Course information
UK fee £10,700
International fee £23,650
Course description
Course description
Among the many lessons learned from the global COVID 19 pandemic, we now recognize a critical shortfall in highly trained research scientists and technical experts with core expertise in immunology, infection and chronic disease. This requirement is shifting from those with a focus on acute viral infection and immunity to those with a more holistic understanding of the relationship between immunity, infectious disease and chronic inflammation. This requirement is especially evident in the growing number of long covid patients which includes people with preexisting chronic conditions arising from other infection(s) or because of physiological dysfunction. Examples of these complex pathologies involving long covid include tuberculosis, kidney disease, diabetes and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD].
The University of Leicester meets this evolving need for highly trained research scientists with a comprehensive range of specialist knowledge-rich graduate taught education. We deliver exciting, fast-paced training by internationally-recognised experts in immunity, infectious disease and chronic inflammatory conditions. Our intent is to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide research skills in support of the populations whose healthcare needs vary by global region.
Our MSc in Immunity, Infection and Chronic Disease delivers detailed treatment of a significant range of infections and diseases, alongside the human immune response. It provides training in the latest theoretical and technical advances which can be readily applied to tackling the problems of infectious disease or chronic health conditions:
- High-value hands-on training. We provide in-depth practical training on modern laboratory equipment in the first term.
- In-depth focus on immunology, infection and chronic disease. Our theory module provides you with a detailed and systematic examination of immunity with a particular focus on the link between infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases with immune mechanisms.
- Extended laboratory dissertation research. In term 2, you will undertake a lab research dissertation project. Our research dissertation projects span a range of disciplines across multiple departments within the College of Life Sciences and encompass projects that address basic biological function through applied clinical interventions
Our pedagogic approach emphasises critical analysis of literature, experimental design and hypothesis testing with exposure to a wide variety of analytic techniques. We provide you with the opportunity to participate in novel research, to make discoveries and to persuade your colleagues that your scientific arguments are sound. During your research dissertation placements, you will apply your critical analysis skills and hone your capacity to communicate your scientific results.
Previous graduates from this MSc course have successfully applied these laboratory-based skills learned in Leicester to tackle formidable challenges, including clinical management of intractable infections, like tuberculosis, hospital and diagnostic service management and other leadership roles within their communities. Our graduates can provide essential on-the-ground expertise. This is especially important as misinformation competes with fact- and evidence-based science. You will be well-positioned to act as trusted experts who can influence their communities, their hospitals, and their social networks.
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
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
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 course is ideally suited for students aiming to gain further experience in experimental protocols for a career in laboratory science. As the techniques are broadly applicable to a range of organisms and samples, the course provides career opportunities in various laboratory settings and stages of research or practical application.
Previous graduates from this MSc course have successfully applied these laboratory-based skills learned in Leicester to tackle formidable challenges, including clinical management of intractable infections, like tuberculosis, hospital and diagnostic service management and other leadership roles within their communities. Our graduates can provide essential on-the-ground expertise. This is especially important as misinformation competes with fact- and evidence-based science. You will be well-positioned to act as trusted experts who can influence their communities, their hospitals, and their social networks.
International students who study at the University of Leicester may be eligible for a Graduate Visa which grants permission to stay in the UK for at least 2 years after successful completion of their course.
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
The taught phase of the MSc degree (semester 1) will comprise of intensive taught laboratory classes alongside a series of lectures.
This part of the course is organised in two modules:
The second semester will consist of the extended 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 MSc 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 MSc 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?
The University of Leicester was recently ranked 2nd in the UK for its world-leading research in clinical Medicine (2021 Research Excellent Framework - REF). The University is home to the prestigious Leicester Microbial Sciences and Infectious Diseases Centre that conducts pioneering research.
The Department of Respiratory Sciences is a research-led department engaged in internationally-recognised research. With strong links with the NHS, we bring together basic and clinical scientists with strengths in microbial sciences, respiratory sciences and immunology.
Teaching at the University of Leicester received a Teaching Excellence Framework Gold Standard assessment in 2023 in a Government Scheme that makes assessment of teaching excellence in UK Universities and Colleges. This recognises an outstanding experience and outcomes that the students of the University of Leicester have, with high quality teaching, assessment and feedback.
The University of Leicester is at the forefront of tuberculosis research. The Leicester Tuberculosis Research Group is a group of scientists and clinicians that is focused on the discovery, development and implementation of knowledge to overcome the health, economic and social impact of tuberculosis (TB) at a global and national level.
Teaching and learning
In semester 1, the taught phase of the course, you will be trained in laboratory techniques and will develop your proficiency in experimental design through hands-on laboratory experiments.
Alongside the laboratory classes, you will have a core lecture programme, which is shared between our various postgraduate laboratory-based courses and 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.
The taught modules are assessed by in-module assessments, reports and exams. Successful completion of the taught phase is required to proceed to the MSc research project stage in semester 2.
In semester 2, you will put into practice the laboratory skills from the taught phase by conducting a 6-month MSc research project, which comprise two-thirds of the credits for your degree. You will have the opportunity to choose a laboratory research project from projects covering a broad range of disciplines in immunity, infection and chronic disease. You will become part of an active research group employing modern approaches and technologies to solve significant research questions.
Your research project will involve generating and analysing your research data and is assessed on your independence, initiative and understanding whilst performing the project, as well as submission of a final dissertation and project presentation.
The project is an ideal preparation if you are wishing to proceed to a PhD in the fields of infectious disease, and offers a great opportunity to enhance your employability as a molecular scientist.
Throughout your study you are welcome to join various research seminars, from both internally and externally invited speakers.
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 |
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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.