Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (October/November 2022). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas. The MSc in Integrated Immunology is designed to present immunology within the broader context of the basic sciences and biomedicine. Both the fundamental (basic) and clinical (applied) aspects are explored in depth and breadth, and integrated with relevant areas of other disciplines such as molecular cell biology, genetics and clinical trials, together with continuing professional development. This course is taking part in a continuing pilot programme to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, in order to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly. For this course, the socio-economic data you provide in the application form will be used to contextualise the shortlisting and decision-making processes. You will be taught by leading academics in immunology throughout the first two terms of the MSc, and you will undertake your third term project in a top-ranked research department. The MSc in Integrated Immunology course provides comprehensive and in-depth training in immunology for science and medical postgraduates. It is a 12-month, full-time course comprising two taught terms followed by a 14-week laboratory-based research project within a University of Oxford laboratory. The first taught term focuses on the fundamental science of immunology, while the second explores the clinical and therapeutic aspects of immunology. The MSc course is not modular, ie all teaching elements are compulsory for all students and there are no options for students to choose. Each of the two taught terms is 11 weeks in duration with nine weeks for classroom-based teaching, one for revision and one for examination. An average teaching week comprises approximately seven lectures, each lecture being 60 to 90 minutes in duration. In addition there are tutorials and problem based learning sessions. Continuing professional development classes, including presentation and IT skills, statistics, ethics and clinical trial methodologies, take place throughout both taught terms. Students are expected to treat their studies as a full-time occupation of at least 40-hours per week. Self-directed study should be undertaken to complement structured teaching, and the balance of these is usually 50/50. In the third term you will undertake an original, supervised research project to gain an understanding of research techniques in immunology or a related area. Research supervisors provide regular supervision and guidance during the course of the research project, and students are normally expected to work on their projects during core working hours during the week, or as agreed with their supervisor.