https://handbooks.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/2023-24/shs/pg/msc-investigative-ophthalmology-and-vision-sciences-programme-handbook-2023-24/

INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY AND VISION SCIENCES

MSc/PG Diploma/PG Certificate

PROGRAMME HANDBOOK

2023-24

Division of Pharmacy and Optometry

School of Health Sciences

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health 

Welcome from the School Director of Education

I am delighted to welcome you to the School of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. We are extremely pleased you have chosen The University of Manchester to commence or continue your postgraduate study journey; whether you are progressing straight from your undergraduate studies, seeking to develop your knowledge/skills in your chosen career or are, bravely, taking a completely different direction in life.

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

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

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

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

Mr Andrew Mawdsley
School Director of Education
School of Health Sciences

Introductory Courses

All students are automatically enrolled onto an introductory unit (SHSS60001 Introductory Courses) that provides information on health and safety, academic malpractice and academic literacy. Completion instructions for each of these sections are clearly defined within the course.

Completion of the academic malpractice and health and safety sections is mandatory for all students. All assessments must be completed as soon as possible after the programme begins, with the academic malpractice assessment completed before the first piece of coursework is submitted.

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

Online Skills Training Resource

The Faculty has developed a skills training resource to support you through your postgraduate taught programme. This online material should supplement the assessed learning material and activities undertaken in your taught programme.

Accessing the online skills resource

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

If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard please contact your Programme Administrator.

Full details of all these resources can be found in the introduction to each unit. These resources have been designed to give you formative feedback on your progress through them. If you experience any problems and would like to talk to someone, please contact your Programme Director. If you have questions about referencing and how it applies to your own work, please contact your Programme Director or dissertation supervisor/module lead.

Academic Writing	This is an excellent resource that supports you to write your assignments and dissertation. It is split into units that focus on key areas that previous students have found difficult and aims to enhance your academic writing style.
Research Methods*	This course is spilt into two units that cover introductions to study design and dissertation skills. It has a number of online quizzes where you can test your knowledge.
Statistics*	The course provides a valuable foundation for understanding and interpreting biostatistics. It aims to provide you with the fundamentals of quantitative analysis.
Presentation Skills	This short interactive unit is designed to help you to enhance your presentation skills. Regardless of whether you are presenting in public, preparing for conferences, an oral examination or more informal settings this unit will give you the tops tips to improve your delivery.
Qualitative Research Methods*	This unit has been designed to give you an introduction to Qualitative Research.
SPSS*	This is an introduction to statistics, using SPSS, a popular and comprehensive data analysis software package containing a multitude of features designed to facilitate the execution of a wide range of statistical analyses.

* NOTE: the material in this online resource is for reference and formative learning purposes only. In some of your taught programme you may be required to undertake assessed course units for Research Methods, Qualitative Research or Statistics. If your programme involves taught units then you should refer to the Blackboard material relating to that course unit. Please contact your Programme Administrator if you are unsure which material relates to your assessed work. You will still be able to refer to the online skills resource in later years.

Introduction to MSc/PG Diploma/PG Certificate in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences

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

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

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

We hope that your time studying with Manchester will be productive and enjoyable.

Programme Director:

Dr Catherine Porter

Email: catherine.porter@manchester.ac.uk

3.017 Carys Bannister Building

PGT Consortium Lead, Pharmacy & Vision Sciences:

Dr Alain Pluen

Email: Alain.Pluen@manchester.ac.uk

School Administrative Teams:

Student Hub: shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk

Wellbeing: shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk

Attendance monitoring: shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk

Disability support: shs.dc@manchester.ac.uk

Mitigating Circumstances: shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk

Programmes team: shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk

Assessments team: shs.assessment@manchester.ac.uk

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

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

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

Communication with Students

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

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

Section A: Programme Structure

Rationale, General Description, Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations for Students

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

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

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

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the Introduction to the Postgraduate Degree Regulations for Students:
http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/degree-regulations/

Passmarks and Compensation

The pass mark for each unit examination is 50%, and ideally you should pass all the units for which you are registered. However, the examiners realise that not all students will achieve this ideal, and some students may pass most of their units, getting good marks in some but just failing others.

The College of Optometrists Professional Certificates (Glaucoma, Low Vision and Medical Retina) cannot be compensated. The passmark  is 50%.

Criteria for Awards

Award of Masters Degree

The award of Masters degree is based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 50%.

Distinction

Exceptional achievements over the course of the Programme according to the taught masters marking scheme will be rewarded with the degree of Masters with Distinction.

To obtain a Distinction, students must have:

accrued 180 credits;

have passed all units with no referrals;

have achieved an overall weighted average of 70% or more across the programme;

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

Merit

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

Pass

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

Progression

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

Award Postgraduate Diploma

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

Award Postgraduate Certificate

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

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

Exit Awards

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

To be considered for a PG Diploma (120 credits; exit point) students must have accrued 120 credits across the programme.

To be considered for a PG Certificate (60 credits; exit point) students must have accrued 60 credits across the programme.

Please note the pass mark for course units making up the Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate exit awards is 40%.

Reassessment

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

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

At the recommendation of the Board of Examiners, students will normally be allowed one resubmission of a failed dissertation or project and this will normally be within four months of the date of the publication of the result.

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

Please refer to the ‘Programme Exemptions to PGT Degree Regulations’ section of the handbook where specific exemptions applicable to the programme will be listed.

Available Degree Classifications

Overall Programme Mean	Number of Credits	Award
40% or more	120	Certificate/Diploma PASS
50% – 59.9%	180	MSc Pass
60% – 69.9%	180	MSc Merit
70% or more	180	MSc distinction*

 

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

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

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

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

Students must be awarded 120 credits before being permitted to progress to the Dissertation stage of the programme.

Deadlines for Assessed Work

WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU TRANSFER SUBMISSION DATES TO YOUR DIARIES AS SOON AS THEY ARE PUBLISHED.

Assessment submissions

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.

In accordance with the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes, ‘Where appropriate, summative assessed written work, including dissertations and projects, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software’.

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.

All written summative assessments should be submitted via Blackboard® through TurnItIn. All written summative assessments must be submitted anonymously, only displaying your student ID.

Submission deadline dates and times are published on Blackboard® for each course unit.

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

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

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 calendar days of the deadline, the assessment should be marked and feedback to the student provided. If this mark before the penalty is applied reaches the appropriate pass mark but the applied penalty results in a fail of the assessment, the student should not be required to re-sit the assessment as the original mark can be taken in lieu of a re-sit/referral and normal re-sit/referral procedures will apply. Further information and examples can be found in the Policy and associated Guidance documents below.

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

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

For further information:

Guidance on Late Submission

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

Mitigating Circumstances

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

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

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

Grounds for mitigation

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

Possible mitigating circumstances include:

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

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

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

Applying for mitigation

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

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

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

How mitigation is considered and applied

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

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

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

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

Extensions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Word Limits for Assessed Work

With the exception of closed book examination answers, all assessed work is subject to a word limit. There are three reasons for this.

It is one of our objectives to encourage students to acquire the skill of expressing ideas in clear and concise written prose. Writing within a word limit imposes a discipline on your work.

For any given type of work we can only apply fair and consistent marking standards when everyone is writing within the same constraints.

Imposing word limits communicates clear expectations.

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 exceeds 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 cover page, contents page, acknowledgements, 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.

Word limits should not include text in the contents page, acknowledgements, bibliography/reference list, tables and appendices (if relevant). However, students cannot use  text within tables to try and side step the word limit (i.e. figure legends and table must be of appropriate length) and must be warned that if they do so they will be penalised.

Where assignments have high numeric content (e.g. statistics) then a judgement should be made as to whether it is reasonable for this ruling to apply.

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

Submitting work

All assignments must be submitted electronically. The published deadlines for assessments all relate to the electronic submission which is done via Blackboard, on the SafeAssign system. You must submit by the deadline advertised in your timetable/assessment handbook.

Submitting an electronic copy of the work

Log onto Blackboard via My Manchester https://login.manchester.ac.uk/cas/login

Click on the relevant course unit

Go to assessment folder

Upload your assignment via the SafeAssign process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_913066741&feature=iv&src_vid=7ZuZW9-KAjY&v=oI3X0XW-xkI

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

IMPORTANT

For Online Blackboard submissions, you MUST put your ID number first in your assignment title and save your document using your ID Number e.g. 7123456 Assignment 1.

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

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

The electronic copy is your official record of submission.

Turnitin System

The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking.  Such systems include TurnitinUK, the plagiarism detection service used by the University. Where appropriate, summative assessed written work, including dissertations and projects, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software.

The School reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.

Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a database to allow appropriate checks to be made.

The Faculty eLearning team have produced a short introduction to Blackboard for new students.  The recording is hosted in two places: the VLS and on YouTube:

• https://video.manchester.ac.uk/faculties/52f9b4cd447aa2fbeb47d1926186f80b/46971601-1356-43e2-8e78-e9f8997821f0/
• https://youtu.be/47pA877MKJg

Feedback for assessments

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

Marks awarded for your assessments (i.e. everything which contributes to your final degree classification) are subject to moderation by the examination board and the external examiner. Consequently all marks given to students before the final examiners’ meeting has taken place must be regarded as provisional. Shortly after the examinations meetings we will publish results and email out results letter.

The date your results will be published will be added to Blackboard.

When you have graduated you may obtain a detailed official written account of all your examination results (called a transcript) from the Student Services Centre on payment of a small fee. This carries the University stamp and is recognised for such purposes as admission to a further course of study at another institution (in the UK or abroad), membership of professional bodies, exemption from sections of professional examinations and so on. If you need a transcript, contact the SSC on 0161 275 5000.

Return of Marked Work

Understandably students are keen to know their results and to receive comments. However, there must inevitably be a trade-off between the diligence of the marking process and the speed at which it takes place. Marks from marked work must also be entered into our records, and this process is slowed by the need for painstaking checking to ensure accuracy. 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.

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

Example Marking Scheme

A generalised marking scheme for examinations and assignments to give an indication of the levels required for the award of a range of marks is given below.

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

How to find your marks

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

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

Examinations

Examinations run in the standard University exam period. The University publishes the dates of each examination period two years in advance, please refer to:

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/key-dates/

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. Past papers (where appropriate) are available on Blackboard in the Assessment folder for each course unit. 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 Assessment and Progression Administrator or Programme Directors.

Monitoring Progress

For students progressing on to study for the MSc, further information regarding supervision will be in the Dissertation handbook and on the OPTO61262 Dissertation space on Blackboard. In order to monitor their progress, students will have regular, scheduled meetings with their dissertation supervisor. Progress forms should be completed at these meetings.

Participation

Online participation at webinars and academic adviser tutorials is compulsory and attendance is monitored. If your attendance or participation is unsatisfactory then you will be reported to the MSc Programme Committee and, ultimately, to the Pharmacy and Vision Sciences Postgraduate Consortium Committee. Of course we realise that students will sometimes be unable to study for very good reasons due to personal or family circumstances, or illness; if this happens to you we will only know if you tell us, and we ask that you account for any period of absence which involves missing any scheduled session. In case of illness you should supply a doctor’s certificate or, if the illness is brief, a self-certification form can be obtained. If you are absent for other reasons then you should contact the Programme Director, explaining the circumstances. Medical certificates or letters should be submitted to the shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk. Whatever your reason for being away, please inform your supervisor or academic advisor about it and make any necessary arrangements to catch up with work you have missed. If you have failed to hand in a piece of assessed work as a result of your absence, be sure you have complied with the rules outlined above for late submission.

The Programme Committee monitors all cases of absence, and students who do not participate satisfactorily will be asked to meet the Committee and give good reason for their lack of engagement.

The University Policy on Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students can be found at Regulation XX: Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

Interruptions and Withdrawals

Interruptions

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

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

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

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

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

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

Withdrawals

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

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

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

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

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

Academic Appeals

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

Students have a right of appeal against a final decision of an Examination Board, or a progress committee, or a graduate committee or equivalent body which affects their academic status or progress in the University.

Students thinking of appealing should first discuss the matter informally with an appropriate member of staff, in order to better understand the reason for the result or decision and to determine whether the matter can be resolved informally by the School prior to making a formal appeal.

Should you wish to proceed to a formal appeal, this must be submitted within the timeframe outlined in the Academic Appeals Procedure to the Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team, electronically by e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk.

The Academic Appeals Procedure (Regulation XIX) and associated documents, including the form on which formal appeals should be submitted, can be found at http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic/basic-guide-academic-appeals/

Complaints

The University’s Student Complaints Procedure (Regulation XVIII) and associated documents, including a complaints form, can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic

The University has separate procedures to address complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or victimisation – see https://www.reportandsupport.manchester.ac.uk/

Students thinking of submitting a formal complaint should, in most instances, attempt informal resolution first (see the Student Complaints procedure). Formal complaints should be submitted on the relevant form to Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team, electronically by e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk.

Conduct and Discipline of Students

General University information on the Conduct and Discipline of Students can be found at https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/academic-appeals-complaints-and-misconduct/conduct-and-discipline-of-students/.

Faculty policies for students on Communication and Dress Code, Social Networking and Drugs & Alcohol can be found at:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29038 (Communication and Dress Code)

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29039 (Drugs & Alcohol)

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29040 (Social Networking)

Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at: http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/guidance-to-students-on-plagiarism-and-other-forms-of-academic-malpractice/

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

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

Sharing Information

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

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

Understanding Academic Malpractice

The University does not permit plagiarism or other forms of academic malpractice under any circumstances, and individuals found to have committed such an incident can expect a harsh penalty, which in some cases results in exclusion from the University. To ensure that you are fully informed about University expectations and understand your responsibilities with regard to academic malpractice, please ensure you complete mandatory academic malpractice training in the Blackboard unit SHSS60001 Introductory Courses.

A copy of the University’s Academic Malpractice Procedure can be found at the following link:

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

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

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

If you have any doubts or further questions please contact your Educational Supervisor or Programme Director.

Fitness to Practise

Information on Fitness to Practise related matters can be found at:
www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/appeals-complaints/fitnesstopractise.

Programme Management

The Programme Committee will be primarily responsible for monitoring the programme and will report directly to the Pharmacy and Vision Sciences Postgraduate Consortium Committee. This committee in turn reports to the School of Health Sciences PGT Committee. Special responsibility for the programme will be taken by the Programme Director, the Consortium Lead for Postgraduate Taught Programmes and the Head of Division. The Programme Committee will, in liaison with the School Postgraduate Committee, take responsibility for programme structure, development and delivery. The Programme Director will be responsible for admissions to the programme.

The Programme Director, in liaison with the Consortium Lead and the Postgraduate Programmes Manager, will be responsible for Quality Assurance for the programme.

Election of a Student Representative

Each programme will choose a number of student representatives at the start of each academic year. You will be able to apply for this role, and will be informed of who is chosen so that you can feed back any issues or areas for improvement you may have identified within your programme.

The representatives are invited to the Staff Student Liaison Committee, where they can feedback anything which they have heard from their fellow students. The Programme Team then respond to these, and these responses and any action taken are fed back to staff and students via a newsletter.

Academic Advisors

Each student is assigned an Academic Advisor at the beginning of their degree. This will be a member of the academic staff in your department who can offer support and advice on academic and pastoral matters, and are key to the School’s student support structure.

You will meet with your Academic Advisor during Welcome Week, and will then have one-to-one meetings throughout the semester to discuss academic progress, steps taken towards career planning, and professional and personal development.

IAG/Hub

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

Feedback from Students

Students will be asked to complete an online survey at the end of each unit. This feedback is vital to help us improve the programme for future cohorts of students.

Responsibilities of the Student

The responsibilities of the student include:

a) pursuing the programme with a positive commitment, taking full advantage of the resources and facilities offered by the academic environment and, in particular, contact with the staff and fellow students;

b) ensuring that he/she is aware of the health and safety regulations and academic rules and regulations and codes of practice of the University;

d) successfully completing any training programme arranged within the prescribed time period;

e) taking the initiative in raising problems or difficulties, however elementary they may seem, bearing in mind that prompt discussion and resolution of problems can prevent difficulties and disagreements at a later stage;

Role and Responsibilities of Unit Leaders

To develop and update the unit specification in consultation with specialists and programme directors, ensuring a coherent selection of teaching material and assessments to fit with the overall aim of the programme and its specifications

To liaise with a programme administrators and the specialists on their unit to ensure that the information on their unit in the programme handbook is accurate

To liaise with programme administrators and specialists to organise examining, marking and student feedback

To develop and monitor the Blackboard e-Learning site for their unit, in liaison with specialists for the sessions in their unit

To liaise with students concerning queries relating to teaching and assessments for the unit that are not specific to an individual teaching session

To attend programme meetings and the programme exam board in order to liaise with programme directors and student representatives

To consider and act upon student feedback, staff feedback, and external examiner feedback, in order to modify the structure, content and processes within their unit, in discussion with the programme team.

Role of the External Examiner

External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes of the University to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate deliberation. They also ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable with those in equivalent higher education institutions.

External Examiners’ reports relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives at the programme board, where details of any actions carried out by the programme team/School in response to the External Examiners’ comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they require any further information about External Examiners’ reports or the process for considering them.

The External Examiner for this programme is: Professor Keziah Latham

Name of Institution: Anglia Ruskin University

Position at current Institution: Director of Vision and Hearing Sciences Research Group

Please note that it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments. Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners should report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact their Programme Office (or equivalent).

Important information with regards to this course will usually be emailed to you. If you have any queries or concerns at any time during your period of study in Manchester, there is a range of people you can approach. Your Programme Administrator will be your first port of call for general issues. If your Programme Administrator is unable to help you, your query will be passed onto one of the Programme Directors. If all else fails or you wish to raise a confidential matter at Divisional level, you should approach the PGT Consortium Lead – contact details below.

The Programme Committee will be primarily responsible for monitoring the programme and will report directly to the Pharmacy and Vision Sciences Postgraduate Consortium Committee. This committee in turn reports to the School of Health Sciences PGT Committee. Special responsibility for the programme will be taken by the Programme Director, the Consortium Lead for Postgraduate Taught Programmes and the Head of Division. The Programme Committee will, in liaison with the School Postgraduate Committee, take responsibility for programme structure, development and delivery. The Programme Director will be responsible for admissions to the programme.

The Programme Director, in liaison with the Consortium Lead and the Postgraduate Programmes Manager, will be responsible for Quality Assurance for the programme.

Key Calendar dates

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/key-dates/

Semester Dates:

	Start Date	End Date
Semester 1	18th September 2023	28th January 2024
Christmas Vacation	18th December 2023	14th January 2024
Examination period	15th January 2023	26th January 2024
Semester 2	29th January 2024	7th June 2024
Easter Break	25th March 2024	7th April 2024
Examination period	13th May 2024	5th June 2024
Dissertation Submission	6th September 2024

Teaching Staff

The MSc course draws upon the expertise of a large number of academic and clinically qualified staff. Each module is led by one or two academic staff, but lectures may be delivered by invited guest speakers with specific expertise in that area. In total there are over 30 staff members contributing to the 6 modules (see syllabus for further details).

 

Name of Unit	Unit Lead	Email
Medical Retina	Prof Tariq Aslam	Tariq.aslam@manchester.ac.uk
Refractive Management	Dr Hema Radhakrishnan	Hema.Radhakrishnan@manchester.ac.uk
Low Vision	Prof Christine Dickinson	Chris.dickinson@manchester.ac.uk
Genetics of the Eye	Dr Forbes Manson	Forbes.D.Manson@manchester.ac.uk
Glaucoma	Prof Robert Harper	Robert.Harper@mft.nhs.uk
Clinical Science of Contact Lenses	Prof Philip Morgan	Philip.morgan@manchester.ac.uk
Dissertation	Dr Ketan Parmar	ketan.parmar@manchester.ac.uk
Evidence Based Practice	Dr Paula Whittaker	paula.whittaker@manchester.ac.uk
Fundamentals of Epidemiology	Dr Tracey Farragher	tracey.farragher@manchester.ac.uk.
Qualitative Research Methods	Dr Christine Greenhalgh	christine.greenhalgh@manchester.ac.uk
Dementia A Person Centred Approach	Dr Simon Burrow	Simon.Burrow@manchester.ac.uk

SHS TLSE inboxes

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

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

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

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

Full Name

Student ID Number

Year of Study

Programme

Programme Information

The course, which can lead to the award of an MSc, PG Diploma or PG Certificate, brings together the research expertise of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health and the clinical expertise within Manchester Royal Eye Hospital to provide students with a firm grounding in the knowledge needed to pursue a higher degree and to follow a research/academic career in ocular health/vision sciences. It also gives an opportunity for vision related professionals to advance their knowledge on the scientific foundations of ophthalmology and vision sciences.

A copy of the Programme Specification is available on the IOVS Virtual Common Room on Blackboard.

Section B- Course unit specifications

Information about all course units is given on the following pages. Timetable information for the academic year will be uploaded onto Blackboard. You can access individual unit timetables and week-by-week lecture information on each unit’s Blackboard space. Please note that you must be enrolled on a unit to access its Blackboard site.

OPTO 70300/ OPTO 71301 – Professional Certificate in Medical Retina/ Medical Retina (IOVS Unit)

Title	Professional Certificate in Medical Retina/ Medical Retina (IOVS Unit)
Unit code	OPTO 70300/ OPTO 71301
Programme	Prof Cert compulsory ACOP Medical Retina compulsory IOVS
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	20
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	10
Pre-requisite units	none
Co-requisite units	none
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Prof Tariq Aslam Mr Paul Rogers/Dr Catherine Porter Prof Cert
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150

AIMS

The unit aims to:

Provide students with knowledge of common medical retina conditions including diagnosis and management. This will incorporate areas such as screening, referral and treatment pathways where appropriate. Understanding of the role and importance of modern imaging and interpretation of these images and of clinical signs towards diagnosis will be a key aspect as well as subsequent formulation of a management plan.

This will allow clinicians to understand how to manage patients or community and hospital based optometrists to make accurate and appropriate referral decisions for patients with medical retina conditions

Finally the course aims to provide students with critical appraisal skills to keep knowledge up to date.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

The unit will provide students with a core understanding of the anatomy of the retina with reference to modern imaging technologies. They will learn pathophysiology, clinical presentation and investigation techniques in particular detail . The unit will cover range of management strategies and approaches to treatment including screening.

The unit will cover common medical diseases of the retina in detail including diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions and other vascular diseases and macular degeneration.

Other more rare conditions will also be covered in less detail.

Students should understand latest research findings and apply evidence based care to patients with age related macular degeneration.

Students will learn the principles of critical appraisal and have practical experience of applying these skills .

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Explain the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the retina and retinal disease. Understand the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, imaging findings, and management options for retinal vascular pathologies. They should have an understanding of relevant literature especially with respect to the evidence base supporting the use of current treatments for retinal vascular disease.
Intellectual skills	An ability to apply learning to novel situations such as patient presentations Problem solving, in particular with regards to diagnosis. Critically assess published ophthalmic research and report results both orally and in written format, including critical appraisal of relevant papers and understand the role of research in this field.
Practical skills	Interpretation of modern retinal imaging To review papers submitted for publication and research proposals. Prof Cert Students only: An ability to interpret clinical images An ability to detect and classify diabetic eye disease An ability to detect and classify macular degeneration An ability to recognise and manage acute retinal pathology, including appropriate referral An ability to examine the fundus using appropriate Volk lenses
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Communication, an ability to communicate effectively with patients Critical analysis Reflection Manage time and work to deadlines Use initiative when seeking information Use information technology to a high standard Apply skills for identifying, appraising, synthesising and applying evidence.

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

Lectures (in the form of online podcasts), Quizzes, Discussion boards, Case studies (all e-learning)

Setting of individual papers for critique and interactive assessment online.

Prof Cert students only:

Practical skills day

OSCE including VRICS

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

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Examination (short answer and MCQ) Presentation on research paper Prof Cert Students only OSCE	2 hours 10 mins 1 hour	After written examination Immediately after presentation Within 15 working days	90% IOVS 100% Prof Cert 10% IOVS Not credit rated but must pass all stations to gain the certificate

INDICATIVE READING LIST

Ryan’s Retina, 6th Edition. Authors : Andrew P. Schachat & Charles P. Wilkinson & David R. Hinton & K. Bailey Freund & David Sarraf & Peter Wiedemann & SriniVas R. Sadda Date of Publication: 06/2017 Gass’ Atlas of Macular Diseases: 2-Volume Set – Expert Consult: Online and Print 5th Edition by Anita Agarwal MD Retina- Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Ophthalmology (Wills Eye Series) Authors Allen Ho, Gary Brown, J. Arch McNamara, and Carl D. Regillo Publisher McGraw-Hill Professional

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

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

Date of current version

23rd March 23

OPTO70422 – Refractive Management

Title	Refractive Management
Unit code	OPTO70422
Credit rating	15
Programme	Compulsory IOVS Optional ACOP
Level	7
Contact hours	10 hours lectures 10 hours tutorials/workshops
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*
Pre-requisite units	none
Co-requisite units	none
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Dr Hema Radhakrishnan
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150

AIMS

The unit aims to:

To introduce students to refractive management, in particular- cataract and refractive surgery and aspects of myopia management options.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit introduces the students to different types of cataract and refractive surgery and how this impacts on clinical management of the patient. The Unit will also cover myopia management and control.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should/will (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Demonstrate a systematic understanding of refractive management options and how to individualise care for patients either considering or having received refractive management options. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of how refractive management through cataract, refractive surgery and/or myopia control affects vision and application of this knowledge to own (or future) clinical practice.
Intellectual skills	An ability to apply learning to novel situations Problem solving
Practical skills	Ability to use a range of resources to collect and select Information about the optimal clinical management of patients.
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Communication Critical analysis Reflection

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

Online synchronous and asynchronous lectures and workshops

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

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Closed book exam 25 MCQs  (25%) 2 essay questions (75%)	2 hours	15 days after assessment	100%

INDICATIVE READING LIST

Presbyopia: Origins, Effects, and Treatment by Ioannis G. Pallikaris, Sotiris Plainis, W. Neil Charman Refractive Surgery Dimitri T. Azar (Ed)

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

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

Date of current version

23rd March 2023

POPH60041 – Evidence Based Practice

Title	Evidence Based Practice
Unit code	POPH60041
Programme	Compulsory IOVS
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	Interactive online course with use of weekly discussion boards
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Dr Paula Whittaker
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150 hours

AIMS

The unit aims to:

To develop practical skills in searching for and appraising different sources of evidence

and a theoretical understanding of perspectives on evidence-based practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This course will provide practical skills and theoretical understanding to help you develop evidence-informed practice. The first part of the course will develop your skills in finding research evidence to inform your professional practice. The second part of the course will develop your critical appraisal skills and the practical application of evidence into practice.

This is an interactive online course. Students are expected to progress through the 10 weeks of taught course material at the same pace and engage in weekly discussion boards with their peers and tutors.

10% of the total marks for this course will be awarded for assessed group discussion board activity. You must participate in the weekly group discussions throughout the course to access these marks.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Find existing sources of evidence relevant to clinical and non-clinical health questions. Be able to critically appraise common research designs and assess the published literature. Understand how to apply evidence to inform professional practice and decision making. Understand the strengths and limitations of traditional concepts of evidence-based practice and how these relate to their own work or profession. Understand and apply alternative approaches to maximise the potential benefit from scientific enquiry, to improve the way in which health care is provided.
Analytical skills	Students will be expected to demonstrate an ability to search for and analyse the relevance of articles and journals to current evidence based practice.
Innovation/creativity	Students will be able to identify new opportunities, generate solutions, make improvements and to think creatively and enterprisingly in order to evaluate previous applications of evidence-based practice.
Problem solving	Students will need to evaluate current practice to demonstrate the ability to apply a logical approach to be able to re-assess the hierarchy of evidence and the application of problem-based practice.
Written communication	Students will need to be able to communicate their arguments coherently in the assignment questions demonstrating literacy and a strong command of the English language.

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

This course involves working through the course notes and videos provided online, linked references and other online sources of information. You will be encouraged to use selfreflection to help you think about the ideas discussed, and take part in discussion board activities. You will be required to develop skills in searching for published literature using electronic databases as part of the course. You should work through the unit in a logical sequence. The calendar in Blackboard will guide you as to what you should be doing and when. It is essential you follow this guidance so that you are doing the same topic at the same time as your fellow students. Participation in the discussion boards is greatly encouraged, and generally those students who do participate do better in their written assignments. Participation in the assessed discussion board activity is mandatory and worth 10% of the overall marks for this module.

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

Midterm assignment       Written assignment       1,500 words       30%           Final assignment       Written assignment       2,500 words       60%

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Discussion boards	N/A		10%
Midterm assignment	1500 words	Written within 15 working days for mid term assignment	30%
Final assignment	2500 words	Within 20 working days for final submission	60%

INDICATIVE READING LIST

There is no set text book

Date of current version

5th August 2022

POPH63121 – Qualitative Research Methods 

Title	Qualitative Research Methods
Unit code	POPH63121
Programme	Optional IOVS
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	Interactive online course with use of weekly discussion boards
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Dr Christine Greenhalgh
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150 hours

AIMS

The unit aims to:

To enable students to develop the skills to use qualitative methodology in public health and primary care research.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit is suited to anyone working as a health worker or researcher who is interested in learning about qualitative research methods. Some students take this unit to better understand published research. Others who have previously only studied quantitative research methods take this unit to gain an insight into different ways of thinking about research. For students who are planning a career or research using these methods, this unit is an excellent introduction.

This unit is designed to introduce students to the theory behind qualitative research and a number of qualitative research methods. On completion, students should be able to understand and appreciate qualitative research and undertake basic research.

10% of the total marks for this course will be awarded for assessed online group task. Students are therefore expected to engage with one another.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Understand the philosophical principles of undertaking qualitative research applied to health settings. Explain and critically discuss the principal qualitative methods that can be deployed to undertake research as a means of exploring a range of important public health and primary care issues. Compare and contrast the ways in which qualitative data may be collected and used in primary care and public health research. Identify, synthesise and conduct secondary analysis of qualitative data on topics relevant to primary care, public health or health services research.
Analytical skills	At Master’s level, we expect students to be able to apply what they know to other contexts, often their own. In this unit, students will have the opportunity of practically applying the material the unit covers through their assessments. Students will develop their skills in qualitative data collection (e.g. interviews) and data analysis (e.g. thematic analysis).
Group/team working	Team working is important for all health professionals and especially Public Health specialists. This unit requires students to work together in small groups to design and plan a qualitative research project.
Other	Reflexivity – Given the subjective nature of qualitative data and methodology, there are so many ways in which researcher bias could influence the study. This can range from the study design, to data collection, data analysis and even data interpretation and reporting. Consequently, this unit allows you to examine, judge and reflect on your own practices and to explore the implications of your role in producing certain kinds of knowledge.

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

This unit introduces students to the theoretical knowledge that underpins qualitative research and also introduces students to a number of well used qualitative methodologies. As well as online and web-based readings, students will also have the opportunity to undertake a number of practical exercises, which will contribute towards the assessment of this unit. This enables students to practically apply what they have learnt to real-life practice.

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

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Group Assessment	500 words	Written within 15 working days	10%
Midterm assignment	1500 words	Written within 15 working days for mid term assignment	35%
Final assignment	2500 words	Within 20 working days for final submission	55%

INDICATIVE READING LIST

Qualitative Methods for Health Research (Recommended reading)

Green J, Thorogood N, ISBN 978-1-4462-5309-0, 2014 (3edition), SAGE Publications Ltd

Date of current version

5th August 2022

POPH60991 – Fundamentals Of Epidemiology 

Title	Fundamentals of Epidemiology
Unit code	POPH60991
Programme	Optional IOVS
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	Interactive online course with use of weekly discussion boards
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Dr Paula Whittaker
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150 hours

AIMS

The unit aims to:

The aim of this course is for students to acquire an understanding of basic epidemiological methods for the purpose of participating in the design of epidemiological studies and critically appraising the medical literature

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

Epidemiology is the core scientific skill for the practice of public health, and been adopted by clinicians as the scientific basis on which evidence-based practice is built. This course is therefore relevant to current or future professionals involved with either conducting health-related research or interpreting the findings of research studies.

In this course students will learn about the history of the discipline of epidemiology, and its applications to public health. Students will be introduced to common types of observational study designs including; ecological studies, cross-sectional surveys, case-control studies, cohort studies and intervention studies. The course covers the appropriate methods of measuring and comparing risk in each type of study as well as the limitations of epidemiological studies and how to minimise systematic errors when conducting epidemiological studies.

This is an interactive online course. Students must work through the online course material. Students are expected to engage in weekly exercises via discussion boards with their peers and tutors.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	A1 Demonstrate an understanding of the key epidemiological studies A2 Perform and interpret incidence and prevalence rates of diseases within a population A3 Construct and interpret age standardisations A4 Define different measures of risk, how to calculate them and how this relates to understanding disease causation A5 Define the methods used in ecological studies, cross-sectional surveys, case-control studies, cohort studies and intervention studies A6 Demonstrate an understanding of bias, confounding and effect modification A7 Demonstrate an understanding of the uses of routine data, screening and epidemiological surveillance
Intellectual skills	B1 Apply epidemiological thinking when conducting or reviewing research in professional practice
Practical Skills	C1 Perform calculation of key epidemiological measures
Transferable Skills	D1 Manage time and work to deadlines D2 Develop a critical approach to interpreting epidemiological studies

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

Online distance learning with course materials provided via the virtual learning environment Blackboard. The course consists of 10 weekly topics with links to external web materials and reference to reading materials. There are also tasks that require students to participate in weekly exercises  – these exercises will be discussed and supported on the online discussion boards and moderated by the course unit leader and teaching assistants. These exercises will include practice questions to embed student’s learning and provide examples of the type of question in the assignments. At the end of most topics there is also a self-test which provides a more in-depth test of students’ understanding of the course material and a further guide to the type of question that can be expected in the marked assignment. Automated feedback is provided for the self-tests.

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

Midterm assignment       Written assignment       1,500 words       30%           Final assignment       Written assignment       2,500 words       60%

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Weekly exercises	N/A	Weekly	N/A
Final assignment	N/A	Within 20 working days for final submission	100%

INDICATIVE READING LIST

There is no set text book

Date of current version

5th August 2022

NURS63570 – Dementia: A person-centred approach

Title	Dementia: A person-centred approach.
Unit code	NURS63570
Programme	Optional IOVS
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	42 (including synchronous and asynchronous learning)
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Dr Simon Burrow
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150 hours

AIMS

The unit will critically explore best practice, informed by a person-centred perspective. It will examine current research evidence, theory and first person experiences of people who are living with dementia. Students will use this understanding to critically reflect and plan where changes can be made to enhance the care, support and well-being of people who are living with dementia within the student’s particular area of practice/interest.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

You may undertake this course unit as part of your diploma/degree pathway, or you may undertake the unit as a ‘stand-alone’ course unit.

This online unit is aimed at a wide range of staff who are engaged in the support and care of people who are living with dementia and their supporters/carers. It is suitable for people working across a range of services and settings in health and social care and also in wider community initiatives.

The unit will critically explore best practice, informed by a person-centred perspective. It will examine current research evidence, theory and first person experiences of people who are living with dementia.  Students will use this understanding to critically reflect and plan where changes can be made to enhance the care, support and well-being of people who are living with dementia within the student’s particular area of practice/interest.

Online teaching utilises both asynchronous (study at your own pace) and synchronous (live) methods. Teaching has been developed by experts in the field including practitioners and people who are living with dementia. It employs a variety of creative approaches. There will be the option of face-face seminars on campus as an alternative to live online seminars depending on demand.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should/will (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Demonstrate a critical understanding of holistic, person centred explanations of dementia and factors that influence individual experience Critically apply a person centred understanding of factors that can positively or negatively impact on the well-being of people living with dementia Explore first-person accounts of living with dementia and critically reflect on the implications of these with regard to their own area of practice/interest
Intellectual skills	Critically evaluate and synthesise research, theory and policy specifically relevant to dementia in their own area of practice/interest Critically reflect on assessments, interventions and/or practices relevant to dementia in their own area of practice/interest Apply a critical understanding of evidence to explore person centred changes to their own area of practice/interest
Practical skills	Demonstrate skills in critical synthesis, reflection and identification & interpretation of first person perspectives Demonstrate skills in leadership and partnership working via discussion, debate and shared learning Demonstrate skills in communication specific to people living with dementia
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Communicate effectively and sensitively (verbal, non-verbal, written). Develop and utilise IT skills. Demonstrate research and enquiry skills by accessing and analysing literature in order to inform practice. Work co-operatively and effectively with others as a member of a team. Reflect on own academic and clinical performance and utilise strategies to improve these.

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

Teaching and learning will be via online asynchronous material and weekly (live) synchronous sessions

There will be the option of face-to-face seminars on campus as an alternative to online seminars depending on demand

Guest speakers with lived experience of dementia will contribute to teaching

The online Blackboard learning environment will be utilised for learning, including discussion groups, access to resources and submission of formative and summative work.

ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

Assessment task	Length	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Essay Critically apply a person-centred analysis to an aspect of dementia care practice, a service or a specific project.	3500 words	100%

Date of current version

July 2023

OPTO70311 – Low Vision

Title	Low Vision
Unit code	OPTO70311
Programme	Compulsory IOVS
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	20
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	4 hours (2 x 1.5-hour) journal club discussion 2 hours (2 x 1 hour) Q&A 10.5 hours practical experiments (2 x 2; 2 x 2.5; 1 x 1.5) 4.5 hours Workshop (1 x 1.5; 1 x 3)
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Prof Christine Dickinson Dr Ana Hernandez Trillo (Prof Cert Practical Lead)
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150 hours

AIMS

The unit aims to:

Provide participants with an understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of low-vision, and with a detailed knowledge of the rehabilitation strategies that are used, and how these are organised. Visual impairment as a disability will also be used to explore issues around equality, discrimination, exclusion and accessibility. Visual impairment as the context in which to evaluate issues around applied, clinical and translational research

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

By the end of the unit, students will have a detailed understanding of the following topics:

What is low vision – impairment, activity limitation, and participation restriction.

Registration and certification; impact on the patient, family and society; equality, accessibility and inclusion.

How Low Vision Services are organised in the UK, and its multi-disciplinary and multi-agency context.

Measuring visual performance; Cortical Visual Impairment.

Incidence and aetiology of VI, from a UK and a global perspective.

Management of central and peripheral field loss

Lighting, contrast and glare; environmental and inclusive design.

Defining Magnification, and how it is used in patient management.

Electronic and Optical magnifying devices; Vision enhancement and Sensory substitution

Patient-reported outcome measures and their use

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should/will (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	An understanding of the terminology used to describe low vision and visual impairment An understanding of the epidemiology and demography of low vision in the UK An understanding of low vision certification and registration for individuals An understanding of the impact of low vision, including emotional impact, on an individual and their community An understanding of the different impact that chronic and acute eye conditions have on the individual Understand the different types and degree of visual impairment, how they are measured, and their functional consequences Understand the principles underlying the different methods of vision enhancement, including optical and electronic magnification; and aids for field loss Understand the importance of sensory substitution Understand the organisation of the multidisciplinary care pathways for low vision service provision in the UK, and the certification/registration process Describe how the effectiveness of low vision rehabilitation can be evaluated, and to critical appraise the research literature
Intellectual skills	an ability to critically analyse and express complex ideas problem solving
Practical skills	to design, plan and report an experiment
Transferable skills and personal qualities	a) communication and presentation b) critical analysis c) reflection

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

Online asynchronous lectures

Online synchronous discussion groups

Blended learning to include videos, directed reading, quizzes, discussion boards, case studies (all e-learning)

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

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Critical analysis essay X 2 Report on lighting investigation	1500 words 1000 words	Written within 15 days Written within 15 days	60% 40%

INDICATIVE READING LIST

This list consists mostly of general sources. Papers which relate to specific topics will be available on Blackboard. Low Vision Rehabilitation Caring for the Whole Person, edited by DC Fletcher, American Academy of Ophthalmology Ophthalmology Monographs. 1999 Primary Low Vision Care, R Nowakowski, Appleton & Lange, 1994 Low Vision: Principles and Practice, CM Dickinson, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998 Optometry A-Z, edited by N Efron, Elsevier, 2006 Low Vision Manual, edited by J Jackson and J Wolffsohn, Elsevier, 2006 Eye Essentials: Low Vision Assessment J Macnaughton, Elsevier, 2005 Low Vision : The Essential Guide for Ophthalmologists A Sinclair, B Ryan, H Robertson. Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, London, 2008. Prescribing magnifiers for those with visual impairment, Chris Dickinson, Optometry Today, 26th Jan 2007 pp. 40-46 Optical Aids for Low Vision, CM Dickinson, Chapter 10 pp. 183-228 In Vision and Visual Dysfunction Vol 1 Visual Optics and Instrumentation, Ed WN Charman, Macmillan, 1991 Managing Low Vision Patients – beyond magnifiers, Chris Dickinson, Optometry Today, 9th March 2007 pp. 56-60 Remediation and Management of Low Vision RG Cole and BP Rosenthal Mosby-YearBook Inc 1996 Functional Assessment of Low Vision, BP Rosenthal and RG Cole, Mosby-Year Book Inc, 1996 The Art and Practice of Low Vision, PB Freeman and RT Jose, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1991. Understanding Low Vision, RT Jose, American Foundation for the Blind, 1983. Framework for a Multidisciplinary Approach to Low Vision College of Optometrists 2001

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

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

Date of current version

23rd March 2023

OPTO70321 – Genetics of the eye

Title	Genetics of the eye
Unit code	OPTO70321
Programme	Compulsory IOVS Optional ACOP
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	20 hours of lectures, tutorials and workshops
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	E-lectures: 2 hours
Pre-requisite units	Video lectures covering the basics of genes and genetics from BIOL67561 Fundamentals of Human Genetics
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	Health Sciences
Member of staff responsible	Dr Forbes Manson (Biological Sciences (Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences))
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150

AIMS

To provide an introduction into the genetics and genomics associated with eye development, disease and treatment.

Lectures will introduce the topics of DNA and genes, protein characterization and functional analysis, molecular genetics and diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions.

Students will gain an understanding of: eye development; the importance of understanding tissue types and cell function in relation to genetic disease; several forms of genetic eye disease; an understanding of using genomic technologies for molecular diagnosis, and how to interpret NGS data; the potential for gene and stem cell therapy for retinal and ocular disease.

By the end of this unit the student will be able to:

• Understand the relevance of genetics and genomics to ophthalmology
• Understand the impact and relevance of inherited disease in the context of ophthalmology
• Understand the context of genome architecture and its variation; regulation of gene expression; variation in genome structure and sequence in the context of inherited eye disease
• Correlate genetic variants to phenotype and interpret study data for inherited ophthalmic traits, thereby understanding molecular mechanisms of Mendelian disorders
• Understand the current strategies for molecular diagnosis of genetic ophthalmic diseases using cutting edge technologies
• Understand the science and application of animal models and genomic technologies in relation to ophthalmology
• Be able to understand and interpret scientific papers in the field of genomics pertaining to ophthalmology
• Use a variety of genetic and genomic resources to understand genetic eye disease and genomic technologies for their treatment
• Work individually and as part of a group to understand, interpret and present topics on the genetics, genomics and molecular biology of eye development, disease and treatment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit will provide essential and contemporary knowledge relating to ophthalmology in the context of genetic and genomic science and genetic disease.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Use advanced knowledge in specialised genomic medicine, and appraise the application of new technologies in the diagnosis and management of genetic diseases, and explain the importance of research systems (e.g. animal models and stem cells) to further research and treatment of genetic eye disease. Students will be able to understand how human genetics can be applied to clinical care in the context of ophthalmology.
Intellectual skills	Illustrate how genomic medicine is applied to routine clinical practice outside of clinical genetics, and describe how genetic conditions are investigated. Students will also be able to evaluate how new technologies are applied in modern genomic medicine.
Practical skills	Interpret next generation sequencing data, access and understand genomic databases
Transferable skills and personal qualities	To work as part of a group to understand, interpret and present topics on unfamiliar topics.

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

The course contains 20 hours face to face lectures, tutorials or workshop type of learning. There are also 2 hours e-lectures before the start of the course to introduce the basics of genetics.

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

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Closed book exam	2 hours	Written feedback within 15 working days	80 %
Oral group presentation of an original research paper	15 minutes + 5 min Q&A	Verbal feedback on the day	20%

INDICATIVE READING LIST

Online content available through Blackboard for the unit BIOL67561 Fundamentals of Human Genetics: Basic Background Two Chromosome Variants and Abnormalities Epigenetics An Introduction to the Human Genome https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-06956-3 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0346-1 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350946218300077?via%3Dihub For those with less prior human genetics background the following web links may provide helpful background reading: – www.dnaftb.org – http://hstalks.com/ – https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/education/ – https://www.genome.gov/About-Genomics/Introduction-to-Genomics – https://www.genome.gov/About-Genomics/Educational-Resources

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

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

Date of current version

23rd March 2023

OPTO 70352 – Clinical science of contemporary contact lenses

Title	Clinical science of contemporary contact lenses
Unit code	OPTO 70352
Programme	Compulsory IOVS Optional ACOP
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	Lectures: 20 Seminars: 10
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	None
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	School of Health Sciences
Member of staff responsible	Philip Morgan
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150

AIMS

The unit aims to:

Provide ophthalmic professionals with the science underpinning modern contact lens practice. Specifically, the unit will allow students to:

• Acquire new information in the field of contract lenses and related corneal physiology

• Critically evaluate the relevant literature

• Develop articulate verbal and written communication skills around the relevant clinical science

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit consists of 10 sessions which each focus on a specific aspect of contact lenses and/or related corneal physiology. Each session will feature a two hour lecture by the session leader followed by an hour-long seminar of student-led presentations.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should/will (please delete as appropriate) be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	An understanding of relevant literature especially with respect to the evidence base supporting the use of contact lenses. To be familiar with the pathophysiology and management of some corneal pathologies related to contact lens wear. To understand relevant examination techniques for the cornea and associated contact lens management. To appreciate the nature and application of current contact lens management options To learn about corneal diseases which can be managed with contact lenses. To understand the inflammatory response of the ocular surface and its relevance to contact lens wear
Intellectual skills	Critically assess published relevant research and present such assessments in both written and verbal form
Practical skills	Better prescribe and fit modern contact lenses
Transferable skills and personal qualities	Present and communicate scientific information and data Gain confidence in the verbal delivery

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

This unit uses a range of different teaching methods including lectures, seminars and self-directed learning. The unit will be delivered online using Zoom or a similar platform.

It is recognised that there may be two distinct groups of students on this unit: an online group (likely to be working optometrists taking the unit as CPD or under the ACOP umbrella) and an on-campus group (likely to be registered for IOVS). These two groups will be managed separately in order that all students feel they are part of the unit’s learning community. This will be achieved as follows:

• Online students will be invited and expected to attend an evening ‘welcome’ session at the start of the unit for the course to be explained and important information about online resources, teaching styles, learning techniques etc. to be explained and discussed in a somewhat informal manner.

• A separate session with the same objectives will be held in person for on-campus students who will also be invited to the online session to promote a sense of cohesion across the whole group.

• All students will have the facility to take part in a weekly ‘office hour’ session; again, this will be online or in person at the choice of the student.

• Engagement will be carefully monitored throughout and any indications of non-engagement will be identified by the unit coordinator and either raised directly with the student or with their academic advisor.

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

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Formative assessment: MCQs after each session	5-10 questions	Correct answers with description after each MCQ exercise	None
Closed Book MCQ exam	2 hours	Verbal Feedback on request	50%
Presentation	A 10 minute presentation, delivered to an assessor and peer group.	Verbal feedback after each presentation and written feedback at the end of the unit	50%

INDICATIVE READING LIST

Efron N. Contact Lens Practice. Third edition. ISBN 9780702066603. Phillips A and Speedwell L. Contact lenses. Sixth edition. ISBN 9780702071683 Special edition of Contact Lens and Anterior Eye: the CLEAR initiative. Publication Spring 2021.

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

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

Date of current version

23rd March 2023

OPTO70362/ OPTO 71362 – Glaucoma/ Prof Cert Glaucoma

Title	Glaucoma/ Prof Cert Glaucoma
Unit code	OPTO70362/ OPTO 71362
Programme	Glaucoma – compulsory for IOVS Prof Cert Glaucoma – compulsory for ACOP
Credit rating	15
Level	7
Contact hours	20
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	10
Pre-requisite units	None
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Prof Robert Harper – Glaucoma Dr Catherine Porter and Mr Patrick Gunn – Prof Cert Glaucoma
ECTS**	7.5
Notional hours of Learning***	150

AIMS

Learning outcomes

An understanding of the relevant anatomy and physiology of the normal eye and the changes that occur in glaucomatous eyes.

A comprehension of the different types of glaucoma and classification systems; a knowledge of the prevalence of, and risk factors for, the glaucomas, including genetics; and an understanding of the associated visual impairment.

An understanding of glaucoma epidemiology, including diagnostic tests, screening and case finding.

To describe and explain the diagnostic techniques utilised in the clinical examination of glaucoma patients

To provide comprehensive knowledge of the technologies used in the diagnosis and management of OHT and COAG and an ability to interpret images of the optic nerve head and visual field test results.

An ability to make appropriate management decisions based upon clinical guidelines, e.g. NICE.

To provide an understanding of the approach to, and the various treatment modalities for, the management of glaucoma.

To prepare healthcare professionals to participate in community or hospital-based schemes involving the detection and management of ocular hypertension (OHT) and chronic open angle glaucoma (COAG).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit will provide essentials and contemporary knowledge relating to glaucoma and glaucoma related diagnoses in the context of eye care pathways and visual science. The lectures will be delivered by a range of clinical and non-clinical academic staff, largely by MREH clinical academics. The unit will cover the theoretical knowledge needed to detect and manage glaucoma. It will cover the structural and functional losses seen in glaucoma and the therapeutic options currently available. Emphasis will be placed on the instrumentation and techniques used in management and their theoretical basis/mode of operation.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding	Understand glaucoma as a spectrum of disease, the epidemiology, the mode of operation, clinical use and interpretation of clinical tests for diagnosis and monitoring, and the role of these in wider patient management and disease pathway algorithms.
Intellectual skills	To obtain and develop experience in critical appraisal of research and understanding of glaucoma literature and the evidence base within the context of the clinical disease.
Practical skills	Students completing the Prof Cert in Glaucoma will have the ability to: Interpret visual fields Assess the anterior eye for signs of glaucoma Measure central corneal thickness Take intra ocular pressure readings using Goldmann applanation tonometry Take a relevant ocular history from patients suspected of having glaucoma Assess the optic nerve head and recognise glaucomatous defects
Transferable skills and personal qualities	To help to prepare healthcare professionals with the theoretical framework to participate in community or hospital-based schemes involving the detection and management of ocular hypertension (OHT) and chronic open angle glaucoma (COAG).

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

The course contains 20 hours lectures and 6 hours of tutorial or workshop type of learning.

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

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Written examination (MCQ/SAQ)	2 hours	After exam board	80 % IOVS students 100% Prof Cert Students
Group Presentation	15 minutes	Maximum 15 slides	20% IOVS students
Prof Cert Students only	OSCE	Written feedback within 15 working days	None, all 6 stations must be passed

INDICATIVE READING LIST

Selected web resources: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng81 https://glaucoma.uk/ https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/RCOphth-The-Way-Forward-Glaucoma-300117.pdf Selected review papers: Harper RA, Gunn PJG, Fenerty CH, Spry PGD and Lawrenson JG. Care pathways for glaucoma detection and monitoring in the UK. Eye 2020, 34: 89-102. Wu Z, Medeiros FA Recent developments in visual field testing for glaucoma. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2018 Mar; 29(2):141-146 Vianna JR, Chauhan BC. How to detect progression in glaucoma. Prog Brain Res. 2015;221:135-58. Hood D. Improving our understanding, and detection, of glaucomatous damage: An approach based upon optical coherence tomography (OCT)Prog Retin Eye Res. 2017 Mar;57:46-75. Malik R, Swanson WH, Garway-Heath DF. ‘Structure-function relationship’ in glaucoma: past thinking and current concepts.

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

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

Date of current version

23rd March 2023

OPTO61262 – Research Dissertation

Title	Research Dissertation
Unit code	OPTO61262
Programme	Compulsory unit for Masters in IOVS/ACOP
Credit rating	60
Level	7
Contact hours	Direct supervision – 4+ hours
Other Scheduled teaching and learning activities*	Self-directed study (including fieldwork, data collection and meetings with project supervisor) – 596 hours
Pre-requisite units	Research Methods
Co-requisite units	None
School responsible	SHS
Member of staff responsible	Dr Ketan Parmar
ECTS**	30
Notional hours of Learning***	600

AIMS

The unit aims to:

Develop the knowledge and skills required to plan, undertake and evaluate an optometry research project

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT

This unit consolidates both the general research methods skills and the knowledge about specific optometry topics gained during the taught units of the MSc. It provides the learner with an opportunity to investigate a topic of particular interest. This unit places heavy emphasis on self-directed study with guidance from a research supervisor or other departmental staff member.

Projects can be designed to be:

A traditional Lab based project

A patient focused project

An educational project

A science communication project

A full systemic review or meta-analysis

An extended literature review

All projects involve an initial literature review which will form part of the students final submission

In the case of the lab based or patient focused project: data will be generated, collected, analysed, and discussed in the final report.

In the case of the educational project: an educational resource pertinent to Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science will be generated and trialled with feedback collected, analysed, and discussed in the final report.

In the case of the science communication project: two articles and a creative piece will be generated and trialled with feedback collected, analysed, and discussed in the final report.

In the case of the full systemic review or meta-analysis: the findings of the review itself will be discussed in the final report.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome	Students should be able to:
Intellectual skills	Review and critically evaluate literature relating to an optometric or ophthalmic issue Reflect on research findings and make recommendations for future research and practice.
Practical skills	Identify a clear research question on the basis of a review; Plan and execute a study to address a research question; Ensure that a study is conducted to ethical and professional standards; Collect and analyse data using suitable method(s).

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

The learners will receive two introductory e-Lectures: one providing an overview of the unit; the other to explain the research governance process.

They will then work towards the following milestones under the guidance of course staff:

1. Agreeing project expectations and an outline proposal of the intended project.
2. Obtaining a Research Passport or ethical approval (where necessary)
3. Developing detailed study methodology
4. Giving a presentation
5. Collecting and analysing project data
6. Writing and submitting a project report.

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

Assessment task	Length	How and when feedback is provided	Weighting within unit (if relevant)
Submit a project report	9,000-11,000 words	Marks and written feedback provided by first marker (project supervisor) and second marker (another member of staff) a maximum of 30 working days after submission	100%

INDICATIVE READING LIST

Core reading: Robson C, McCartan K. Real World Research (4th edition). John Wiley & Sons, 201 Further reading: As determined by the specific project.

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

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

Date of current version

23rd March 2023

* To inform the “Key Information Set”.  Defined as ‘any activity that a student has to attend or undertake at a fixed point and that has no flexibility for when it is undertaken, and where the student also has access to an available staff member’ (“Provision of Information about Higher Education: Outcomes of consultation and next steps” June 2011/18)

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

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

Section C: Information about the University

Divisional Administration Contacts

Head of Division: Prof Jayne Lawrence

Head of Divisional Operations: Victoria O’Reilly

The Division address is:

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

* To access some University buildings you will need a swipe card. To obtain your student card, please contact the Student Services Centre (+44 (0)161 275 5000 / ssc@manchester.ac.uk).

Student Centre

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

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

www.manchester.ac.uk/selfservice

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

Working with your own computer

You will need your own computer to study on the IOVS programme. If you also intend to use the computers at the university then you should check that your system is compatible with the ones in at UoM. This will help avoid problems when you try to transfer documents from your machine to ours.

IT Services Support Centre online

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blackboard

Blackboard (the University’s virtual learning environment) is the learning platform for the IOVS programme, and is accessed via https://my.manchester.ac.uk/.

All course-related materials will be placed on Blackboard so 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.

What is Blackboard?

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

view course materials and learning resources,

communicate with lectures and other students,

collaborate in groups,

get feedback

submit assignments

monitoring your own progress at a time and place of your own convenience.

Training in the use of software

The Faculty eLearning team have produced a short introduction to Blackboard for new students.  The recording is hosted in two places: the VLS and on YouTube:

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

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

Library facilities

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

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

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

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

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

Training materials to help you make the most of the Library’s resources will be available via the following link:.

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

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

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/accessing-online-teaching-and-learning/assessments-and-exams/avoiding-academic-malpractice/

Student Support Services

Student Support and Wellbeing Team

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

Support from the University

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

Students’ Union Advice Centre

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

Support of care experienced and estranged students

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

Support for Students with Disability and Long-Term Health Problems

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

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

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

Support for International Students

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

UoM Counselling Service

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

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

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

Student Support and Wellbeing Contact Details

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

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

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

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

Attendance monitoring and Student Ill Health

Students are expected to attend all scheduled teaching and learning sessions in every year of study, unless alternative arrangements or flexibility in attendance has been agreed for individual students, if unavoidable circumstances such as illness prevents you from attending or if absence has been authorised. This includes both on-campus teaching as well as online/blended, distance or remote learning modes of delivery.

If you are unable to attend a teaching session you should inform the lecturer/instructor in the first instance to catch up on missed learning and for support with teaching materials. For absences of 1-2 days, you do not need to tell the Student Support and Wellbeing Team.

If you expect to miss one or more full weeks of teaching, you must notify the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk, as well as your Academic Advisor. Please provide a reason for this to help the team provide appropriate guidance and signposting as required.

If your attendance is deemed to be too low, someone from the Student Support and Wellbeing team will be in touch to check in with you and make sure that you are ok. If the poor attendance continues without a valid reason, your Academic Advisor will be informed. If there is still no improvement in your attendance, you will be asked to a meeting with your Programme Director. This is in line with the university policy on monitoring attendance.

Tier 4 Visa Students

As a part of your visa requirement, your attendance needs to be monitored with regular in-person check ins on campus. You will need to attend the SHS Hub (Ground Floor, Jean McFarland building) twice a week on your assigned days to scan your student ID card.

Occupational Health

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

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

Health and Safety

See Introductory Courses.

Section D: University Regulations

Academic Support Policies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faculty policies for students on Communication and Dress Code, Social Networking and Drugs & Alcohol can be found at:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29038 (Communication and Dress Code)

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29039 (Drugs & Alcohol)

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29040 (Social Networking)

Social Media Policy
http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/guidance-on-social-media-for-students/

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

Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations
Guidance for the presentation of Taught Masters dissertations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Work and Attendance of Students (Regulation XX)
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895

Student Support Issues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IT and eLearning Support
https://handbooks.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/technical-support/

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

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

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

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

Students Union
http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/