MSc Medical Microbiology with Placement Year

About the course

The MSc Medical Microbiology with Placement Year will equip you with the skills and in-depth knowledge required to have an impactful career in a range of sectors such. The course will help you develop extensive theoretical and practical laboratory skills in by building on the research expertise of the teaching team. Techniques and theoretical skills include: antimicrobial susceptibility testing, antibiotic resistance-gene analysis, microbial identification (16SrRNA sequencing and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry), parasite identification, next generation sequencing analysis, bacteriophage isolation and purification, antibiotic discovery and characterisation, and mammalian cell culture.

You’ll be taught by expert speakers from the biopharmaceutical industry, academic experts from other universities and the University of Hertfordshire staff. With our modern facilities, emphasis on laboratory work, and teaching underpinned by the latest research, you’ll be qualified to launch a career in research and development for biopharmaceutical companies. You could also work in a wide range of non-laboratory job roles across a range of sectors, including academia and microbiology.

Why choose this course?

• You’ll be taught by expert staff in medical microbiology, who have worked in academic research, clinical research, the NHS, and the biopharmaceuticals sector
• You’ll benefit from pioneering guest lecturers from academia and industry
• Our modern Science Building provides excellent facilities for laboratory work, including QPCR, cell culture, protein analysis, isolated tissue studies and immunohistochemistry
• Upon graduation, you’ll be equipped to work in a wide range of roles in the medical microbiology and biotechnology industries
• If successful, you will have the opportunity to apply for a 12-month placement. If you are not successful in finding a placement position, you can transfer to the MSc Medical Microbiology with Advanced Research route.
• We adopt a blended learning approach to teaching, focussing on problem-based scenarios so you can develop strong critical analysis skills. You’ll have substantial exposure to practical techniques and guaranteed laboratory-based research projects.

What job can I get?

Upon graduation, you may go on to work in a broad range of fields including: medical or pharmaceutical research, clinical trials, public health and epidemiology, academia research, medical writing/science journalism, education, or patent law. Alternatively, you may also use the MSc medical Microbiology to underpin an application to study for a research degree such as MRes, MSc by Research, or a PhD in a related field.