Master of Science by Coursework in Pharmacology
Differences from 2016/17 to 2021/22
-
1. The Divisional Board of Medical Sciences shall appoint for the supervision of the course an Organising Committee, which shall have the power to arrange lectures and other instruction.
-
2. The Organising Committee shall appoint for each candidate an academic advisor (mentor).
-
3.
EachcandidateCandidates shall:-
(a) follow a course of study in Pharmacology for at least three terms and for a substantial part of the three subsequent vacations, as determined by the course timetable;
-
(b) attend compulsory practical classes
which will be compulsory(a record of attendance will be kept); (c)when they submit their dissertations in September, produce a certificate from their academic advisor to the effect that they have fulfilled the requirements of (a) and (b).
-
-
4.
-
(i) each candidate must pass a computer-based qualifying examination at the end of Michaelmas Term. The test shall consist of
onemultiplethree-hourchoicecomputer-based examinationquestions on the topics covered by the Pharmacology Introductory Course, as set out in the Schedule.,TheandOrganisingmustCommitteebeshallcompletednotinlatertwothan the end of the Hilary Term preceding the final examination submit to the examinersand alisthalfof candidates who have satisfactorily completed the qualifying examinationhours. Candidates who fail the qualifying examination once shall be permitted to take it againinbefore thefirst weekend of the Hilary Term of the year of the final examination. -
(ii) each candidate will sit a three-hour data handling and experimental design examination (also known as the quantitative examination) before the end of
<50% of the maximum mark) shall be permitted to sit the examination on one further occasion before the end of the Trinity Term of the year of the final examination.TrinityHilary term. Candidates who fail once (<50% of the maximum mark) shall be permitted to sit the examination on one further occasion in the following Hilary term. -
(iii) each candidate will complete a
threetwo part examination.-
Part A: An essay examination at the beginning of Trinity Term on the material covered in the Advanced Pharmacology courses. The mark will contribute to the final course mark according to the pre-specified weighting.
-
Part B: Each candidate will be required to
submitupload the dissertation to theexaminers two copies of a printed Critical Literature Review of not more than 3,000 words which will be an extended introduction to theirUniversity approvedresearchonlineproject.assessmentOne practical notebook in which all practical class experiments are recorded will also be submittedplatform. Themarkdissertationwill contribute to the final course mark according to the pre-specified weighting. Part C:Each candidate willshould berequired to submit to the examiners three copies of a printed dissertationof not more than 10,000 words (excluding bibliography and appendices) on the research project selected for study as set out in the Schedule. The mark will contribute to the final course mark according to the pre-specified weighting.The arrangements for approval will be notified to candidates not later than the start of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the examination is taken.
-
-
Those who fail shall be permitted to re-sit Part A and submit
rewritesa rewrite of Part Band Part Con one further occasion.TheseTheresubmissionsresit and resubmission will occur with the following year'ssubmissionsexamination cycle.
-
(iv)
expectedrequired togivekeep apublicrecordoralofpresentationpracticalonworkhisusingortheherdesignatedresearchelectronicproject,systemonfordates to be determinedreview by theOrganising Committeeexaminers.
-
-
5. Each candidate shall be examined by giving an oral presentation (viva voce) on their research project to the examiners.
- 6. Each candidate must pass all assessment units, or a resit, in order for the degree to be awarded.
-
67. Before being given leave to supplicate, candidates must have demonstrated understanding of and competence in the topics covered by the professional development programme as set out in the Schedule, to the satisfaction of the programme organisers, who shall submit a certificate to the examiners to this effect. -
78.required written submissionsdissertation must besentuploaded to theChairUniversityofapprovedExaminers,onlineM.Sc.assessmentin Pharmacology, c/o Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford on the following dates:(a)The dissertation on the research project must be submittedplatform by dates to be specified by the Organising Committee and which will be published in the University Gazette not later than the start of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the examination is taken.(b)essay and the practical notebook must be submitted by deadlines determined by the Organising Committee and posted in theGazetteno later than the end of the term preceding submission.
Eachsubmission must be accompanied by a certificate indicating that it is the candidate's own work. -
89. The viva voce examination will normally be conducted in September in the year in which the candidate is examined on dates to be determined by the examiners. -
9.The examiners may award a distinction for excellence in part of or in the whole examination. 10. The examiners shall retain one copy of each dissertation of each successful candidate for deposit in the
RadcliffeDepartmentScienceofLibraryPharmacology.
Schedule
The syllabus for study will include four principal components:
-
(a) Professional Development Programme for Pharmacologists
To provide transferable skills for a career in scientific research, this programme will consist of classes, exercises and interactive discussions in the following areas:
-
(i) Presentation skills, verbal and written;
-
(ii) Career planning, assessing personal skills and values, curricula vitae and interview techniques;
-
(iii) Exploitation of science: getting ideas to the marketplace, patents, intellectual property rights; the relationship between academic and industrial research; government science policy and research funding;
-
(iv) Ethical and social issues in science.
-
-
Creativity and teamwork are integral components of the learning undertaken during the practical classes and research projects. Time management and learning skills are developed as part of the structured timetable of examinations and coursework submission deadlines throughout the year.
-
(b) Introduction to Pharmacology
Three module introduction to pharmacology, each consisting of lectures and practical classes. Candidates who have already received training in some of the topic areas covered may, at the discretion of the Organising Committee, be exempted from attendance at one or more of the introductory lecture series. Such candidates will be required to pass the qualifying examination, which will cover the topics covered in the Introduction to Pharmacology.
-
Module I: Cell
&& Receptor Pharmacology
-
Module II: Tissue and Organ Pharmacology
-
Module III: Neuropharmacology
Candidates will also be required to take courses on experimental design, data interpretation, computing and statistics, approved by the Organising Committee. Candidates will
behaverequiredthe option to obtain a Home Office licence.andThose candidates who wish to carry out a research project involving animal work willfollowbe required to attend the Home Office Licence courseof study requiredfor modules 1 to 4ofinthisdue time. Students will not be permitted to carry out a project involving animal work without the licence should they change their mind at a later stage. -
-
(c) Advanced pharmacology courses
-
This will consist of the following five taught courses consisting of lectures, seminars and practical classes: Cardiovascular
&& Systems Pharmacology, Cell Signalling, Neuropharmacology I, Neuropharmacology II, Drug Discovery& Personalised Medicine. -
(d) Research Project Dissertation
Candidates shall submit a dissertation on a research project undertaken under the supervision of a research supervisor. The subject of each dissertation and the supervision arrangements for each student must be approved by the Organising Committee. The research project will normally be laboratory-based, but in exceptional circumstances students may undertake a library-based project, subject to approval from the Organising Committee.