1. General Information

Welcome to the School of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

The University has a worldwide reputation based on high quality teaching and research, and I am sure that your programme will provide a solid foundation for your future career success.

Within the School and the wider Faculty, our goal is to create an environment that allows you to excel and reach your full potential. Offering access to first-class facilities and strong links with regional health-service providers, our programmes are designed to meet the diverse needs of all our students. The curriculum of our programmes provides the knowledge and skills you will need in your subject area and all our programmes include an opportunity to carry out an independent research project on topics spanning all areas of biomedical research from molecular to experimental biology and clinical medicine. While subject areas cover a broad range, all our programmes have two common aims:

• To develop your skills in your chosen field of study
• To enhance your knowledge within the field you have chosen. Whether you are a graduate, professional or have a clinical background, the programmes have been tailored to meet your specific needs

As a student of the School of Medical Sciences, you will be expected to take responsibility for your degree, within a supportive environment that fosters your development and helps prepare you for your future career. This handbook will be a useful resource as you progress through your programme. It provides programme-specific information that I am sure that you will find helpful throughout your study. If however, you have questions or would like some further advice, please do not hesitate to contact the people listed in this handbook for further information and assistance.

I wish you every success as you embark upon your programme, and in your future career.

Dr Helen Jopling
Director of Education

The Student Charter

Our Student Charter, developed jointly by the University and the Student's Union, is an important part of how we establish and maintain clear mutual expectations for the experience of all undergraduate and taught postgraduates. It sets out what we can expect from each other as partners in a learning community.

Points of Contact

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 (https://my.manchester.ac.uk). The skills training resource is available in an academic community space available to all registered PGT students in the Faculty through Blackboard.

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

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

 * 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.

Mandatory Introductory Courses

All students are automatically enrolled onto the Blackboard introductory unit that provides information on Health and Safety and Academic Malpractice.

Completion instructions for each of these sections are clearly defined within the course.  All assessments must be completed within a month of you starting your programme, with the academic malpractice driving test completed before the first piece of summative assessment is submitted.

You must achieve 70% in each of the Health and Safety elements and 100% in each of the Academic Malpractice Driving Test elements to pass.

Health and Safety

Before you visit the University campus, please take time to read the University’s Health and Safety Policy.

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 emails 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. It is also essential to inform your programme team if you do not intend to return to the next session of the course, if, for example, you are moving away.

Graduation

All students who successfully complete the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and MSc/MRes programmes are invited, along with their guests, to attend a graduation ceremony. Further details can be accessed via the Graduation page on the University's website.

The University of Manchester degree ceremonies are broadcast live online, and are also stored on the University website.

2. Overview of the Programme

Programme and Course Unit Specifications

Programme and course unit specifications can be accessed via the Blackboard SMS PGT Student Support Hub.

3. Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations for Students

Students should familiarise themselves with the degree regulations for Postgraduate Taught Degrees by clicking on this link http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate-degree-regulations/ or reading the University document here: Introduction to the Postgraduate Degree Regulations for Students

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance

Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become an integral part of our daily lives. We see AI making personalised recommendations for movies on Netflix and songs on Spotify and chatting with us through virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri.

Though the idea of 'thinking machines' dates back to the early days of computing, and Artificial Intelligence (though often invisible) has pervaded our daily lives for some time, it is the arrival in late 2022 of easy access to Generative AI systems such as ChatGPT that has raised the biggest questions for teaching and learning. AI tools have the potential to enhance teaching and learning, and can support inclusivity and accessibility, but also pose real challenges that will force us to rethink how we teach and assess.

The University has recently set out its position with respect to the use of AI in teaching by staff and students. This short document sets out what can and cannot be done with AI, while providing scope for innovation and creativity in its use in teaching and learning.

New Artificial Intelligence (AI) Teaching Guidance was commissioned by the Teaching and Learning Strategy Group (TLSG) and produced by Steve Pettifer, Academic Lead for Digital Learning, with input from across the University. The new Guidance is available at:Artificial Intelligence (AI) Teaching Guidance

As part of this development, the existing Guidance to students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice has been updated to include reference to AI. This can be found at: Guidance to students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice

The Library have updated their guidance on how to cite AI:Can I use a chatbot or AI tool in my assignments?

Before the summer, suggested wording about AI was publicised for inclusion in programme handbooks. This has also been updated and is available below. It is envisaged that this wording is used for inclusion in all programme handbooks and course unit handbooks, or equivalent, going forwards.AI Statement for handbooks

The Academic Malpractice Procedure (owned by the Division of Campus Life) will also undergo revision to include reference to the use of AI, but this is not, as yet, included in the current version:Academic Malpractice Procedure

Any queries relating to the use of AI should be directed to: Steve Pettifer (steve.pettifer@manchester.ac.uk).

Assessment information for your programme

Please refer to your Blackboard unit spaces for more information regarding coursework and assessment, including submission deadlines: https://my.manchester.ac.uk/

Coursework and assignments

We normally require you to submit written coursework and assignments via the Blackboard e-learning environment.

You should be given an assignment brief by either the academic leading the course unit or your programme administrator. Your assignment brief should contain the following information:

• Methods for submission (e.g. via Blackboard, email etc.)
• Word count (excluding bibliography/reference list, figure legends, tables and appendices).
• Details of any penalties which would be incurred for exceeding the word count.
• Referencing style to be used (e.g. Harvard, Numeric – all written work must contain referencing.)
• The weighting the assessment contributes towards the course unit

Submitting your assignments

Do:

• Ensure that your student ID number is contained in the filename for your submission.
• Ensure that your student ID number is contained within the body of your assignment (e.g. in the header or footer).
• Leave adequate time to upload your assignment via Blackboard. The portal for submission will be closed after the deadline.
• State the word count of the assignment (word counts exclude bibliography/reference list, figure legends and tables and appendices). NB Legends and tables must be of appropriate length and students cannot use figure legends or text within tables to try and side step the word limit.

Do Not:

• Include your name in the file name.
• Include your name in the body of the assignment (except for the final dissertation).

If you have technical difficulties on the day of the deadline and cannot submit via Blackboard, then as a last resort you should email your work to assessments.smspgt@manchester.ac.uk

Preparing for your Exams

Practice exam questions will be made available to you within the appropriate course unit space on Blackboard.

All aspects of the course unit are eligible for assessment/examination unless stated otherwise by the programme director. On some occasions speakers/lecturers may advise you that particular elements are not examinable – PLEASE IGNORE THIS! However, please note it is not appropriate for us to offer specific guidance on what will and will not be examined.

Do:

• Ensure you arrive at least 15 minutes before the exam start time.
• If you are delayed and may not be able to arrive for the exam start time please notify the programme team.
• Always bring a calculator; your invigilator will be able to advise you at the start of the exam whether or not calculators are permitted for that paper. NB It is not the University’s responsibility to provide calculators in an examination.Exam Timetable Information, Locations and Equipment

All exams are arranged by the programme team. Therefore, details of your Exam date, location and time will be made available by your programme administrator normally through the programme community space in Blackboard / via email during the academic year.

Grades and Feedback

We aim to make grades available within 15 working days of the assignment submission or exam date. We aim to give feedback on written assignments (feedback may be sent by either academic or administrative staff). Feedback comments for examinations are available on request.

Grades for all assessed work are released via the Campus Solutions Student System which can be accessed via the My Manchester area https://my.manchester.ac.uk.

Within the Student System navigate via Self Service>Student Center>Academics>Assignments

All grades are subject to final ratification at Examination Board.

Assignment Word Count (Including Dissertation)

In accordance with the University Policy on Marking:

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

For an original word limit that is 1000 words and an assignment that is marked out of 100.  If a submission is made that is 1101 words, then it exceeded the 10% leeway, and is more than 100 words over the original limit and should receive a 1-mark deduction.

In accordance with accepted academic practice, when submitting any written assignment for summative assessment, the notion of a word count includes the following without exception:

• All titles or headings that form part of the actual text. This does not include the fly page or reference list
• All words that form the actual essay
• All words forming the titles for figures, tables and boxes, are included but this does not include boxes or tables or figures themselves
• All in-text (that is bracketed) references
• All directly quoted material

Certain assessments may require different penalties for word limits to be applied. For example, if part of the requirement for the assessment is conciseness of presentation of facts and arguments. In such cases it may be that no 10% leeway is allowed, and penalties applied may be stricter than described above. In such cases the rules for word count limits and the penalties to be applied will be clearly stated in the assessment brief and in the submission details for that assessment.

Word Count Guide

What is and what is not included in the word count. Please note: Depending on the type of assessment, not all sections will be applicable.

Turnitin and Plagiarism

Plagiarism and Other Forms of Academic Malpractice
Academic malpractice is any activity - intentional or otherwise - that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. It includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results, and anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it. Academic malpractice can result from a deliberate act of cheating or may be committed unintentionally. Whether intended or not, all incidents of academic malpractice will be treated seriously by the University.

The Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health have designed a learning module to raise your awareness of academic malpractice and how it can occur in general writing during your studies. This resource can be accessed via Blackboard - SMS Introductory Course and must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic writing for assessment.

The University provides workshops and online training via My Learning Essentials

Please refer to the University of Manchester guidance to students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice

The full guidance document can be viewed here: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2870

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

Turnitin
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.
As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of your work to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University (this requirement may be in addition to a requirement to submit a paper copy of your work).  If you are asked to do this, you must do so within the required timescales.
The School also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.
Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a database to allow appropriate checks to be made.

Late Submission Penalty (Including Dissertation)

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

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

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

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

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

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

For further information:

Guidance on Late Submission

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

• Short term illness or injury
• Acute stress from personal or financial issues

Mitigating circumstances are personal or medical circumstances which are unforeseeable and unpreventable that could have a significant adverse effect on your academic performance. You should only submit a mitigating circumstances application if you consider it serious enough, and the timing critical, to have affected your performance in your assessed work and examinations.

Request for mitigation must be submitted via the online form, in advance of your assessment submission deadline or exam. Requests for mitigation submitted after the assessment or exam (except those requests made as a result of circumstances that have arisen during the course of that assessment period) will not be considered without a credible and compelling explanation as to why the circumstances were not known before the beginning of the assessment period or why you were unable to complete or submit an application prior to the assessment or exam. Please note that not informing the University of circumstances due to personal feelings of embarrassment and pride, or having concerns over the confidential treatment of requests for mitigation, are not considered to be credible and compelling explanations

All mitigating circumstances applications must be supported by independent third party evidence. The type of evidence required will vary according to the nature of the circumstances. Examples of evidence include a doctor or other health professional’s letter, counsellor’s letter, self-certification form signed by your GP or GP’s Medical Practice (for illnesses of 7 days and under only). Please note that it is a University policy that the self-certification form must be signed by a GP; we cannot accept forms which have not been signed by a GP. Please note that if evidence has not been received within 2 weeks of the submission of your form, and you have not contacted them to inform them of any delay, your application will be refused and no further action will be taken.

Any requests for mitigation will be considered confidentially by a mitigating circumstances panel or sub-panel. Where a request for mitigation is supported, a recommendation will be made to the exam board for them to decide on the best course of action for the student.

You are advised to consult the following guidance, which directs you to seek advice and support before and whilst submitting a request for mitigation.

Guidance for students is available on the web: A Basic Guide to Mitigating Circumstances

For further information about the process and acceptable grounds for mitigation see: Mitigating Circumstances Policy & Procedures: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=4271

Guidance for Presentation of Taught Master's Dissertations

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

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

There is more information on taught master's dissertation requirements on Blackboard: https://my.manchester.ac.uk 

Detailed Format for Writing a Masters Dissertation

Additional information that needs to be provided with the Dissertation includes:

Introduction and aims: This section should provide information about the background to the project. The main aim of the Introduction is to inform the reader why the area of research is important, and how the project contributes to the research field. This section should end with one or two paragraphs that clearly state the overall aims (e.g. what hypothesis will be tested?) and the key objectives (e.g. what experiments will be performed?) of the project. The Introduction should be self-contained and should not require the reader to access additional material in order to understand it. Neither should it be a leisurely review of the field. It should be limited to around 6-10 pages of typescript. The referencing of reviews to cover large areas of literature is appropriate. However, research that is directly relevant to the project should be referenced in full as primary research papers. The use of figures to illustrate concepts or previous work is encouraged. It is best that figures are originals. Where unavoidable, figures may be copied or adapted from journals, in which case they must be cited in full within the legend.

In summary, it is important to identify in the Introduction:

• The research topic or area;
• The question or questions being addressed, and why they are important;
• The purpose of the project. In most cases, the project should seek to test a hypothesis. Some projects may be more observational, in which case it is important to identify how these observations will be utilised to advance the field.

Materials and Methods: This should provide a description of the experimental systems and designs employed to obtain data, the materials used (including suppliers), and the methods of data and statistical analysis. Detail should be sufficient for others to repeat the work and to demonstrate that the student has understood the methods used. The key here is to appreciate which methodologies require detailed descriptions and which standard procedures can be dealt with quickly by referencing previous publications or manufacturers’ instructions.

Results: A detailed description of the results and findings. These should not endlessly re-state the aims of the project but should provide sufficient information to allow the reader to ascertain the aim of each experiment/method development and what the result was. The results are often best divided into sections, each with a theme.

The text should be supported with figures and tables. These should be placed in the appropriate position within the main body of the report, i.e. immediately following the first reference to each table or figure, and not all put at the end of the report. Tables and Figures should be self-contained with appropriately detailed legends and it should normally not be necessary to describe every aspect of the table/figure in the text. There may however be occasions when you want to draw the reader to specific components of the Table/Figure (for example, “note differences between columns X and Y in Table II”, or “note the asterisked bands in lane 6 of Figure 4” etc).

Tables should be numbered consecutively. They must have an informative heading and an explanatory legend. These should make the general meaning comprehensible without reference to the text. Consider the layout carefully so the significance of the data can be grasped readily. Statistics should be quoted where appropriate. Units in which the results are expressed should be given at the top of each column.

Figures should also be numbered consecutively and should contain appropriate headings, annotations and legends. Do not make the figures over complicated by presenting too many sets of data. On graphs, each line should have a separate symbol and error bars should be shown where appropriate. Unless there are special reasons, do not present the same data in more than one form.

Discussion: The Discussion should not be a paraphrasing of the results and is normally headed only by a brief summary of your findings. The Discussion should consist of a logical flow of arguments and reasoning that explains and expands upon the results in simple English, and identifies their relevance to published findings. You will be expected here to refer mainly to primary papers in the literature. The Discussion also provides an opportunity for you to defend your conclusions, identify how experiments could have been improved upon, and to discuss how the project might develop given more time.

Conclusions: A short summary will identify whether the approaches used have been successful and whether the aims that the student set originally have been achieved.

References: There should be a single reference section at the end of the document. References must be cited in full (all author names and initials, date, title, journal, volume, pages). References can be cited in the text either by author and date (e.g. Smith, 1996 or Smith and Brown, 1980 or Smith et al., 1990) or by numbering e.g. (34). You are encouraged to use a referencing software package such as Endnote or Reference Manager.

Acknowledgements: You may wish to acknowledge the people who have helped you in your project.

Appendices etc: Appendices are useful ways to include supplementary data (e.g. DNA sequences) without breaking the flow of the dissertation. Buffer compositions are best described in parentheses within the Methods section, but their inclusion in an appendix is acceptable. Abbreviations should be listed on a separate page, preferably after the Table of Contents. Terms that are abbreviated should be used 3 or more times in the text. They should be written in full the first time they are used, followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis.

Fitness to Practise

Where a programme of study requires the student to undertake practical training in a quasi-professional role in relation to patients, clients or service-users or where the qualification provides a direct license to practise, the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has a duty to ensure that the student is fit to practise. In order to protect present or future patients, clients or service users and to comply with the requirements of professional/regulatory bodies, the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has established a procedure for dealing with student-related fitness to practise issues.

Fitness to Practise issues are initially investigated and considered locally within the School (e.g. by a Health and Conduct Committee) and if necessary referred to the Faculty Fitness to Practise Committee.

A student may appeal against the decision of a Fitness to Practise Committee within twenty days of the decision but only on one or more of the following grounds:

a) procedural irregularity;

b) availability of new evidence which could not reasonably have been expected to be presented to the original hearing;

c) the disproportionate nature of the penalty.

The TLSO facilitates the arrangements for Fitness to Practise Appeals Committees.  An Appeals Committee has the power to confirm or alter the original decision, and the outcome is confirmed to students in a Completion of Procedures letter.  A student may then decide to pursue a complaint with the OIA.

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

Academic Appeals, Complaints, Conduct and Discipline

Academic Appeals

You can submit an appeal about an academic outcome based on one or more of the following grounds:

a. Circumstances exist (or existed) affecting your performance of which, for a good reason, the relevant decision-making body may not have been made aware when its decision was taken, and which might have had a material effect on its decision.
b. A material administrative error or procedural irregularity has taken place in the assessment process (or in putting into effect the regulations for your programme of study) of such a nature as to cause significant doubt whether the decision you are appealing might have been different if the error or irregularity had not occurred.
c. You have evidence of prejudice or bias by one or more of your examiners.
d. Your supervision or training in respect of research for a dissertation or thesis (or equivalent work) was unsatisfactory to the point that your performance was seriously affected.

An appeal cannot challenge academic judgement, including challenges to examiners’ scores and feedback.

STAGE ONE – Early Resolution

Stage One Academic Appeals must be submitted within 20 working days of being notified of the decision you are appealing against.

Complete the Stage One Academic Appeal form: Stage One Academic Appeal form (manchester.ac.uk)

The School will conduct an initial assessment to check the appeal:

• is on time, within 20 working days of the publication of confirmed results or the decision being appealed.
• meets one or more of the grounds to appeal.
• is not a challenge to academic judgement.
• is supported by relevant evidence where necessary.

If your appeal does not meet all of the above, the School will write to you within 10 working days to explain why.

If your appeal is considered eligible, it will be reviewed by the School and you will receive an outcome letter.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can choose to progress to Stage Two.

All evidence and reasoning relating to your appeal must be included with the Stage One application. Any new evidence or reasoning presented at Stage Two or Three will not be considered if there is not a clear and credible reason why this was not submitted or declared in the Stage One application.

STAGE TWO – Formal Consideration

Stage Two Academic Appeals must be submitted within 10 working days of receiving the Stage One outcome.

A Faculty Officer will review your appeal and the response from the School. The Faculty Officer may decide that your appeal is not eligible for consideration at Stage Two because the School has already made a decision at Stage One that the Faculty Officer thinks is reasonable.

If the Faculty Officer decides to review your appeal at Stage Two, they may request further documents and evidence from you. Please note that you are usually expected to provide all the evidence that you wish to be considered in an appeal at Stage One.

Your appeal will be considered and you will receive a Stage Two outcome letter. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can choose to progress to Stage Three.

STAGE THREE – Review Request

If you do not agree with the decision to dismiss your appeal after it has been considered by your Faculty, you can request that the decision is reviewed.

A Stage Three review is not a reconsideration of the appeal. A review is to check that the appeals procedure has been properly followed, and that the Faculty Officer’s decision was reasonable based on all available evidence.

You can request a review up to 10 working days after receiving your Stage Two outcome.

More information about the three stages of the appeal process can be found here: Quick Guide to Academic Appeals

and Academic Appeals Procedure Regulation XIX

Information about the support available to you during the appeals process can be found here: Available support - factsheet for students who are accessing the University's appeals process

Student Complaints

• The University's Student Complaints Procedure (Regulation XVIII) and associate documents, including a basic guide to students, can be found here.
• The University has separate procedures to address complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or victimisation - see Report + Support
• Students thinking of submitting a formal complaint should, in most instances, attempt informal resolution first (see the procedure). Formal complaints should be submitted on the relevant form to Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team

Conduct and Discipline of Students

• The University's Procedure for Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulation XVII) and associate documents can be found here.
• Faculty policies for students on communication and social networking can be found here:
  • Communication and Dress Code
  • Social Networking
• Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found here.
• 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, they can be found here.

Sharing Information

The University may share appropriate information relating to your health and/or conduct with external organisations such as your professional employer(s) (for example, relevant NHS Trust, Professional and Statutory Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)), placement and training providers and/or regulator. This may occur where concerns in relation to your health and/or conduct arise and the University considers it necessary for them to be disclosed to one or more of the above organisations. The University’s Privacy Notice for Registered Students (which is accessible via this link) 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.

4. Student Progression

Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The programme director and teaching staff will monitor the work and attendance of students on the programme. This is for your benefit and helps to ensure you are coping with the work. Regular or a pattern of non-attendance and/or engagement will result in you being contacted by the School to meet with your programme director. Following this, further action will be taken if there isn’t a significant improvement in attendance.
For further information see: Regulation XX Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The University offers a range of advice and support to students experiencing problems with attendance. The A-Z of Services can be found on the MyManchester website. Here you can find a information on a wide range of topics such as library services, disability support and careers advice.

You can also speak to your Programme Director and/or Academic Advisor.

What to do if you are absent
In case of illness you should supply a doctor’s certificate or, if the illness is brief, a self-certification.  If you are absent for other reasons then you should write a letter to the Programme Director explaining the circumstances. Medical certificates or letters should be given in person or sent to the Programme Administrator. Whatever your reason for being away, tell your supervisor about it and make any necessary arrangements to catch up with work you have missed.

Requests to Take Leave

Because of the structure of the MSc we are not always able to follow standard Semester dates and University holiday periods. You are expected to attend for all taught lectures, tutorials and exams. We also expect that following completion of your taught assessments that you are actively engaging with your studies for your research project. If you wish to take leave, please submit a request with dates to your programme administrator, who will seek approval from the programme director.

Special Permissions

It is the expectation of the University that postgraduate taught students pursue their studies on a continuous basis for the stipulated duration of their programme.  However, it is recognised that students may encounter personal difficulties or situations which may seriously disrupt or delay their studies.  In some cases, an interruption/programme extension/change mode of study or an extension towriting up may be the most sensible option.

Should you wish to apply for special permission, in the first instance, please discuss your circumstances with your Programme Director/Academic Advisor/Dissertation Supervisor.

Withdrawal from the Programme

Students who are considering withdrawing from the programme should discuss this in the first instance with the Programme Director.
If arrangements for withdrawal need to be made, this will be handled by the Programme Administrator, who will manage communication with the Fees and Records Departments and other University bodies as appropriate OR Students may liaise directly with the Programme Administrator who will communicate this information directly to the University Student Services Centre.

5. Student Support and Guidance

Student Support and Guidance

Student support and guidance within the programme

Support and advice is available to all students both formally and informally from the Programme Directors, the Programme Administrator and research project supervisors.

If you have any queries or would like to discuss any issues at all – academic, administrative, technical or personal – please do not hesitate to get in touch. All personal issues will be dealt with confidentially.

If we are unable to help you directly, we can put you in touch with many of the support services that are available to students of the University through our Student Services Centre.

You can approach these services independently, without the involvement of programme staff. Please refer to the Blackboard Space on Student Support and Guidance which is available via https://my.manchester.ac.uk

Academic Success Programme

You’re studying at the University of Manchester – congratulations!  Writing and speaking Academic English can be challenging, even for native speakers.  Our team of experienced tutors are here to support you, and will help boost your confidence to work independently in English through a series of interactive workshops - freely available to all University of Manchester students.

To find out more, and to register, please go to www.manchester.ac.uk/academicsuccessprogramme

The Academic Writing workshops are delivered via live synchronous video sessions, and offer faculty-specific support covering both the basics and the finer points of good academic writing. The sessions are interactive and encourage small group work to solve problems and edit texts. Our Academic Grammar workshops are also online and open to students from all faculties. They include the fundamentals of good sentence structure as well as more subtle ways of showing nuance and emphasis.

There are also self-study resources available via our Blackboard community – details, and registration, is via the “Online Resources” link.

Should you have further queries, please email academicsuccess@manchester.ac.uk

Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS)

The University of Manchester welcomes students with a disability or specific learning difficulties. The University has a Disability Advisory and Support Service, who can supply further information and DASS advisors will be pleased to meet you to discuss you needs. DASS will liaise with your School through the Disability Coordinator to make the necessary arrangements for your support during your time in Manchester.

The DASS office can also provide a copy of the University’s Disability Statement, ‘Opportunities for Students with Additional Support Needs at the University of Manchester’ which sets out the policy and provision for students with a disability.

DASS Contact Details:-
Location: 2nd Floor, University Place

Tel (Disability Service) +44 (0)161 275 7512

Tel (Assessment Centre) +44 (0)161 275 0990

Mobile Number (Text only for d/Deaf students) 07899 658 790

Email (Disability Service) dass@manchester.ac.uk

Email (Assessment Centre) assessments@manchester.ac.uk

School Disability Coordinator Contact Details:-
Email: dc.sms@manchester.ac.uk

Religious Observance and Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan 

Policy on Religious Observance:

• University Policy
• 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.

6. Student Representation and Feedback

A Student Representative is a student leader and works in partnership with the University staff and Students’ Union to represent the views and experiences of student peers.

The programme’s Student Rep is expected to:

• Complete general SU training & specific school or programme training
• Contact your cohort (other students on your course) to introduce yourself & gather feedback
• Work with staff, the SU and other reps to act on feedback and enact change
• Use existing data to suggest improvements to student experience
• Attend regular staff-student meetings to deliver feedback & propose change
• Attend Faculty level feedback meetings (i.e. Faculty Forum)

There is a dedicated team in the Students’ Union available to support reps with each aspect of the role, along with staff contacts in each programme who help to facilitate the staff-student meetings.  Further details of training will be provided for reps once elected and information about additional support/activities for student representatives can be found on the Students’ Union website http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/reps .

You can find more information by visiting the SMS PGT Student Support Hub.

Course Unit Evaluations

The quality of teaching on the programme is monitored in part by student feedback. Thus it is very important that you make your views, good and bad, known. At the end of each course unit, and at the end of the programme, you will be asked to complete an anonymous course unit evaluation form. In addition, please let the course unit leader or the programme director know at any time if you feel there is a problem with a particular area of the programme.

7. Programme Management

Programme Management and Committee Structure

Programme Management

The programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedures of the University of Manchester.

Programme Directors relate to the School and Faculty Postgraduate Teaching Committees on matters relating to admissions, exams, reviews and approval of new programmes and units, quality assurance etc. and policy issues of broad relevance to the Graduate School.

The Programme Committee will meet each semester and consist of the Programme Director, Programme Administrator, Programme Committee members and the unit co-ordinators.

The remit of the committee will be to:

• Oversee the teaching, assessment and examining arrangements;
• Monitor cohort progression including failure rate, withdrawal rate;
• Evaluate the extent to which the learning outcomes are achieved by students;
• Monitor, maintain and enhance standards of all aspects of the programme;
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and of assessment in relation to programme learning outcomes;
• Evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of the teaching and learning methods employed;
• Review and revise the programme in the light of any relevant Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) benchmarks, any other relevant external and/or professional requirements and developing knowledge in the subject area;
• Receive, consider and respond to feedback from students, employers and external examiners;
• Where the need for change is identified, effect the changes quickly and efficiently;
• Produce an annual action plan via annual monitoring;
• Produce reports for periodic review
• Produce relevant information for an Institutional Audit;
• Review programme documentation, e.g., programme handbooks, programme specifications, promotional literature and programme website;
• Ensure suitable and efficient arrangements are in place for recruitment, admission and induction.

Committee Structure

The Programme Committee acts as a curriculum development team for the Programme. The Programme Committee will report to a School, or Department, or Faculty level committee. The Programme Director is responsible for the management of the programme, and the Programme Committee is established to support the Programme Director in the carrying out of their responsibilities.

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

External Examiner Details

Name of External Examiner: James Flanagan

Name of Institution: Imperial College London

Position at current Institution: Reader

Please note that this is for information only and it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments.

Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners should report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact their Programme Administrator in the first instance.

8. Student Privacy Notice

Student Privacy Notice

The University of Manchester needs to collect, maintain and use personal data relating to you to allow us to process your application for study, register you as a student, to administer your course and to provide facilities during your time as a student. We will also use your data to keep in touch with you after you have graduated, and contact you to complete a graduate outcomes survey.

We share this data within the University in order to deliver a high standard of service to you, so it is important that you regularly check to see that we have up to date information about you in the Student System. We are occasionally required to share your information with external agencies who have need for it, such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency, or Student Loans Company. We may also ask other agencies for the information they have about you, in order to verify the personal details you provide.

Please read the full Privacy Notice - Registered Students here.

9. Learning Resources

Libraries
All registered students may become members of the University of Manchester Library on the main campus.
Up-to-date news about the library is available here.

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, 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', will be used for online teaching.

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

• view course materials and learning resources,
• communicate with lectures and other students,
• collaborate in groups,
• get feedback
• submit assignments
• 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 Video Portal and on YouTube:

• Video Portal
• https://youtu.be/47pA877MKJg

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

10. Useful Links

Academic Support Policies
A full list of University Policies and documents
Academic Appeals (Regulation XIX)
Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Cases
Basic Guide to Student Complaints
Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulations XVII)
General University information on the Conduct and Discipline of Students
Faculty policies for students on Communication and Dress Code, Social Networking and Drugs & Alcohol
Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it
Data Protection
Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations
Guidance to Students on Plagiarism and Other Forms of Academic Malpractice
Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes
Policy on Mitigating Circumstances
Mitigating Circumstances Guidance for Students
PGT Degree Regulations
Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students
Student Complaints Procedure
Student Charter
Work and Attendance of Students (Regulation XX)

Student Support
A-Z of Student Services
Accommodation
Blackboard via My Manchester
Careers Service
Counselling Service
Disability Advisory and Support Service
University Language Centre – Study English - Tel: 0161 306 3397
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Staff and Students
Health & Fitness
Health & Safety Policy
International Advice Team
IT and eLearning Support
Mature Students Guide
Occupational Health Services for Students
Personal Development Planning
A Personal Safety Guide for International Students
Students Union