MSc in Clinical Neurology

Gain practical clinical exposure and the chance to apply the fundamentals of neuroanatomy and physiology to better understand the clinical features of patients with neurological diseases. You’ll attend hospital outpatient clinics and experience hands-on neuroanatomy dissection.

 

Course description

Lead academic: Dr Jon Wood and Dr Esther Hobson

This course offers practical clinical exposure and gives you the chance to apply the fundamentals of neuroanatomy and physiology to better understand the clinical features of patients with neurological diseases. You’ll learn how insights from the laboratory are translated into benefits for patients.

With an ageing population, neurological diseases represent an increasing economic burden to society and a cause of much suffering to patients and carers alike. You’ll focus on how insights from the laboratory are translated into benefits for patients.

The course offers theoretical and practical training in clinical neurology and neuroscience research including practical experience in the dissection room to facilitate teaching of neuro-anatomy. During several themed modules, each focussing on a different patho-physiological branch of neurological disease, disease-centred lectures and small group tutorials provide the necessary theoretical knowledge into the current state of the art of diagnostics and therapeutics in neurology.

In small-group teaching sessions and clinics, you’ll have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to patients with neurological disease. In the final term you may take a research option (Route A) or a Clinical Neurology Experiential Learning Module (Route B).

Students opting for Route A will choose from a range of clinical research projects based at SITraN or within the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Students opting for Route B will attend additional specialist clinics with patient-centred teaching from experts in the field who will emphasise recent advances in clinical practice.

This course will benefit those wishing to develop a career within the expanding field of translational neuroscience. Additionally, the course is aimed at medical graduates with an MBChB or equivalent qualification, who wish to develop a sub-specialty experience in a branch of neurology.

 

Modules

The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it’s up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we’ll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.

 

Duration

1 year full-time

Teaching

The taught component of the MSc is delivered through lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical demonstrations and student-led group work.

Each of the 30-credit modules is assessed using a formal examination (15 credits) and ongoing assessments during the module (15 credits), including essays, posters and oral presentations.

Assessment

The research project (Route A) is assessed from the written dissertation and research presentation examination.

The CNELM (Route B) is assessed by means of a portfolio (30 credits) and a 6,000-word dissertation (30 credits) on an aspect of the sub-speciality chosen for the module.

The portfolio will contain a reflective log, anonymised details of cases seen, and work-based assessments.

Your career

After successfully completing your course, graduates have had the opportunity to find work in a wide variety of areas and industries:

• Medicine (if you are a MBChB Medicine graduate)
• NHS Scientific Training Programme in Neurophysiology and Audiology
• Clinical Trials Administrator or Coordinator within the NHS or health industry
• Clinical Research Assistant
• Clinical PhD research
• Clinical Support worker within the NHS
• Allied Healthcare Professional
• Physician Associate postgraduate programmes
• Various nursing roles

Our graduates now work in many healthcare settings such as the Medical Research Network and residential care homes for a variety of ages, needs and backgrounds, as well as universities around the world, local councils and clinical research facilities.

 

Entry requirements

For Route A, you’ll need a 2:1 in an appropriate scientific subject, examples include Neuroscience, Psychology, Biomedical Science and Medicine or an MBChB degree. Medical students can intercalate after completion of three years of their medical degree.

For Route B, you’ll need an MBChB degree, be an intercalating medic and you must be eligible for GMC registration.

All students will require a DBS check and honorary contract with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (arranged on arrival).

 

Overall IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component, or equivalent.

 

Fees and funding

• Home (2022 annual fee) : £12,250
• Overseas (2022 annual fee) : £28,500

The fee listed is for the advertised mode of study. If you’re studying for an alternative qualification or via a different mode of study (eg full-time, part-time) then the fee could be different. Due to inflation, the fee for Home students could also increase after your first year of study.

 

key dates

September start

 

Monday 29 August 2022	Last date to request a deferral to September 2023 entry. You can request a deferral via your online application. We’re not able to consider deferral requests for applications to courses using our staged admissions process.
Friday 9 September 2022 (17:00 British Summer Time)	Applications close for September 2022 entry
Monday 17 October 2022	Last date to register for most courses