PGCert Genomic Medicine

The MSc Genomic Medicine Programme aims to equip students with a multi-disciplinary perspective on genomics and its applications to clinical practice and medical research. The Programme's modular design offers full-time and part-time studies with Postgraduate Masters, Diploma and Certificate options.

We are offering over 400 awards of £2,000 to support the brightest and best applicants wishing to undertake Masters study at the University during 2023-24.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 (UK time) on 30 April 2023.

Apply now

Advances in genomic technologies and understanding are transforming personalised medicine. As genomics increasingly becomes a part of mainstream NHS care, healthcare professionals and research scientists need to have a good understanding of its relevance to the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients, especially in areas such as inherited disorders, cancer and infectious disease. This programme is purpose-designed to follow a curriculum set by Health Education England for training NHS-based healthcare professionals and is also suitable for non-NHS students wishing to learn about the applications of genomics to medical research.

University of Birmingham is accredited by Health Education England (HEE) to provide genomic medicine training as part of the Genomics Education Programme. NHS-based students may be eligible for HEE sponsorship (subject to availability) for modules running from April 2022 to March 2023.

The course begins with a brief revision of DNA, genes and genetics and updates these concepts to the scale of contemporary, whole-genome information. It will introduce you to the technologies for generating genome-wide data, and the bioinformatic tools that are required for its analysis. You will learn how to interrogate genomic data to identify and investigate the pathogenicity of genetic variants, and relate these to real-life case-studies, providing meaningful information that can be useful for families affected by inherited conditions, or for patients with acquired diseases including cancer and infections.

Core modules such as ‘Genomics in Cancer Pathology’ and ‘Pharmacogenomics and Stratified Healthcare’ emphasise the increasing importance of genomics in stratified medicine - 'the right treatment, for the right person, at the right time’. Additional optional modules include an ‘Introduction to Counselling Skills used in Genomic Medicine’, ‘Epigenetics’ and ‘Economic Models and Human Genomics’.

Finally, you can choose either a 60-credit research project (which could be a computer-based bioinformatics project, a lab-based or clinically-based project, either in Birmingham or at your home institution), or a 30-credit dissertation (combined with additional taught modules), to hone your research skills while exploring a genomics-related project of your choice.