{"id":10860,"date":"2021-09-17T12:47:11","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T12:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/handbooks.bmh.manchester.ac.uk\/2021-22\/?page_id=10860"},"modified":"2022-02-08T13:18:05","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T13:18:05","slug":"msc-investigative-ophthalmology-and-vision-sciences-programme-handbook-2021-22","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/handbooks.bmh.manchester.ac.uk\/2021-22\/shs\/pg\/msc-investigative-ophthalmology-and-vision-sciences-programme-handbook-2021-22\/","title":{"rendered":"MSc Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences Programme Handbook 2021\/22"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/handbooks.bmh.manchester.ac.uk\/2021-22\/shs\/pg\/msc-investigative-ophthalmology-and-vision-sciences-programme-handbook-2021-22\/<\/a><\/p>\n

INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY AND VISION SCIENCES<\/strong><\/p>\n

MSc\/PG Diploma\/PG Certificate<\/strong><\/p>\n

PROGRAMME HANDBOOK<\/strong><\/p>\n

2021-22<\/strong><\/p>\n

Division of Pharmacy and Optometry<\/strong><\/p>\n

School of Health Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"eGTP<\/p>\n

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<\/h1>\n

Welcome from the Director of Post Graduate Taught Education<\/h1>\n

\"\\\\nask.man.ac.uk\\home$\\Downloads\\thumbnail_Andrew%20Mawdsley.jpg\"<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

I wish you every success in your postgraduate studies here at The University of Manchester.<\/p>\n

\"\\\\nask.man.ac.uk\\home$\\Downloads\\sig2.jpg\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Andrew Mawdsley
\nDirector of Post Graduate Taught Education
\nSchool of Health Sciences<\/p>\n

Introductory Courses<\/h1>\n

All students are automatically enrolled onto an introductory unit (SHSS60001 Introductory Courses) 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.<\/p>\n

Completion of the academic malpractice and health and safety sections is mandatory for all students.<\/strong> 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. <\/strong><\/p>\n

All students are also strongly advised to complete the academic literacy section. Completion of these assessments is monitored by the School.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a> Online Skills Training Resource<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Accessing the online skills resource<\/h2>\n

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

If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard please contact your Programme Administrator. <\/em><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Academic Writing<\/strong><\/td>\nThis 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.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Research Methods*<\/strong><\/td>\nThis course is spilt into three units that cover introductions to study design, statistics and dissertation skills. It has a number of online quizzes where you can test your knowledge.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Statistics*<\/strong><\/td>\nThe course provides a valuable foundation for understanding and interpreting biostatistics. It aims to provide you with the fundamentals of quantitative analysis.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Presentation Skills<\/strong><\/td>\nThis 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.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Qualitative Research Methods<\/strong>*<\/td>\nThis unit has been designed to give you an introduction to Qualitative Research.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SPSS*<\/strong><\/td>\nThis 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.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Intellectual Property Awareness Resource<\/strong><\/td>\nThis Intellectual Property (IP) awareness resource has been created in order to improve your understanding of IP. Topics include: Types of intellectual property \u2022 Copyright and IP clearance \u2022 University policy on IP \u2022 IP commercialisation \u2022 IP in research or consultancy \u2022 IP issues to be aware when dealing with academic materials<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* NOTE: <\/strong>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.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a> Introduction to MSc\/PG Diploma\/PG Certificate in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences<\/h1>\n

Welcome to the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry at the University of Manchester. The MSc in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science sits in the Pharmacy and Vision Sciences PGT Consortium in the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health<\/p>\n

This programme handbook provides details of the University of Manchester Programme leading to the MSc or Postgraduate Diploma in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences. It includes information about the aims and learning outcomes, structure, content, admissions, assessment and programme management. It should be read in conjunction with related University documentation.<\/p>\n

This handbook contains details of the course structure, together with other useful information about the School. In Part A, there is a summary of how the course is structured while, in Part B, each of the course units is described. Part C contains practical information about the School, and Part D the various University Regulations.<\/p>\n

We hope that your time studying with Manchester will be productive and enjoyable.<\/p>\n

Programme Director:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Catherine Porter<\/p>\n

Email: catherine.porter@manchester.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Carys Bannister Building<\/p>\n

Programme Administrator:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elliot Finch-Robson<\/p>\n

Email: IOVS@manchester.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Tel 0161 306 4295<\/p>\n

PGT Consortium Lead, Pharmacy & Vision Sciences:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Alain Pluen<\/p>\n

Email: Alain.Pluen@manchester.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

General information about the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, staff listings and research interests are contained in this handbook, but more information can be obtained from the following web sites:<\/p>\n

The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health home page:
\nhttps:\/\/www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The University of Manchester home page:
\nhttp:\/\/www.manchester.ac.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>Communication with Students<\/h2>\n

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

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

<\/a> Section A: Programme Structure<\/h1>\n

<\/a><\/a>Rationale, General Description, <\/a>Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations for Students<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

The full PGT Degree Regulations can be accessed at:
\nhttp:\/\/www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk\/postgraduate-degree-regulations\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the Introduction to the Postgraduate Degree Regulations for Students:
\nhttp:\/\/www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk\/degree-regulations\/<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a> Exemptions to the PGT Degree Regulations<\/h2>\n

Please be aware that the IOVS programme has some higher requirements to the University degree regulations and details of these are outlined below.<\/p>\n

The programmes above will not apply compensation rules to any course units.<\/p>\n

An average mark of 50% must be achieved for each unit, with no individual component mark within that unit below 40%. If any component mark of a unit falls below 40%, this assessment must be referred. This rule applies to all units within the programme.<\/p>\n

Criteria for Awards<\/h2>\n

Award of Masters Degree<\/strong><\/p>\n

The award of Masters degree is based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 50%.<\/p>\n

Distinction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exceptional achievements over the course of the Programme according to the taught masters marking scheme will be rewarded with the degree of Masters with Distinction.<\/p>\n

To obtain a Distinction, students must have:<\/p>\n

accrued 180 credits;<\/p>\n

have passed all units with no referrals;<\/p>\n

have achieved an overall weighted average of 70% or more across the programme;<\/p>\n

Students who have compensated or have been referred in any course units are not eligible for the award of Distinction. In addition, the dissertation must be submitted by the end of the period of programme, unless there are significant mitigating circumstances, approved in advance for missing the end of programme deadline.<\/p>\n

Merit<\/strong><\/p>\n

To obtain a Merit, students must have accrued 180 credits AND have achieved an overall weighted average of 60% or more across the programme, including any provision made for compensated or referred units.<\/p>\n

Pass<\/strong><\/p>\n

To obtain a pass, students must have accrued 180 credits including any provision made for compensated or referred units.<\/p>\n

Progression<\/strong><\/p>\n

To progress to the dissertation \/ research element of the Masters programme, students must have passed all taught units (120 credits).<\/p>\n

Award Postgraduate Diploma<\/strong><\/p>\n

To obtain a Postgraduate Diploma award, students must have accrued 120 credits (as specified by the programme) including any provision made for compensated or referred units.<\/p>\n

Award Postgraduate Certificate<\/strong><\/p>\n

To obtain a Postgraduate Certificate award, students must have accrued 60 credits (as specified by the programme) including any provision made for compensated or referred units.<\/p>\n

Unless otherwise specified in the exemptions, the awards of Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate degree are based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 40% for which there is no classification other than pass\/fail.<\/p>\n

Exit Awards<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exit awards are available for students who do not satisfy the criteria for the programme they are registered on or who needs to exit the programme early due to unforeseen circumstances.<\/p>\n

To be considered for a PG Diploma (120 credits; exit point) students must have accrued 120 credits across the programme.<\/p>\n

To be considered for a PG Certificate (60 credits; exit point) students must have accrued 60 credits across the programme.<\/p>\n

Please note the pass mark for course units making up the Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate exit awards is 40%.<\/p>\n

Reassessment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reassessment as a result of a fail is known as a \u201cReferral\u201d. Reassessment as a result of approved and verified mitigating circumstances is known as \u201cDeferral\u201d and may be permitted where students are reassessed as a first attempt, for which no penalty applies.<\/p>\n

Students may be referred in up to half of the total taught credits. The combined total number of credits referred on IOVS cannot exceed half the taught credits. Decisions with regard to which components should be reassessed are made by the Examination Board. When a student is referred they will normally be permitted to retake the assessment\/exam on one further occasion.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 compensable fail mark (i.e. 40R), unless the previous mark was within the compensation zone, in which case the original mark will stand with a suffix \u2018R\u2019. 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.<\/p>\n

Please refer to the \u2018Programme Exemptions to PGT Degree Regulations\u2019 section of the handbook where specific exemptions applicable to the programme will be listed.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a> Available Degree Classifications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Overall Programme Mean<\/td>\nNumber of Credits<\/td>\nAward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
40% or more<\/td>\n120<\/td>\nCertificate\/Diploma PASS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
50% – 59.9%<\/td>\n180<\/td>\nMSc Pass<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
60% – 69.9%<\/td>\n180<\/td>\nMSc Merit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
70% or more<\/td>\n180<\/td>\nMSc distinction*<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

NB If Either Taught Average or Dissertation mark fails within the buffer zone of 58.0-59.9 the student may be considered for the award of Merit. Further information please see the Postgraduate Taught Regulations.<\/p>\n

*MSc with Distinction- with 180 credits successfully completed and no mark < 50% on any Course Unit at first attempt<\/p>\n

NB If Either Taught Average or Dissertation mark falls within the buffer zone of 68.0-69.9 the student may be considered for the award of Distinction. Further information please see the Postgraduate Taught Regulations.<\/p>\n

Students who register originally for a Diploma, but subsequently wish to transfer to the MSc course, will be allowed to do so if they attain, in assessments of the taught Course Units, the level of achievement specified above for the award of the MSc.<\/p>\n

Students must be awarded 120 credits before being permitted to progress to the Dissertation stage of the programme.<\/p>\n

<\/a> Deadlines for Assessed Work<\/h2>\n

WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU TRANSFER SUBMISSION DATES TO YOUR DIARIES AS SOON AS THEY ARE PUBLISHED.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assessment submissions<\/h2>\n

The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking. Such systems include TurnItIn, the plagiarism detection service used by the University.<\/p>\n

In accordance with the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes<\/a>, \u2018Where appropriate, summative assessed written work, including dissertations and projects, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software\u2019.<\/p>\n

The School also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnItIn and\/or other electronic systems used by the University.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

All written summative assessments should be submitted via Blackboard\u00ae through TurnItIn. All written summative assessments must be submitted anonymously, only displaying your student ID.<\/p>\n

Submission deadline dates and times are published on Blackboard\u00ae for each course unit.<\/p>\n

We urge you to attempt to submit your assessment early in order to address any problems before the deadline.<\/p>\n

Assessments must be submitted within the specified deadline. If there is a problem which prevents you submitting the assessment on time you must bring this to the attention of the Assessment and Progression Administrator promptly and before the assessment submission date. Depending on the length of time you require to complete the assessment you will then need to apply for an extension of up to a maximum of one week for circumstances such as acute illness (see paragraph on Extensions for full details). If you are experiencing longer term problems you should follow the mitigating circumstances route.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by:<\/p>\n

10% of the available marks deducted if up to 24 hours (1 day) late<\/p>\n

20% of the available marks deducted if up to 48 hours (2 days) late<\/p>\n

30% of the available marks deducted if up to 72 hours (3 days) late<\/p>\n

40% of the available marks deducted if up to 96 hours (4 days) late<\/p>\n

50% of the available marks deducted if up to 120 hours (5 days) late<\/p>\n

60% of the available marks deducted if up to 144 hours (6 days) late<\/p>\n

70% of the available marks deducted if up to 168 hours (7 days) late<\/p>\n

80% of the available marks deducted if up to 192 hours (8 days) late<\/p>\n

90% of the available marks deducted if up to 216 hours (9 days) late<\/p>\n

100% of the available marks deducted if up to 240 hours (10 days) late<\/p>\n

If the assessment is submitted within 10 calendar 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 re-sit the assessment as the original mark can be taken in lieu of a re-sit\/referral and normal re-sit\/referral procedures will apply. Further information and examples can be found in the Policy and associated Guidance documents below.<\/p>\n

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 procedures will apply.<\/p>\n

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.<\/em><\/p>\n

For further information:<\/p>\n

Guidance on Late Submission<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>Policy on the Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Extensions<\/h2>\n

If you are unable to submit an assessment by the required deadline and you wish to request an extension you must submit the online extension request form<\/a> and send supporting evidence to dpo.pgt@manchester.ac.uk<\/a>, including your name, University ID number and programme.\u00a0 Rest assured that all information will be treated confidentially..<\/p>\n

Course unit leads do not accept extension requests directly.<\/p>\n

Please send extension requests no later than 12.00 pm on the last working day before the assessment deadline. Please do not submit extension requests via Blackboard.<\/p>\n

Extensions will be granted at the discretion of the Unit Lead. You are permitted a maximum extension of two weeks. Extensions are only granted for acute illness around assignment submission time and any unforeseen life events that affect your ability to work in the short-term. They are not given for increased workload at your place of work, students who register late or book holidays during term time.<\/strong> If you are experiencing longer term problems that affect your ability to study you may wish to progress through the Mitigating Circumstances routes (see below).<\/p>\n

The process for requesting an extension is:<\/p>\n