We hope that you have an interesting and exciting year. Please take the time to read through the Handbook. The information it provides is of great importance to you and we hope that it will be a useful resource throughout the academic year. It contains key details about your degree programme, as well as information such as staff contact details, links to degree regulations and work and attendance requirements. It will be assumed that you have read and understood the contents of this Handbook. Please talk to your Academic Advisor or Student Support Office if anything is not clear to you. My Manchester My Manchester brings all your online university services together in one place. From My Manchester you can access the student self-service system, which allows you to view your timetable, select course units and access your grades for assessed work. My Manchester also allows you to access University services including Blackboard and your University library account. You can login to My Manchester at: http://my.manchester.ac.uk You can view your personalised timetable on Publish: Publish (manchester.ac.uk) All the information in this handbook was accurate at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. Our future At The University of Manchester, one of our core goals under Teaching and Learning is as follows: “As an institution built on world-class research, we want to share knowledge to challenge and transform our students, giving learners of all ages and backgrounds the chance to contribute to positive change, improving their lives and those of others. We will inspire learners with challenging ideas, knowledge and wisdom, and help them develop the capabilities needed for a stellar career. Our teachers will be supported to deliver the highest levels of student satisfaction, embracing digital opportunities and placing personalisation at the heart of what we do.” All students are automatically enrolled onto an introductory unit (BIOL62000) 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 and no later than 31 October 2023. Completion of these assessments is monitored by the School. All students are also strongly advised to complete the academic literacy section.Introduction
Welcome to the University of Manchester and the School of Biological Sciences
Compulsory Introductory Course
Key Contact Details
If you have any queries or concerns at any time during your period of study at The University of Manchester, there is a range of people you can approach. Your Programme Administration Team will be your first point of call for general issues. Alternatively, you may wish to contact the Programme Director for specific aspects to do with the course or your Academic Advisor for career development issues. If you wish to raise a confidential matter at School level, you should approach the Head of Teaching, Learning and Student Experience – contact details below.
Responsibility for overall management of the Programme lies with the Programme Director who has assembled a Programme Committee, which meets regularly, to advise on content, structure, management, student supervision, and regulatory matters such as Programme improvement and refinement. The Committee also includes the student representative who is democratically elected by you to attend these meetings.
Programme Administration Team
Your first point of call should be directed as follows:
•Student Hub
•sbs.hub@manchester.ac.uk
• Student Support
• sbs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk
• Assessments
• sbs.assessment@manchester.ac.uk
• Curriculum
• curriculum.sbs@manchester.ac.uk
Student Representative
• To be appointed democratically
Director of Education (UG and PGT)
• Professor Nicky High
• nicky.high@manchester.ac.uk
Head of Teaching, Learning and Student Experience
• Kerry Mycock
• kerry.mycock@manchester.ac.uk
Teaching and Learning Manager
• Kelly Salimian
• kelly.salimian@manchester.ac.uk
Student Service, Support & Development Manager
• Sam Green
• sam.green-1@manchester.ac.uk
Programme Director
• Dr Dave Gerrard
• dave.gerrard@manchester.ac.uk
Deputy Programme Directors
• Dr Helen Stuart
• helen.stuart@manchester.ac.uk
• Dr Jamie Ellingford
• jamie.ellingford@manchester.ac.uk
Your contact details
You will be supplied with a student e-mail address. The University will direct communications to you by using your student e-mail address and it is your responsibility to ensure that you can access and read mail from this source. You should check your university email regularly and in turn should send all emails to the University using your student email address.
Blackboard is an electronic system that complements and builds upon traditional learning methods used at The University of Manchester. All course-related materials will be placed on Blackboard. It is essential that you familiarise yourself with the system as soon as possible. Blackboard also offers Discussion forums which you may find a useful resource to share information about assignments and other course-related queries. Blackboard is available to students. Blackboard
On campus, access to computers, printers, email and the internet is available at several computer clusters within the School including the Multiuser laboratories on the ground floor of the Stopford Building. Additionally, there is a Postgraduate Hub on the 3rd Floor of the Stopford Building. There are a variety of places to eat and drink on campus. An up-to-date list can be found below. The International Society is a busy centre for international students based in the Greater Manchester area. It is located on Oxford Road (see campus map). The society offers students the opportunity to engage with social events, visit places of interest as well as language support and cultural events.School/University Facilities
Computers and printers:
Food/Drink on Campus
International students
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) 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.Sharing Information
Programme Information
Programme Structure and Credit Requirements
Your chosen pathway will determine which course units you are able to select on your route through the programme.
Units 1-3 are core units.
Units 4-7 are elective core units
Units 8-12 are optional units.
Units 13a and 13b are research units.
(Full course unit details are outlined below*)
*Units are subject to availability
Course Unit Selection
MSc Full-time (180 credits): all core units, three elective core units, two additional units (elective core or optional)– Students must take unit 13a.(60 credit research project)
MSc Part-time (180 credits): all core units, three elective core units, plus four other units (elective core or optional)– Students must take unit 13b. (30 credit dissertation)
PG Dip Full-time (120 credits): core units 1 and 2, plus either six additional core, elective core, or optional units each worth 15 credits, or four additional core, elective core or optional units each worth 15 credits and unit 13b
PG Dip Part-time (120 credits): core units 1, 2 and 3, plus one other unit to progress to year two. An additional four units to be completed in year two.
PG Cert (60 credits): core units 1 and 3, plus two additional 15 credit units.
Course Units
BIOL67561: Fundamentals of Human Genetics (Unit 1)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
The Fundamental of Human Genetics and Genomics unit is a subject-specific lecture-based module in the MSc Genomic Medicine programme. This unit will provide essential and contemporary knowledge relating to genetic science and genetic disease. The unit consists of a mixture of e-learning modules, taught lectures and tutorials. The lectures will be delivered by a range of clinical and non-clinical academic staff, many of whom are internationally recognised experts in their field. This unit will be attended by students from Programmes of MSc Genomic Medicine, STP Genomic Sciences and Genetic Counselling, and MSc Molecular Pathology
Aims
This compulsory module ensures students have a good understanding of the molecular basis of human genetic diseases. It also introduces students to the contemporary technologies used in modern genomic medicine. Students will be equipped with advanced knowledge of the genomic mechanisms that give rise to human disease, understand the application of new technologies in the diagnosis and management of genetic diseases, gain knowledge of the genetic changes that occur in tumour development and how genetic variants contribute to common diseases. They will also gain insight into how understanding these mechanisms has enabled the development of improved treatments for genetic diseases.
Unit coordinators
Tao Wang
Miriam Smith
BIOL67981: Bioinformatics, Interpretation, Statistics and Data Quality Assurance (Unit 2)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Course unit overview
• Introduction to the history and scope of genomics
• The Genome Landscape
• Nucleic Acid structure and function, including the structure and function of coding and non-coding DNA
• The central dogma: From DNA, to RNA and proteins
• Noncoding regulatory sequence: promoters, transcription factor binding sites, splice site dinucleotides, enhancers, insulators
• Genetic variation and its role in health and disease
• Genomic technology and role of the genome in the development and treatment of disease
Aims
By the end of this compulsory module the student will be able to:
- Analyse the principles applied to quality control of sequencing data, alignment of sequence to the reference genome, calling and annotating sequence variants, and filtering strategies to identify pathogenic mutations in sequencing data
- Interrogate major data sources, e.g. of genomic sequence, protein sequences, variation, pathways, (e.g. EVS, dbSNP, ClinVar, etc.) and be able to integrate with clinical data, to assess the pathogenic and clinical significance of the genome result
- Acquire relevant basic computational skills and understanding of statistical methods for handling and analysing sequencing data for application in both diagnostic and research settings
- Gain practical experience of the bioinformatics pipeline through the Genomics England programme.
- Justify and defend the place of Professional Best Practice Guidelines in the diagnostic setting for the reporting of genomic variation.
Unit coordinators
Angela Davies
Michael Cornell
BIOL67562: Next Generation Sequencing and Omics in Medicine and Disease (Unit 3)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This module will provide an introduction to the basis of genotyping and detection of genetic variation. There will be an introduction to deep resequencing and a brief overview of methodologies for, and application of, detecting genetic changes including base substitutions (SNV) and copy number variants (CNV). This module will provide an overview of bioinformatics approaches and pipelines for the analysis of genomic data. In addition there will be an introduction to different “’omics technologies” and approaches, and strategies to prioritise the pathogenicity of variants.
Aims
By the end of this module the student will be able to:
Have a fundamental knowledge and understanding of the basis of genotyping and detection of genetic variation
Have a basic understanding of bioinformatics approaches to the analysis and contextualization of genomic data
Understand which methodology to utilise to detect different types of genetic variants, and be able to interpret sequencing data and contextualise genetic variants with regard to likely pathogenicity.
Be able to use literature and online resources to access information on disease and genetic variation
Be able to apply bioinformatics approaches for the analysis of genomic data
Unit coordinators
John Curtin
Janine Lamb
BIOL67971: Application of Genomics in Infectious Diseases (Unit 4)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
Genomic approaches are changing the way we investigate incidents of infectious disease at levels from the single case of infection through to outbreaks and global surveillance. While some technical approaches used in the study of infectious disease may overlap with those used in human genomics, there are many differences in the genetics of microorganisms and the methodology used which will be covered in this unit. The unit is intended to give the student an in-depth knowledge of the relevance of genomics to infectious disease, to provide hands on experience in carrying out and interpreting appropriate analyses and to develop specialist knowledge in infectious disease genomics.
Aims
The aim of this module is that the student will have a greater understanding of how genomics can be used to improve diagnostic accuracy, predict which drugs are likely to be more effective in individual patients and contribute to the monitoring and control of infectious disease in individuals and populations.
Unit coordinator
Sara Gago
BIOL67482: Molecular Pathology of Cancer (Unit 5)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This unit will provide a broad based knowledge of molecular pathology in the context of the pathogenesis of neoplastic diseases, and in the context of routine and emerging diagnostic practice. The lectures will be delivered by a range of clinical and non-clinical academic staff, many of whom are internationally recognised experts in their field.
Aims
To equip students with an advanced knowledge of molecular pathology and an understanding of the application of new technologies in the diagnosis and management of cancer.
Unit coordinators
Miriam Smith
Karen Rees-Unwin
BIOL67481: Pharmacogenetics and Stratified Healthcare (Unit 6)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as:
“The study of variations of DNA and RNA characteristics as related to drug response”.
PGx is utilised in two main areas:
(a) To inform the drug development process and
(b) To help inform personalised prescribing and/or the stratification of patients into sub-groups
In both cases, PGx focuses on the predictive outcome of drug interventions. This may involve the utilisation of companion diagnostics (CDx) alongside drug therapeutic treatment. A typical CDx might be a molecular assay that, for instance, measures specific mutations to stratify sub-populations, select appropriate medication or tailor dosages to a patient’s specific needs.
PGx has the potential to change healthcare significantly, since differences between patients’ response to treatment can be partially explained by their genotype (pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic and immunological genetic variability). Using PGx data alongside other clinical information can be used to develop individualised or stratified healthcare for patients. It may also contribute towards a more effective and safer use of drugs, potentially decreasing costs, resulting from drug toxicity and lack of efficacy, by identifying patients most likely to respond positively to a particular drug at a particular dose.
Indicative Content
1. Genomic basis of drug response including: drug mechanisms of action, drug efficacy and drug toxicity, including:pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immune hypersensitivity responses, discussing ethnic differences and how these are/might be applied in prescribing practice.
2. Use of genomic information, for targeted drug development with particular emphasis on the genes encoding metabolic enzymes, drug transporters and drug receptors and drug:drug interactions
3. Companion diagnostics and NHS service delivery models
4. Different types and examples of genomic-targeted intervention (examples of genomically-targeted clinical, therapeutic or lifestyle choices)
5. Genomic biomarkers and genetic polymorphisms leading to inter-individual variability in drug response: SNPs, short sequence repeats, haplotypes, DNA epigenetic
modifications, e.g. methylation, deletions or insertions, copy number variants, RNA expression levels, RNA splicing, microRNA levels
6. Use of biomarkers and genetic testing in treatments other than cancer
Aims
This module aims to provide the student with the in-depth knowledge, understanding and analytical skills to consider the current and emerging research and application of pharmacogenomics and stratified healthcare to ensure a personalised healthcare approach for patients.
Unit coordinator
William Newman
BIOL67582: Genomics of Common and Rare Inherited Disease (Unit 7)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
The unit aims to develop students’ knowledge of common and rare genetic disease. A comprehensive approach is taken to diagnosis, genomic testing, prognosis, management, inheritance and impact across a range of genetic conditions from common conditions, chromosome, single and heterogeneous conditions, inherited cancer, paediatric and adult onset conditions.
Limitations of practice, appropriate referral, psychosocial impact and family decision-making will equip students to work in multidisciplinary settings in the care for individuals and families with heritable conditions.
Learning will focus on a case-based approach to ensure relevance to clinical practice. Examples of paediatric and adult conditions will be used to illustrate the principles of genomic diagnosis, testing and counselling. Face to face sessions will be taught in one block over 3 days, to include lectures, problem based learning, and interactive workshops. This will be augmented by online lectures.
Aims
The number of rare monogenic disorders is estimated to be greater than 7,000, but only in approximately half of these are the underlying genes known. Common diseases such as intellectual disability, diabetes, schizophrenia and autism are thought to arise from a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors but deeper understanding of the genetic and mechanistic basis of these diseases is necessary for clinical translation.
The aim of this module is to provide a brief introduction to the clinical presentation and manifestations of rare inherited and common diseases and consider the patient and family perspective with respect to the role and impact of genomics. The module will also focus on the genetic contribution to the aetiology of these conditions and strategies currently used to identify gene alterations in the clinical situation. Students will learn how to identify the most frequently encountered common and rare genetic disease phenotypes and how to select cases with unmet diagnostic need that will benefit from genomic testing.
Unit coordinator
Helen Stuart and Natalie Moreton
BIOL67381: Counselling Skills for Genomics (Unit 8)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
This is an introductory module which aims to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to communicate genomic information to patients and their families. The module will help participants develop practical skills including a genomic approach to family history taking, communicating complex genomic information, supporting decision-making around test choices, facilitating communication within families and accessing sources of support for patients. Content will be guided by a family systems approach to practice which takes account of the ethical and psychosocial impacts of genomic information.
Teaching will be delivered as blended learning with online sessions before and after a two-day consecutive block of face-to-face teaching.
Aims
The aim of this module is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to communicate with patients and their families around genetic and genomic testing.
Unit coordinator
Rhona MacLeod
BIOL67372: Economics of Genomics and Precision Medicine (Unit 9)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This unit will provide the student with the skills to understand economic evidence generated from model-based economic evaluations of interventions relevant to human genomics. The aim is for students to be able to critically appraise model-based economic evaluations to assess whether the evidence is relevant to their jurisdiction and particular resource allocation decision problem. The course materials will provide an introduction to the key economic principles and theories that underpin the use of methods of economic evaluation, describe the different methods of economic evaluation, the role of model based economic evaluations and provide applied examples of how to structure and critique model-based economic analyses.
Aims
The aim of this module is to enable students to understand the role and application of model-based economic evaluations in the context of evaluating human genomic technologies and services.
The specific course objectives are to:
- Understand the concept of opportunity cost and its role in decision making
- Understand the theories underpinning the economic evaluation of healthcare interventions
- Understand the different methods and types of economic evaluation with their advantages and disadvantages
- Understand the advantages and disadvantages of using trial or model-based economic evaluations to generate economic evidence suitable for resource allocation decision making
- Understand the different types of model-based economic evaluations
- Understand the basic approach to conceptualise and structure a model-based economic evaluation
- Understand how to value patient benefits for use in model-based economic evaluations and the role of health status and quality adjusted life years
- Be aware of other measures of benefit that extend beyond health status
- Understand how to identify and quantity resource use and costs for use in model-based economic evaluations
- Understand how to populate a model-based economic evaluation
- Know how to critically appraise published model-based economic evaluations of genomic technologies and services
Unit coordinators
Sean Gavan
Alexander Thompson
BIOL67382: Ethical, Legal and Social issues in applied Genomics (Unit 10)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This unit comprises of interactive online learning materials supported by one day face-to-face seminars provided by senior academics in this field. Students will be guided through the subject areas by the online materials which are specially designed with this particular audience in mind and focused clearly on the learning outcomes of this course unit. The face to face seminars will provide students with the opportunity to explore the issues that arise out of the online materials in detail and develop their knowledge of this area and their skills in critical thinking around these issues.
Aims
By the end of this module the students will have:
a) Developed an understanding of the roles of ethics and law in genomics
b) Developed an understanding and confidence in complex ethical and legal issues around a comprehensive set of scenarios in the area of genomics.
c) Developed skills around ethical argumentation and critical thinking that will be transferable into their professional setting.
Unit coordinator
Mark Josef Rapa
BIOL67361: Health Informatics (Unit 11)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
Central to any efforts to build an efficient health care system, or in supporting evidence-based medicine, is the need to capture information around patient diagnosis and medical treatment. At the core of this activity is the development of electronic patient records.
Good quality electronic patient records require us to have systematic and unambiguous tools for recording the health state of a patient, and the treatments they receive. This unit provides a basic introduction to the development and use of electronic patient records, their long history, and the challenges still to be overcome.
Patient data is captured in many parts of the health service, in GP surgeries, in hospital labs, by different clinical teams. All this data needs to be brought together and shared – whether that be to build a record for a single patient, or provide an overview of activity across a region. This requires that data can be shared and integrated. However, the challenges in developing such systems are not purely technical. Issues around organizational and human factors are at least as difficult to develop effective solutions as developing an appropriate IT infrastructure.
Indicative content:
Information Governance: data and information quality, security and confidentiality
- General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR)
- Acts of Parliament, other legislation, Codes of Practice
- Dealing with requests for information about patients/clients
- Information Commissioner,
- Paper based vs electronic records;
- Patient identifiable data and information,
- Secondary uses of data,
- Audit and research,
- Caldicott Guardians
- Consent
- Smart cards/records access
- The well informed patient, the expert patient,
- Encryption (principles)
- Safe havens
- Relationship and differences between data and information
- Qualities of good data
- Information system risks to patient safety
- Cost of data entry errors
- Secure information exchange between professionals
- Sharing and communication with patients and carers
· Uses of clinical and health data and information
- Patient identifiable and non-patient identifiable data and information
- Health research applications
- Public health,
- Service planning
- Cross sector care,
- Patient/client centred service,
- Information flows between health and social care and public health, third sector and private sectors
- Systematic approaches to improving patient care: secondary uses – SUS – QIPP and related initiatives
- Patient focused systems vs speciality, disease or procedure focused systems
- Big Data
- Transparency
- Information intermediaries
- Clinical audit
- Information for patient choice
- Health Records
- Paper vs electronic records
- Patient held records
- Structured and coded records – free text in records
- Consent models
- Confidentiality and security
- Impact of patient access on professionals and relationships, behavioural issues
- Record sharing – with patients and between professionals
- Electronic Health Records
- GP/primary care records
- The Language of Health: Clinical Coding and Terminology
- Terminologies vs classifications.
- Coding systems – nature, clinical applications, limitations
- Accident and Emergency Coding Tables
- International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
- NHS dictionary of medicines and devices, OPCS Classification of Intervention
Aims
The aim of this unit is to introduce health informatics knowledge and understanding of the skills and tools needed by all professionals in modern healthcare systems to provide safe, secure high quality, effective patient centred services.
By the end of the module students should have an understanding of electronic patient records, why they are so important, and also just why it is so difficult to do well. They should also have some appreciation of the governance and data security problems surrounding the capture, use and sharing of such data.
Unit coordinator
Evangelos Kontopantelis
BIOL67672: Disease Modelling and Genome Engineering (Unit 12)
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This unit will provide essential and contemporary knowledge on the importance of using model systems to investigate the functional genomics of inherited human diseases. The unit will also review genomic engineering technologies and provide a workshop for the design of CRISPR-Cas9 reagents.
Students will be provided with a number of example engineered models to study human disease and will be able to understand the merits and drawbacks of many of the cell and animal models available to researchers. The ethics of using animal models and the potential of genomic engineering to alter human genomes will also be discussed.
The unit is led and delivered by academics with a wealth of experience in using a wide range of models to study human genetic disease.
Aims
- Provide an understanding of why animal and cellular models are necessary for studying the functional genomics of human disease.
- Provide an understanding of the different model systems available for studying human disease.
- Provide an understanding of how to manipulate gene expression in a variety of model systems.
- Provide an understanding of the genome engineering techniques available, how to design associated reagents, and how to use them.
- Provide an understanding of the ethical considerations associated with animal models and genome engineering.
- Be able to use literature and online resources to access information on disease modelling and genomic engineering.
- Be able to apply knowledge of model systems and genome engineering to critically analyse published data and to design experiments.
Unit coordinator
Forbes Manson
BIOL67980: Research Project MSc Genomic Medicine (Unit 13a: MSc)
| Credit rating | 60 |
| Teaching period(s) | Full year |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The 60 credit research project will normally only be an option for full-time students due to the time commitment required. Part-time students will normally do the 30 credit literature review, in which case two additional optional 15 credit modules must be undertaken to fulfil the requirements of 180 credits for a Masters degree. In exceptional circumstances a part-time students may be allowed to undertake the 60 credit research project if it is discussed and agreed with a Programme Director or the module lead.
Aims
The aim of this module is for students to build on their previous knowledge, skills and experience of undertaking research by undertaking a medical genomics research project that shows originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in a specialism of healthcare science. Research projects should be designed to take into account the research training required by individual students and the needs of the department in which the research is to be conducted. The research dissertation should be presented in the form of a scientific report to be considered for publication in a scientific journal, i.e. use of sub-headings, tables, figures, references, etc. This can be based on a workplace project or the Genomics England dataset.
Unit coordinator
Mayada Tassabehji
BIOL67380: Research Project MSc Genomic Medicine (Unit 13b: MSc)
| Credit rating | 30 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | School of Biological Sciences |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Part-time students will normally do the 30 credit literature review, in which case two additional optional 15 credit modules must be undertaken to fulfil the requirements of 180 credits for a Masters degree. In exceptional circumstances a part-time students may be allowed to undertake the 60 credit research project if it is discussed and agreed with a Programme Director or the module lead
Aims
The aim of this module is to allow students to carry out an in depth literature based project on specific subjects e.g. cardiovascular genomics or epigenetics. This module could potentially provide a 30 credit module but then must be done in conjunction with additional optional modules to attain the total of 180 credits.
Unit coordinator
Mayada Tassabehji
Supervisor
All students at dissertation level are allocated a Supervisor. Briefly, the responsibilities of the Supervisor include: giving guidance about the nature of research and the standard expected; the planning of the research programme; and pointing the Student towards relevant literature and other sources of information.
The relationship between the Student and their Supervisor is of central importance. Both the Student and the Supervisor have a responsibility to ensure that the dissertation is completed within the prescribed period of the programme. Supervisors and students should establish at their initial meeting clear and explicit expectations of each other in order to minimise the risks and problems of misunderstanding, inadequate supervision and unsatisfactory work.
Progress monitoring meetings must be closely documented. It should be noted that in some instances students may be jointly supervised by staff, and be assigned a principal and second supervisor.
If you have any queries or concerns at any time during your period of study, there is a range of people you can approach:
- The Programme Administration Team
- Postgraduate Taught Education Support Manager Your Supervisor
- Programme Directors Postgraduate Taught Director
Recording Lectures
Please do not assume you can record lectures with a voice recorder or similar device. If you wish to record a lecture or other teaching session, ensure you obtain the prior permission of the lecturer. You may not share any recordings with any other person (including by electronic media) without first being given specific permission by the lecturer.
Policy on the Recording of Lectures and other Teaching and Learning Activities
Programme Management
The programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedures of The University of Manchester.
The Programme Directors, have day-to-day responsibility for the management of the programmes and are assisted by the Programme Administration Team.
Programme Committee
The Programme Committee meet 3 times a year. The committee’s functions and responsibilities are to maintain the standards of teaching, to evaluate and revise the programme in the light of feedback, to monitor student progression and to provide a forum for discussion between the University and the students.
The Programme Committee reviews the annual monitoring report and acts on recommendations arising from the annual monitoring process.
The membership of the Programme Committee includes: the Programme Directors; the Programme Administration Team; Teaching Staff and Student Representatives.
The Programme Committee report to the Consortium and SBS Teaching and Learning Executive Committee.
External Examiner
The External Examiner for this programme is Professor Colin Johnson who is based at the University of Leeds. From 2024, the external examiner will be Dr Andrew Fry of Cardiff University.
Please note that it is for information only and it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments. Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners should report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact the Programme Administration Team in the first instance. External Examiner External Examiners’ reports
External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes of the University to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate deliberation. They also ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable with those in equivalent higher education institutions.
External Examiners’ reports relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives at the Staff Student Liaison Committee and/or Programme Committee where details of any actions carried out by the programme team/School in response to the External Examiners’ comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they require any further information about External Examiners’ reports or the process for considering them.
Literature Review
The word limit for the literature review is a maximum of 5000 words, excluding title page, table of contents and references. Figures, tables and figure legends will be included in the word count. Students will be penalised for exceeding this word limit. Where the limit is exceeded the final mark will be reduced as stated previously. You should be aware that plagiarism software will be applied to all reports.
Guidelines for writing the literature review
- Define the general research area in the context of your research project.
- Link this topic of research to a scientific endeavor and/or human health and disease.
- Describe what has been published about the topic. Summarise the work done to address certain key issues discussing how they have advanced the field and why they are considered seminal reports.
- All sources used must be referenced and included in a bibliography, formatted appropriately using referencing software e.g. Endnote. An author-date citation style is preferable.
- Aim to use a range of sources, including important historical references and the most up-to-date research of relevance. Do NOT use only review articles. A central core of original papers should be cited and critically examined. References to web pages are acceptable but should be used sparingly. Note the date at which the page was accessed.
- Discuss any controversial issues surrounding the field, inconsistencies between reports and conclusions made by different groups.
- The literature review should be written for a researcher with broad knowledge of the field but not necessarily specialist knowledge of the research topic and therefore it is important to provide ‘signposts’ using phrases such as ‘In brief’ ‘to summarise’ in order to orientate the reader.
- Diagrams and figures should be included to illustrate key points. Include appropriate reference/credit or make your own originals. A rough guideline for proportion of illustrations is between 10-20% of the report. Prepare concise but informative legends that make the figures understandable without having to consult the main text.
- Conclude by summarising the key points covered in the literature review and describing deficiencies in current understanding which will then link into your research proposal.
Formatting of the literature review and research proposal
The reports will be submitted electronically as a Word document or pdf via Blackboard.
- A title page giving the title of the report, the candidate’s number (the same as the name under which he or she is currently registered, at the University), the name of the candidate’s School – School of Medicine, the year of submission, and for the literature review, the word count. The title page is not included in the literature review word count or research proposal page count.
- Double or 1.5 spacing with a minimum font size of 12 must be used for the main text; single-spacing may be used for quotations, footnotes and references. Pages may be single or double-sided.
- General guidance on bibliographic citations and references can be obtained from the programme director, and must be consistent throughout the reports.
- Page numbering must consist of one single sequence of Arabic numerals (i.e., 1, 2, 3…) throughout the reports. Page numbers must be displayed on all pages EXCEPT the title page, though this is counted as page one. The pagination sequence will include not only the text of the report but also the preliminary pages, diagrams, tables, figures, illustrations, appendices, references etc., Roman numerals must not be used for page numbering.
Progress and Assessment
Deadlines for Assessed Work
All assessed work must be handed in at the prescribed time. Dates will be published in advance of the deadline. We recommend that you transfer these dates to your diaries as soon as they are published.
Assignment Word Count (Including Dissertation)
In accordance with the University Policy on Marking:
Each written assignment has a word limit which you must state at the top of your first page. It is acceptable, without penalty, for you to submit an assignment within a range that is plus 10% of this limit. If you present an assignment with a word count exceeding the specified limit+10%, the assignment will be marked but 1% will be deducted from this mark for every 100 words over the limit given.
For an original word limit that is 1000 words and an assignment that is marked out of 100. If a submission is made that is 1101 words then it exceeded the 10% leeway, and is more than 100 words over the original limit and should receive a 1 mark deduction.
In accordance with accepted academic practice, when submitting any written assignment for summative assessment, the notion of a word count includes the following without exception:
- All titles or headings that form part of the actual text. This does not include the fly page or reference list
- All words that form the actual essay
- All words forming the titles for figures, tables and boxes, are included but this does not include boxes or tables or figures themselves
- All in-text (that is bracketed) references
- All directly quoted material
Certain assessments may require different penalties for word limits to be applied. For example, if part of the requirement for the assessment is conciseness of presentation of facts and arguments. In such cases it may be that no 10% leeway is allowed and penalties applied may be stricter than described above. In such cases the rules for word count limits and the penalties to be applied will be clearly stated in the assessment brief and in the submission details for that assessment.
All assignments must be submitted electronically. The published deadlines for assessments all relate to the electronic submission which is completed via Blackboard, using the Turnitin system in the majority of cases. You must submit by the deadline advertised in your timetable/assessment handbook. 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. 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. 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. Guidance on how to submit assignments Please note that you can only upload one document so you cannot save your references/appendices as a separate document.Submitting your work
Turnitin
Guidance for Presentation of Taught Master’s Dissertations
The University of Manchester guidance on presentation of taught Master’s Dissertations is available at:
Guidance for the presentation of Taught Master’s 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.
There is more information on taught master’s dissertation requirements on Blackboard: https://my.manchester.ac.uk
Extensions to Assignment Deadlines
On rare occasions students may need to request an extension to a coursework deadline due to circumstances beyond their control. If you need to request an extension to your assignment submission deadline then you must submit an extension request form which must be accompanied by supporting evidence (medical letters, certificates or other appropriate evidence). The supporting evidence must justify the length of the requested extension.
The extension request form is available via the Student Support Team.
The form should be submitted as soon as possible before the coursework deadline and should be submitted to the Student Support Team.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your request has been received.
You will be notified of the outcome of your request via email as soon as possible. Please note that an extension to a deadline is classed as mitigation. Mitigation can only be applied once to a piece of work. i.e. you cannot have an deadline extension and also apply for mitigation for poor performance due to the same circumstances.
Late Submission Penalty (Including Dissertation)
Work submitted after the deadline without prior approval will be subject to a late penalty in accordance with the University Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes. The penalty applied is 10% of available marks deducted per day/24 hours (from the time of the original or extended deadline), until the assignment is submitted or no marks remain.
Penalties for late submission relate to 24 hours/calendar days, so include weekends and weekdays, as well as bank holidays and University closure days.
The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by:
10% of the available marks deducted if up to 24 hours (1 day) late
20% of the available marks deducted if up to 48 hours (2 days) late
30% of the available marks deducted if up to 72 hours (3 days) late
40% of the available marks deducted if up to 96 hours (4 days) late
50% of the available marks deducted if up to 120 hours (5 days) late
60% of the available marks deducted if up to 144 hours (6 days) late
70% of the available marks deducted if up to 168 hours (7 days) late
80% of the available marks deducted if up to 192 hours (8 days) late
90% of the available marks deducted if up to 216 hours (9 days) late
100% of the available marks deducted if up to 240 hours (10 days) late
If the assessment is submitted within 10 days of the deadline the assessment should be marked and feedback to the student provided. If this mark before the penalty is applied reaches the appropriate pass mark but the applied penalty results in a fail of the assessment, the student should not be required to resit the assessment as the original mark can be taken as the resit mark. Further information and examples can be found in the Policy and associated Guidance documents.
For work submitted more than 10 days late, it is regarded as a non-submission and need not be marked. In this case a mark of zero will be awarded and normal resit regulations will apply.
The sliding scale should only be applied to first-sit submissions. For all referred (resit) assessment, any late submission will automatically receive a mark of zero.
For further information:
Policy on the Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes
Academic malpractice is any activity – intentional or otherwise – that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. It includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results, and anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it. Academic malpractice can result from a deliberate act of cheating or may be committed unintentionally. Whether intended or not, all incidents of academic malpractice will be treated seriously by the University. Guidance on academic malpractice and how to avoid it The procedures and penalties for dealing with academic malpractice are covered by the same regulation as apply to Conduct and Disciple of Students (Regulation XVII). You are responsible for ensuring that you understand what academic malpractice is, and how to avoid committing it. If you are unsure, ask your lecturer or academic advisor. As further support for students, the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has developed an Introductory Course. This unit must be completed by all postgraduate taught students and will allow you to test your understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and academic malpractice. You can access the resource via Blackboard. Log in to My Manchester and click on the Blackboard tab. The online resource will be listed under the My Communities heading. The module should be completed as soon as possible after you begin your programmes, but must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic work for assessment.Academic Malpractice
The purpose of feedback is to provide constructive comments so that you can improve the standard of your work. Thus, in addition to marks you will receive 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 ratification by the examination board and the external examiner at the awarding examination meeting. Consequently all marks given before the final examiners’ meeting has taken place must be regarded as provisional. Shortly after the examinations meetings we will publish results and a breakdown of your marks. These will remain provisional until after the final examination board has met. The marking process involves several steps to ensure appropriate academic consideration and quality assurance processes have been adhered to. Students will be notified by email once the work has been marked and grades are available. We will endeavour to mark work and give feedback to students 15 working days after the hand-in date. However, occasionally there may be delays as a result of staff illness or other unforeseeable factors. In these circumstances, you will be kept informed of this. The University Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students A video message explaining the university feedback policy is available in the community space on Blackboard. It is recommended that you watch this message for information and suggestions on how to best utilise the feedback you are given throughout your course. Following graduation you may obtain a detailed official written account of all your examination results (called a transcript) from the Student Services Centre 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, membership of professional bodies, exemption from sections of professional examinations etc. If you need an official transcript, contact the SSC on 0161 275 5000. Unofficial transcripts can be provided by the Assessments Team.Feedback for Assessments
Once work has been marked and moderated you will receive an email from the Assessment 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 My Manchester account 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 does not appear until the unit is fully completed and marks have been through an exam board.How To Find Your Marks
Examinations
Examinations may be scheduled at any point during the academic year. The Assessments Team will provide you with details on when examinations will be scheduled. Please be aware that you may be tested on any topic from within a unit. Do not presume that because a piece of coursework has covered one area of a unit that it will not also appear in the exam. More details will be provided by the individual unit leads. Past papers for some units (where appropriate) are available online:
Do not assume that exams will take the same format as previous years. Academic staff should not indicate what will/ will not feature in an exam as this may not be accurate. Staff may have submitted questions that may not, necessarily, appear on the final exam paper. You should presume that anything can appear on the exam paper unless informed officially by the Assessments Team or Programme Directors.
Students are expected to attend all scheduled examinations. If for any unforeseen circumstances you experience any issues in attending, you must report this to the Programme Administration Team/Programme Director who may recommend that you submit a Mitigating Circumstances application.
Dissertations
This programme has two forms of dissertation that run through June, July & August. Full time students complete a 60 credit Research Project. Part-time students complete a 30 credit Literature Review.
The dissertation should be prepared in line with the University of Manchester’s Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations (see further information below) and submitted via Turnitin.
The dissertation should be 10,000 to 13,000 words (60 credit option).
Formatting
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- The dissertation should be typed double or 1.5 spacing (Single space can be used for references).
- Font should be a minimum of 12 point, except where specialised fonts are required.
- Pages can be single or double-sided.
- Page numbering must consist of one single sequence of Arabic numerals (i.e. 1, 2, 3 …) throughout the dissertation. Page numbers must be displayed on all pages EXCEPT the title page, though this is counted as page one.
Intellectual Property Statement
Insert the intellectual property statement detailed in the presentation guidance policy.
Additional information that needs to be provided with the Dissertation includes:
Introduction and aims: This section should provide information about the background to the project. The main aim of the Introduction is to inform the reader why the area of research is important, and how the project contributes to the research field. This section should end with one or two paragraphs that clearly state the overall aims (e.g. what hypothesis will be tested?) and the key objectives (e.g. what experiments will be performed?) of the project. The Introduction should be self-contained and should not require the reader to access additional material in order to understand it. Neither should it be a leisurely review of the field. It should be limited to around 6-10 pages of typescript. The referencing of reviews to cover large areas of literature is appropriate. However, research that is directly relevant to the project should be referenced in full as primary research papers. The use of figures to illustrate concepts or previous work is encouraged. It is best that figures are originals. Where unavoidable, figures may be copied or adapted from journals, in which case they must be cited in full within the legend.
In summary, it is important to identify in the Introduction:
- The research topic or area;
- The question or questions being addressed, and why they are important;
- The purpose of the project. In most cases, the project should seek to test a hypothesis. Some projects may be more observational, in which case it is important to identify how these observations will be utilised to advance the field.
Materials and Methods: This should provide a description of the experimental systems and designs employed to obtain data, the materials used (including suppliers), and the methods of data and statistical analysis. Detail should be sufficient for others to repeat the work and to demonstrate that the student has understood the methods used. The key here is to appreciate which methodologies require detailed descriptions and which standard procedures can be dealt with quickly by referencing previous publications or manufacturers’ instructions:
There is no need to describe at length many standard laboratory procedures. For example, cell culture could be described by: “HeLa cells were grown in a 5% CO2 environment, in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and containing penicillin (x U/ml) and streptomycin (x U/ml).” Methods of cell splitting etc. need not be referred to unless they are intrinsic to the design of experiments.
Many standard protocols use kits. These can be described by identifying the kit and stating that methods were followed according to the manufacturer’s instructions (with details of any modifications).
Results: A detailed description of the results and findings. These should not endlessly restate the aims of the project but should provide sufficient information to allow the reader to ascertain the aim of each experiment/method development and what the result was. The results are often best divided into sections, each with a theme.
The text should be supported with figures and tables. These should be placed in the appropriate position within the main body of the report, i.e. immediately following the first reference to each table or figure, and not all put at the end of the report. Tables and Figures should be self-contained with appropriately detailed legends and it should normally not be necessary to describe every aspect of the table/figure in the text. There may however be occasions when you want to draw the reader to specific components of the Table/Figure (for example, “note differences between columns X and Y in Table II”, or “note the asterisked bands in lane 6 of Figure 4” etc).
Tables should be numbered consecutively. They must have an informative heading and an explanatory legend. These should make the general meaning comprehensible without reference to the text. Consider the layout carefully so the significance of the data can be grasped readily. Statistics should be quoted where appropriate. Units in which the results are expressed should be given at the top of each column.
Figures should also be numbered consecutively and should contain appropriate headings, annotations and legends. Do not make the figures over complicated by presenting too many sets of data. On graphs, each line should have a separate symbol and error bars should be shown where appropriate. Unless there are special reasons, do not present the same data in more than one form.
Discussion: The Discussion should not be a paraphrasing of the results and is normally headed only by a brief summary of your findings. The Discussion should consist of a logical flow of arguments and reasoning that explains and expands upon the results in simple English, and identifies their relevance to published findings. You will be expected here to refer mainly to primary papers in the literature. The Discussion also provides an opportunity for you to defend your conclusions, identify how experiments could have been improved upon, and to discuss how the project might develop given more time.
Conclusions: A short summary will identify whether the approaches used have been successful and whether the aims that the student set originally have been achieved.
References: There should be a single reference section at the end of the document. References must be cited in full (all author names and initials, date, title, journal, volume, pages). References can be cited in the text either by author and date (e.g. Smith, 1996 or Smith and Brown, 1980 or Smith et al., 1990) or by numbering e.g. (34). You are encouraged to use a referencing software package such as Endnote or Reference Manager.
Acknowledgements: You may wish to acknowledge the people who have helped you in your project.
Appendices etc.: Appendices are useful ways to include supplementary data (e.g. DNA sequences) without breaking the flow of the dissertation. Buffer compositions are best described in parentheses within the Methods section, but their inclusion in an appendix is acceptable. Abbreviations should be listed on a separate page, preferably after the Table of Contents. Terms that are abbreviated should be used 3 or more times in the text. They should be written in full the first time they are used, followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis.
At the beginning of the year you will be asked to elect a student representative. The student representative will be invited to attend the Programme Committees for parts of the meeting that do not involve discussion of individual students and the assessments. The student representative should make students’ views known to the programme management. In addition, they should report any relevant information back to the students. The University has a Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students in relation to the timely provision of feedback for academic progression. Students will also have the opportunity to feedback their thoughts on the programme via a series of anonymous evaluation forms. Student feedback questionnaires will be made available via the Module Leads at the end of each module. The information will then be collated to assess the performance level of the programme. It is expected that every student will complete these forms. These feedback questionnaires are produced by the programme and allow students to comment on specific aspects of the organisation and delivery of the taught modules. The information obtained is collated and discussed during the next Programme Committee meeting. The quality of teaching on the programme is monitored in part by student feedback. Thus it is very important that you make your views, good and bad, known. At the end of each semester, you will be asked to complete an anonymous University generated online evaluation form. This is known as a Unit Survey and will address more general issues with the information obtained being used to inform the teaching strategy of the Faculty/University. You will also receive a Postgraduate Taught Unit Survey form at the end of the semester. Again all students are expected to complete these surveys. Student Representation and Feedback
Election of Student Representative
Feedback from/to students
University Regulations
Postgraduate Degree Regulations
The University Postgraduate degree regulations can be found online:
Postgraduate Degree Regulations
A video explaining the degree regulations can be found in the community space on Blackboard.
In order to progress to the dissertation/research project you must have satisfactorily achieved the relevant pass mark in taught course units, including by use of resit and/or compensation as outlined in the degree regulations, in order to continue to this element of the programme.
The nature of your programme and/or project work may require ethical approval. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have followed the correct ethical procedures, and that you have done this in good time. Speak to your Supervisor or Programme Director at the earliest opportunity to ascertain whether ethical approval is required. Ethics Procedures
If you are a Student Route visa holder, you must attend census points throughout the year, in addition to complying with your programme’s attendance requirements. Census checks are at specific times throughout the year and usually take place. The School must be able to confirm your presence to the UKVI by the end of each census point in the academic year. If you do not attend a census point when required by the School and you do not provide a valid explanation for your absence you will be deemed ‘not in attendance’. Further information can be obtained from the Student Support Team.Student Route (formerly known as Tier 4) Visa Census Requirements
Academic Appeals are a way of asking the University to review a recent decision taken by an Examination Board or equivalent body, which affects a student’s progression or status (e.g. where a student is excluded from the University, or transferred to a programme for a lower qualification). However, appeals cannot be made simply on the basis of disagreeing with a mark, or as a challenge to academic judgement. They must instead be based on one of the grounds for appeal detailed in Regulation XIX Academic Appeals. Full details are available here. The purpose of this regulation is to safeguard the interests of students and may only be used when there are adequate grounds for doing so which are outlined in the regulation. It may not be used simply because you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your assessment or other decision concerning your academic progress. An appeal which questions the academic or professional judgement of those charged with the responsibility for assessing a student’s academic performance of professional competence shall not be permitted. This means that you may not challenge marks or grades awarded unless you believe that they may have been affected by factors under i-iv below. The accepted grounds for appeal are as follows: (i) Circumstances affecting your performance of which, for a credible and compelling reason, the Examination Board or equivalent body may not have been aware when the decision was taken, and which may have had a material effect on the decision. Note: if students wish to appeal on such grounds, they must give credible and compelling reasons with supporting documentation explaining why this information was not made available prior to the decision being made. (ii) An administrative error or procedural irregularity in the assessment process or in putting into effect the regulations for the programme of study such as to cause significant doubt as to whether the decision might have been different if the error or irregularity had not occurred. (iii) Evidence of prejudice or bias or lack of proper assessment on the part of one or more of the examiners. (iv) The supervision or training in respect of research for a dissertation or thesis or equivalent work was unsatisfactory to the point that your performance was seriously affected. Appeals based upon provisional decisions of the School cannot be considered. This means that you will not be able to submit an appeal until after examination boards have taken place and the results have been released. All recommendations for mitigating circumstances must be approved by the Board of Examiners. In the first instance, students should submit an informal appeal directly to the school to see if an informal resolution can be reached. Students can do this by emailing their appeal to sbs.appealsandconduct@manchester.ac.uk with any evidence provided as email attachments. The specifics of the appeal can be outlined in the email. The email should provide the following information: Should an informal appeal be rejected, you will then have the right to submit a formal appeal to the Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health Appeals, Complaints and Discipline Team within 20 working days of the date you are notified of the outcome of your informal appeal. This route should not be pursued until an informal appeal has been considered first. Please be aware that if you submit a formal appeal without having submitted an informal appeal first, there is no other channel for submitting a further appeal within the university. Please note you can only appeal on your own behalf. If you want a representative (e.g. a parent) to appeal for you, you must send a letter (or email) with your appeal explaining that you have given them permission to act on your behalf. Students can contact the Students’ Union Advice Centre for assistance in drafting an appeal. For further information on submitting an appeal, please contact appeals.sbs@manchester.ac.ukStudent Support and Guidance
Academic Appeals, Complaints, Conduct and Discipline
Academic Appeals
The University’s Student Complaints Procedure (Regulation XVIII) and associated documents, including a complaints form, can be found at Regulations | Academic-related regulations | Regulation XVIII: Student Complaints Procedure | The University of Manchester 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.Student Complaints
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/ Faculty policies for students on communication and dress code, social networking. and drugs and alcohol can be found at: 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/using-the-library/students/training-and-skills-support/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/ Students thinking of submitting a formal complaint should, in most instances, attempt informal resolution first. Students can submit complaints to the Head of Teaching, Learning & Student Experience, Kerry Mycock (kerry.mycock@manchester.ac.uk), for the School to respond to.Conduct and Discipline of Students
Mitigating Circumstances: Requesting Extensions and/or Mitigation for Adverse Events Impacting on Your Studies During your studies, you may experience unforeseeable and unpreventable significant events which negatively affect your ability to submit work and assessments or perform to your usual standard in an assessment of any type. The University’s Policy on Mitigating Circumstances outlines the processes in place to reduce the negative effects of these situations on academic outcomes. There are two ways that these circumstances can be considered; Extensions for coursework submissions and Mitigation for coursework/assessments and exams. Extensions to Coursework/Assessment Submissions If, because of illness or other mitigating factors, you wish to seek an extension to a deadline for submitting written coursework for a course unit or a tutorial assignment, you must submit an Assessed Coursework Extension Request form. The application for extension must be made BY 10:00am TWO DAYS BEFORE THE DAY OF THE DEADLINE. For example, if the deadline is at 4pm on Thursday, the extension request must be submitted before 10am on the Tuesday of that week. If the deadline is on a Monday, the extension request MUST be submitted by 10am on the Thursday before the deadline. If a student is eligible for a DASS Automatic Extension, they should apply, at the latest, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE DASS DEADLINE. We will not consider late applications. If a student misses the deadline to apply for an extension, we recommend they apply for mitigating circumstances (see below). Students will normally be granted a maximum of 5 additional working days (in addition to any DASS automatic extension that a student may be entitled to). If a student requires additional time, they are recommended to apply for mitigating circumstances – see below. Applications for extensions must be submitted online using the link communicated to students each semester. Students will be sent regular email communications which will include information on how to apply – including a link to the online form.- Applications not completed via the provided online link, will not be accepted. Extension requests will only apply to assessed written work, for example, coursework essays, and do not apply to the following: Students are not required to provide supporting evidence for extension requests (unless they wish to provide this). The application will be assessed based on whether a student has fully demonstrated the impact of the incident/issue on their ability to submit the written piece of work within the original deadline. Reasons for requesting and granting an extension may include (but not limited to): Extension requests that fall within the following categories would not normally be granted: You must not assume that an extension has been approved until you receive written (e.g. email) confirmation. You should receive this confirmation prior to the original deadline. Mitigating Circumstances Sometimes circumstances or events beyond your control may adversely affect your ability to perform in an examination or assessment to your full potential. The University defines mitigating circumstances as ‘unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances that could have, or did have, a significant adverse effect on the academic performance of a student’. Possible mitigating circumstances include: Events that will NOT normally be regarded as grounds for mitigation include (but are not limited to): Personal issues: Time management or organization/administrative issues: Issues during exams: You should include any evidence that supports your request, such as: For medical conditions we do not require a specific letter from your GP or healthcare provider, and in cases of bereavement we do not require a death certificate. However, you can still include either of these as supporting evidence if you wish. If you are registered with DASS, they will confirm with your School directly - you do not have to seek this evidence from them. Please note some third-party providers can take several weeks to provide you with supporting evidence, so it is important to organise this as soon as possible. If your evidence will not be available until after the deadline, you must ensure your application is submitted on time and notify sbs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk when they can expect to receive the evidence. If due to an emergency you have attended a hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, you must obtain written confirmation of attendance either from the hospital or subsequently from your GP confirming your attendance and stating the nature of the emergency. If the information is of a highly confidential nature, you may submit your evidence in a sealed envelope to the SBS Student Hub, marked for the attention of the Chair of the Mitigating Circumstances Committee. Coursework and other assessment deadlines for submitting your mitigating circumstances application and supporting evidence Coursework and other assessments completed during the Semester: Applications must be submitted within 5 working days of the assessment deadline. For example, an application for an assessment with a deadline of 4pm on Thursday must be submitted by no later than 4pm on Thursday of the following week. Requests for mitigation submitted after the deadline dates cannot be considered. Students would need to go through the appeals process and provide a credible and compelling explanation as to why the circumstances were not known or could not have been shown beforehand. Applications for mitigating circumstances must be submitted online using the link communicated to students each semester. Students will be sent regular email communications which will include information on how to apply – including a link to the online form. Applications not completed via the provided online link, will not be accepted. Please be aware, mitigation will NOT result in the changing of any marks, unless penalties for late submission are waived after an assignment has already been marked. Absence from examinations due to ill health You should make every effort to participate in all examinations. It will not be possible to make special arrangements to take the exams in an alternative location, unless this has been arranged through the Disability Advisory Support Service. If you are so ill you are unable to take an exam, you must contact the SBS Hub – email sbs.hub@manchester.ac.uk or telephone 0161 275 1387 as soon as possible, and certainly no later than the day and start time of your examination. You should complete a Mitigating Circumstances application which must be accompanied by appropriate independent third-party supporting evidence. Further guidance on the type of evidence you might include is available here. Please note some third-party providers can take several weeks to provide you with supporting evidence, so it is important to organise this as soon as possible. If your evidence will not be available until after the deadline, you must ensure your application is submitted on time and notify sbs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk when they can expect to receive the evidence. If the information is of a highly confidential nature, you may submit your evidence in a sealed envelope, marked for the attention of the Chair of the Mitigating Circumstances Committee. If due to an emergency you have attended a hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, you must obtain written confirmation of attendance either from the hospital or subsequently from your GP confirming your attendance and stating the nature of the emergency. Illness not resulting in absence from examinations You may be unwell but able to proceed with an examination but feel that your performance will have been impaired. If you wish this to be taken into account, you must follow the same procedures as stated in the earlier Section Absence from Examinations due to Ill Health by applying for mitigation. Note that exam stress or panic attacks not diagnosed as illness or supported by medical evidence, would not normally be considered a mitigating circumstance. If you anticipate or experience any of these issues, you are strongly encouraged to contact your GP, the Counselling & Mental Health Service (see Section Counselling) or the Disability Advisory Support Service (DASS).
It is the expectation of the University that postgraduate taught students pursue their studies on a continuous basis for the stipulated duration of their programme. However, it is recognised that students may encounter personal difficulties or situations which may seriously disrupt or delay their studies. In some cases, an interruption or extension to your programme of study may be the most sensible option. Students who wish to interrupt the programme or extend to write up the dissertation should initially discuss their plans and reasons with the Programme Director. Students should also provide documentary evidence when appropriate, for example, doctor’s letter, sick note etc. An application must be submitted to the Programme Director who will either support or reject the request. The form will then be submitted for consideration to the School Interruptions Panel who will make the final decision. The forms required for formal application are available from the Student Support Team. Students who are considering withdrawing from the programme should discuss this either with the Programme Director and, if in their dissertation year, with their research supervisor, and make the application by formal letter. Students may liaise directly with the Student Support Team who will communicate this information directly to the Fees and Records Departments of the University.Interruptions/Withdrawals
Interruptions
Withdrawals
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. The service provides confidential services to protect the health of staff and students at The University of Manchester.Occupational Health
The counselling service is available for all students. It is free and consists of a team of professional counsellors. The service provides confidential counselling for anyone who wants help with personal problems affecting their work or well-being. The service is open 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday all year round except public holidays.Counselling Service
Postgraduate students at The University of Manchester who are qualified health or social care professionals (e.g. doctor, dentist, nurse, social worker) registered by a healthcare or social care regulatory body (e.g. General Medical Council, General Dental Council, Nursing & Midwifery Council, Social Care Council) are expected to behave at all times in a way that is consistent with the recommendations or code of practice of the relevant professional regulatory body. Postgraduate students need to be aware that in the event of misconduct, dishonesty, unprofessional behaviour, or other behaviour or illness (e.g. mental health illness) that raises the possibility that the student’s fitness to practise may be impaired; the University has a duty to protect the public and to inform the relevant professional regulatory body. This means, for example, that where a student has been found to be dishonest (e.g. plagiarism, collusion, falsification of research data or other forms of cheating) the matter may be reported by the University to the relevant professional regulatory body. Students who are dishonest not only risk failing to be awarded the intended degree, but also place at risk their whole professional career. Further information on Fitness to Practise related matters can be found online:Fitness to Practise
The University of Manchester welcomes students with a disability or specific learning difficulties. The University has a Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS), who can supply further information, and staff will be pleased to meet you, by prior arrangement, to discuss your needs. Staff will liaise with your School to make the necessary arrangements for your support during your time in Manchester. The office can also provide a copy of the University's Disability Statement, 'Opportunities for Students with Additional Support Needs at the University of Manchester' which sets out the policy and provision for students with a disability. DASS is located on the 2nd Floor of University Place (see Campus Map) You can also email the school at sbs.dc@manchester.ac.uk for any advice relating to DASS requirements. Please be aware that if you were an undergraduate student at the University of Manchester you will need to register with DASS again as a postgraduate student.Disability Advisory and Support Service
The Students Union has advisors who can help with any matter ranging from finances to housing and beyond. As a postgraduate the demands on your time can seem overwhelming. The University careers service can make your life easier by offering a range of services designed to help you. Advice and support for Postgraduates include:Students Union Advice Centre
University Careers Service
In order to monitor their progress, students will have regular, scheduled meetings with their academic advisor. Progress forms should be completed at these meetings. These meetings are in addition to the research project supervisory meetings between the student and supervisor, of which there should be a minimum of 10 per academic year. Students are required to attend ALL lectures. Attendance monitoring will take place during ALL sessions. It is your responsibility to make sure you have signed the register. Postgraduates are also expected to sit ALL examinations and coursework tests for their degree programme and to submit ALL coursework assignments by the deadline specified. Any queries about attendance should be sent to sbs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk. Attendance is monitored in conjunction with Regulation XX – Work and Attendance of Students. Absences supported by medical or other appropriate information will not normally be counted towards the assessment of unsatisfactory attendance. Any absences must be supported by a Mitigating Circumstances Form and supporting evidence.Monitoring attendance and wellbeing of students
The A-Z of Services can be found on the My Manchester website or here. Here you can find more information on a wide range of topics such as library services, disability support and careers advice. Details of what IT support is available and how to access it can be found on the FBMH eLearning Support page. Login to the Support Centre online to log a request, book an appointment for an IT visit, or search the Knowledge Base. Telephone: +44 (0)161 306 5544 (or extension 65544). Telephone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In person: Walk-up help and support is available at the Joule Library, Main Library or Alan Gilbert Learning Commons: Use Support Centre online for support with eLearning, from where you may make a request, or search the Knowledge Base. For IT and eLearning support visit: https://elearning.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/technical-support/ Blackboard, the University's 'virtual learning environment', will be used for online teaching. Blackboard is a web-based system that complements and builds upon traditional learning methods used at The University of Manchester. By using Blackboard you can The Faculty eLearning team have produced a short introduction to Blackboard for new students. The recording is hosted in two places: the Video Portal and on YouTube: The recording is just over seven minutes long and covers most of the commonly used tools in Blackboard. AI tools have the potential to enhance learning, and can support inclusivity and accessibility when used appropriately. It is important that you understand the potential risks and benefits of these tools if you plan to use them during your studies. You may use AI tools like any other resource to help you generate ideas, key themes, and plan your assessment, and you may also cite or quote content generated by AI systems. However, passing off work generated by AI as your own is plagiarism, and will be treated as seriously as plagiarism of another person. Some Course Units or assignments may vary this position. In these cases you will be given detailed instructions on what is and isn’t allowed, and may be asked to sign a code of conduct. If you are unclear about what is permissible, contact the course unit lead. For more detail on the University’s position on the use of AI in teaching and learning, see Artificial Intelligence (AI) Teaching Guidance. For advice on how to acknowledge and cite content generated by AI see https://manchester-uk.libanswers.com/teaching-and-learning/faq/264824A-Z of Student Services
IT Services Support Centre online
Blackboard
What is Blackboard?
Training in the use of software
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The University supports a wide range of religions and will make every effort to support students in observing their religious beliefs. For centrally timetabled examinations, key dates are to be noted in terms of formally notifying the University on dates in which undertaking assessment will be affected by religious observance. Please contact the Student Support Team with details of any assessments and teaching that may be affected. Centrally timetabled exams and religious observance Policy on Religious Observance:Religious Observance
Religious Observance and Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan
Library facilities are available across campus including the Stopford Building. Photocopying is available in The University of Manchester Library. It is important that you abide by the regulations concerning the copying of copyright material. The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons is a state of the art study and learning centre in the heart of the Oxford Road campus boasting an onsite café, an impressive atrium providing a social meeting space with wifi access and flexible study spaces and environments throughout the building. The Learning Commons is open to students and staff of the University and is open 24/7 during term time. Additional support for your studies is available through My Learning Essentials. The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has two ‘Writing Fellows’: Sarah Jasmon and Ian Pople, who are funded by The Royal Literary Fund. The Writing Fellows provide students with free and confidential one-to-one advice on effective writing, including writing essays, lab reports, literature reviews or other coursework. Students can sign up for a one-to-one tutorial (up to 50 minutes) to help you: Students can make an appointment during term-time with one of the Fellows by emailing them directly. Their availability and contact details are listed below: 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. 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. 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. *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 the Programme Administration Team 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. If a student chooses to approach another person to proofread their written work or seeks to use the services of a proofreading service or agency, they must take account of the following principles:Library Facilities
Royal Literary Fellows (Writing Support)
Writing Fellow
Availability
Contact Details
Sarah Jasmon
Mondays and Tuesdays
sarah.jasmon@rlfeducation.org.uk
Ian Pople
Tuesdays and Thursdays
Ian.pople@rlfeducation.org.uk
Online Skills Training Resource
Accessing the online skills resource
Content
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.
University Proofreading Statement