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Master of Science by Coursework in Musculoskeletal Sciences

  • 1. The Medical Sciences Board shall elect for the supervision of the course an Organising Committee, which shall have the power to arrange teaching, assessments and other instruction.

  • 2. The Organising Committee shall appoint for each candidate two academic supervisors.

  • 3. Candidates will hold a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), in biological sciences and/or related topics or will be medically qualified. In special circumstances, candidates from other medically related subjects (e.g. nurses and/or allied health professionals) will be considered.

  • 4. Candidates shall follow a course of study in Musculoskeletal Sciences on a part-time basis for at least six terms, and including vacations, as determined by the course timetable. The course commences every two years and runs for two years.

  • 5. Candidates shall be examined in all of the following ways:

    • (i) Year 1

      • (a) Each candidate shall submit a literature review of no more than 4,000 words on a topic selected by the candidate and approved by the Organising Committee. The review must be submitted in June on a date to be specified by the Organising Committee and published in the course handbook not later than the start of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the examination is taken.

      • (b) Each candidate must pass an examination in September on a date to be specified by the Organising Committee which will be published in the student handbook not later than the start of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the examination is taken. The examination will comprise two elements: the first of these will consist of a one-hour computer-based assessment comprising multiple-choice questions; the second of these will constitute a two-hour written paper.

    • (ii) Year 2

      • (a) Each candidate will be assessed on their presentation skills by means of a public oral presentation on his or her research topic. The presentation must take place in March on a date to be specified by the Organising Committee and published in the course handbook not later than the start of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the examination is taken.

      • (b) Each candidate must submit a written summative research proposal of no more than 10,000 words on a topic selected by the candidate and approved by the Organising Committee. The proposal must be submitted in June on a date to be specified by the Organising Committee and published in the course handbook not later than the start of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the examination is taken.

      • (c) Each candidate must pass an examination in September on the date to be specified by the Organising Committee and published in the course handbook not later than the start of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the examination is taken. The examination will comprise two elements: the first of these will consist of a one-hour computer-based assessment comprising multiple-choice questions; the second of these will constitute a two-hour written paper.

  • 6. Candidates may be examined viva voce on their research proposal. The viva voce examination will normally be conducted at the end of the course.

  • 7. Candidates must pass each examination and written assignment in order to pass overall.

  • 8. Candidates will be allowed one opportunity to retake or resubmit each of the required elements, normally within two months of the original failure, should they fail to reach the necessary standard. Candidates failing to pass any element at the second attempt will normally be judged to have failed to reach the necessary standard for the award and will not be permitted to continue.

  • 9. The required written submissions must be uploaded to the virtual learning environment specified by the organising committee and published in the course handbook not later than the start of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the examination is taken. Submissions must be accompanied by an electronic declaration of authorship and originality. The assignment will be checked for plagiarism with a software programme called Turnitin.

  • 10. The examiners may award a Postgraduate Diploma to candidates who have satisfied the requirements for all assessments with the exception of the written research proposal and who do not wish to continue their studies, or who fail to meet the required standard for the written research proposal.

Schedule

  • Candidates are required to complete all of the following modules:

    • 1. Musculoskeletal Diseases: Scientific Principles

    • 2. Research, Statistics and Epidemiology

    • 3. Musculoskeletal Diseases: Applied Clinical Sciences

    • 4. Advanced Rheumatology

    • 5. Advanced Orthopaedics