesupport@cs.manchester.ac.uk

Please make sure you include your university ID number in any email sent to the admin or eLearning team – this will help us to respond to your enquiry more quickly.

A full staff list can be found in Appendix1.

This programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedure of the University of Manchester. The programme committee reports and responds to the Community Based Medicine Consortium and the Health Data Science Programme Director is a member of the Community Based Medicine Consortium. The Consortium committee then feeds in to the School, Faculty and University committees. This academic reporting structure can be found in Appendix2.

Communications

Good communication between the university and student is important for the smooth running of any course, but for an online course it becomes essential. The following section outlines the different options available and their recommended use.

Student e-mail

As a student of the University of Manchester you will be given your own student e-mail address during the registration process:

student.name@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

All information and communication to students will only be sent to your student university e-mail address, and it is essential that any communications with tutors and the administration office are made via your university student e-mail address.

Any e-mails received from a non-university address will be replied to at the student’s university address. The reason for this is to ensure that students have a fixed e-mail account for the duration of the course and so do not miss out on important pieces of information, which may include group information sent to all students.

Instructions on how to access your student email can be found at https://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/email/student/

You can access your university e-mail account via MyManchester (http://my.manchester.ac.uk/) using your University login details.

You can sign up for your central account and obtain your username and password here https://iam.manchester.ac.uk/initial_login/overview and following the sign up process.

If you have forgotten your username or password, you can go through the account recovery process here:

https://iam.manchester.ac.uk/recovery_login/overview

Announcements in Blackboard

Programme Announcements will be made in the Programme Space and also communicated via email to your University email address. In addition, each course unit will have space for specific unit announcements.

My Manchester

From here you will be able to access many of the areas and sites that you use regularly,

e.g. Blackboard, your e-mail, the Student System and the library. You will be able to access this when you have set up your username and password at the following address:

https://my.manchester.ac.uk/

Tuition fees

Students should complete their financial registration in September 2020. This should be possible online or over the phone. You are responsible for doing this. Students who have not completed registration by 31^st October risk a fine of £200.

Students who have not completed financial registration by the end of October may not receive their marks, and may face being withdrawn from the course. The University follows up all bad debts, a process that can affect your credit rating. Financial penalties may be applied if you do not complete registration by the dates specified on the Welcome website: https://www.welcome.manchester.ac.uk/get-ready/become-a-student/register-as-a-student/

All fee issues are dealt with by the Student Services Centre (SSC). Contact details for the SSC can be accessed via: http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/finances/

Please note that you are responsible for any incidental costs of the course, e.g. travel, printing, internet charges etc.

Online registration

All part-time students need to re-register for each year that they study. This is usually done in September. This process is important as you will be required to re-register each year to update any personal details and pay your yearly fee. This will also allow you to gain access to the units for the next year. You will be sent an e-mail in August telling you about the details of re-registration.

Programme of Study

The current model of healthcare delivery in the UK is subject to unprecedented challenge. An ageing population, the impact of lifestyle factors and increasing cost mean that the existing approaches will become unsustainable. This, coupled with a drive to personalised medicine, presents an opportunity for a step change in healthcare delivery. To do this we need to make best use of the health data we collect and to create a better understanding of the relationship between delivery, treatments, outcomes, patients and costs. This requires individuals who understand the healthcare sector, medicine and biology; how data is collected and analysed, and how this can be communicated to influence various stakeholders – Health Data Scientists (HDS).

This programme will train the people required to meet the challenges to the healthcare systems in the UK and abroad. They will learn the skills necessary to make best use of healthcare related data to improve health and the economic efficiency of healthcare delivery.

On completion of the programme, successful students will demonstrate key competencies and have the skills to operate in the field (see box below).

The students will have knowledge and skills in:

- a range of health information systems and technologies
- how to manage and analyse large scale data
- ethics and governance issues around health data
- statistical and machine-learning methods
- the healthcare context, processes and environment
- clinical and biological problems
- working in inter-disciplinary teams

The specific learning outcomes for the Postgraduate Programme aims and are outlined below.

Aims

01 Provide students with the key background knowledge and understanding of the healthcare system from the treatment of individuals to the wider population

02 Train students to understand the governance structures and frameworks used when working with health data and in the healthcare sector

03 Introduce key technical skills and software to work with and manipulate health data

04 Emphasise the breadth and depth of the application methods and uses of health data to illustrate to students the potential use for health data.

05 Comprehend key concepts and distinctions of the disciplines that need to be synthesised for effective health data science

06 Provide an appreciation of the role of the health data scientist and how they fit in the wider healthcare landscape

07 Embed the importance of patient-focused delivery and outcomes

08 Equip students with in-depth knowledge, understanding and analytical skills to be able to work with health data effectively to improve healthcare delivery

09 Equip students with a systematic and critical understanding of relevant knowledge, theoretical frameworks and analytical skills to

10 Demonstrate a critical understanding of the challenges and issues arising from heterogeneous data at volume and scale, and turning them into insight for healthcare delivery, research and innovation.

11 Develop a practical understanding of the skills, tools and techniques necessary to work with health data

12 Apply practical understanding and skills to problems in health domain.

13 Train students to be able to work in a multi-disciplinary community and communicate specialist knowledge of how to use health data to a diverse community.

14 Evaluate the effectiveness of techniques and methods in relation to health challenges and issues addressed

15 Enable students, through the systematic, in-depth, exploration of a specific area of practice and/or research to extend their knowledge, understanding and ability to contribute to the advancement of healthcare delivery knowledge, research or practice.

A. Knowledge & Understanding

Within the context of their chosen award students should:

A1 Identify the social, political, regulatory, ethical, and technological aspects when working with health data and in the healthcare sector.

A2: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the nature and value of different research approaches, designs and methods within the context of health data science research and practice.

A3: Have knowledge and understand the development of healthcare systems and the range of utilised technologies

A4: Appreciate and be able to discuss the range of uses of health and health-related data to address healthcare delivery problems.

A5: Awareness of the national and international framework, strategies and policies

A6: Understand the role of the health data scientist in different scenarios

A7: Acquire knowledge of the history and current status of real-world clinical and public health problems

A8 Identify and explain the use of appropriate data sources to address particular healthcare problems through having in depth knowledge of a range of health and health-related data sources and their characteristics

A9 Understand widely used analytical and mathematical modelling methods to explore health and health-related data.

A10 Know how to formulate a strategy to investigate a healthcare problem

A11 Understand the range of visualisation techniques to display health/health-related data and select which are appropriate for different audiences

A12 Have advanced knowledge of statistical and mathematical modelling to analyse health data

A13 Understand how a health data scientist fits in the organisational/development/research processes

A14 Systematically and critically examine hierarchies of research evidence that inform and underpin the use of health data to influence health service practice, design and development.

A15 Consolidate, synthesise and critically apply the in-depth knowledge and understanding of relevant policy, literature, methodologies and technologies acquired through the taught components of the programme to the formulation of an extended research project relevant to a specific aspect of the use of health data.

B. Intellectual Skills

Within the context of their chosen award and pathway, students should be able to:

B1 Appraise and synthesise information from a variety of sources in order to develop a coherent critical analysis of issues relating to application of health data.

B2 Recognise problems and devise appropriate solutions

B3 Translate knowledge and understanding obtained from other disciplines and make connections to healthcare problems

B4 Critically analyse and summarise others and your own work and consider how it could have been done differently

B5 Engage in a literature research strategy and be able to summarise key points

B6 Consider critically a variety of established techniques and methods of research and enquiry and how they relate to the advancement of health care delivery and research.

B7 Critically evaluate a range of possible options or solutions to address a sizable data application and present a soundly reasoned justification of a final recommendation

B8 Translate ideas, practices, knowledge and understanding between academic disciplines in order to provide innovative solutions to unfamiliar problems

B9 Demonstrate original independent thinking, and an ability to develop theoretical concepts

B10 Justify the methodologies, techniques and decisions used in one’s own work

B11 Engage in a systematic exploration of the literature, policy and research related to a specific area of health data science so as to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the relationship between theory and practice.

B12 Understand relevant research methodologies and techniques and their appropriate application to research

C. Practical Skills

Within the context of their chosen award and pathway, students should be able to:

C1 Perform independent information acquisition and management

C2 Devise and write computer programmes to solve problems

C3 Draw on their knowledge and understanding of different approaches to research to

formulate appropriate questions and methods for research and/or evaluation into

aspects of health data science

C4 Utilise diverse data sources and select/implement a range of data analytical methods to provide insights into health data

C5: Plan, execute and evaluate health data science research and projects

C6: Work with appropriate programming languages and software to retrieve, organise and present health data sets.

Additionally for the Masters

C7 Organise and pursue a scientific research project in a specific aspect surrounding health data science

D. Transferable Skills and Personal Qualities

D1. Prepare, present and effectively communicate and defend complex ideas in documents and oral presentations to a range of audiences

D2 Apply mathematical and statistical skills

D3 Demonstrate research and enquiry skills by accessing and analysing literature in order to inform, research and develop strategies

D4 Work co-operatively and effectively with others as a member of a team.

D5 Reflect on their own academic performance and utilise strategies to improve these.

D6 Use logical and systematic approaches to problem-solving and decision-making.

D7 Work as an individual on a self-directed learning and research

D8 Transfer knowledge, understanding and skills to a range of health and health- related settings

D9 Manager resources and time effectively

D10 Identify and access appropriate bibliographical resources, archives and other sources of relevant information to investigate a topic

D11 Ability to make cross-disciplinary connections with other scientists and professionals

D12 Show flexibility, open-mindedness, self-awareness, self-discipline, motivation and thoroughness to sustain a piece of research

We offer one main award, the Master of Health Data Science (HDS), as well as a PG Diploma, a PG Certificates and stand-alone CPD units. The core requirements for these courses are different and are outlined below. However, students from all these courses choose their units from a common pool, use the virtual learning environment in the same way, and share the same online discussions.

A complete overview of the programme can be found in the Programme Specification

Philosophy of the programmes

All of the courses offered in this programme share the same philosophy.

Evidence: Developing skills in the collection, synthesis and implementation of evidence is central to this programme.

Skills: The programmes emphasize the acquisition of skills so that you can put into practice what you learn. Many Masters level courses teach attitudes and knowledge, while our emphasis will be more focused on the development of skills to use. These skills also translate into the ability to perform and appraise research projects as well

as developing the skills necessary to work in health informatics in the healthcare and industrial sectors.

Students will also be guided and encouraged to develop new and refine their existing communication skills. Clear, precise, well presented and referenced writing is essential for professional tools. Students will be required to present their assignments in styles which reflect models used in health data science and research. Students should access study skills materials for academic writing and presentation skills.

Self-directed study: The programmes encourage self-directed study around clearly rather than the provision of lectures or just web-based lecture notes.

Implications: The implications of emphasizing self-directed study and skills are that the course will largely involve active learning methods using case-scenarios, exercises, etc., in a problem-based approach. Hence, examples and exercises will use real-world examples from appropriate settings, for example from primary/secondary care, public health practice, etc.

The programmes include a visionary aspect, so course units will cover the latest developments in the field and horizon scan for new and emerging topics and policies.

Master of Health Data Science (MHDS)

The course runs on a modular basis and is available as a part-time or full-time course. For part-time students, there will be four units per year in year 1 and 2. In addition, the course units are also available for Continued Professional Development.

Method of Study and Course Units

The teaching will be eLearning or a blend of both F2F teaching and e-learning and problem-based learning.

In total there are nine 15 credit units: four are required for completion of the PGCert; and eight are required for completion of the PG Diploma and MSc. All units are compulsory; however all students have an option in the second semester between two units: Tutorials in Health Data Science and Principles of Digital Biology.

You will either take Tutorials in Health Data Science (15 credits) or Principles of Digital Biology (15 credits) depending on your learning needs. This will be a student- led decision based on a discussion of their learning needs with a course tutor.

The research project will be chosen by the student from a project pool suggested by academics across the eHealth community at the University of Manchester. You will also have the opportunity to develop your own research project with suitable support. The work will carried out during the summer and will result in a dissertation, all of which will be carried out over a three month period for a full time student. Should you be registered for a part-time degree, you will be allowed up to one year to complete your dissertation.

Timetable

Part-time Students:

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3
*Semester 1*	*Semester 2*	*Semester 3*	*Semester 4*	*Up to 1 year*
Introduction to Health Data Science (15 credits)	Tutorials in HDS (15 credits) OR Principles in Digital Biology (15 credits)	Fundamentals in Epidemiology (15 credits)	Machine Learning and Advanced Data Methods (15 credits)	Research project (60 credits)
Modern Information Engineering (15 credits)	Introduction to Health Informatics (15 credits)	Fundamental Mathematics and Statistics for Health Data (15 credits)	Statistical Modelling for Inference for Health (15 credits)	Research project (60 credits)

Full-time Students:

Year 1
*Semester 1*	*Semester 2*	*Semester 2/3*
Introduction to Health Data Science (15 credits)	Tutorials in Health Data Science (15 credits) OR Principles in Digital Biology (15 credits)	Research project (60 credits)
Modern Information in Engineering (15 credits)	Introduction to Health Informatics (15 credits)
Fundamentals in Epidemiology (15 credits)	Machine Learning and Advanced Data Methods (15 credits)
Fundamental Mathematics and Statistics for Health Data (15 credits)	Statistical Modelling for Inference for Health (15 credits)

HDS programme structure and course unit outline 2021/22

Students on the full-time programme will be required to sit all the above units over a 12 month period, as shown in the table above.

Course Units available in 21/22

Title	Code	Credit Rating	Mandatory/Optional
Introduction to Health Data Science	IIDS67681	15	Mandatory
Modern Information Engineering	IIDS61302	15	Mandatory
Principles in Digital Biology	COMP60532	15	Optional
Fundamentals in Epidemiology	POPH60991	15	Mandatory
Introduction to Health Informatics	COMP60542	15	Mandatory
Fundamental Mathematics and Statistics for Health Data	IIDS67631	15	Mandatory
Tutorials in Health Data Science	IIDS67612	15	Optional
Machine learning and advanced data methods	IIDS67682	15	Mandatory
Statistical Modelling and Inference for Health	IIDS67642	15	Mandatory

Details of all units can be found on MSc Health Data Science Unit Overview

You will also be attached to some skills based units at no extra cost. For further details regarding these resources, see section on Introductory courses.

Award Levels:

Postgraduate Certificate in Health Data Science

Total: 4 course units = 60 credits

Postgraduate Diploma in Health Data Science

Total: 8 course units = 120 credits

Master of Health Data Science

Total: 8 course units + HDS dissertation = 180 credits

All 8 course units (120 credits)
Dissertation/project (60 credits)

Academic partnerships

Health Data Science draws on skills in Computer Science, Medicine amongst others. Due to the nature of the field, units are drawn from elsewhere within the university. Research in the field at the University crosses these boundaries and this is also mirrored in the teaching. Units in Health Data Science are offered by School of Health Sciences and the School of Computer Science. You will need to contact the relevant administrator and eLearning for any administrative or eLearning issues.

Continuous/personal professional development (CPD)

We also welcome students who are taking single units for their own continuous professional development (CPD). They can choose from the same course units, except the dissertations, and they study in the same way as other students in the Blackboard learning environment.

You can take unlimited numbers of CPD units, but you are only able to use these credits towards a higher award under the AP(E)L (Accredited Prior Learning) regulations – i.e. AP(E)L will be permitted up to a maximum of 15 credits towards a Certificate award, 45 credits towards a Postgraduate Diploma award and up to a maximum of 60 credits towards a Masters award (See section on AP(E)L for further details regarding AP(E)L regulations.

What is Blackboard?

Blackboard is the University’s ‘virtual learning environment’ (VLE), that is used for online teaching.

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

Student Timetable 2021/22

All personal timetables will be available to each student on MyManchester (http://my.manchester.ac.uk/).

Course Unit Delivery

The majority of the programme is delivered in a blended learning format (i.e. a combination of eLearning and face-to-face workshops). The only unit that is delivered fully on-line is POPH60991 Fundamentals of Epidemiology. All eLearning content will be accessed through the Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment available through the Manchester portal.

Assignment submission

Please be aware of individual course unit assignment deadlines. Details of submission deadlines are available on the course unit eLearning space and by the unit leader.

Submission of assessed work

All assignments for Blackboard course units must be submitted electronically via Blackboard (Turnitin – plagiarism detection software – see section 5.1 for further details) on the date and time specified above. Please see instructions in your course unit assessment pages. Assignments e-mailed to tutors or administration will not be accepted.

The last time for all submissions is 12.00pm (noon) LOCAL UK TIME (this varies throughout the year as GMT or BST; see WorldClock).

Teaching, Learning & Assessment

Reading Materials

All reading material is accessed through the university online library or the internet.

Library Resources

The University of Manchester Library has one of the biggest collections in the country and students should make the fullest use of this facility. So it is essential that you familiarise yourself with how to access, journal articles, databases and e-books. For information on library resources, please visit The University of Manchester Library webpage. More details of how to improve off site access is given in Online Skills and Resources (see below for further information). If you experience any difficulty please contact us the e-learning team.

Referencing

All work provided for assessment at Masters level must be evidence based – based on the literature and research that a student has read to prepare their work. This evidence must be correctly referenced. In particular when students have a) used direct quotes or b) synthesised or paraphrased a section of text. The HDS programme requires students to use a referencing system such as the Harvard referencing system. Failure to reference correctly can lead you to be suspected of plagiarism. Guidance can be found on referencing in the programme online space.

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 procedures and penalties for dealing with academic malpractice are covered by the same regulation as apply to Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulation XVII): http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6530.

You are responsible for ensuring that you understand what academic malpractice is, and how to avoid committing it. If you are unsure, ask your lecturer or academic adviser.

The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has developed a module entitled “Understanding Academic Malpractice”. This unit should be completed by all postgraduate taught students and will allow you to test your understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and academic malpractice. The module is part of the Faculty Online Skills Training Resource (see PGT Online Skills Training Resource)). You can access the resource via Blackboard. Log in to My Manchester and click on the Blackboard tab. The online skills training resource will be listed under the My Communities heading (below your course units). The module should be completed as soon as possible after you begin your programme, but must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic writing for assessment.

Guidance for students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice can be found at here.

Other Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at

www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic

As this is a postgraduate course any suspicion of plagiarism or collusion must be referred directly to School level for investigation and possible penalty. On this course we report ALL students who are suspected of plagiarism, so please do not put yourself in the very uncomfortable position of being accused of plagiarism because of poor referencing. Ignorance is not accepted as an excuse. You are advised to carefully study the University’s guidance on the subject, which may be found via your Health Data Science programme Community space and via the links above.

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 (please see Use of TurnItIn for more information).

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health 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.
Understanding Academic Malpractice	Good academic writing is underpinned by evidence, and this must be correctly referenced. This resource explains good referencing practice and also enables you to test your understanding of the University’s plagiarism policy. The Academic malpractice driving test should be completed as soon as possible after you begin your programme, but must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic writing for assessment.
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 and PGT Online Skills Training Resource

Non-credit bearing Introductory Course Units SHS60001

All students are automatically enrolled onto the SHS60001 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.

PGT Online Skills Training Resource

Accessing the online skills resource

If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard please contact your programme administrator via healthdatasciences@manchester.ac.uk.

Content

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.
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

Personal Development Plans

A personal development plan (PDP) is a collection of documents that record your progress throughout the course. It encourages you to focus on your skills as a learner and to take responsibility for your own skill development. The PDP is your own property. It is primarily about assessing your skills, setting personal goals for improvement, recording your achievements, and reflecting on your experiences on this course.

The PDP for the course will be made available by the programme director/personal tutor. For some students, this may be the first time that you have come across a PDP. Others will have used them for some years within their work environment, for example the NHS in the UK. In this case we encourage you to use whichever system is of most benefit to you.

If kept up to date, your PDP will provide a valuable profile of your progress and achievement throughout your course, as well as helping you document your skill development. This will be a great asset when you come to revising your CV. For more general information please see:

http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/personaldevelopmentplanning/

Accreditation of (Experiential) Prior Learning (AP(E)L)

A student may be permitted to receive an award of credits on the basis of demonstrated learning that has occurred at some point in the past. The award of credits can be based upon learning for which certification has been awarded by an educational institution or another education/training provider, or un-certificated learning gained from experience. For full criteria please contact the programme administrator once you complete registration

All requests from the student for consideration of AP(E)L can be made to the programme director. You will be asked to complete a form (which you can request from your programme administrator), which will require you to indicate which course units are equivalent to your prior learning. You will also be required to provide evidence of the prior learning. This will then be assessed by the programme team and approved at School level to ensure equivalency of learning outcomes has been met.

Please follow the link below for the university’s policy on AP(E)L:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13148

If an AP(E)L application is successful, the University charges £30 for every 15 credits of AP(E)L. The overall tuition fee is adjusted and the administrative charge is applied.

Students who have completed the short ‘Informatics for Healthcare Systems’ course can make an APL application by contacting their programme administrator, in the first instance.

Students who have completed units on the accredited CPD stand-alone Masters level programme can also re-apply to the PG Cert, PG Diploma or Masters. Any CPD credit achieved would be automatically accredited to their new programme (with no administrative fee), providing they were completed within 5 years of registration on one of the award bearing programmes (and up to the maximum number of credits specified within the APL guidelines).

Pre-requisite IT skills

We ask you to ensure (by attending formal training courses if necessary) that you are familiar with the basics of:

- - Using a personal computer.
  - Using a word processor e.g. Microsoft Word or Open Office Write.
  - Using the internet as an aid to study, including bookmarking, saving and storing web-based material, and communicating via e-mail.
  - Using a web-based search engine to search a clinical database (e.g. PubMed). See Technical Support below for further details.

Computer hardware

You should have regular access to the same Microsoft Windows PC or Apple Mac (see information below regarding using an Apple computer), on which you are able to adjust the settings if required. Blackboard or Moodle may require you to make minor adjustments to your settings or browser.

You do not need a high specification (expensive) computer to do this course. However, you will need access to a good reliable internet connection as this will significantly improve the download times for web pages, audio and video.

It is also recommended that you have a headset and microphone to use with your computer. Students paying international students fees will receive a headset and microphone when they register for the course.

Software

The software needed to complete this course:

Modern Web browser
Microsoft Office
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Adobe Shockwave and Flash plugins for the browser
Java installed and enabled
Mindmeister (licence provided by course)

Apple Mac Computers

As mentioned above you will be able to access all the course materials using an Apple computer. However, if you are planning to do the Biostatistics course (which is a core unit) or the Communicable Disease Control unit you will need to use statistical software. The statistical software package which is recommended and mentioned below will only run on a MS Windows computer, but it has been chosen for its ease of use. It will run on an Apple computer if you have MS Windows installed. This would require additional software to be loaded onto your Apple computer. In Communicable Disease Control you will need Epi Info which also requires MS Windows.

IT Services Support Centre and FBMH eLearning Support

Details of what IT/eLearning support is available and how to access it can be found on the FBMH eLearning Support page.

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.

Login to the IT Support Portal, from where you may, to make a request, book an appointment for an IT visit report a fault, or search the Knowledge Base.

Assessment

Methods of Assessment

Throughout the programme we use a variety of assessment methods that will enhance your transferable skills for a health data scientist. In each course outline provided through the Virtual learning environment (Blackboard/Moodle) there is a clear description of the assessment and expectations. The assessment will be closely linked to the learning outcomes of each course unit. Factual knowledge is also assessed by self-assessment assignments/quizzes. The marks from these self- assessments are purely for feedback purposes, and are not part of your assessment and not made available to course unit tutors, though tutors will know if you have completed them. Marked assignments will focus on the ability to synthesize and implement knowledge. There are no formal examinations, as work is assessed by essay-type assignments; group work; programming or presentation. Some courses have assessed discussion boards or online activities, which will contribute to the group work assessment.

Assignment submission

All coursework assignments should be completed in Microsoft Word or in a rich text format documents and submitted via Blackboard. For full details of how to submit an assignment please see On-line Skills and Resources.

All assignment submissions will only be submitted electronically, including your dissertation should you progress to the Masters level.

Use of Turnitin

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.

In accordance with the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes:

All typed summative assessments, including dissertations, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software, where appropriate.

Publication of results

After the internal and external examinations boards have been held at the end of the academic year, and once all marks have been ratified and processed, students will be sent details of how to access their results in My Manchester.

Feedback policy

The following policy has been developed in line with the university ‘Policy on feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students’.

“The University of Manchester is committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to students on their academic progress and achievement, thereby enabling students to reflect on their progress and plan their academic and skills development effectively. Feedback, and acting on feedback, is therefore part of the active learning process throughout a student’s course of study.” Teaching and Learning Support Office University of Manchester (2010).

On the Health Data Science programme we are committed to;

- - Providing students with personalised feedback within 15 working days.
  - Providing more opportunities for formative feedback (on non-assessed work) during a course unit.
  - Personalised feedback on written assignments will be provided for all final assignments

We aim to offer the same quality of feedback across the programme, however the form that this feedback will take will vary from unit to unit, and this will be specified in each individual Blackboard unit. Some assignments will benefit from a summary at the end of the paper, short answer questions may receive feedback after each question and in other units feedback may refer to the model answer.

All feedback will be given through ‘Grademark’ within Blackboard, unless specifically stated differently in the course unit materials. Your tutor may use a variety of different tools within the software. A guide to accessing feedback within Grademark will be found in each unit.

We aim to get feedback uploaded into Grademark and your assignments marked within 15 working days. In the case of tutor sickness delaying feedback students will be informed by e-mail or an announcement placed in Blackboard.

Feedback is designed to be positive to show you how you can improve. In most cases it will be linked closely with the programme marking criteria found in the handbook.

We encourage you to reflect on the feedback and to incorporate the ideas into your next work. If you are uncertain about it, or have any questions please contact your course unit lead. Do this via Blackboard. If you are advised to improve your referencing, then please do so using the skills units for guidance. If you still do not understand how to reference then contact your course unit leader or the programme director before your next assignment.

Some discussion board and small group exercises are also assessed. Details of the marking and assessment will be explained in the individual course unit.

Feedback for assessed discussion board activities can be found in Blackboard in ‘Gradebook’ along with you mark for the work. We aim to provide these within a week to ten days of the exercise finishing.

Providing opportunities for formative feedback (on non-assessed work) during a course unit

Formative feedback gives you the opportunity to develop and improve with the unit and/ or programme of study. In our programme this is offered in many different ways for example;

- Feedback by tutors and fellow students on discussion boards
- Automated feedback from self-test or quizzes
- Peer review exercises
- Reflective exercises which provide sample answers
- Feedback in F2F workshops by other students and tutors

These are not assessed, and therefore optional, however we do encourage you take part and reflect on the feedback that you receive.

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 relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives at the Programme Committee/Staff Student Liaison Committee, where 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.

The External Examiner for this programme is Professor Colin McCowan at University of St Andrews.

Please note that 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 Christina Shoesmith via healthdatasciences@manchester.ac.uk in the first instance.

Faculty assessment criteria for assignments and dissertations

NB. A more comprehensive assessment criteria specific to the Health Data Science course units can be found in each Blackboard unit.

BAND	MARKING CRITERIA Descriptor
90% – 100%	*EXCELLENT (may allow award of distinction)** Exceptional work, nearly or wholly faultless for that expected at Master’s level.
80% – 89%	*EXCELLENT (may allow award of distinction)** Work of excellent quality throughout.
70% – 79%	*EXCELLENT (may allow award of distinction)** Work of very high to excellent quality showing originality, high accuracy, thorough understanding, critical appraisal, and very good presentation. Shows a wide and thorough understanding of the material studied and the relevant literature and the ability to apply the theory and methods learned to solve unfamiliar problems.
60% – 69%	*GOOD PASS (may allow an award of a merit)** Work of good to high quality showing evidence of understanding of a broad range of topics, good accuracy, good structure and presentation, and relevant conclusions. Shows a good knowledge of the material studied and the relevant literature and some ability to tackle unfamiliar problems.

50% – 59%	PASS Work shows a clear grasp of relevant facts and issues and reveals an attempt to create a coherent whole. It comprises reasonably clear and attainable objectives, adequate reading and some originality.
40% – 49%	DIPLOMA PASS, POTENTIALLY COMPENSATABLE FOR MASTERS Work shows a satisfactory understanding of the important programme material and basic knowledge of the relevant literature but with little or no originality and limited accuracy. Shows adequate presentation skills with clear but limited objectives, and does not always reach a conclusion.
30% – 39%	FAIL, POTENTIALLY COMPENSATABLE FOR DIPLOMA Work shows some understanding of the main elements of the programme material and some knowledge of the relevant literature. Shows a limited level of accuracy with little analysis of data or attempt to discuss its significance.
20% – 29%	FAIL Little relevant material presented. Unclear or unsubstantiated arguments with very poor accuracy and understanding.
0 – 19%	CLEAR FAIL Work of very poor quality containing little or no relevant information.

* The award of Merit or Distinction for the final degree is dependent upon a number of criteria laid out in the list below.

Dissertations

Please see the HDS dissertation handbooks for further details. These will be available through the virtual learning environment before you proceed to the dissertation element of the programme.

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations for Students

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the regulations policy document.

Postgraduate Taught degrees at the University of Manchester are based on the National Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). This framework requires students to achieve credit at masters’ level in order to get an award. For a standard postgraduate taught Masters programme this will normally mean passing 180 credits. A standard postgraduate diploma will normally have 120 credits and a postgraduate certificate 60 credits. The way in which you study these credits will be defined later in the programme handbook and the programme specification.

The University sets standards relating to your performance on every unit but also on your progression through the programme. The programme and course unit specifications will set out the requirements for passing the credit on individual units.

Please find below the link to the degree regulations:

http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate-degree-regulations/

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the regulations document.

Compensation

Master’s Degree

Students can obtain a maximum of two compensations (30 credits) in the taught component if they receive a mark in the 40 – 49% range.

Postgraduate Diploma

Students can obtain a maximum of two compensations (30 credits) in the taught component if they receive a mark in the 30 – 39% range.

Postgraduate Certificate

Students can obtain a maximum of one compensation (15 credits) in the taught component if they receive a mark in the 30 – 39% range.

Please note that some programmes do not allow compensation, as outlined under Degree Regulations, if applicable.

Reassessment

Where the overall unit mark is below the lowest compensation mark (40% for Master’s and 30% for Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate) OR the number of compensatable fails (30 credits for Masters/Diploma and 15 credits for Postgraduate Certificate) has been exceeded, reassessment may be taken.

Reassessment as a result of a fail is known as a “Referral”. Reassessment as a result of approved and verified mitigating circumstances is known as “Deferral” and may be permitted where students are reassessed as a first attempt, for which no penalty applies.

Students may be referred in up to half of the total taught credits. The combined total number of credits referred and compensated cannot exceed half the taught credits. Decisions with regard to which components should be reassessed are made by the Board of Examiners. When a student is referred they will normally be permitted to retake the assessment/exam on one further occasion at the next available opportunity.

At the recommendation of the Board of Examiners, students will normally be allowed one resubmission of a failed dissertation or project and this will normally be within four months of the date of the publication of the result. For September 2016 starters only, failed PGT dissertations can only be re-submitted if they achieve a mark of 30 or above. The Board of Examiners, in agreement with the External Examiner may, exceptionally, decide not to allow resubmission.

The pass mark for a reassessment is the same as the first attempt (i.e. 50% for masters and 40% for Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate). When a reassessment is passed, the mark is capped at the lowest compensatable fail mark (i.e. 40R for Masters and 30R for Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate), unless the previous mark was within the compensation zone, in which case the original mark will stand with a suffix ‘R’. This mark is used in the weighted average/total mark for the final award. The capped mark is applied to the whole unit and not the failed component.

Referrals may also be compensated providing the number of quota of compensations has not been exceeded. When a student’s referral mark is in the compensation zone (and the student/unit is eligible for compensation), the student’s mark will be capped at the lowest compensatable fail mark (i.e. 40R for Masters and 30R for Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate).

Please note that some programmes do not allow referrals. Please refer to the ‘Programme Exemptions to PGT Degree Regulations’ section of the handbook where specific exemptions applicable to the programme will be listed.

Exit Awards

Early exit awards are available for students who need to exit the programme early due to unforeseen circumstances or for those that do not satisfy the criteria for their registered programme.

As below, for the award of:

Postgraduate Diploma – students must accrue 120 credits across the programme, including any provision made for compensated or referred units
Postgraduate Certificate – students must accrue 60 credits across the programme, including any provision made for compensated or referred units

Criteria for Awards

Award of Master’s

The award of the Master’s degree is based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 50%.

Distinction

Exceptional achievements over the course of the Programme according to the taught master’s marking scheme will be rewarded with the degree with Distinction.

To obtain a Distinction, students must:

accrue 180 credits
pass all units with no compensations or referrals
achieve an overall weighted average of 70% or more across the programme

Students who have compensated and/or referred units are not eligible for a Distinction.

Merit

To obtain a Merit, students must:

accrue 180 credits
achieve an overall weighted average of 60% or more across the programme, including any provision made for compensated or referred units.

Pass

To obtain a pass, students must accrue 180 credits, including any provision made for compensated or referred units.

Award of Postgraduate Diploma

The award is based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 40%, for which there is no classification other than pass/fail.

To obtain a Postgraduate Diploma, students must accrue 120 credits (as specified by the programme) including any provision made for compensated or referred units.

Award of Postgraduate Certificate

The award is based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 40%, for which there is no classification other than pass/fail.

To obtain a Postgraduate Certificate, students must accrue 60 credits (as specified by the programme) including any provision made for compensated or referred units.

Programme Exemptions to PGT Degree Regulations

The programme does not have any exemptions.

Programme Specification

Please login to Blackboard and navigate to the Programme’s Community Space for the Programme Specification.

Course Unit Outlines

For information regarding specific course units, please visit the Course Details tab programme’s website.

Assignment extensions

All assignment submission deadlines will be 12 noon (BST/GMT). There will be no grace periods following the deadline (unless mitigating circumstances are approved) and the University late submission policy will take effect.

Extensions will only be granted for acute illness around assignment submission time and any unforeseen life events that affect your ability to work in the short-term. They are not given for increased workload at your place of work, students that register late or book holidays during term time.

You will be required to submit your request in writing directly to your programme administrator together with supporting 3^rd party evidence, prior to the assignment deadline. All requests are treated confidentially. Extensions of up-to 1-week will be granted at the discretion of the programme administrator/director.

Please do not submit any extension request via Blackboard or via your Course Tutor.

Please note that any extension request of more than one week cannot be approved by the programme. Students who require more than one week will need to complete a mitigating circumstances form and provide evidence which will be taken to the mitigating circumstances sub-panel. This panel will consider the request (see ‘Mitigating Circumstances’ section for further details).

Please note that extension requests can take up to 2 working days to confirm and your request is not guaranteed to be accepted, so please submit any requests as early as possible. Students who submit late will risk having penalties (see ‘Late Submission’ section for further details).

Any extension for a resit assignment will be dealt with by the same procedure, however you will need to submit a new request and provide new evidence.

Late submission (including dissertations)

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, please visit:

Mitigating Circumstances

Mitigation describes the process by which a student may be compensated for poor assessment performance, or when they are not able to complete an exam/assessment, as a consequence of unforeseen or unpreventable circumstances. Mitigation can be submitted for exams/assessments that have been completed but have been adversely affected, or for exams/assessments a student has been unable to complete.

A student must submit a request for mitigation to their Programme Admin team, in advance of their assessment submission deadline or exam, together with supporting 3rd party evidence. Your Programme Admin team will provide you with the Mitigating Circumstances form to complete.

Retrospective mitigation requests will only be considered, if presented at least 2 weeks prior to the exam board and there are compelling reasons as to why the circumstances could not be made known or presented prior to the assessment submission deadline/exam.

Any requests for mitigation will be considered confidentially by a mitigating circumstances panel. This will include a nominated School contact and will meet the quoracy guidelines of the University regulations. 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

Students are also advised to consult the ‘A Basic Guide to Mitigating Circumstances’, which directs them to seek advice and support before and whilst submitting a request for mitigation.

Referral of assessments (resits)

To pass a course unit you must have submitted all assessments and gained an overall mark of 50% or greater at Masters level and 40% or greater at Diploma or Certificate level.

If you fail a course unit and are unable to compensate the mark, you will be offered the opportunity to take a resit assessment (known as a “referral”).

Failure of a unit at second attempt

If a student fails a resit assignment they will not be eligible to take the unit again. Should this happen, the students situation will be discussed at an exam board and the student will be offered appropriate options. This may include transfer to another award such as a PG Diploma or PG Certificate.

A detailed description of the regulations surrounding resits can be found in the Regulations for Taught Programmes..

Special Permissions (including Interruptions and Extensions to Programme)

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 the dissertation deadline should initially discuss their plans and reasons with their Programme Administration Team, Programme Director or their Dissertation Supervisor (if requesting an extension to their dissertation deadline).

Please contact us at healthdatasciences@manchester.ac.uk to obtain the relevant form for completion. Once completed, return your form and relevant documentary evidence (doctor’s letter, sick note etc.) for consideration.

Word Count (including the Dissertation)

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.

Appeals, Complaints, Conduct and Discipline and Fitness to Practise

Regulations for student complaints and appeals are provided in the University’s General Regulations. Please find some guidance on Academic Appeals, Complaints, Conduct and Discipline of Students and Fitness to Practise below:

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 https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/academic-appeals-complaints-and-misconduct/conduct-and-discipline-of-students/.

Faculty policies for students on Communication and Dress Code, Social Networking and Drugs & 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 & 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/

The University Library has produced online resources to help students in avoiding plagiarism and academic malpractice at

https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/using-the-library/students/training-and-skills-support/my-learning-essentials/online-resources/

Fitness to Practise

Information on Fitness to Practise should be included in handbooks for programmes which require the student to undertake practical training in a quasi-professional role in relation to patients, clients or service-users; where the qualification provides a direct license to practise; and where the students on the programme are registered health or social care professionals undertaking further study to enhance their current profession or which will allow them to practise an additional duty.

For advice on content for programme handbooks relating to Fitness to Practise:

Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team, Room 3.21, Simon Building, University of Manchester, M13 9PL (e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).

Sharing Information

The University may share appropriate information relating to your health and/or conduct with external organisations such as your professional employer(s) (for example, relevant NHS Trust Professional and Statutory Regulatory Bodies (PSRB), placement and training providers and/or regulator (such as GMC, FOM, BOHS, NMC, GDC etc.). This may occur where concerns in relation to your health and/or conduct arise and the University considers it necessary for them to be disclosed to one or more of the above organisations.

The University’s Privacy Notice for Registered Students (which is accessible via this link: www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/data-collection-notice/) includes further information about how the University may use and process your personal data, including the legal basis and conditions which may be relevant to such processing (see section 6 of the Privacy Notice). The University will only disclose special category data (such as data relating to your health) to a third party organisation where one of the additional conditions are satisfied (see section 9 of the Privacy Notice), including where processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

Student Progression

Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

Please find below the link to the University’s regulation on Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students: http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/regulation-xx/.

The programme 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 non-engagement will result in you being asked to meet with your Programme Director.

Examination Boards can refuse assessment, as well as referred assessment, on the grounds of poor academic performance and/or lack of attendance/engagement. A series of warnings (informal and formal) would be issues to any students failing to meet the engagement requirements of their programme. If there is no significant improvement, or not meeting the criteria set out in the formal warning then further action will be taken, which may result in withdrawal from the programme.

Informal non-engagement triggers

If a student reaches any of the following trigger points, they will be contacted via email by a member of the admin team:

where a students has not accessed the unit after 3 weeks of the start of course
where a student has not accessed the unit after 10-days of the mid-term or final assignment being released
in the dissertation year, where a student is not regularly engaging with their Supervisor within the expected guidelines (see dissertation guide for further information)

Formal non-engagement warnings

If a student reaches any of the following formal trigger points, then they will be issued a formal warning resulting in a review meeting with the Programme Director. If the student does not attend the review meeting, or hits a further formal trigger, the student will then receive a formal written warning.

Further failure to comply with engagement may lead to student being refused permission to continue with their programme. Examples include:

non-submission of an assignment (unless mitigation is approved)
non-attendance of mandatory face-to-face sessions
in the dissertation year, where a student is consistently not engaging with their supervisor within the expected guidelines (see dissertation handbook for further information)

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 IV Student Visa. This is to ensure the University meets the UKVI statutory requirements as a sponsor of Tier IV students and its responsibilities in accordance with its Highly Trusted Sponsor status.

You will receive an email from your programme administrator with further information regarding confirming your attendance. 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 IV 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 IV visa. The Tier IV visa will then be curtailed and the student must leave the UK within 60 days.

For further information on Tier IV visas: https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa.

If you have any concerns about the attendance monitoring census points, or your Tier IV visa status, please contact visa@manchester.ac.uk.

Monitoring Attendance and Engagement for PGT Students during the Research Component (Masters Level only)

Full Time PGT Students

The following guidance outlines the requirements of the School in relation to the monitoring of attendance and engagement for full-time PGT students during the research component of a Masters level degree. This is in accordance with the University’s expectations in monitoring attendance (Regulation XX, http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895).

Full-time PGT students are required to maintain weekly contact with their dissertation supervisor throughout the research component of their degree.
The School’s expectation is that the meetings are conducted face-to-face. In exceptional circumstancesi or for Distance Learning students this meeting may be conducted via telephone or Skype and on occasions via email.
The attendance and engagement of PGT students must be recorded by the main supervisor.
The Programme Administrator will request confirmation from the main supervisor on a monthly basis that the PGT student has attended/engaged each week and participated in all required meetings.
Where a student fails to attend/engage on two consecutive weeks or where a pattern of non-attendance/engagement becomes apparent it is the main supervisor’s responsibility to notify the Programme Director and Programme Administrator immediately.
Where students are identified as meeting one of the above trigger points, the

process as outlined in section 4 of the University’s ‘Policy on Recording and Monitoring Attendance’ (http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=20846) will be employed.

Part Time PGT Students

The following guidance outlines the requirements of the School in relation to the monitoring of attendance and engagement for part-time PGT students during the research component of a Masters level degree. This is in accordance with the University’s expectations in monitoring attendance (Regulation XX, http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895).

Part-time PGT students are required to maintain regular contact with their dissertation supervisor throughout the research component of their degree.
The School’s expectation is that there is a minimum of one contact point per month. This can be via email, telephone, Skype, face-to-face etc.
The attendance/engagement of PGT students must be recorded by the main

supervisor.

The Programme Administrator will request confirmation from the main supervisor on a monthly basis that the PGT student has adhered to the required attendance/engagement points.
Where a student fails to attend/engage on two consecutive months or where a pattern of non-attendance/engagement becomes apparent it is the main supervisor’s responsibility to notify the Programme Director and Programme Administrator immediately.
Where students are identified as meeting one of the above trigger points, the

process as outlined in section 4 of the University’s ‘Policy on Recording and Monitoring Attendance’ (http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=20846) will be employed.

1 Exceptional circumstances are recognised as: when a student has been permitted to return home to complete the writing up of their dissertation when all attempts to arrange a face-to-face meeting have been exhausted

Programme changes

Students may request to change their programme from full time to part time. They may also request to change from a Master level to a Diploma or Certificate. On the basis of performance students may be recommended or required to change their programme for example from a Masters to a Diploma.

Progressing from PG Certificate or Diploma to a Masters

Well performing PG Cert/PG Dip students can progress on to a Masters level programme if they meet or better the required academic performance for a Master award. Anyone wishing to consider this route should contact the programme administrator as soon as possible to discuss this.

Progressing from CPD units to PG Cert, PG Dip or Masters in Health Data Science

If you have completed course units on the CPD stand-alone unit scheme and would like to progress to the PG Certificate, PG Diploma or MSc programme, you must complete the online application form providing all supporting documents before the beginning of August. If you need any further information about this process, please contact the admissions co-ordinator (pgtaught.cbm@manchester.ac.uk).

Withdrawal from studies

If for any reason you would like to withdraw from your studies, please contact the programmes administrator for further guidance. You will be asked to give notification of your withdrawal in writing, and may be invited to speak to a member of academic staff before your withdrawal is processed. Please note that you may be liable for part or whole of the tuition fees due and/or an administrative charge if you decide to withdraw once teaching has started.

Progression to dissertation (Health Data Science)

In order to progress to the dissertation, HDS students must have completed 120 taught credits (or 8 taught units). Of these at least 90 credits (or 6 units) must be passed at Masters level. The other 30 credits (or 2 units) must have marks that fall within the compensation zone for a Masters degree (40 – 49%) or higher. For full details about this please see section5.5.

Graduation

All students who successfully complete the PG Certificate, Diploma and Masters programmes are invited, along with their guests, to attend a graduation ceremony. The School will write to you confirming your award and the details for graduation. Further information about graduation can be found at:

http://www.graduation.manchester.ac.uk/

All University of Manchester degree ceremonies are broadcast live on-line, and are also stored on the University website.

Graduation and Blackboard Access

Students who are presented at the June Exam Board will be invited to join the July Graduation Ceremony and students who are presented at the November Exam Board will be invited to join the December Graduation Ceremony.

The University’s Graduation Team will release the Graduation Ceremony information as soon as it is made available, usually late April/October. The standard email sent by the University’s Graduation Team is sent to ALL potential graduands. Therefore, please do not book flights or hotels until you have received your award/degree result following the Exam Board meeting.

Graduands will have access to both Course and Organisation spaces until the end of their Graduation period; end of July/end of December.

Student Support

Full details of support offered by The University of Manchester can be found on the Student Support web pages. At times when you are not based at the university, many support or guidance services can also be accessed by e-mail, phone or mail. The course unit leaders, course unit tutors, the programmes administrator and the programme director are all on hand to support and guide you while you are going through your programme of study. 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.

Student Services Centre (SSC)

The Student Service Centre can help provide you with information about:

- - Registration
  - Tuition fees queries
  - Graduation and transcripts You can contact the SSC at:

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 5000

E-mail: ssc@mancheseter.ac.uk

Student Identity Card

Once you have completed your registration, you will be able to collect your student card. If you have uploaded a photograph of yourself to the student system during your application process, this can be used for your student card. If not, once you have logged into ‘My Manchester’, you will be able to upload a photo for your student card in the ‘My Profile’ area.

Once you have arrived in Manchester you can collect your student card, which will give you access to everything on campus, including the Library, so make sure you collect it as soon as possible. Please visit the Welcome website for details of where you can get your student card.

If you are not based at Manchester and would like a University of Manchester Student ID card sending to you, please contact the SSC by email to request one (ssc@manchester.ac.uk), advising why you are unable to collect this.

Student Counselling Service

The University of Manchester Counselling Service offers confidential help with any personal issues affecting work, self-esteem, relationships, mental health or general well-being. Counselling can provide a valuable opportunity to work on personal issues in a confidential setting with someone independent from your own life. The Counselling Service is available for all University of Manchester students (undergraduate, postgraduate or research students) and all members of staff. They are happy to communicate with distance learning students by phone or e-mail. It is free of charge and consists of a team of professional counsellors with extensive experience of helping people with issues such as managing anxiety, confidence and self-esteem, managing low mood, personal development and coping better with academic pressures:

counsel.service@manchester.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)161 275 2864

http://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/personalsupport/counselling/

Disability Advisory and Support Service Disability (DASS)

The University of Manchester has a Disability Advisory and Support Service and welcomes students with a disability or specific learning difficulties. DASS advisors will be pleased to meet you to discuss your 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 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

2nd Floor, University Place, dass@manchester.ac.uk; +44(0)161 275 7512; www.dass.manchester.ac.uk

Text: 07899 658 790

Disability Coordinator Contact Details

Jackie Kan, jackie.kan@manchester.ac.uk; +44(0)161 306 0403

Careers Service

http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/

Careers Blog for International Students @ Manchester

Recently launched, a Careers Blog has been set up dedicated to keeping international students at The University of Manchester informed with regular news and upcoming events.

http://manunicareersblog.com/

Equal Opportunities

In conformity with the general intention of the university’s charter, the Health Data Science Programmes confirm their commitment to a comprehensive policy of equal opportunity for students and prospective students in their admissions policy, in all aspects of teaching and examining, in their counselling of students, and in the way they afford access to any of their benefits, facilities and services. The aim of the policy is to ensure that no student or prospective student receives less favourable treatment directly or indirectly on the grounds of race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, marital or parental status, disability, creed, political belief or social or economic class. The Code of Practice for complaints represents our commitment to a programme of action to make these policies fully effective (see below).

Policy on Religious Observance

Click here for more information on the Policy on Religious Observance.

Click here for the Faculty’s guidance for healthcare students on fasting and caring.

Student Representation & Feedback

Student representatives

Each year, we ask students to volunteer for the role of student representative. Student representation plays a vital and important part in helping us to maintain and improve the quality of the services and programmes that we provide.

The role of a student representative has three aspects:

- - To liaise between staff and students on matters of concern to either side
  - To provide two-way feedback on the course and on teaching quality
  - To promote active student involvement in course development

Student representatives are also invited to speak confidentially to our external examiner at the end of the academic year, and to participate in our end-of-year course review meetings. Representatives can participate by attending meetings in person or by teleconference. Representatives will be asked to feed back information from these meetings to the other students.

We hope to recruit a student representative for each year. The programme administrator will request volunteers for this position. If more than one person puts themselves forward, a vote may be held.

Each student will act as a rep for one year, unless they express a desire to continue, in which case they may put themselves forwards again. In this instance, students who have yet to act as a representative will take precedent.

Student Feedback

Your feedback is part of an on-going process of programme and course unit assessment. At the end of each semester you will be asked to complete an anonymous on-line evaluation questionnaire for each course unit you have taken. At the end of your programme you will also be asked to complete a general evaluation for your overall programme of study.

The university also requests that students complete a PTES (Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey) once a year. This information is quite different from that collected by the programme and we would encourage you to complete both.

Information about both unit surveys and PTES will be sent directly to you through the student portal. The end of programme survey will be emailed to you on completion of your programme.

Links to current regulations, codes of practice and policies

General

Crucial Guide for Postgraduate Students

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/

Data Protection

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/documents/privacy/

Equality and Diversity Policy

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=8361

Academic Policies

Basic Guide to Academic Appeals

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23874

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Case:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=639

Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2863

Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6518

Mitigating Circumstances:

Mitigating Circumstances: Guidance for Students http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/basic-guide-mitigating-circumstances/ http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/se ctionc- reachingdecisionsfromassessment/mitigatingcircumstancesguidanceforstudents/

Policy on Mitigating Circumstances

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=4271

Guidance for students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice can be found at:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2870

Student Complaints

Basic Guide to Student Complaints

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23875

Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=24561

Work and attendance policy

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895

Student Support

Student Charter

http://www.yoursay.manchester.ac.uk/student-charter/

Occupational Health Services for Postgraduate Students

http://www.occhealth.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduates/

International Student Support

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/

A Personal Safety Guide for International Students http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/study/safety-international- student-guide.pdf

Students Union

http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/

Health & Fitness

http://www.sport.manchester.ac.uk/

A full list of student services can also be found at: A-ZofStudentServices

Please be aware that it is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the academic policies, procedures and guidelines governing the University of Manchester’s postgraduate taught courses.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Academic staff and course unit leaders

Name and Course Units

Prof Georgina Moulton

Introduction to Health Data Science IIDS67681 (15 credits)

E-mail: georgina.moulton@manchester.ac.uk

Professor Andy Brass

Principles of Digital Biology COMP60532 and Introduction to Health Informatics

COMP60542

E-mail: andy.brass@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Alan Davies

Modern Information Engineering (IIDS61311)

E-mail: alan.davies-2@manchester.ac.uk

Prof Niels Peek

Tutorials in Health Data Science IIDS67612

E-mail: niels.peek@manchester.ac.uk

Year 2 Units

Prof Magnus Rattray and Dr David Wong

Machine learning and advanced data methods IIDS67682

Email: Magnus.Rattray@manchester.ac.uk and david.wong@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Hui Guo

Fundamental Mathematics and Statistics for Health Data Science IIDS67631

E-mail: hui.guo@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Glen Martin

Statistical Modelling and Inference for Health IIDS67642

E-mail: glen.martin@manchester.ac.uk

Dr Tracey Farragher

Fundamentals of Epidemiology POPH60991

E-mail: tracey.farragher@manchester.ac.uk

Prof Tjeerd van Staa

Dissertation for Health Data Science IIDS67650

Email: tjeerd.vanstaa@manchester.ac.uk

Appendix 2: Academic Reporting Structure for the Programme

This programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedure of the University of Manchester. The programme committee reports and responds to the Community Based Medicine Consortium committee, which the Programme Director is a member of, which then feeds in to the School, Faculty and University committees. This academic reporting structure is below:

Community Based Medicine Consortium Committee

University Teaching & Learning Group

Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health PGT Programme Committee

School of Health Sciences PGT Committee

Programme Committee