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Postgraduate Taught

MSc Genomic Medicine (online)

Please note: The below is for 2025 entries. Click here for 2024 entries.
UCAS code 1234
Duration 1 year full time
2 years part time
3 years part time
Entry year 2025
Campus

Online

Discipline Healthcare and Medicine
Contact
Typical offer

View full entry requirements

2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline

Contextual offers

Overview

  • Taught by world-leading academics in genomics research, including multifactorial traits, rare disorders, pharmacogenomics and epigenetics.
  • Developed by Health Education England and is aligned with their vision to prepare the NHS for the legacy of the 100,000 Genomes Project
  • You will have the flexibility to combine modules from the traditional MSc with this fully online version
  • You will study a rich curriculum examining theory, research, policy and practice in the field of genomic medicine
  • NHS employees in England can apply for funding from NHS England (NHSE; formerly Health Education England) to undertake up to a maximum of four modules (PGCert) in the first instance.

Apply online

View 2024 Entry

Apply for individual modules 2024/25

Fast Track (current Exeter students)

Accreditation of prior learning (APL)

Get a prospectus

Contact

Programme Director: Dr Jess Tyrrell

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Dr Anna Murray talks describes the PGCert online in Genomic Medicine

Top 10 icon

Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading and internationally excellent Clinical Medicine research

Based on 4* + 3* research in REF 2021

Medal with star on icon

Our Public Health research is 11th in the UK for research power

Submitted to UoA2 Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care. REF 2021

Microscope icon

Learn from world-leading experts in genomics

Scholarship icon: a pound sign attached to a paper scroll

Limited number of NHSE funded places for NHS professionals

Top 10 icon

Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading and internationally excellent Clinical Medicine research

Based on 4* + 3* research in REF 2021

Medal with star on icon

Our Public Health research is 11th in the UK for research power

Submitted to UoA2 Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care. REF 2021

Microscope icon

Learn from world-leading experts in genomics

Scholarship icon: a pound sign attached to a paper scroll

Limited number of NHSE funded places for NHS professionals

Entry requirements

Normally a min 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Relevant clinical or professional experience may be taken into consideration as evidence of equivalency.  A personal statement, detailing your reasons for seeking to undertake this subject, will be required. 

The University is committed to an equal opportunities policy with respect to gender, age, race, sexual orientation and/or disability when dealing with applications. It is also committed to widening access to higher education to students from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience.

Please visit our international equivalency pages to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.

International students are normally subject to visa regulations which prevent part-time study. It is recommended that international students apply for the level of the final award you intend to complete i.e. PGCert, PGDip or Masters, due to the associated cost and requirements for a Tier 4 student Visa.

Accreditation of prior learning for Masters courses in Healthcare and Medicine

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is a process whereby students, who have already gained relevant skills and knowledge prior to the start of their course, may be granted a partial credit exemption from their programme instead of unnecessarily repeating work. Find out more about APL

Entry requirements for international students

Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.

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Entry requirements for international students

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

Course content

Enhance learning. Redefine patient care

  • Study Genomics fully online with world leading researchers
  • Practice in the clinical professions will be transformed by genomic technologies and information within the next decade.

Our innovative fully online programme can be studied either as a full Masters degree, a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip), a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) or individual modules in Genomic Medicine.  This online programme has been developed from our successful and well-established MSc Genomic Medicine, as part of the ambitious 100,000 Genomes Project. There is also the flexibility to combine modules from the traditional MSc with this fully online version.

These options for online study are designed to equip you with the skills to succeed in a wide variety of contexts. The modules offer a rich curriculum examining theory, research, policy and practice in the field of genomic medicine, and provide a unique student experience, where you will gain an insight into applying genomic medicine for patient benefit.

View diagram of award structure

Module Delivery dates

View Genomic Medicine 2024-2025 module delivery dates

Please note: these dates are draft and subject to change.

The last contact day and assessment deadline for the programme will be earlier than the actual end date of your registration with the University, to allow a period of time at the end of your active studies for further support and mitigation, if needed.

Modules

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
HPDM082AZ Fundamentals of Human Genetics and Genomics 15
HPDM036Z Omics Techniques and their Application to Genomic Medicine ONLINE 15
HPDM041Z Bioinformatics, Interpretation and Data Quality Assurance in Genome Analysis ONLINE 15

Optional modules

CodeModule Credits
MSc Genomic Medicine Online options 23-24

Notes:

  1. If you are a part-time MSc student, there is no restriction as to how you would like to split your modules by year.
  2. You must choose either either HPDM042Z or HPDM043Z Research Project
  3. You must take at least three of these modules: HPDM037Z, HPDM038Z, HPDM039Z, BIOM567Z
  4. Module HPDM045 requires on-campus attendance; all other modules are taken online (z-coded modules)
HPDM042Z Research Project (Data Analysis) 60
HPDM043Z Research Project (Literature) 30
HPDM037Z Genomics of Common and Rare Disorders 15
HPDM038Z Molecular Pathology of Cancer and Application in Cancer Diagnosis, Screening and Treatment ONLINE 15
HPDM039Z Pharmacogenomics and Stratified Healthcare 15
BIOM567Z Application of Genomics in Infectious Disease 15
HPDM045 Counselling Skills for Genomics 15
HPDM044Z Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Applied Genomics ONLINE 15
HPDM049Z Epigenetics in Human Health and Diseases 15
HPDM088Z Health Economic Evaluation in Genomics 15
HPDM046Z Advanced Bioinformatics, Interpretation, Statistics and Data Quality Assurance 15

The PG Diploma comprises 120 credits made up of any modules of your choice.

The PG Certificate comprises 60 credits made up of any modules of your choice.

Individual modules can also be studied.

Fees

 2025/26 entry

Fees are subject to an annual increment each academic year.

UK fees

  • MSc: £13,200 full-time; £6,600 pa part-time (2 years); £4,400 pa part-time (3 years)
  • PGDip: £4,400pa (2 years)
  • PGCert: £4,400 (1 year)

Standalone module fees: UK: £1,250 per 15-credit module

Credit bearing modules: If you opt to take a non-accredited module and wish to then fully accredit this with the University of Exeter, you will need to pass the assessed elements of the course within 6 months of completion and there is an additional £200 accreditation fee.

International fees 

  • MSc: £30,900 full-time; £15,500 pa part-time (2 years); £10,300 pa part-time (3 years)
  • PGDip: £10,300 pa (2 years)
  • PGCert: £10,300 (1 year)

Standalone module fees: International £2,800 per 15-credit module

Scholarships

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships*.

For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

*Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.

Funding and Scholarships

UK government postgraduate loan scheme

Postgraduate loans of up to £12,167 are now available for Masters degrees. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.

Funding

There are various funding opportunities available including Global excellence scholarships.
For more information visit our  Masters funding page.

Scholarships 

Details of scholarships, including our Global Excellence scholarships for international fee-paying students, can be found on our dedicated funding page.

Funding for NHS professionals

NHS professionals in England can apply for funding from NHS England (NHSE) to undertake modules, up to a maximum of four (postgraduate certificate) in the first instance. Please note funding is not guaranteed as we are allocated a specific number of funded modules per year.

NHSE funding also does not guarantee a place on this academic programme at the University of Exeter. Interested individuals should apply for either a PGCert or individual standalone modules to the University in the first instance. The university will then confirm if funding is available, notify NHSE of the application, and NHSE will then contact you to obtain your job title, organisation and line manager details. NHSE assess each funding application against two main criteria:

  • The individual must be an NHS healthcare professional working in England.
  • The individual’s line manager must support the application and provide details of how the qualification aligns to local/regional workforce plans, and how the knowledge gained will be utilised locally/regionally/nationally.

Funding may be available for additional modules following successful completion of a PGCert to obtain PGDip or full MSc. ‌More information.

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Teaching and research

Our purpose is to deliver transformative education that will help tackle health challenges of national and global importance.

How you will learn

Using a mix of learning formats, our modules each run over an eight week period during which you can work at your own pace. You’ll be learning through an exciting mixture of video, animations, quizzes, tasks and webinars. You will be supported by the module lead, a personal tutor, peer discussion forums and you will have full support from allocated module-specific online tutors.

The online discussion and tutoring discussions are generally divided into three learning blocks and you will complete summative assessment for each module during the 8 weeks of the module.

Teaching

Teaching will be delivered by experts from a range of academic and health care professional backgrounds are chosen to ensure a breadth and depth of perspective, giving a good balance between theories and principles, and practical management advice.

Your online learning is delivered through a virtual learning environment, delivering a library of study materials including virtual patients and independent learning tasks, reference materials and links to online tutorials.

What you will gain

Students who complete the programme will gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of genomics knowledge and how it will bring benefit to patients through improved diagnosis and personalised treatment, and how to disseminate knowledge to peers, patients and the public.

Pre-learning

Before the start of your course please use this material as an introduction to some of the basic concepts in genomics. If there are gaps in your knowledge please use the learning resources provided below.

By the end of this pre-learning you should be able to:

  1. Describe how the genome is structured and organised; using terms such as DNA, nucleotide, gene and chromosome.
  2. Explain how the information encoded in DNA is decoded resulting in the production of proteins; using terms such as codon, mRNA, transcription, translation and tRNA.
  3. Explain how a genetic variant can result in an observable trait; using terms such as gene expression, genotype, mutation, phenotype and protein function.
  4. Use pedigree charts to deduce common modes of Mendelian inheritance; using terms such as allele, autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, carrier, homozygote and X-linked.
  5. Appreciate that environmental factors affect gene expression. Terms to be understood here include epigenetics, histone and methylation.
  6. Understand that common diseases result from a complex interplay involving multiple genes and environmental factors. Terms to be understood here include polygenic and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP).

Links and resources

All of these topics will be covered in more depth in the various modules, but you should have broad knowledge of the terms involved. To assist you in reaching these targets the following links and resources should be useful. Numbers in brackets refers to the intended learning outcome (numbered 1-6 above) that the resource will help you to understand.

The Genomics Education Programme, set up by the NHS to educate its staff, provides brief courses in their Genomics 101 collection (duration ~30 min each) that will give you an overview of genomics from a clinical perspective. 

To access these courses you will need to register for a free ‘elearning for healthcare’ account. On one of the course pages, select the ‘Sign up for free (NHS and UK universities)' option and register with a personal email account (this will give you access to limited content including the courses listed below).

yourgenome.org is produced by the Public Engagement team at the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge. This website covers everything from basic biology to the complex ethical issues that arise from genome sequencing. Particular recommendations include:

The Genetic Science Learning Center at The University of Utah is an internationally-recognised education program that translates science and health for non-experts. Particular recommendations include:

The DNA Learning Center is part of the world-renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory which has been set up to educate students and non-experts as we enter an era where genetic information is available and plentiful.  Particular recommendations include:

FutureLearn offers many Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) generated in partnership with UK universities. Free to sign up to (for time-limited access for 4-5 weeks) and of particular relevance to this course are the following MOOCS:

The course text book, New Clinical Genetics (available online at the library). Using a case-based approach this textbook makes understanding genetics an attractive and stimulating experience.  

  • Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 11 & 13 will help you in reaching the intended objectives (1-6) for this part of the course.  There is also a good glossary at the back of the book.  Of course there is a lot of detail in these chapters that will be covered during the course, so don't feel you have to read and understand everything! 

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Careers

Graduation

Who is this course for?

Students who study this programme are likely to be clinical practitioners, diagnostic service providers, scientists, researchers and those aspiring to specialise within an academic career pathway.

Employer-valued skills this course develops

The course is especially designed for healthcare professionals working within the National Health Service, to improve their capabilities and support career progression. It could be similarly beneficial for those working or aspiring to work in other healthcare systems.

Students who complete the programme will gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of genomics knowledge and how it will bring benefit to patients through improved diagnosis and personalised treatment, and how to disseminate knowledge to peers, patients and the public.

Work-based learning

One of the optional modules in this programme allows you to apply the learning from your masters study to your own work place or a work-related project. Through critical analysis you will evaluate current evidence or practice of your own work environment, identify barriers or facilitators to change and provide recommendations to improve care or practice within your area.

Career paths (graduate destinations)

Students who are not healthcare professionals would acquire knowledge, understanding and skills that should help them gain employment or PhD positions especially in the expanding fields of genomics, bioinformatics, or other medically-related research and development in either academia, pharmaceutical or biotech industries.

Careers support

All University of Exeter students have access to Career Zone, which gives access to a wealth of business contacts, support and training as well as the opportunity to meet potential employers at our regular Careers Fairs

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