Master in Translational Medicine
Helsinki, Finland
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 15,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for non-EU/EEA students.
Key Summary
About: The Master in Translational Medicine (TRANSMED) at The University of Helsinki trains students from life sciences, engineering and psychology to translate research into patient care. Joint curriculum with the Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital and HiLIFE combines medicine, research skills and interprofessional communication, includes clinical rounds and offers student life via HYY. The programme is 120 ECTS and completed in two years of full-time study.
Career Outcomes: You'll prepare for roles in medical research, clinical development, health industry and innovations, biotech, diagnostics, regulatory affairs and PhD training; employers include hospitals, research institutes and biotech or health tech firms.
How Can Personalized Medicine Revolutionize Human Health?
TRANSMED accepts students from suitable educational backgrounds, such as life sciences and natural sciences, engineering, psychology etc. Students’ diverse backgrounds together with their TRANSMED studies give them a unique skill set for future careers. The curriculum is organized in close collaboration with researchers and units in the Faculty of Medicine and the Helsinki University Hospital, culminating in clinical rounds in the Helsinki University Hospital.
Students learn to use the terminology and discuss the key concepts of translational research in medical sciences. The two study tracks - Translational Research and Health Industry and Innovations - provide a solid basis for careers in medical research or commercial enterprises in the field of human health. All students attend a course in career planning, which increases their awareness of different career options and helps them to recognise, express and market their competencies.
Studying
In the Master's Program in Translational Medicine (TRANSMED), you learn to facilitate new therapies and medical procedures by implementing research findings in patient care, and by applying clinical data in research. This requires understanding both science and medicine. You also interact directly with researchers and clinicians to adopt and practice interdisciplinary communication skills.
The curriculum of the Master's Programme in Translational Medicine (TRANSMED) is a joint effort of the University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, and several research institutes on the Meilahti campus. The studies in the Master's Programme in Translational Medicine (TRANSMED) are built upon three central themes: medicine, research skills and interprofessional communication.
The interacting parties are the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, the Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH) and the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), which includes e.g. the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) and the Neuroscience Center (NC).
Student life and benefits
Student life and especially the student organisation culture is exceptionally rich and diverse in Finland. Also at the University of Helsinki, the student community is very active. More than 250 student organisations operate within the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY), ranging from faculty and subject organisations to political and societal organisations, and from choirs and orchestras to sports and game clubs. Their activities include anniversary celebrations, academic dinner parties, cultural events, get-togethers and excursions.
As a student and member of the Student Union (HYY), you are entitled to many benefits and services. For example, affordable student housing, basic healthcare services, sports facilities and student-priced meals. You also get numerous discounts, for example on public transport fees across the country.
The studies in the Master's Programme in Translational Medicine (TRANSMED) are built upon three central themes: medicine, research skills and interprofessional communication.
- Common studies include working life-relevant courses in career orientation, academic writing and critical reading, research skills such as research ethics and bioinformatics, and biomedical subjects such as anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, laboratory medicine, medical genetics and epidemiology.
- Study track-specific studies are advanced studies including courses on human disease, advanced research methods, clinical rounds in the Helsinki University Hospital, writing a research proposal, and a Master’s thesis. The study track is chosen during the first study year based on the student's interest.
The study tracks are Cancer, Regenerative Medicine, Metabolic Disorders, Neuroscience and Psychobiology and Cross-disciplinary Translational Medicine. - Optional studies may include e.g. methods courses, an internship in a company or research group, courses from other programmes, language studies, administrative duties, or courses completed during student exchange.
The scope of the MSc (Translational Medicine) degree is 120 credits (ECTS).
- 30 credits of obligatory studies in Foundations in Translational Medicine. This includes also an obligatory career planning course which supports the choice of study track.
- At least 65 credits of advanced studies, including study track-specific studies either in Translational Research or in Health Industry and Innovations. Advanced studies include also a 30 cr Master’s thesis.
- Optional studies can be study track–specific or include suitable studies completed in another university or degree programme. Also, transferable skills such as working life skills, language studies in Finnish, Swedish or English, studies in academic writing, or sustainability skills studies can be included.
Master's thesis
The Master's thesis (30 ECTS) consists of both experimental and written work. It is always individual work and conducted in a research group under supervision. With your Master's thesis, you demonstrate:
- your ability to conduct independent research work and retrieve relevant information
- your ability to use up-to-date research methods and perform experiments
- your skills in scientific reasoning and the critical assessment of your research results
- your ability to write scientifically and effectively present your data
- your knowledge and your ability to critically assess the existing research literature
The research group for conducting the thesis work can be agreed between the student and the group leader - the topics are not decided or pre-selected by the TRANSMED programme.
Why Translational Medicine?
The aim of TRANSMED is to provide a solid basis for academic or non-academic careers in the health sector.
Upon graduation, the students are able to:
- discuss key concepts of medical sciences and the needs of clinical practice from the point of view of a researcher
- describe and apply up-to-date translational research methodologies
- practice scientific reasoning and critically analyse scientific literature
- design a research project which follows the regulatory and ethical aspects of biomedical and clinical research and applies current methodologies and translational approaches, and to discuss the research plan orally using both scientific and medical terminologies
Health sciences and translational medicine are fields of growing importance as the population ages and the costs of new therapies steadily increase. Thus, the demand for well-trained specialists in the field of translational medicine is likely to increase, providing excellent career prospects globally. Recruitment to such enterprises occurs both at the graduate (MSc) and postgraduate (PhD) levels.
TRANSMED attracts and accepts students from all over the world. Also, the educational backgrounds of the accepted applicants cover a wide range of disciplines - we value and welcome diversity in the class.
We are looking for candidates with career goals in academia or in health sector enterprises. If you have well-developed skills in time management and a curious and inquisitive mind, if you enjoy teamwork and diversity, if you are not afraid of intensive studies, reading and writing, and if you have a habit of meeting deadlines, you might be exactly what we are looking for!