Course information
UK fee £10,700
International fee £23,650
Course description
Course description
In infants worldwide, infectious disease accounts for higher mortality and morbidity than any other category of disease. Tackling the burden of infectious disease on mankind is recognised as a health priority by both the World Health Organisation and the United Nations. This Postgraduate Degree responds to the international need for research scientists by training biological and biomedical graduates to develop their knowledge and research skills in the fields of immunology and infection.
The course combines practical and theoretical teaching delivered by scientists and clinicians working in the University's College of Life Sciences. Of great value to potential employers, the course also gives you experience of research in a six-month research project.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- 2:2 degree in a biological science (e.g. Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Microbiology or Immunology)
- Or significant related work experience in a field related to infection and immunity, such as a health service or biopharmaceutical laboratory
- Or a medical or veterinary degree, provided that the course included significant elements of molecular biology, microbiology and immunology
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
This is the total course fee.
Starting in September 2024
- £10,700
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Did you know you can apply for a Government Postgraduate Loan? Find out if you’re eligible.
If you are a University of Leicester alumni, you may be eligible for the Centenary Alumni Discount which offers a 20% fee reduction.
International Students
This is the total course fee.
Starting in September 2024
- £23,650
Applicants to this course who come from developing Commonwealth countries can apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship.
You will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
From 2022 onwards, EU nationals will pay the International fee. If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
If you are a University of Leicester alumni, you may be eligible for the Centenary Alumni Discount which offers a 20% fee reduction.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
The research training you receive and the research project you conduct will provide a training that PhD supervisors and employers value highly when recruiting their postgraduate research students from around the world.
Our Career Development Service is here to support you, with advice on interviews, CVs, work experience, volunteering and more. From Freshers’ Week to Graduation and beyond, they are here to help you reach your professional goals.
Course structure
Modules
Modules
Plus your Master's Research Project
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Project
Project
One of the most valued features of this course is the Master's Research Project, in which you will put your newly acquired practical skills and knowledge to the test. For up to six months, you will work as a member of a dedicated research team, designing and conducting your own research, culminating in the production of a dissertation. You will choose your laboratory research placement from projects covering a broad range of disciplines.
Recent research project titles offered include:
- Damage to kidney cells by IgA containing immune complexes in IgA nephropathy
- Understanding how bacteria adapt to environmental stress to increase infectious disease
- Examining the role of TRPM7 in asthma
- Immunomodulatory actions of alarmins on CD4+ T cells
- Histological analysis of experimental murine pulmonary tuberculosis
- Genomic exploration of differentially culturable Mycobacterial tuberculosis stains
- Investigation of the transcriptomic response of Non-tuberculosis Mycobacteria to low-oxygen conditions
- Development of models for testing drugs targeting dormant Burkholderia
- Developing phages to target Urinary Tract Infections: predicting phage susceptibility from bacterial genome and MALDI
Assessment of the Master's Research Project is in three parts: your research performance, a dissertation you write about your research and a seminar you will present at the end of the project.
Project titles shown represent choices available to current students. The range of projects available will vary depending on research demands.
Publications
Many of these projects have led to publication in highly respected scientific journals:
- Bhattacharyya N, Nkumama IN, Newland-Smith Z, Lin LY, Yin W, Cullen RE, Griffiths JS, Jarvis AR, Price MJ, Chong PY, Wallis R, O'Hare HM. An Aspartate-Specific Solute-Binding Protein Regulates Protein Kinase G Activity To Control Glutamate Metabolism in Mycobacteria. mBio. 2018 Jul 31;9(4):e00931-18. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00931-18.
- Al-Bayati FA, Kahya HF, Damianou A, Shafeeq S, Kuipers OP, Andrew PW, Yesilkaya H. Pneumococcal galactose catabolism is controlled by multiple regulators acting on pyruvate formate lyase. Sci Rep. 2017 Feb 27;7:43587. doi: 10.1038/srep43587. PMID: 28240278; PMCID: PMC5327383.
- Cruse G, Fernandes VE, de Salort J, Pankhania D, Marinas MS, Brewin H, Andrew PW, Bradding P, Kadioglu A (2010) Human lung mast cells mediate pneumococcal cell death in response to activation by pneumolysin. J. Immunol. 184, 7108-15
- Bangert M, Bricio-Moreno L, Gore S, Rajam G, Ades EW, Gordon SB, Kadioglu A. (2012) P4-mediated antibody therapy in an acute model of invasive pneumococcal disease. J. Inf. Dis. 205, 1399-407
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
Teaching and learning
You will be trained in lab techniques and will develop your proficiency in experimental design. These skills will then be put into practice in the lab-based research project which comprises two-thirds of the credits for your course.
The core lecture programme, which is shared between our various postgraduate lab-based courses, will develop your specialist knowledge. There are also optional lectures in fields related to your own, which will allow you to increase your understanding of the interdisciplinary aspects of your speciality. To bring you right up to date with your chosen topic, you can attend departmental seminars and College Research Theme days that include both visiting and internal speakers.
On days when there are no lectures, structured lab practicals are run in the first semester, alongside tutorials, seminars and employability sessions. In the second half of your first semester you will have specialist immunology practicals covering techniques relevant to your research project.
Assessment is a mix of formal exams and coursework including essays, practical reports, presentations and other written tasks.
Key dates
September 2024 start
- Application deadline: 9 September 2024 (Please note if you require a visa to study you will be required to submit your course application by 26 July 2024)
- Deposit payment deadline: 9 August 2024
- CAS request deadline: 6 September 2024
- 70% tuition payment deadline: 6 September 2024
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | Start Dates | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Immunity, Infection and Chronic Disease | Qualification MSc | Duration 1 year full-time | Start Dates September each year | Availability Apply Now |
I chose an MSc Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Leicester due to the incorporation of both taught and research elements into the course. Not only did the course provide me with an excellent grounding in scientific research but, also helped me secure my PhD position.