Course summary

The MSc in Translational Health Sciences is a part-time taught course exploring how innovations are adopted in healthcare, focusing on behavioural, organisational, and policy challenges through interdisciplinary, applied learning. Using innovations to meet healthcare needs is a global imperative – and one that can only become more urgent as demands on our healthcare systems increase. This applied MSc course brings robust, interdisciplinary and practice-based approaches to addressing the challenges of research translation. The key focus will be theory and method in the downstream phases of translational health sciences – that is, the human, organisational and societal issues that influence the adoption, dissemination and mainstreaming of research discoveries. You can expect to gain a coherent overview of how different academic disciplines can inform problem-solving and guide action in translational health sciences, along with a rigorous interdisciplinary training to further develop your intellectual and research skills. The course is ideal for researchers who want to study scientific and technological innovation in a healthcare setting and research managers looking to run clinical trials or promote the uptake of research findings. It will also assist entrepreneurs (from industry or the public sector) who seek to improve patient care through innovation and policymakers (local and national) wishing to support research and its translation to improve services. For students interested in undertaking doctoral research, the MSc will prepare them to apply for a DPhil in translational health sciences. The department expects you to have some relevant past experience in a work environment.