Biomedical Science (Cellular Pathology) MSc
Develop your laboratory skills and learn from researchers at the forefront of biomedical research on this highly practical degree using industry-level technology and diagnostic techniques
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Viewing course details for 2025 year of entry
- Code
- PGB90A
- Attendance
- Full-time, Part-time
- Start
- September 2025
- Fees
- £10,700 (UK) £17,100 (INT)
- Duration
- 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
- Course Leader
- Song Wen
- Study mode
- On campus
- Location
- Hendon campus
- School / Department
- Faculty of Science and Technology
Why choose Biomedical Science (Cellular Pathology) MSc at Middlesex?
Cellular pathology saves many lives each year by helping to fight serious illness. It is the study of changes in cells, tissues, and organs that cause disease. This specialism is constantly evolving and plays a crucial role in the fight against serious illnesses, particularly cancer.
Our MSc emphasises practical skills and hands-on experience in diagnostic techniques. Our specialist laboratories are fully equipped with specialist technology, including a cell culture facility and proteomics facilities. You will learn to use cutting-edge techniques and equipment for cellular and molecular analysis, such as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometers, flow cytometers, DNA sequencing, real-time PCR, electrophoresis, and HPLC.
Our biomedical science courses have an excellent international reputation. All our teaching staff are involved in research and many are pioneers in their own field. Our Centre for Investigative and Diagnostic Oncology has made significant breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis and treatment, including our breakthrough in the development of a vaccine for bladder cancer.
We have strong links with London hospitals and NHS Laboratories which means that you will be studying the latest developments, practices, and research.
What you will gain
In addition to gaining in-depth knowledge of your subject, you will acquire a comprehensive understanding of designing and conducting experiments, statistical analyses, and techniques for analysing samples and molecules.
You will also be proficient in managing a laboratory, including people management, business plans and budgets, safety regulations, and quality management. Additionally, you will become familiar with ethical and legal issues that may arise in specific types of research, such as assisted reproduction and genetics, genetic testing, and human or animal research.
All our teaching staff are involved in research and many are pioneers in their own field. The course is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science, so on graduation you'll have fulfilled the academic requirement for Licentiate membership of the institute; you can apply for student membership while you study.
Accreditations
This course is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS). You will graduate with a professional qualification that will give you a competitive edge in pursuing your scientific career ambitions.
Graduating from this course are entitled to become a member of The IBMS, which is the professional body for biomedical scientists in the UK. It can help its members to develop their careers and scientific knowledge as well as provide them with personal and professional support.
3 great reasons to pick this course
About your course
In this course, you will learn about the body's major organs, how diseases affect them, and how to treat and prevent them. You will also study the cellular structure and function of different organs and tissues, and how to diagnose diseases using histopathology and cytology. You’ll look specifically at cancer, cervical screening and the HPV vaccination along with oncogenes, organ transplants, genetic disorders and Human Tissue Authority regulations.
The module aims to examine advanced bioanalytical techniques that are used in biomedical research, for the analysis of products, for improving diseases understanding and for the analysis of disease biomarkers. It also provides a detailed understanding of the principles, theory and practice of bioanalytical techniques, including safety, instrumentation, sample preparation techniques together with analysis and interpretation of analytical data.
The module aims to provide insight into a range of ethical and legal issues that relate to professional practice, to research with human and animal subjects and to human reproduction, particularly various forms of reproductive technology. It will also aim to give students a broad overview of the relevant current UK ethical and legal regulations for research using human tissues. The module will further explore the ethical issues present in the rapidly developing area of genetic technology, including genetic testing and selection, genetic engineering, and the concept of genetic disease. After an introduction to basic ethical theory and legal principles, the focus of the module will be on exploring ways in which, by applying theoretical considerations to practice, ethical and legal issues can be critically analysed and addressed.
The module aims to provide student with the knowledge and understanding of the principles of carcinogenesis, malignancy and metastasis. They will learn cellular pathology to the diagnosis and management of a range of common cancers. They will apply cellular pathology techniques in cancer and gain experience of interpreting results from patient investigations.
The module aims to provide students with the tools required to design effective and efficient experiments and to test scientific hypotheses. The module will also equip students with the tools necessary for statistical analysis in a hypothesis testing context.
This module will provide the student with knowledge and understanding of the role and application of genetics testing in the diagnosis and management of patients with genetic disorders and the implications to other family members.
The module aims to provide students with current theories and approaches to leadership and management in order they can bring about effect positive change in the team or organisation that they lead or manage.
This module aims is to provide the student with the knowledge and understanding of the cellular structure and function of the major organs and the cellular pathological findings in a range of clinical disorders other than cancer. An additional aim is to provide knowledge on the techniques that can be apply to investigation a range of clinical disorders and gain experience of interpreting results from patient investigations.
This module aims is to provide the student with the knowledge and understanding of the pathological basis of disease and the use of histopathology and cytopathology to detect and diagnose disease.
Module aims to develop students' skills in planning and execution of an analytical, laboratory-based study and critical evaluation of real research results drawing on their acquired knowledge from other modules. In addition, the module aims to develop students' communication skills to enable them to communicate their findings in written and oral form.
To find out more about this course, please download the MSc Biomedical Science Specialisms (PDF).
Register your interest
Sign up now to receive more information about studying at Middlesex University London.
Teaching
The course is delivered by our academics and industry partners in person and via digital platforms. Our learning activities include lectures, presentations, seminars, webinars, one-to-one tutorials and group projects. You will work in workshops or labs when possible. You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience.
Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.
We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.
Teaching vs independent study
In a typical year, you’ll spend about 1200 hours on your course.
Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework and presentations.
Typical weekly breakdown
A typical week looks like this:
|
Learning |
Hours per week |
|
On-campus |
9 |
|
Online |
4 |
|
Independent study |
40 |
For placement, there may be additional hours.
Learning terms
On-campus or online: This includes tutor-led sessions such as seminars, lab sessions and demonstrations as well as student-led sessions for work in small groups. Most of teaching will be conducted in campus, but a small percentage of teaching will be online live streaming due to unexpected circumstances
Independent study: This is the work you do in your own time including reading and research.
Part-time study
You can also study this course part-time.
Our Hendon campus, north London.
We have a strong support network online and on campus to help you develop your academic skills. We offer one-to-one and group sessions to develop your learning skills together with academic support from our library, IT teams and learning experts.
There are no exams but your coursework will include your research project and dissertation and you will be assessed through presentations and written assignments. Other work including essays, laboratory reports and logbooks, data analysis exercises, case study assignments, and papers made up of a literature review, hypothesis and research question will be assessed.
For your dissertation, you'll design, conduct, evaluate and present the results of your own independent and original research project in a clinical or laboratory setting. You can base your project at your workplace if you’re in relevant employment. You will present your finding through a 12,000 to 15,000 word report and a presentation to your tutors and fellow students.
You'll evaluate your work, skills and knowledge and identify areas for improvement. Sometimes you'll work in groups and assess each other's progress.
Each term, you'll get regular feedback on your learning.
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North London campus
Our north London campus is 23 minutes away by underground train, travelling from London Kings Cross.
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Facilities
Specialist labs
Learn within the University's cutting-edge laboratories, which include:
- A well-equipped cell culture facility and histology lab
- Fully equipped proteomics facilities.
Bioscience Suite
Our bioscience suite is equipped with an incredible range of equipment with which you can analyse environmental samples.
Facilities include fluorescence microscopes to examine biological samples. You will also have access to microbiological and molecular equipment, affording a broad range of analytical capabilities.
Cell and Tissue Culture Lab
Our dedicated Cell and Tissue Culture Lab is focused on the culture of mammalian cell lines. The laboratory's outstanding facilities include:
- Biological safety cabinets for the sterile handling of cells
- Four phase-contrast microscopes
- Several atmosphere-controlled incubators for growing cells.
You can use the lab to discover new biomarkers which can be used to detect disease, as well as in vitro models to determine the efficacy of many potential treatments for disease.
This facility is essential to cancer, reproductive, stem cell and nano-pharmaceutics research at Middlesex.
The Sheppard Library
Our library is open 24 hours a day during the term and includes:
- Over 1,000 study areas with rooms for group study and over 600 computer spaces
- 350,000 books and e-books and more than 24,000 online journals
- Free laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing.
Student support
We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health and disability support.
Additional needs
We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Neurodiversity team.
Wellness
Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.
Work while you study
Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.
Financial support
You can apply for scholarships and bursaries. We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.
Careers
How can the MSc Biomedical Science (Cellular Pathology) support your career?
Biomedical Science represents the second-largest profession registered by the Health Professions Council and there is a high demand for well-qualified graduates. Our university's postgraduate courses have been recognised for their ability to support your career.
We are a top 10 UK University for employability (UniCompare Rankings 2025), and a top 10 UK university for industry connections and funding in Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2024.
Career paths
Some of our graduates have gone on to work in management, consultancy, lab supervision, or international roles within hospitals, schools and universities. Many graduates go on to become cellular pathologists, biomedical scientists working alongside doctors, analysing patients’ samples to produce often urgent results, and advising on treatment.
Alternatively, you could work in a medical or pharmaceutical research lab, developing new techniques for diagnosing and treating diseases. There are also opportunities in diagnostic laboratories within both the public and private sectors.
If you're currently working in cellular pathology, this MSc will help you progress to a more senior position. You might also wish to explore your options in research or academia, or even complete further study at a doctoral level.
There are many opportunities available in a variety of sectors including academia, education, biotechnology, and even areas like patent law, forensic science and science journalism. Biomedical scientists also work with Public Health England, the Medical Research Council and the Health and Safety Executive.
MDXWorks
MDXworks, our employability service, will help you make the most of your experience and connections to achieve your career goals. You'll have unlimited access to one-to-one advice and support from specialists in your sector plus 24/7 online support. You can also make the most of events and networking opportunities, on and off campus.
Global alumni network
You’ll be studying with students from 122 countries who’ll become part of your personal global network. You'll learn how to work with a global mindset and make invaluable connections on your course for your chosen industry.
Entry requirements
Qualifications
We welcome your application regardless of your background or experience.
For this course, ideally, we are looking for:
- A 2:2 honours degree or above in a related subject.
If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements.
We welcome students from the UK and all over the world. Join students from over 122 countries and discover why so many international students call our campus home:
- Quality teaching with top facilities plus flexible online learning
- Welcoming north London campus that's only 30 minutes from central London
- Work placements and networking with top London employers
- Award-winning career support to get you where you want to go after university.
Qualifications
We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the accepted qualifications on your country's support page. If you are unsure of the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest international office.
English language
You will need to meet our English language requirements. And, don’t worry If you don't meet our minimum English language requirements, as we offer a Pre-sessional English course.
Visas
To study with us in the UK, you might need a Student visa. Please check to see if this applies to you.
Apply as early as possible to make sure you get a place. You can submit your application before you receive your final qualification.
Personal statements
Make sure that you highlight your best qualities in your personal statement that are relevant to this course. Such as forward-thinking, creative and collaborative.
Interviews
You won’t be required to attend an interview.
Find out how to apply for postgraduate taught courses and watch our step-by-step video.
Fees and funding
The fees below are for the 2025/26 academic year:
UK students1
Full-time students: £10,700
Part-time students: £71 per credit
Part-time students: £35 per dissertation credit
International students2
Full-time students: £17,100
Part-time students: £114 per credit
Part-time students: £57 per dissertation credit
Additional costs
We cover your costs for the day-to-day things that you need to do well in your studies.
- Free – laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing
- Free specialist software for your course
- Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.
Financial support
We offer lots of support to help you with fees and living costs. Check out our guide to student life on a budget and find out more about postgraduate funding.
Postgraduate scholarships
You may be eligible for one of our scholarships including:
- The Alumni Postgraduate Award – for all UK Middlesex alumni a 20% fee reduction
- The Commonwealth Scholarship – full course fees, airfares and a living allowance
- The Chevening Scholarship – full course fees
- The European Academic Awards – £1000 to £7000 for students showing academic excellence
- Regional or International Merit Award –up to £2,000 towards course fees
For international students, we also have a limited number of other awards specific to certain regions, and work in partnership with funding providers in your country to help support you financially with your study.
Find out more about our postgraduate scholarships.
Help from your employer
Your employer can contribute towards the cost of your postgraduate study as part of their staff development programme.
Work while you study
If you are not currently working, we can help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above.
Fees disclaimers
1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.
Student Testimonials
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Middlesex University studying MSc Biomedical Science (Cellular Pathology). I received a lot of help and guidance from my lecturers and PhD student mentor when carrying out research for my thesis on breast cancer. Overall, the content was always delivered in a stimulating manner and the use of formative assessments gave me a lot of confidence and highlighted my strengths and weaknesses so I was able to truly progress."
MSc Biomedical Science (Cellular Pathology)
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We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.