MSc Medical Microbiology
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
About this program
MSc Medical Microbiology
This programme provides comprehensive knowledge and practical training in the spread of microorganisms (predominantly bacterial and viral pathogens), disease causation and diagnosis and treatment of pathogens significant to public health. The increasing incidence of microbial infections worldwide is being compounded by the rapid evolution of drug-resistant variants and opportunistic infections by other organisms. The curriculum reflects the importance of genomics and molecular techniques in both diagnostics and the study of pathogenesis.
Objectives
By the end of the program students should be able to:
- demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the nature of pathogenic microorganisms (predominantly viruses and bacteria) and basic criteria used in the classification/taxonomy of these microorganisms
- explain the modes of transmission of pathogenic microorganisms
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis and the outcomes of infections, including chronic microbial infections
- distinguish between and critically assess the classical and modern approaches to the development of therapeutic agents and vaccines for the prevention of human microbial diseases
- demonstrate knowledge of the laboratory diagnosis of microbial diseases and practical skills, including the isolation and characterisation of specific microbes in clinical specimens
- carry out a range of advanced skills and laboratory techniques, for example the purification of isolated microbial pathogens and analyses of their proteins and nucleic acids for downstream applications such as gene cloning and sequencing studies
- demonstrate research skills, including designing experiments, analysing results and troubleshooting and critically assessing the scientific literature.
Admission requirements
The normal minimum entrance qualification for registration at the School on a Master's program is at least one of the following:
- a second-class honours degree of a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a subject appropriate to that of the course of study to be followed
- a registrable qualification appropriate to the course of study to be followed, in medicine, dentistry or veterinary studies
Applications with an appropriate technical qualification, or equivalent qualification and experience from overseas, are also welcomed.
For more information about admission requirements, please visit the institute website.
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Structure
Term 1
There is a one-week orientation period that includes an introduction to studying at the School, sessions on key computing and study skills and course-specific sessions, followed by two compulsory modules:
- Bacteriology & Virology
- Analysis & Design of Research Studies
Recommended module: Molecular Biology
Sessions on basic computing, molecular biology and statistics are run throughout the term for all students.
Terms 2 and 3
Students take a total of five modules, one from each timetable slot (Slot 1, Slot 2 etc.). There are other modules that can be taken only after consultation with the program Director.
Slot 1
- Clinical Virology
- Molecular Biology & Recombinant DNA Techniques
Slot 2
- Clinical Bacteriology 1
- Molecular Virology
Slot 3
- Advanced Training in Molecular Biology
- Basic Parasitology
Slot 4
- Clinical Bacteriology 2
- Molecular Research in Infectious Diseases (formerly Molecular Biology Research Progress & Applications)
Slot 5
- Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
- Mycology
- Pathogen Genomics
Scholarships & funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the institute website for more information.
Tuition
Up to date information on tuition fees can be found on the LSHTM website.
Career paths
Graduates from this program move into global health careers related to medical microbiology in operational control programs, applied basic research, academic fields, in medical establishments and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Below you will find just a few of the positions and organisations that our graduates from this course have entered:
Example job titles:
- Clinical Trials Administrator
- Demonstrator
- Head of Public Health
- Healthcare Scientist
- Laboratory Analyst
- Lecturer
- Medical Laboratory Assistant
- Research Officer
- Teacher
- Associate Healthcare Scientist
- Doctor
- Microbiology Laboratory Technician
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About this institute
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Established in 1899, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is dedicated to improving health worldwide through training the next generation of health leaders to address major public and global health challenges. LSHTM has a unique range and...
Why study at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
LSHTM is highly ranked in various university league tables, winning the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2021 in recognition of its response to COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness, as well as being #1 in the UK and #3 in the world for Public Health in the ShanghaiRankings (2021).
Teaching staff are all experts in their respective fields and continue as active researchers, bringing their wealth of experience and up-to-date knowledge directly into the lecture halls and seminar rooms. Many of the staff are well renowned, so students may find themselves being taught by figures they have read about in previous studies.
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Based on 1 reviews.Contact info
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
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Good quality education by experts in the field. Excellent facilities with good computer and internet support. Good pastoral support too. Large amounts of study material and a full time course. Motivated and interesting student population.