Pharmaceutical Industry Advanced Training

Division of Pharmacy & Optometry

School of Health Sciences

Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health

Student Programme Handbook

2023–2024

 

INTRODUCTIONS

Welcome from the School Director of Education

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.

Mr Andrew Mawdsley
Director of Education
School of Health Sciences

Welcome from the Programme Director

Welcome to the Pharmaceutical Industry Advanced Training programme. The portfolio consists of a broad range of taught units in three different pathways, all delivered by distance learning. They are Industrial Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Pharmaceutical Business Development and Licensing (although the latter is closed to new admissions and unit enrolments). We developed the programme in co-operation with the UK pharmaceutical industry and the Pharmaceutical Microbiology Interest Group, and it is written and tutored by University staff and subject experts from all across the pharmaceutical industry.

This handbook provides details of the programme, information about the aims and learning outcomes, structure, content, assessment and programme management. Please read it thoroughly. It should also be read in conjunction with related University documentation.

Each of you will bring your personal experience and knowledge to the programme. Sharing that knowledge and experience with your tutors and other students in person and through the online discussion boards will significantly enhance the learning experience.

We have made every effort to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information. However, some minor details may change during the course of your studies. All changes and additions will be brought to your attention. If there is something not answered within the handbook, please do not hesitate to contact us.

While the programme is closed to new admissions, we are committed to the delivery of high-quality education to all the registered students. Please also note the new e-mail addresses to contact the programme’s administration from 2023.  General enquiries can be sent to shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk; piat@manchester.ac.uk is no longer functioning.

We hope that your time studying with us will be enjoyable and successful.

General information about the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry is contained in this handbook, but more information can be obtained from the following web sites:

The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health home page:
https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/

The University of Manchester home page:
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/

Dr Richard Campbell
Programme Director

Pharmaceutical Industry Advanced Training

Introductory Courses

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.

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.

All students are also strongly advised to complete the academic literacy section. Completion of these assessments is monitored by the School.

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 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 the Programme Director. If you have questions about referencing and how it applies to your own work, please contact the Programme Director or dissertation supervisor/unit lead.

Research Methods*	This course is spilt into 2 units that cover introductions to study design and dissertation skills. It has a number of online quizzes where you can test your knowledge.
Introduction to 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. The course also includes a unit on influencing effectively, alongside the presentation and poster information.
Qualitative Research Methods*	This unit has been designed to give you an introduction to Qualitative Research.

* 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.

Section A: Programme Structure

Programmes Support Team

If you have any queries or concerns at any time during your period of study, there is a range of people you can approach:

• Programme Director
  Dr Richard Campbell
  richard.campbell@manchester.ac.uk
• Dissertation Unit Lead
  Dr Alain Pluen
  alain.pluen@manchester.ac.uk
• Unit Tutors
  Details provided upon enrolment on each respective unit

School of Health Sciences Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Staff :

In order for staff to respond as quickly as possible to your request, and to ensure that your request reaches the correct member of staff, we have set-up dedicated email addresses that serve a different function.  If your query relates to any of the below, please email the relevant email address.

Email Address	Supports queries about:
shs.assessment@manchester.ac.uk	Examination queries Assessment queries Assessment submissions Resit/reassessment queries
shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk	Attendance monitoring
shs.dc@manchester.ac.uk	Disability support
shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk	Mitigating circumstances
shs.placements@manchester.ac.uk	All placement queries
shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk	Registration advice and guidance Course unit selection and enrolment Timetable queries Programme content
shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk	Wellbeing student support, appointments and signposting
shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk	Student Support Hub – general queries and advice not covered by the above teams

As these inboxes are associated with staff supporting multiple programmes, please could you ensure that you always include the following details in your email, which will help us to ensure that your message is dealt with promptly:

Full Name

Student ID Number

Year of Study

Programme

Tutor Guidance

Your unit tutor is there to help and support you through the unit. Your tutor is an expert in their field and is responsible for the currency and content of the unit. You will be informed of the tutor’s email address, which should be used to contact them with any queries you have on the unit content, exercises or assignment. Please be aware that many of our tutors have other academic and industrial duties so please give adequate time for their replies.

Programme Management

The Programme Director, working with the Programmes Support Team, is responsible for student admissions, the appointment of tutors, Quality Assurance, and the general programme management. He reports to the Head of Division of Pharmacy and Optometry and makes formal reports to the Consortium Postgraduate Teaching and Learning Committee. This committee is chaired by the Divisional Head of Postgraduate Taught Studies, who in turn reports to the Head of Postgraduate Taught Studies for the School of Health Sciences.

Programme Rationale and General Description

This taught part-time Master of Science (MSc) programme is suitable for students who wish to improve their knowledge, understanding and research expertise prior to embarking on a research PhD or to support their career development in the Pharmaceutical Industry. The Masters-level qualification meets the needs of those requiring a higher degree and the programme is designed to provide training, skills and knowledge that would help support subsequent applications.

The programme is part-time. Students studying towards an award of MSc are required to complete the programme (taught units and dissertation) within a 5-year period. Information on further awards and the expected timeframes within which students are expected to have completed study can be found in the ‘Criteria for Awards’ section (below).

During the taught element of the course (optional units) you will work through learning material for up to eight taught units, supported by your tutors and enhanced by an annual workshop event.

Following completion of eight taught units within four years (and subject to satisfactory progression through the programme) you have the option of progressing to a final year in which you will be working on a dissertation, which involves a substantial piece of research. Please contact the lead for the dissertation unit, Dr Alain Pluen, prior to the completion of your eighth unit. He will assist and advise you in the development of a dissertation proposal application, which will be reviewed by an evaluation panel to assess the novelty and feasibility of the research. Before starting work on your dissertation, you are expected to review the research methods training materials available in Blackboard.

Programme Aims

Students will become members of the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, which leads research and development in various areas of Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Microbiology. The ethos fosters excellence in pure and applied research and in developing treatment approaches. The educational aims of the programme are to provide students with an understanding of core principles and features of the Pharmaceutical Industry or professional training. The course will produce students who:

• have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of key theoretical, clinical and methodological issues relating to the Pharmaceutical Industry,
• have experience and training in a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods,
• have knowledge of core principles and features of Industrial Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Microbiology,
• have an understanding of the ways in which scientists work within the pharmaceutical industry and related services at the level of individuals, groups and populations,
• meet regional, national and international demand for highly qualified scientists with an understanding of theoretical and methodological applications.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Through successful completion of the programme, you will:

• Develop professional practice. Students should be able to demonstrate personal qualities that encompass communication skills, self-management, self-awareness, acting with integrity, taking responsibility for self-directed learning, critical reflection and action planning to maintain and improve performance. Students will have the ability to work, where appropriate, in partnership with others, often as part of a team, embracing and valuing diversity.
• Gain basic, core scientific knowledge, skills and experience, enabling them to critically evaluate and critique current research and innovation methodologies. Students will be equipped to deal with complex scientific and clinical issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and to communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Build a conceptual understanding and advanced scholarship in and, where appropriate, propose new research questions and hypotheses.
• Develop scientific and clinical leadership skill based on the continual advancement of their knowledge, skills and understanding through the independent learning required for continuing professional development. They will develop ability to critique, analyse and solve problems, define and choose investigative and scientific and/or clinical options, and make key judgements about complex facts in a range of situations.

A copy of the programme specification can be found on the PIAT Virtual Common Room on Blackboard.

Credit Requirements

To gain a postgraduate award, you have to accumulate the requisite credits by completing and passing the course unit assessments. Course units carry 15 credits each, and the MSc dissertation carries 60 credits. You’ll need 180 postgraduate credits to qualify for the degree of MSc. For a Postgraduate Diploma you need 120 credits, and for a Postgraduate Certificate you need 60 credits. You can choose the units according to your own personal or career development needs.

You may be permitted to obtain credits on the basis of demonstrated learning that has occurred at some point in the past – Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning – either through awards from an educational institution or training provider (APL), or through uncertified learning gained from experience (APEL). Further details on Credit Requirements and AP(E)L can be found in the PGT Degree Regulations Document (see below).

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations for Students

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 receive 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. Your programme and course unit specifications will set out the requirements for passing the credit on individual units.

The full PGT Degree Regulations can be accessed at:
http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate-degree-regulations/.

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the Introduction to the Postgraduate Degree Regulations for Students:

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

Exemptions to the PGT Degree Regulations

Please be aware that the PIAT programme has some higher requirements to the University degree regulations and details of these are outlined below.

Due to the professional-based nature of this programme, there are several exemptions from the regulations:

• The programme will operate a 50% pass rate across all levels and pathways – i.e. stand-alone units, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and MSc.
• The Programme will not apply compensation rules to any course units. Where the unit assessment falls below the minimum 50% pass mark, the assessment will be referred. This applies to all course unit assessments across the Programme.

Criteria for Awards

Award of Masters Degree

The award of Masters 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 masters marking scheme will be rewarded with the degree of Masters with Distinction.

To obtain a Distinction, students must have:

• accrued 180 credits;
• have passed all units with no referrals;
• have achieved an overall weighted average of 70% or more across the programme.

Students who 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.

Merit

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 referred units.

Pass

To obtain a pass, students must have accrued 180 credits including any provision made for referred units.

Progression

To progress to the dissertation / research element of the Masters programme, students must have passed all taught units (120 credits) within 4 years of initial registration on the programme.

Award of Postgraduate Diploma

To obtain a Postgraduate Diploma award, students must have accrued 120 credits including any provision made for referred units.

Award of Postgraduate Certificate

To obtain a Postgraduate Certificate award students must have accrued 60 credits including any provision made for referred units.

Exit Awards

Exit awards are available for students who do not satisfy the criteria to receive the award on which they are registered (i.e. MSc or Postgraduate Diploma) or who need to exit the programme early due to unforeseen circumstances.

To be considered for a Postgraduate Diploma you must accrue 120 credits across the programme.

To be considered for a Postgraduate Certificate you must accrue 60 credits across the programme.

Reassessment

Reassessment as a result of a fail is known as a “Referral”. The pass mark for all unit assessments is 50% and any assessment that falls below the minimum pass mark will be referred. Decisions with regard to referred assessments are made by the Board of Examiners and you will be notified officially if you are required to re-sit an assessment. If you are referred, you will normally be permitted to retake the assessment on one further occasion.

The pass mark for reassessment remains at 50%; though the unit will be capped at the lowest compensable mark, e.g. an original assessment falling below 40%, when passed through a resit will be recorded as 40R. If the original mark is between 40-49, the original mark stands but with the suffix ‘R’. The capped unit mark will be used to calculate the weighted average/total mark for the final award.

If you have approved and verified mitigating circumstances, an assessment may be deferred or you may be awarded a further first attempt. A mitigating circumstances review panel will make such decisions and all decisions formally recorded and communicated with you. Where mitigating circumstances have been approved, no penalties will apply.

If you fail the MSc dissertation you will normally be allowed one resubmission, at the recommendation of the Board of Examiners, which will normally be within six months of the date of publication of the result. If you achieve a mark of less than 30% for your dissertation you will not be permitted to resubmit and will be awarded the appropriate exit award.

Timetable

The semesters this academic year will be structured as follows:

• 11 September 2022 to 8 January 2024
• 8 January 2024 to 7 May 2024

Please note that taught units will be available only for another 6 semesters (last intake in January 2026), and for pragmatic reasons, you will be kept informed of a gradual phasing out of taught units.  You will have an update on your progress each summer, before deciding to continue in the following academic year, and you will have a break from study over the summer months (unless a resit is required).

Re-registration

Each academic year you must re-register, typically every twelve months after you start on the programme. This is very important so that the University has the correct information on your student record, and because University systems attach new unit enrolments to the current academic year. You will receive an email from the Programmes Support Team asking you to re-register if you do not register at the correct time.

Graduation

Students who successfully complete the programme will be entitled to graduate, in person, at the University’s graduation ceremonies. These are held in July and December each year and you will be invited to attend the first ceremony which follows your successful completion of the course. You will receive details of the ceremonies once your result has been formally approved by the University at the Board of Examiners meeting. If you do not wish to attend the graduation, your certificate will be sent by the Graduation Team to the home address listed on the central system. This will be the home address you confirm during registration, so if anything changes please make sure all your information is up to date on your student portal.

 

Section B: Syllabus, Course Units and Route through the Programme

The Pharmaceutical Industry Advanced Training programme is an advanced-level programme and some units require an advanced-level knowledge of physical and organic chemistry and mathematics. All units require some work experience within the pharmaceutical industry. We are happy to offer you advice on selecting the most appropriate units for you.

Optional units

Industrial Pharmacy

PHAR71010 Basic Principles (PIAT 01) – available for the last time in September 2023
PHAR71020 Pre-formulation Studies (PIAT 02)
PHAR71040 Oral Solid Dosage forms 1 (PIAT 04)
PHAR71050 Liquid and Semi-solid Dosage Forms (PIAT 05)
PHAR71060 Management Tools (PIAT 06) – available for the last time in January 2024
PHAR71070 Oral Solid Dosage forms 2 (PIAT 07)
PHAR71080 Lean Processes (PIAT 08)
PHAR71110 Regulatory Affairs (PIAT 11)
PHAR70130 Quality Control Laboratory Testing (PIAT 13) – available for the last time in September 2024
PHAR70140 Safety, Health and Environment (PIAT 14) – available for the last time in September 2024
PHAR70150 Inhalation Dosage Forms (PIAT 15) – available for the last time in January 2024
PHAR70160 Management Tools (PIAT 16)
PHAR72090 Clinical Trials for the NHS (PIAT 19) – available for the last time in September 2023

Pharmaceutical Microbiology

PHAR71300 Introduction to Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Technology (PMAT 1) – available for the last time in September 2023
PHAR71310 Water Aspects (PMAT 2) – available for the last time in September 2024
PHAR71320 Microbiological Environmental Monitoring and Control (PMAT 3)
PHAR71330 Sterile Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (PMAT 4)
PHAR71340 Quality Assurance in Microbiology Laboratories (PMAT 5)
PHAR71350 Engineering Principles for Pharmaceutical Microbiologists (PMAT 6) – available for the last time in September 2024
PHAR71360 Application of Microbiology in Biopharmaceuticals (PMAT 7)
PHAR71370 Antimicrobials (PMAT 8) – available for the last time in January 2024

The units are designed to be used for the study of individual subjects and as part of an integrated programme which can lead to the award of University postgraduate qualifications.

Unit Selection

You can choose any unit as they are all optional, and don’t need to confine your choice to one particular pathway. Please contact the Programme Director for advice and support on choosing the right units for your personal situation.

Programme time requirements

The University has a time limit of five year for postgraduate study. We strongly recommend that you complete at least two units (30 credits) per academic year, especially if you wish to qualify with an MSc degree, to allow enough time for eight taught units and a one-year dissertation.

Unit time requirements

Each unit merits 15 credits and comprises 150 hours, which breaks down approximately as:

• Working through the learning material (including reading, studying and completion of practice exercises): 110–120 hours.
• Preparation and writing of assignment: 30–40 hours.
• Optional participation in the Annual Workshop Event – two to three days (tbc).

You must keep the Programmes Support Team informed of any change in circumstances or any difficulties you are experiencing which may have an effect on the completion of your studies, at the time they occur. An appeal cannot be made after this period has passed.

Award names

All new PIAT students are registered either on continual professional development (i.e. unit by unit progression) in Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences, or on the Postgraduate Diploma or MSc in Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences. The name of the final award is determined at the point of exit based on your unit choices.

Postgraduate Certificate

If you complete four taught units (60 credits) and choose to exit the programme, you will receive an award of Postgraduate Certificate in ‘Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences’.

Postgraduate Diploma

If you complete eight taught units (120 credits) and choose to exit the programme, by default, you will receive an award of Postgraduate Diploma in ‘Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences’.

However, if a majority of credits (75 or more) is from a single pathway, you may choose to exit with the award name of that pathway (i.e. Postgraduate Diploma in ‘Industrial Pharmacy’, ‘Pharmaceutical Microbiology’ or ‘Pharmaceutical Business Development and Licensing’). Alternatively, if the distribution of credits is shared equally between two pathways, you may choose to exit with the award names of both pathways separated by the word ‘and’ (i.e. Postgraduate Diploma in ‘Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Microbiology’, ‘Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Business Development and Licensing’ or ‘Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Pharmaceutical Business Development and Licensing’).

You must e-mail the Programmes Support Team with your choice by the submission deadline for your final assignment in order to exit with an award name that is not the default option.

Master of Science

If you complete eight taught units and a dissertation (180 credits), by default, you will exit with the award of MSc in ‘Industrial Pharmaceutical Sciences’.

However, if a majority of credits (105 or more) is from a single pathway, you may choose to exit with the award name of that pathway (i.e. MSc in ‘Industrial Pharmacy’, ‘Pharmaceutical Microbiology’ or ‘Pharmaceutical Business Development and Licensing’). Alternatively, if a majority of credits is from one pathway yet at least 60 credits are from a secondary pathway, you may choose to exit with the award names of both pathways where the majority pathway is stated first, and the majority and secondary pathways are separated by ‘with’ (i.e. MSc in ‘name of majority pathway with name of secondary pathway’. Furthermore, if the distribution of credits is shared equally between two pathways, you may choose to exit with the award name of both pathways separated by the word ‘and’ (i.e. MSc in ‘Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Microbiology’, ‘Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Business Development and Licensing’ or ‘Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Pharmaceutical Business Development and Licensing’).

You must e-mail the Programmes Support Team with your choice by the submission deadline for your dissertation in order to exit with an award name that is not the default option.

Learning material

For each unit you study, you will be provided with learning material containing teaching material and exercises. This will be provided to you online on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard, and/or as a PDF format. The text contains most of the information you will require and references to sources of additional material which you are expected to use. To gain the highest marks you need to demonstrate that you have read around the topic, not just what is provided in the learning material. Throughout your studies, a University-appointed tutor is available to help you if required. You will be told how to contact your tutor when you receive the unit content and are strongly encouraged to do so.

The unit tutor or Programmes Support Team may issue minor changes or updates such as URL links and you will be informed of the changes via email. If you find something that you think is incorrect or out of date, please let your tutor and the Programmes Support Team know.

Course Assessments

The units contain a range of both formative and summative assessment tasks which have been designed to establish your knowledge and understanding of the stated learning outcomes for the course unit.

Formative Assessments

The learning material contains a number of practice exercises for you to do. These are to reinforce what you have learnt, and to help you check that you have fully understood the concepts. In some (but not all) units the answers to these in-text questions are given at the end, or as part of the main text. We suggest that you work through them first before looking at the answers. Doing the practice exercises will ensure that any misunderstandings can be cleared up earlier rather than later. The answers should be self-explanatory, but if there is something that you do not understand about the question, contact your tutor.

Summative Assessments

Each unit includes a summative assessment. If you are studying for academic credits or a Postgraduate qualification, you will be required to prove your competence in the subject and you will be assessed by written assignment. More details on these summative written assignments are given in the following sections.

Written Assignments

The Blackboard space for each unit contains a document detailing the title(s) and specifications for the assignment(s). The version published in the 2023-24 Blackboard space for the unit is the correct version, and supersedes any other version. The specifications outlined in the current assignment document in Blackboard will be applied to your submitted work. We recommend that you check the assignment details at the start of the unit so that you can plan how you wish to complete it as you work through the learning material. Although details are given on how to complete the assignment, we suggest that you contact your tutor before starting it.

Your tutor will set and mark the assignment. Assignments, which may take the form of one larger assignment or several smaller pieces of writing, are intended to represent a significant piece of work and require you to use/put into practice the skills and knowledge gained by working through the learning material. Whilst the assignment may require the gathering of data from alternative sources, you will not be expected to use research methodologies. Assessment is based on factual content, logical presentation and the derivation of conclusions or findings. A general marking scheme is shown below. The limit is 3,000 words for all assignments. Penalties for exceeding the word limits are detailed below, under ‘Assignment Word Count’.

Assignment Deadlines

Assignment deadlines will be:

• 11 September 2023-start (i.e. semester 1): 8 January 2024
• 8 January 2024-start (i.e. semester 2): 7 May 2024

If you are thinking of submitting your assignment early, you must contact the Programmes Support Team to discuss this, as special arrangements will need to be made in Blackboard. You should note that the tutor may not mark your assignment before the published deadline.

Regardless of the structure you’re following, you will receive written confirmation of your deadline each time you start a unit. We recommend that you add submission dates to your diaries as soon as you receive confirmation of your enrolment on the unit.

All assignments must be submitted electronically to the relevant Blackboard space for that unit. Email submissions will not be accepted except in exceptional circumstances

You will be informed of your provisional assignment mark as soon as possible and be provided with feedback; however, this mark can change at the discretion of the Board of Examiners.

All assignments must be submitted by 12:00 noon (UK-time) on the deadline date. Bear in mind that these are final deadline dates and not targets, and penalties for late submissions apply. You should aim to complete your learning and submit your assignments well before the deadline.

Assignment Word Count (including the dissertation)

In accordance with the University Policy on Marking:

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

For an original word limit that is 3,000 words and an assignment that is marked out of 100: If a submission is made that is 3,301 words then it exceeds the 10% leeway, and is less than 100 words over the original limit and should receive a 1 mark deduction. For 3,401, the deduction is 2 marks, etc.

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 cover 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.

Where these mark reductions result in a fail, the unit will be treated as a failed unit in accordance with the University’s Degree Regulations.

Reference Systems

When you write your essay or put together your end-of-project report, you will be asked to “put references in a uniform acceptable style”. This means choosing a reference system and using it accurately and consistently throughout your piece of work.

What is a reference?

A reference is a description of a source of information that you have quoted from directly or referred to in a piece of written work. All the references are grouped together in a list at the end of your work.

What is a citation?

A citation is created by inserting information into the text of your written work to tell the reader which item in the reference list has been used in making a particular quotation or statement.

What is a reference system?

A reference system is a set of rules for constructing reference lists and citations.

Which systems can I use?

Pharmacy students need to know about two major reference systems, because Pharmacy touches on a range of disciplines, some based in the sciences and others in the social sciences.

The Vancouver System

The Vancouver System is used mainly in the sciences and biomedical subject areas. The Vancouver System is a numeric or author-number system. Documents cited, or referred to, are numbered in the order in which they appear in the text. Each time the same document is referred to its unique number is inserted in superscript – a small number above the text. A full list of the references cited in the text is included at the end of the essay or, in a longer document such as a thesis, at the end of each chapter. The order of these references follows their numerical order in the text.

Citations in the text:	References at the end of the essay – bibliography:
the study undertaken by Smith1 in the north of England……	Smith HJ. Smith and Williams’ introduction to the principles of drug design and action. Harwood Academic, 1998
the conclusions drawn by Jones2 in a recent paper…	Jones A. Combining trastuzumab (Herceptin) with hormonal therapy in breast cancer: what can be expected and why? Annals of Oncology 2003; 14(12):1697-704.
whilst Jones2 found no evidence of…	Note that should you refer, for example, to the paper by Jones again in the text, the same number should be used again.

The Harvard System

The Harvard System is used mainly in the social sciences and humanities.

The Harvard System is an author-date system. When a document is cited in the text, the author’s surname and the year of publication are included. A full list of the references cited in the text is included at the end of the essay or, in a longer document such as a thesis, at the end of each chapter. The references are presented in alphabetical order by author. If there is more than one publication by the same author, these are arranged by date, with the earliest first. If there is more than one publication by an author in the same year, then a letter is added (e.g. 2005a, 2005b)

Citations in the text:	References at the end of the essay – bibliography:
the study undertaken by Smith (1998) in the north of England……	SMITH, H.J. (1998) Smith and Williams’ introduction to the principles of drug design and action. Harwood Academic
the conclusions drawn by Jones (2003) in a recent paper…	JONES, A. (2003) Combining trastuzumab (Herceptin) with hormonal therapy in breast cancer: what can be expected and why? Annals of Oncology, 14, 1697-704.
whilst Jones (2003) found no evidence of …	Note that should you refer, for example, to the paper by Jones again in the text, this is done in just the way as the first time.

Researchers submitting to academic journals will find that the instructions to authors specify the reference system to be used: this may be one of the major systems described above, or a slightly adapted version.

Submitting Assignments

The filename MUST contain your ID number then your assignment title,

e.g. 7123456 Assignment 1.

DO NOT save the work as ‘Essay’ or as the title of the work.

All assignments must include a cover page with the unit title, assignment question and your student number. Do not include your name as assignments are marked anonymously. Please see below for an example:

The University of Manchester

PHAR71010 – Basic Principles

(Assignment title)

(Submission date)

(Final word count)

(Student ID)

DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THIS DOCUMENT.

When creating your document please ensure your ID number is on each page (in the header or footer) and your name does not appear on the document.

All assignments must be submitted electronically via SafeAssign. The published deadlines for assessments all relate to the electronic submission which is done via Blackboard and the SafeAssign system. You must submit by the deadline published.

To submit an electronic copy of the work:

• Log onto Blackboard via the MyManchester https://login.manchester.ac.uk/cas/login
• Click on the relevant course unit
• Click on ‘Course Tools’ in the column on the left of the page
• A dropdown menu will appear, go to ‘SafeAssign’ then ‘SafeAssign items’
• All assessments for that unit will appear – click on the relevant once and follow the submission process
• An on-screen receipt for your assignment will be shown once submitted
• For a how-to video on submitting via Blackboard, please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_913066741&feature=iv&src_vid=7ZuZW9-KAjY&v=oI3X0XW-xkI
• If you have any problems accessing the student portal contact http://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/contacts

Please remember you can only upload one document so you cannot save your references as a separate document.

The electronic copy is your official record of submission.

Blackboard Assignments – SafeAssign

The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking. Such systems include SafeAssign, the plagiarism detection service used by the University.

As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of your work to SafeAssign 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 SafeAssign 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.

All written summative assessments should be submitted via Blackboard® through SafeAssign. All written summative assessments must be submitted anonymously.

Submission deadline dates are published on Blackboard® for each course unit. Please note that the submission time is always 12:00 (midday) UK local time.

We urge you to submit your assessment early in order to address any problems before the deadline.

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 PGT Programmes Team 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 section on Extensions below). If you are experiencing longer-term problems you should apply for mitigating circumstances.

Extensions

If you experience difficulties that will prevent you from submitting assessed coursework on time, you can request an extension of up to one week.  You need to provide a credible reason for your extension, in line with the extension policy, but you do not need to submit evidence to support your request.

Please think carefully about whether one-week is enough time to submit and how this will impact the rest of your workload before requesting an extension.

To apply for an extension, you will need to complete this form:

https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_56LcBQhsaZ6Agsu

Extensions should be applied for by 15:00pm on the day of your original assessment submission date. Any applications after this time will not be considered and you will need to apply for mitigating circumstances.

If mitigating circumstances prevent you from submitting an extension request in advance, or mean that you miss the extended deadline that has been awarded, you should submit mitigating circumstances following the procedures outlined in the mitigating circumstances procedure. Please note, such requests for mitigation will only be considered where students provide a clear justification (including evidence) for failing to follow the normal extension request procedure.

Some DASS students are entitled to an automatic one-week extension, which does not need to be applied for. If you are a DASS student with this automatic extension and require longer than one-week, please complete the form above by 15:00pm on the day of your DASS submission date.

Late Submission Penalty (Including the Dissertation)

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

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

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

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

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

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

For further information:

Guidance on Late Submission

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

Mitigating Circumstances

Sometimes, factors beyond your control may interfere with your ability to attend to your academic studies. The University’s mitigating circumstances procedures exist to try to mitigate against the impact that this could have on your grades.

The full mitigating circumstances policy and guidance can be accessed via the following link: https://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/study-support/mitigating-circumstances/

We strongly recommend that you seek advice from a member of the Wellbeing team before submitting any claim for mitigating circumstances. You can contact them via shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk or shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk

Grounds for mitigation

Grounds for mitigation are unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances that could have, or did have, a significant adverse effect on your academic performance.

Possible mitigating circumstances include:

• significant illness or injury
• the death or critical/significant illness of a close family member/dependant
• significant family crises or major financial problems leading to acute stress
• absence for public service e.g., jury service

Circumstances that will not normally be regarded as grounds for mitigation include:

• holidays, moving house and events that were planned or could reasonably have been expected
• assessments that are scheduled close together
• misreading the timetable or misunderstanding the requirements for assessments
• inadequate planning and time management
• consequences of paid employment
• exam stress or panic attacks not diagnosed as illness or supported by medical evidence
• disruption in an examination room during the course of an assessment which has not been recorded by the invigilators

Applying for mitigation

You should inform us if you experience difficulties that may negatively affect your performance on assessed work. You can inform us of such difficulties by submitting an online Mitigating Circumstances Form. The form must be completed by you. It will ask you to provide details of your difficult circumstances and to list the assessments affected. It is important that you list each separate assessment, giving details of the course unit and the nature of the assessment (e.g. PSYC10711 Essay or PSYC10100 Week 4 Quiz). Your form should also be supported with evidence, which is independent and time-specific (for example, a doctor’s note which confirms that you were ill and indicates the period affected). Our Student Support and Wellbeing team can advise you on the information required on the form.

You should inform us of mitigating circumstances as soon as you become aware that they might affect your performance. Typically, mitigating circumstances must be submitted prior to the assessment taking place. In exceptional circumstances, where it is not possible to inform us in advance, you should submit your Mitigating Circumstances application as soon as possible after deadline or scheduled examination, supported by a credible and compelling explanation of why your claim could not be submitted in advance.

Please note, not informing the University of circumstances due to personal feelings, e.g., shame, embarrassment and pride, or having concerns over the confidential treatment of requests for mitigation, are not considered to be credible and compelling explanations as to why the circumstances could not be made known or shown by these deadlines. If the details of the mitigating circumstances are considered to be highly confidential, you can discuss with the wellbeing team shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk the best way to submit an application. The committee handle all requests for mitigation with sensitivity and due regard for confidentiality.

How mitigation is considered and applied

Evidence for personal and medical mitigating circumstances is considered by a mitigating circumstances committee. It is this committee’s role to determine whether there is evidence of mitigating circumstances, whether those circumstances could have had an effect on your performance, and the likely impact. The committee will consider all submissions and, where there is evidence that circumstances have been serious enough to have an effect on one or more elements of assessment, the committee will make recommendations to the exam board.

The exam board, at the recommendation of the mitigating circumstances committee, can take a limited number of actions to apply mitigation. In most cases, acceptance of the mitigation will involve revoking any late submission penalties or allowing for the missed or failed coursework/exam to be taken again as a first sit.

A claim for mitigating circumstances may be turned down for several reasons:

• The circumstances detailed by the student are not regarded as grounds for mitigation under the Policy on Mitigating Circumstances
• The supporting evidence does not cover the relevant period
• The supporting evidence is not supplied by an appropriate (independent) source
• The supporting evidence is deemed insufficient to support the student’s claim of the seriousness of impact on their assessment performance
• The wording of the evidence supplied does not support the student’s claim e.g. the material does not provide a medical diagnosis
• No evidence is provided, and the student has not given any explanation as to the reasons why nor indicated when evidence could be available
• The evidence relates to a chronic condition which the student is already in receipt of support from the Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS). This does not include instances where the student has an acute flare up of a pre-existing condition which may be accepted if properly evidenced and confirmed by DASS
• The deadline for submitting mitigating circumstances has been missed, without a credible and compelling reason
• The claim relates to an ongoing condition or circumstance previously used to claim mitigation where the Panel, on the earlier occasion, instructed the student that this mitigation could not be used again and may have instructed the student to access support from the Disability Advisory and Support Service

Marking Your Written Assignments

Each topic will be marked on its own merit and contribute to a composite mark.

The table below sets out the levels required for the award of each range of marks:

Classification	Mark as %	Criteria
Distinction	100	Perfect critique with outstanding degree of originality. Provides novel insights, including the ability to apply concepts to related fields.
	80	Outstanding. Well organised critique with clear evidence of understanding. Contains examples of original ideas and supplementary reading.
	70	Excellent. Shows clear understanding of topic, examples of supplementary reading and cross-referencing of material. Very well presented.
Merit	69	Very good. Well-structured and presented report that is able to convey the central aspects of the tutorial material.
	60	Comprehensive answer with accurate facts but largely limited to material covered in the tutorial class.
Pass	59	Good. Comprehensive answer with accurate facts but largely limited to material covered in the tutorial class.
	50	Adequate answer with some errors or omissions. Limited to tutorial class material.
Unacceptable	49	Incomplete/inadequate answer with contains relevant information but demonstrates an incomplete understanding of tutorial material.
	40	Clearly incomplete/inadequate answer with sparse relevant information and poor understanding of tutorial material.
Fail	39	Deficient answer with many inaccuracies and little evidence of understanding of the tutorial topic.
	0	No relevant material presented whatsoever.

This list shows how marks are applied to the assignment. Some units have slightly different ratios; the assignment specification document for each unit provides the breakdown of categories used in that assignment.

Relevance to assignment set 15
Accuracy of content 15
Depth of content 30
Use of practical examples 15
References 5
Total 100

Once your assignment has been marked by the tutor, your mark will be released on Blackboard, along with the tutor’s comments. However, this mark is provisional until it has been officially approved at the Board of Examiners. You should expect to receive a provisional mark and feedback within 15 working days of submission, in line with the University’s feedback policy, but please see the ‘timing of feedback’ note below.

Feedback for assessments

The purpose of feedback is to provide constructive criticism and encouragement so that you can improve your standards as time goes on. Thus, in addition to marks we will give you written feedback on most of your assessed coursework.

Marks awarded for your assessments (i.e. everything which contributes to your final degree classification) are subject to moderation by the examination board and the external examiner. Consequently, any marks given to students before the final examiners’ meeting has taken place must be regarded as provisional. Shortly after the examinations meeting, results will be published to the student system. Students who are graduating or have been referred in any units, will be notified formally by individual letter.

When you have graduated you may obtain a detailed official written account of all your examination results (called a transcript) from the Student Services Centre (SSC) on payment of a small fee. This carries the University stamp and is recognised for such purposes as admission to a further course of study at another institution (in the UK or abroad), membership of professional bodies, exemption from sections of professional examinations and so on. If you need a transcript, contact the SSC on +44 (0)161 275 5000 or ssc@manchester.ac.uk.

Timing of feedback

You will understandably be keen to know your results and receive feedback, but tutors need time to assign a fair mark, the Programme Director needs time to arrange second marking, the External Examiner needs time to review the marking before it is ratified at a Board of Examiners meeting, and lastly the Programmes Support Team then need time to enter your marks into the University’s record systems. These processes take some time to do accurately, which is our foremost priority.

The Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students can be accessed here:
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6518

How to find your marks

Once work has been marked and moderated you will receive an email from the PGT Programmes Team to tell you that the marks have been released. Work submitted via Blackboard will usually show a mark along with feedback on the Blackboard system.

You can also access marks by logging into your MyManchester account at https://my.manchester.ac.uk/uPortal/f/welcome/normal/render.uP and going to My Services/Self Service and Student Centre. You can choose ‘Assignments’ from the drop-down box and choose the relevant unit. Your Final mark for the unit doesn’t appear until the unit is fully completed and marks have been through an exam board.

The role of the External Examiners

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.

The External Examiners for the programmes are:

• Industrial Pharmacy – Prof. Dimitrios Lamprou
• Pharmaceutical Microbiology – Prof Mark Enright
• Pharmaceutical Business Development and Licensing – Dr Hannah-Louise Holmes

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 Office (or equivalent).

Requests for interruption

If at any point in your studies you feel that you need to take some time away from your degree, you can interrupt your studies and return once you are ready. You need to be aware of the below implications when considering taking an interruption, so it is best to discuss any queries you may have with the Student Support and Wellbeing Team/Programme Director/Year Tutor/Academic Advisor.

There are a few important things to think about when deciding to interrupt:

• Primarily, your wellbeing. If an interruption is the best decision for you, it should benefit your present and future wellbeing and support you completing your degree to the best of your abilities.
• Tuition Fees
• Accommodation (if living in UoM halls)
• Possible changes to course content on return
• Tier 4 students MUST be referred to the Student Immigration Team in SSC to discuss consequences of interruption (3.2 Policy on Interruptions to UG and PGT Programmes of Study)

If you then wish to request an interruption to study, either via email, during a welfare meeting, or following a meeting with an AA, you would need to complete an SHS Interruption Request Form, which can be obtained by contacting the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk. It is helpful to know at this stage how long you expect to interrupt for and when you might return.

You need to complete and sign the form, returning it back to the shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk email address with any appropriate supporting evidence. The form will then be sent to the relevant member of academic staff for approval (this may be the Programme Director, Year Tutor or Academic Advisor).

*Please note that students will be contacted by the Student Support and Wellbeing Team prior to their return to study/return from interruption*

Withdrawal from studies

If you decide that you are unable to continue your programme, you can withdraw from your studies. You will need to be aware of the below implications when considering withdrawing from the programme, so we would always advise discussing any queries you may have with the Student Support and Wellbeing Team/Programme Director/Year Tutor/Academic Advisor.

• Tuition Fees
• Accommodation (if living in UoM halls)
• Future career prospects

If you then wish to withdraw from the programme, either via email, during a welfare meeting, or following a meeting with an AA, you will need to complete a SHS Withdrawal Request Form, which can be obtained by contacting the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk

Students need to complete and sign the form, returning it back to the shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk email address. No supporting evidence is required for a request to withdraw. The form will then be sent to the relevant member of academic staff for approval (this may be the Programme Director, Year Tutor or Academic Advisor)

Once the Student Support and Wellbeing Team has received the form which has been approved by the relevant member of staff, a standard confirmation letter will be sent to you confirming the details of the withdrawal.

Academic Appeals

For the most up to date information regarding appeals, students should refer to the University’s general support pages, since the pages are updated to reflect changes in policy and guidelines.

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 and to determine whether the matter can be resolved informally by the School prior to making a formal appeal.

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 electronically by email: 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 electronically by 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/

In accordance with the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes, ‘All typed summative assessment, including dissertations, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software, where appropriate’.

The University Library has produced online resources to help students in avoiding plagiarism and academic malpractice at: https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/training/my-learning-essentials/online-resources/

An Introduction to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism is provided by the Student Guidance Service at:
An Introduction to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism (Student Guidance Service)

The Student Support website provides guidance on Good Study Skills at:
https://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/study-support/goodstudyskills/

The Student Support website also provides guidance on avoiding academic malpractice: https://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/study-support/academic-support/assessments-and-exams/avoiding-academic-malpractice/

 

 

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.

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.

Understanding Academic Malpractice

The University does not permit plagiarism or other forms of academic malpractice under any circumstances, and individuals found to have committed such an incident can expect a harsh penalty, which in some cases results in exclusion from the University. It is very important that all students, especially those who have not been in adult learning for some time, take this matter very seriously and engage with the topic of what constitutes plagiarism. For example, even the use of some of your own text from an assignment you have submitted previously is considered to be self-plagiarism, which comes as a surprise to many students, because credits have already been awarded for that text. Examples of unintentional plagiarism may also not be that clear. To ensure that you are fully informed about University expectations and understand your responsibilities with regard to academic malpractice, and don’t fall foul of academic malpractice yourself, you must ensure that you complete mandatory academic malpractice training in the Blackboard unit SHSS60001. Do not underestimate the importance of this matter.

You can find a copy of the University’s Academic Malpractice Procedure at the following link:

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

You can also access an online e-learning package on avoiding plagiarism via the University Library’s award-winning skills programme, My Learning Essentials.

Artificial Intelligence

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) We urge students to be cautious when using a chatbot or AI tool within their learning. Chatbots and AI tools can be useful, but there are a number of risks associated with using them. Please ensure that you are aware of what is permissible use of AI for each assignment. You can utilise AI to generate ideas, key themes, and plan your assessment but not to write your assessment. Do not use AI to generate text, or partial text for use in your assessment unless the assignment brief explicitly states that this is permitted, otherwise use will be deemed academic malpractice. This is academic malpractice because the words and ideas generated are not your own and not an accurate reflection of your learning. Further to this, the words and ideas generated by the chatbot or AI tool may make use of other, human authors’ ideas without referencing them, which is plagiarism. Where a chatbot or other form of AI has been used, make sure you acknowledge that use. Information on how to cite can be found here: https://manchester-uk.libanswers.com/teaching-and-learning/faq/264824 Some units, for example those on AI and technology, permit the use of AI. However, they require you to sign a code of conduct which must be adhered to. Make sure you understand and follow these codes. If you are unclear on what is permissible, speak to the unit lead.

If you have any doubts or further questions please contact the programme directors.

 

Section C: Information about the Division and University

Divisional Administration Contacts

Head of Division: Prof Kaye Williams

Head of Divisional Operations: Victoria O’Reilly

The Division address is:

Division of Pharmacy and Optometry
School of Health Sciences
Jean McFarlane Building
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL

ID cards are not issued automatically to distance learning students. To obtain your card contact the Student Services Centre on +44 (0)161 275 5000 or ssc@manchester.ac.uk.

 

Student Centre

The online student support system, MyManchester enables students to register online and have access to their personal and academic details.

This means that you will be able to use the system to check and update your address and contact details, view your supervisor and advisor details and check the course units you are enrolled on. To access MyManchester, you will use the same log-in you were provided with at registration and log in to the system from the following page:

https://my.manchester.ac.uk

You should use MyManchester to check we have the correct details for you and that you are on the correct programme. You should also ensure that as soon as your contact details change you update them on the system, as well as informing the Programmes Support Team.

Communication with Students

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

You are required to keep the University informed of any change to your personal circumstances such as change of name or address. You can update your own details via the MyManchester portal.

 

Student Support Services

Student Support and Wellbeing Team

The Student Support and Wellbeing Team can support your wellbeing needs through the year. The team is here to support you when you wish to discuss circumstances such as interrupting your studies, financial issues, the submission of details of mitigating circumstances and any personal concerns that are affecting your ability to study and engage fully with your course. It is important to point out that Student Support is not a counselling service; it is a practical support service.

Support from the University

As a student at the University of Manchester, you have access to a huge range of support services and resources. This includes, but is not limited to, support relating to your studies, finances, health and wellbeing, settling in and making friends, personal safety and planning for your future beyond University.

Students’ Union Advice Centre

The Students’ Union has advisers who can help with any matter ranging from finances to housing and beyond. The Advice Centre is on the first floor in the Student Union Building, and is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm, term time and vacation. See http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/.

Support of care experienced and estranged students

The University of Manchester recognises that care experienced students, and those that become estranged from their families often require additional support. This may take the form of, amongst other things, financial support, help with accommodation, provision of quiet study are as and general support. Please contact shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk for further details on how to access support.

Support for Students with Disability and Long-Term Health Problems

If you have a disability, or have learning support needs, we advise that you register with the Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS). They can offer a range of services to help you make the most of your University experience. Where appropriate, they will work with you to develop a support plan which will put in place any support you require for exams, from the library or from teaching staff.

Registering with DASS is particularly important for students where ongoing or recurring difficulties may impact their academic performance. The University’s Policy on Mitigating Circumstances (see section 6) does not allow students to make repeated claims for the same condition, because to qualify for mitigation, the circumstance must be ‘unforeseeable’. However, the Mitigating Circumstances Committee can award further mitigation where DASS support your claim; for example, by advising the committee that your condition is associated with ‘flare-ups’ (which are unforeseeable).

You find more information and how to register with DASS here: http://www.dass.manchester.ac.uk/

Support for International Students

Manchester has a thriving International student community and you will have lots of opportunities to engage with students from all over the world. The International Society (http://www.internationalsociety.org.uk), based on Oxford Road, organises trips, events, activities and community projects which are open to both International and British students. The Language Centre also provides support to International students who have concerns about their English skills (http://www.languagecentre.manchester.ac.uk/).

UoM Counselling Service

The Counselling & Mental Health Service works in partnership with other support services within the university and are here to provide support for you should you feel you need help with your mental health.

The Counselling & Mental Health Service offer a range of workshops, groups, 1-1 appointments and other resources to help you. For more information and to book an appointment click here: Get Help

You can also phone for advice on 0161 275 2864 between 9.00am – 4.30pm (Monday – Friday)

Student Support and Wellbeing Contact Details

The Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) team are your first point of contact for any non-academic queries you may have relating to your studies, such as what support is available to you, how to access it, and where to direct any queries which you’re not sure about. The IAG team can be contacted via email at shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk, over the phone at 0161 306 7811, or in person at the student hub which is located on the ground floor of the Jean McFarlane building.

shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk – for information and guidance on mitigating circumstances and extensions, including sending evidence and receiving outcomes of applications.

shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk – for queries related to attendance monitoring.

shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk – for support and signposting to university wellbeing resources, as well as making a wellbeing appointment with an advisor.

shs.dc@manchester.ac.uk – for Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) enquiries.

 

IT Services Support Centre online

Details of what IT support is available and how to access it can be found on the FBMH eLearning Support page at: https://elearning.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/technical-support/

Login to the Support Centre online to log a request, book an appointment for an IT visit, or search the Knowledge Base.

Telephone: +44 (0)161 306 5544 (or extension 65544). Telephone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In person: Walk-up help and support is available at the Joule Library, Main Library or Alan Gilbert Learning Commons:

Use Support Centre online for support with eLearning, from where you may make a request, report a fault, or search the Knowledge Base.

For IT and eLearning support visit: https://elearning.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/technical-support/

Blackboard

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

What is Blackboard?

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

• view course materials and learning resources,
• communicate with lectures and other students,
• collaborate in groups,
• get feedback
• submit assignments
• monitor 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://video.manchester.ac.uk/faculties/52f9b4cd447aa2fbeb47d1926186f80b/46971601-1356-43e2-8e78-e9f8997821f0/
• https://youtu.be/47pA877MKJg

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

Library facilities

The University of Manchester Library provides resources and support for your Division of Pharmacy and Optometry PGT programme. The Library has an extensive collection of eBooks, databases and journals online, in addition to the print holdings in The Main Library. The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons provides a 24/7 learning environment in addition to study skills workshops.

Off-campus, many resources are available by logging in with your University username and password (this includes individual book chapters digitised as part of a unit’s directed reading); where this option is not available, the material can still be accessed through the University’s VPN service, and this is clearly indicated in the Electronic Journals A-Z list and on the information page for each of the Databases. A small number of titles require a Special username and password. For further details, see Accessing e-journals, e-books and databases.

Training materials to help you make the most of the Library’s resources will be available in Blackboard.

The My Library tab in My Manchester has quick links to get you started:

• A-Z of subjects includes a library guide for Pharmacy
• Library search enables you to search the Library’s electronic and physical resources – books, journals, articles, images, manuscripts, video – using a single search box
• training sessions listed in the My Learning Essentials Calendar
• online enquiry form
• your Library Account, including PIN
• Document Supply for the DELIVER postal loans service (£5 per item)

Using other libraries has information on both regional (NOWAL) and national (SCONUL) schemes which may be helpful.

The Academic Liaison Librarian for the School of Health Sciences is Tristan Hooper (see: https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/using-the-library/staff/academic-engagement-librarians/biology-medicine-and-health/).

Help is also available at the Library’s Information Desks

 

Occupational Health

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

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

Health and Safety

See Introductory Courses.

Section D: University Regulations

Academic Support Issues

A list of University Policies and documents can be found at:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/list.aspx

Academic Appeals (Regulation XIX)
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=187

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

Basic Guide to Student Complaints
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23875

Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulations XVII)
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6530

General University information on the Conduct and Discipline of Students can be found at www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/appeals-complaints/conductanddisciplineofstudents/.

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

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

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

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

Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=24561

Policy on Mitigating Circumstances
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=4271

Mitigating Circumstances Guidance for Students
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23886

PGT Degree Regulations
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29208

Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6518

Policy on religious observance for students (for UG/PGT and PGR students)
http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic/policy-on-religious-observance/

The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has produced guidance for healthcare students on fasting and caring:

Fasting and Caring – Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan: guidance for health care students..

Student Complaints Procedure
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=1893

Student Charter
http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/enhancing-my-experience/charter

Work and Attendance of Students (Regulation XX)
Regulation XX Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

Student Support Issues

www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk

A-Z of Student Services
http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/

Accommodation
http://www.accommodation.manchester.ac.uk/

Blackboard
Students should access Blackboard via my Manchester at https://my.manchester.ac.uk

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

Counselling Service
https://www.counsellingservice.manchester.ac.uk/

Disability Advisory and Support Service
http://www.dass.manchester.ac.uk/

University Language Centre – Study English – Tel: 0161 306 3397
http://www.languagecentre.manchester.ac.uk/study-english/

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Staff and Students
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/equalityanddiversity/

Health & Fitness
http://www.sport.manchester.ac.uk/

Health & Safety Policy
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=654

International Advice Team
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/international/support/advice/

IT and eLearning Support
http://bmh-elearning.org/technical-support/

Mature Students Guide
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=18122

Occupational Health Services for Students
http://www.occhealth.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduates/

Personal Development Planning
http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/personaldevelopmentplanning/

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/