University College London (UCL)

Reproductive Science and Women's Health MRes

Teaching and learning

Each module is organised differently, in a way that best suits the module content. There will be a variety of lectures, seminars and tutorials as well as guided student presentations, debates and sessions led by patients, advocates or experts in the field. Where possible, observation days in fetal/reproductive medicine units and IVF clinics will be offered.

The types of assessment you will do will depend on which modules you choose. We use a variety of methods, including essays, patient case reports, critical reviews, examinations, patient information leaflets/press releases, oral presentations and the dissertation.

Each 15-credit module equates to around 150 learning hours which are spread out over the whole period of the module. These hours include the time you spend in taught sessions, independent study, group work, and preparing for your assessment.

Students will typically spend 6 - 8 hours per week in face-to-face learning, including lectures, seminars, practicals or one-to-one tuition. Overall, we expect full-time students to spend a full 35-hour week studying, with time outside classes spent in self-directed study. Part-time and flexible students study at a pro-rata rate.

Some additional face-to-face hours may be required for certain project types.

Modules

Full-time

The programme structure and subject areas of this MRes are designed to provide you with an opportunity to tailor taught modules and research project choices to suit your specific interests within the fields of reproductive science and women’s health.

For the taught module component of the course, you will choose and study four subject areas during each Term from a selection of modules from the other MSc courses at UCL EGA IfWH.

You will begin work on your research project at the beginning of the academic year. You will shape your proposal together with a supervisor with expertise in one of the institute’s four research areas:

1. Maternal and fetal medicine;
2. Neonatology;
3. Women’s cancer or;
4. Reproductive health.

This will ensure that your project design and necessary approvals are in place early in Term 1. You will work on your project throughout the academic year, gaining experience in project design, literature review, data collection, analysis and interpretation. You will submit an interim project introduction in Term 2 and submit your final project in late August/early September.

Part-time

For the taught module component of the course, you will choose and study four subject areas over two years from a selection of modules from the other MSc courses at UCL EGA IfWH. Most students choose two subjects per year, but you can also choose one or three, or vice versa, depending on your schedule.

You can begin to work on your research project from your first year, but most part-time students start to work on their research project in their second year.

Flexible

Modular flexible students can take their taught modules over two to five years; the dissertation is often taken in the final year of study. Individual modules are delivered in the same way as they are for full-time students. Modular flexible students are not eligible for student finance governmental funding.

For the taught module component of the course, you will choose and study a minimum of one subject area per year (up to a total of four) from a selection of modules from the other MSc courses at UCL EGA IfWH.

You can begin to work on your research project at any time during the course, but most students start in their final year.

Compulsory modules

• Research Project in Women's Health

Optional modules

• Organogenesis and Fetal Development
• New Technologies in Reproductive Health
• Prenatal Diagnosis and Screening
• Reproductive Health
• Pregnancy and Childbirth
• Fertility and Infertility: Science and Society
• Fetal and Perinatal Medicine
• Female Reproductive Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology
• Breast and Reproductive Cancers
• Basic Genetics and Technology
• Understanding Research in Women's Health
• Concepts and Controversies in Women's Health
• Legal and Ethical Aspects of Women's Health

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment, and module content and availability are subject to change.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MRes in Reproductive Science and Women's Health.

What this course will give you

• Work with world-class researchers and clinicians at the UCL EGA IfWH/UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
• Study at one of the world's top ten universities. UCL is ranked 6th in the world for public health (ShanghaiRankings 2023), 9th in the world as a university (QS World Rankings 2025) and is rated No.1 for research power and impact in medicine, health and life sciences (REF 2021).
• Benefit from excellent basic science facilities including laboratories with cell culture facilities and access to state-of-the-art equipment.
• Work on cutting-edge clinical and translational research. Our researchers are leading the way in areas like maternal and fetal health, cancer, menopause, reproductive health and neonatology.
• A wide range of optional modules allow you to tailor the programme to your specific needs and interests.
• Spend a large part of the programme on your research project (twice as long as compared to the other MSc programmes at our institute) giving you time to shape and carry out a greater depth project (ideal if you’re considering a career in research in this field).
• Tap into regular opportunities for networking, both with peers in your classes and with professors, hospital clinicians and lab staff, who regularly open up the floor for conversations about course content or research interests. These connections don't just last throughout the programme, but often extend into the future and shape your subsequent career.

The foundation of your career

Graduates of this Master’s degree can pursue work within a wide variety of fields in charities, regulatory work, research, FemTech and as clinical scientists. Graduates have gone on to work with organisations such as the NHS, Public Health England, Nucleus Global, and Herts and Essex Fertility Centre.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the cohorts 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22.

Employability

The programme will give you the general and more scientific skills needed to embark on careers in research and related fields.

You’ll benefit from a comprehensive careers programme, including input from our alumni, covering general careers in science and specific advice on careers in embryology, clinical genetics, medicine and research degrees.

This excellent introduction to research is ideal if you’re looking to progress onto a higher research degree or more advanced work in this field.

You’ll have in-depth knowledge and awareness of the many issues relevant to reproductive science and women's health.

There’s a strong focus on developing key skills in the programme. You’ll get advice on careers, be exposed to a range of job opportunities, and hear from alumni who give talks on their diverse career journeys.

Networking

Students will have the chance to attend our annual UCL EGA Institute for Women's Health research day, where we hear about the various projects across the institute, including from our clinical staff at UCLH, as well as from invited keynote speakers from around the world. These events include lots of networking opportunities throughout the day and usually end with a group social event. During their research projects, students may also attend research group meetings to strengthen their knowledge in that topic area and make connections with others working in the same field.