Molecular Medicine

Our MRes Molecular Medicine will help you to develop the key skills you will need for a research career, and allow you to put these into practice when you develop and conduct your own research project. Studying a masters degree in Molecular Medicine at Derby will:

• Develop you into a confident, independent researcher by teaching you essential research skills
• Enable you to plan, execute, and evaluate your own biological research
• Give you a stand-alone research qualification or bridge the gap between an undergraduate degree and PhD
• Allow you to study full-time or part-time to support your other commitments
• Provide you with the opportunity to conduct a substantial research project within your field of interest and under expert supervision

Specialised facilities

We have specialised laboratory facilities available for your research projects. Our facilities will help develop lab skills required for lab projects and laboratory experiments. These include a molecular laboratory housing qPCR and DGGE equipment, an imaging suite, human cell culture facility, a dedicated microbiology laboratory, and an analytical suite housing GC/MS, HPLC, AAS, UV-Vis, IC as well as a scanning electron microscope and transmission microscope. We have also recently secured £850k of capital funding to establish a new Omics facility. This ultra-modern, innovative research facility will provide training in the new and emerging fields of genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics.

Strong industry connections

We have strong connections with the Royal Derby Hospital and other health care providers. This gives you the opportunity to collaborate your research project with a range of organisations including the Royal Derby Hospital. This will allow you to network with professionals, enhance your career prospects and develop research that makes a real impact.

Experienced teaching team

Our staff expertise covers a diverse range of subjects and we have previously offered research projects in the following areas: human lifestyle and socio-economic drivers of disease risk, virology, microbiology and cancer research. Research systems at the larger spatial scale include investigating human lifestyle and socio-economic drivers of disease risk. 

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

We offer a range of learning and teaching activities, including face-to-face and online teaching.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a variety of methods allowing you to show your individual strengths and abilities. These include essays, portfolios, a dissertation, blogs, presentations, and a viva voce.

You will need an undergraduate degree (typically 2:1 or higher, 2:2 will be considered) in biology, human biology, biomedical health or a related subject. If you have professional experience in human health, you may also be considered as eligible for this course.

International students should have the above or an international equivalent. If English is not your first language, you will need to hold IELTS 6.5.

If you are selected for an interview, you will be asked to submit a one page proposal outlining the areas of interest for your potential research project. More details concerning this proposal will be provided when you are invited to interview.

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

After completing our MRes in Molecular Medicine, you’ll be in a stronger position to secure a career within your field of interest. It could also be the springboard into pharmaceutical and research-based companies for your area of research. Career opportunities that may be available to you upon completion of this course are: research associate, analytical consultant, scientific writer, laboratory manager, or scientific advisor.

Should you wish to continue your learning experience beyond masters level, our course will prepare you for further study towards a PhD.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Download programme specification

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Additional costs and optional extras

We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

Included in your fees

• You will receive goggles and a laboratory coat. All equipment and consumables needed for your experimental/ fieldwork are provided by the University. This is subject to the type of project and consumables being approved by your Programme Leader
• If a DBS check is needed for the purposes of a module or programme related work placement, this is included in your fee if done via the University

Mandatory costs not included in your fees

• Most assignments are submitted through an online platform but due to the nature of the course, you will need to submit several hard-copy submissions such as crime reports, portfolios and case files. Additionally you are expected to produce a poster which would cost around £15

Optional costs not included in your fees

• Recommended textbooks - approximate cost is £100
• If a DBS check is needed for the purposes of a module or programme related work placement (Summer research internships are offered on a competitive basis to second year students. You can also take a work placement credit-bearing module, though you will need to find your own placement)
• Travel to work experience/placements - cost is dependent on your placement venue of choice