Postgraduate Taught

The School of Medicine conducts a very active and successful academic programme. Most of the teaching takes place on the Hartshill campus, which is ideally located adjacent to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, providing access to workshops, offices and seminar rooms and the all-important direct connection with the full range of clinical activities. Our students and staff members therefore have the opportunity to work directly with nursing and clinical staff. The Guy Hilton Research Centre offers a patient treatment facility alongside state-of-the art equipment for translational research, which includes cell therapy suites, genomic facilities and advanced laser and diagnostic laboratories.

The School embraces specialists working in the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital Oswestry,
covering the key medical and surgical subspecialties. A number of successful interdisciplinary research programmes are being carried out, and the postgraduate culture is very evident and ideally suited to the development and delivery of postgraduate courses.

Grant income is from the Research Councils, the Department of Health and major charities, as well as non-UK based organisations,
including the EU and the NIH (USA). Excellent library and study facilities are available at the Clinical Education Centre and at the University Library on the main campus.

The aims of the courses are to provide multidisciplinary Masters Level postgraduate training in biomedical engineering and cellular engineering. These will involve building on existing undergraduate knowledge in basic sciences and applying it to clinical applications of bioengineering and cell/tissue engineering relevant to the health care environment.

The overall objectives are:

• To provide courses at a postgraduate level leading to professional careers in biomedical engineering and cell/tissue engineering in a wide range of health care establishments such as medical organisations, medical research institutions and NHS Trust hospitals
• To provide an opportunity for in-depth research into specialist and novel areas of biomedical engineering and cell/tissue engineering
• To expose students to practical work in a hospital environment with hands-on knowledge of patient care
• To introduce students to exciting new fields within medical and cell/tissue engineering such as molecular techniques in tissue engineering and novel technologies for physiological monitoring

Students holding a first-or second-class honours degree in engineering, physical or biological sciences, or other professional qualification acceptable to Keele University, are encouraged to apply.

These taught Masters courses require satisfactory completion of at least 180 M Level credits, made up of 120 credits from taught
modules (90 credits core and compulsory, 30 credits options) plus a project and dissertation for 60 credits. The module structure is set out below.

Biomedical Engineering

Compulsory Modules (each 15 credits)

• Human Physiology and Anatomy*
• Physiological Measurement
• Seminar Programme
• Medical Equipment and Technology Services Management
• Biomedical Signal Processing and Modelling
• Introduction to Medical Imaging
• Medical Device Design Principles

Option Modules (each 15 credits)

• Bioreactor & Growth Environment
• Biomechanics
• Molecular Techniques
• Stem Cell Therapy
• Nanomagnetics in Nanomedicine
• Biosensors
• Cell and Tissue Engineering
• Cell Biomechanics
• Health Care Technology Assessment
• Biomaterials

*Compulsory for students who cannot demonstrate previous knowledge of anatomy.

Cell and Tissue Engineering

Compulsory Modules (each 15 credits)

• Bioreactor & Growth Environment
• Biomechanics
• Seminar Programme
• Cell and Tissue Engineering
• Biomaterials

Option Modules (each 15 credits)

• Human Physiology and Anatomy*
• Molecular Techniques
• Physiological Measurement
• Stem Cell Therapy
• Nanomagnetics in Nanomedicine
• Medical Equipment and Technology Services Management
• Biomedical Signal Processing and Modelling
• Biosensors
• Cell Biomechanics
• Health Care Technology Assessment
• Introduction to Medical Imaging
• Medical Device Design Principles
• Healthcare Technology Assessment

*Compulsory for students who cannot demonstrate previous knowledge of anatomy.

Project Dissertation (60 credits)

Research project and final dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words. This is an opportunity for students to undertake laboratory based research in their chosen topic and should demonstrate their understanding of the field via applications in health care.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The courses are taught through subject-centred lectures, supported by tutorials and practical exercises. Collaborative learning and student-centred learning will also be adopted, so there will be a substantial amount of group work and individual assignments. Students are also required to conduct independent study to a very large extent. Attendance is required for all chosen modules except for the dissertation. An individual approach to student support will be adopted. Each student will be assigned a tutor for the dissertation module, chosen in relation to the appropriate subject discipline and expertise for the project.

Assessment

Modules will be assessed by both in-course assessment and final examination. A major part of the assessment will be based on the student’s research project and written dissertation.