Cardiovascular Science and Diabetes, MSc at University of Aberdeen

Our programme will provide you with a leading-edge view of cardiovascular and metabolic science through delivery of a research-led teaching experience that includes a laboratory research project supervised by leading cardiovascular and diabetes science researchers.

Our programme is distinct in a number of ways.

• The Institute of Medical Sciences, from which the MSc programme is delivered is co-located with the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, allowing the delivery of a Masters programme uniquely integrating elements of cardiovascular and metabolic science in the context of obesity and cardiovascular disease.
• The Masters programme benefits from the excellent cardiovascular laboratory facilities and clinical cardiovascular imaging expertise available to us on the University’s Foresterhill site, one of the largest health campuses in Europe.
• The clinical relevance of the programme is directly strengthened by the location of the teaching, with Aberdeen Royal Hospital on site, and by the input of cardiovascular and diabetes clinicians into the MSc training and research projects.

The combination of internationally recognised cardiovascular laboratory research, input of clinicians to the teaching and the established excellence in nutrition research at the Rowett Institute provides a unique experience for students. You will be equipped with knowledge and skills needed to secure subsequent PhD training in academia, or employment in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Students will study core courses in molecular medicine, genome-enabled medicine and bioinformatics, alongside cardiovascular and metabolic sciences taught in the context of health and disease.

How You'll Study

The teaching on this programme will encompass research-led learning using laboratory practical classes, workshops, clinical demonstrations and tutorials to support the lecture material. Lectures are recorded and can be viewed again when required. The MSc makes the most of hands-on learning to enable repeated exposure to evidence-based practice in cardiovascular and diabetes research using clinical case studies. Some of the teaching methods employed in the programme include:

• Inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary learning
• Exposure to leading academic and clinical experts
• Research-led teaching taught by key opinion leaders in cardiovascular and diabetes research
• Literature-driven critical assessment and analyses
• Practical laboratory skills and state-of-the-art techniques
• Individual laboratory or literature based project within the research centre

Learning Methods

• CLINICAL LEARNING
• E-LEARNING
• GROUP PROJECTS
• INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS
• LAB WORK
• LECTURES
• PEER LEARNING
• RESEARCH
• SEMINARS
• TUTORIALS
• WORKSHOPS

Careers

The MSc in Cardiovascular Science and Diabetes will provide you with the academic, analytical and practical skills to assist you in many careers. Many of our graduates choose to continue in research careers and begin PhDs or become research scientists (research assistants or technicians). Our scientists have obtained posts in Universities, industry, biotechnology and hospital diagnostic and pathology laboratories.

More generally, cardiovascular and diabetes researchers can use their training in education, working in schools, colleges of further education and in Universities. Further opportunities are available to apply your training in scientific publishing, in patent offices working on biological patents, in science outreach and contributing to the public understanding of biological issues.