IOVS Handbook 15

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FACULTY OF MEDICAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES

Masters/PG Diploma STUDENT HANDBOOK

2015-16

Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/


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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 1

Welcome to the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences Graduate School .................................................................... 1

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION ................................................................................................... 2

MSc Programme Management and Points of Contact ..................................................................................................... 2

Communication ................................................................................................................................................................. 3

2015-16 Programme Information ......................................................................................................................... 4Key Calendar dates............................................................................................................................................................ 4

Semester Dates:............................................................................................................................................................... 4

Student Representation and Feedback ............................................................................................................................. 4

Teaching Staff.................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Aims................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Objectives.......................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Course Structure and Credits ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Teaching & Learning Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 7

Teaching & Learning Resources (access to PCs, library, journals etc) .............................................................................. 7

Personal Tutor Arrangements ........................................................................................................................................... 7

Research Seminars/Tutorials/ Journal clubs ..................................................................................................................... 7Research Projects, Dissertations and Literature Reviews ................................................................................................. 7

Financial Information ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students ......................................................................................................... 8

Mitigating Circumstances ................................................................................................................................................. 8

Late Submission ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Word Limits ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Academic Malpractice ..................................................................................................................................................... 10

Interruptions and Extensions to Programme .................................................................................................................. 10

Academic Appeals and Complaints ................................................................................................................................. 11

Tier 4 Visa Attendance Monitoring Census ..................................................................................................................... 11

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations For Students (September 2015) ........................................................... 12Criteria for Awards .......................................................................................................................................................... 12

Exit Awards ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Compensation ................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Reassessment .................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Programme Exemptions to PGT Degree Regulations ..................................................................................................... 14

Exam Board Meetings and Course Progression .............................................................................................................. 14

Assessment ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14

The use of Turnitin .......................................................................................................................................................... 15

Extensions for Coursework ............................................................................................................................................. 15

Penalties for Late Submission of coursework ................................................................................................................. 15

Board of Examiners and External Examiner .................................................................................................................... 15Ratification of Degrees and Awards ................................................................................................................................ 16

Publication of Results ...................................................................................................................................................... 16

Graduation ...................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Medical and Human Sciences PGT Graduate School Online Skills Training Resource ............................................. 17

Student Support, Help And Advice ...................................................................................................................... 18

Student Representation .................................................................................................................................................. 18

University Student Support Services............................................................................................................................... 19

The Graduate Society ......................................................................................................................................... 19

Dissertation And Literature Reviews ................................................................................................................... 20Choosing the topic for your Diploma Literature Review ................................................................................................ 20


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Presentation of your Dissertation (MSc) and/or Literature Review (Pathway 2 and PG Diploma) ................................ 20

Processes for submission of Dissertation or Literature Reviews .................................................................................... 20

Course Unit Descriptions And Methods Of Assessment ....................................................................................... 21

Research Methods .......................................................................................................................................................... 21

Macular Degeneration: Research, Investigations And Clinical Practice ......................................................................... 27

Retinal Vascular Disease............................................................................................................................................... 29

Glaucoma ........................................................................................................................................................................ 31

Contact Lenses ................................................................................................................................................................ 34

Cornea: Clinical Practice and Current Research.......................................................................................................... 36

Useful Links To University Policies ...................................................................................................................... 39


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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences Graduate School

Welcome to your Postgraduate Taught Programme in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences Graduate School

at the University of Manchester. The University has a worldwide reputation based on high quality teaching and

research, and I am sure that your taught programme will provide a solid foundation for your future career success.

Within the Graduate School, our goal is to create an environment that allows you to excel and reach your full

potential. Offering access to first-class facilities and strong links with regional health-service providers, our

postgraduate taught programmes are designed to meet the diverse needs of all our students. The curriculum of our

taught programmes provides the knowledge and skills you will need in your subject area and all our Masters

programmes include an opportunity to carry out an independent research project on topics spanning all areas of

biomedical research from molecular to experimental biology and clinical medicine. While subject areas cover a broad

range, all our taught programmes have two common aims:

To develop your skills in your chosen field of study

To enhance your knowledge within the field you have chosen. Whether you are a graduate, professional or

have a clinical background, the programmes have been tailored to meet your specific needs.

As a student in the Graduate School you will be expected to take responsibility for your degree, within a supportive

environment that fosters your development and helps prepare you for your future career. This handbook will be a

useful resource as you progress through your taught programme. It provides programme specific information that I

am sure that you will find helpful throughout your study. If however, you have questions or would like some further

advice, please do not hesitate to contact the people listed in this handbook for further information and assistance.

The Graduate School has a Graduate Society and Postgraduate hubs offering opportunities and venues for social and

professional interactions between students and with staff. As a postgraduate student you are a vital member of the

Graduate School, during the year we will be holding events that will bring together people from different schools,

Institutes and programmes allowing you to meet each other and explore your interests across different disciplines.

Keep up to date with events and activities via theGraduate School* website and be sure to come along and support

yourGraduate School.

I wish you every success as you embark upon your taught programme, and in your future career.

Professor Phil Padfield

Associate Dean, Postgraduate Taught Education
http://www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/mhs-graduate-school/http://www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/mhs-graduate-school/http://www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/mhs-graduate-school/


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PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION

The MSc in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science is hosted by the Clinical Alliance in the Faculty of Medical

and Human Sciences.

MSc Programme Management and Points of Contact

Important information with regards to this course will usually be emailed to you or posted as a hard copy. If you

have any queries or concerns at any time during your period of study in Manchester, there is a range of people you

can approach. Your Programme Administrator will be your first port of call for general issues. Alternatively, you may

wish to contact the Programme Director, Dr Tariq Aslam for specific aspects to do with the course. If all else fails or

you wish to raise a confidential matter at School level, you should approach the Clinical Alliance Lead or the School

Graduate Managercontact details below.

Responsibility for overall management of the Programme lies with the Programme Director. The Programme

Director has assembled a Programme Committee, which meets regularly, to advise on content, structure,

management, student supervision, and regulatory matters such as Programme improvement and refinement. The

Committee has a student representative who is democratically elected by the MSc students to attend meetings.

Issues which you wish to feed back to the MSc Committee can be done by your student representative.

The programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedures of

the University of Manchester. The Programme Committee reports and responds to the Clinical Alliance Committee

and the Programme Director is a member of the Clinical Alliance committee as in the following scheme:

Affiliated to Institute of

Human Development

Faculty of Medical & Human Sciences

Graduate School Board

Faculty of Medical & Human Sciences

PGT Committee

School of Medicine PGT Council

Clinical Alliance

MSc Investigative Ophthalmology

and Vision Science


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Points of contact

Programme Directors:

Dr Tariq Aslam

Email:[email protected]

4th

Floor, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital

Dr Chantal Hillarby


1st

floor, Stopford Building

Clinical Sciences Alliance Lead: Anna Beddow


1.96, Simon Building

Associate Dean for Graduate Education: Prof Phil Padfield


1.810, First Floor, Stopford Building

Programme Administrator: TBC


Tel 0161-306-3411

1.485, First Floor, Stopford Building

School Graduate Manager: Lynsey McVey


1.483, First Floor Stopford Building

MSc student rep. To be appointed by students post registration.

Communication

Email communication

Please note that only your official student university email address will be used as official communication by

academic and the School Graduate Administrative staff. It is your responsibility to ensure that you can access and

read email from this source.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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2015-16 Programme Information

The course, which can lead to the award of an MSc or Diploma, brings together the research expertise of two

faculties (Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences and the Faculty of Life Sciences) and the clinical expertise within

Manchester Royal Eye Hospital to provide students with a firm grounding in the knowledge needed to pursue a

higher degree and to follow a research/academic career in ocular health/vision sciences. It also gives an opportunity

for vision related professionals to advance their knowledge on the scientific foundations of ophthalmology and

vision sciences.

Key Calendar dates

Welcome Weekweek commencing 21st

September 2015

Semester Dates:

Start Date End Date

First Semester 21st September 2015 31st

January 2016

Christmas Vacation 21stDecember 2015 17

thJanuary 2016

Start Date End Date

Second Semester 1st

February 2016 15th

May 2016

Easter Vacation 21st

March 2016 10th

April 2016

Examination Dates

Semester 1 Exams will be held 18th

January 201629th January 2016*

Semester 2 Exams will be held 16th

May 201612th

June 2016*

* Dates may be subject to change

Dissertation Submission Dates

2nd

September 2016 Submission deadline for MSc Dissertations

Graduation

December 2016 Date to be confirmed

July 2017 Date to be confirmed

Student Representation and Feedback

A few weeks after the beginning of the year, you will be asked to elect your student representative for your

programme. A student representative will be invited to attend the Programme Committee meetings (as

appropriate) throughout the year and should make students views known to the programme team. In

addition, the student representative should report any responses from the programme team back to fellow

students. Action taken as a result of student feedback will be fed back to the students by the programme

team. The quality of teaching on the programme is monitored in part by student feedback. Thus it is very

important that you make your views, good and bad, known. Please let the Programme Director know at any

time if you feel there is a problem with a particular area of the programme.

The Students Union works in partnership with individual Schools and Departments to provide training and support

for Student Representatives throughout their term. Further details of training will be provided for Reps once elected

and information about additional support/activities for Student Representatives can be found on the Students

Union websitehttp://manchesterstudentsunion.com/reps
http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/repshttp://manchesterstudentsunion.com/repshttp://manchesterstudentsunion.com/repshttp://manchesterstudentsunion.com/reps


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Teaching Staff

The MSc course draws upon the expertise of a large number of academic and clinically qualified staff. While the

majority have academic appointments within the University of Manchester there are a number of invited guest

lecturers who bring specific expertise which often results in a lively discussion between students, course organisers

and invited guests. In total there are over 30 staff members contributing to the 6 modules (see syllabus for further

details).

Each module on the MSc course is organised by either one or two full time academic staff. These staff and unit co-

ordinators are responsible for the general organisation of each module including its structure, the tutors, setting ofcourse work and examinations.

Programme Directors

Dr Tariq Aslam [email protected]

Dr Chantal Hillarby [email protected]

Course Unit Co-ordinators

Research Methods

Dr Naomi Humber, 2.309 Jean McFarlane Building

Email: [email protected]

Macular Degeneration: Research, Investigations and Clinical Practice

Mr Sajjad Mahmood, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital


Dr Tariq Aslam, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital

Email: [email protected]

Vascular Disease

Dr Konstantinos Balaskas


Glaucoma

Dr Eleni Nikita


Cornea: Clinical Practice and Current Research

Dr Chantal Hillarby, 1.526 Stopford Building, Tel: 275 5271


Contact Lenses

Dr Philip Morgan, Carys Bannister Building, Tel: 306 4441


Aims

1. To give students a firm grounding in the knowledge, understanding and skills that they will need to pursue a

higher research degree or to participate in research programmes. It recognises that undergraduate courses do

not always provide these skills and that those considering research programmes can benefit from a period of

structured training;

2. To provide those working within the ophthalmic professions (ophthalmologists, optometrists, orthoptists and

ophthalmic nurses) with an opportunity for professional development;

3. To provide a programme whose curricula are informed by the research strengths of the University of

Manchester and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and which draws upon expertise from a wide range of

disciplines that extends beyond the staff of the two institutions;4. To continually develop the course in response to a) new developments within the field; and b) feedback from
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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students;

5. To provide students with academic, career and pastoral support in addition to that provided by the University;

6. To meet a need for researchers who can form a bridge between basic research and applied clinical research.

7. To widen access to eye health and vision sciences research

Objectives

On completion of the course students will have:

1. Obtained the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to follow a research based career;

2.

Gained an enhanced and more specialist knowledge in selective areas of ophthalmic research;3. Experienced interdisciplinary learning and have a wider appreciation of the contributions that different

subjects can make to the discipline;

4. Acquired skills in experimental design, statistics and the use of computers in research;

5. Demonstrated an ability to successfully complete a research project;

6. Learnt how to critically review the literature;

7. Acquired/developed oral and written presentation skills.

Course Structure and Credits

Credits

Course Units

MSc

Pathway 1

MSc

Pathway 2

(optional units:

choose 2 from 4)

PG Diploma PG Cert

(optional

units: choose

4 from 6)

Macular Degeneration: Research,

Investigations and Clinical Practice

15 15 15 15option

Research Methods 15 15 15 15option

Glaucoma 15 15option

15 15option

Retinal Vascular Disease 15 15option

15 15option

Contact Lenses 15 15option

15 15option

Cornea: Clinical Practice and Current

Research

15 15option

15 15option

Literature review (MSc pathway 2 and

PG Diploma only)

30 30

Main Project (MSc)Dissertation

90 90

Total credits for MSc 180 180

Total credits for PG Diploma 120

Total credits for PG Certificate 60


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Teaching & Learning Methods

The programme uses a range of different teaching methods. Lectures, tutorials, workshops, practicals, and self-

directed learning will facilitate a more in depth understanding of the major concepts delivered via the compulsory

core course units. Peer review discussions and opportunity for staff-student feedback will be provided during

tutorials. Please see later section for a description of the teaching and learning methods employed in each course

unit.

Teaching & Learning Resources (access to PCs, library, journals etc)

Ophthalmology is housed within the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, which is located on the CMFT site at thesouthern end of the University of Manchester campus. Optometry is housed within the Carys Bannister Building. The

two sites are few hundred yards apart.

Computing facilities are available within the large public clusters in easily accessible locations. Students are

automatically registered on the University network when they formally register at the beginning of the programme.

Once registered, they can access a wide range of facilities including e-mail and the Internet.

Personal Tutor Arrangements

You will be allocated a Personal Tutor at the beginning of Semester 1. Your programme administrator will notify you

who your Personal Tutor is. You are encouraged to meet with your personal tutor and/or programme director to

discuss your progress and raise any issues that might affect your performance.

Research Seminars/Tutorials/ Journal clubs

Seminars, often with invited external lecturers, are organised by the Eye & Vision Sciences Research Group

([email protected]). You should attend these whenever possible. Wednesday afternoon post

graduate teaching sessions are organised by Manchester Royal Eye Hospital throughout term times. These include

case reports, a short lecture and a long lecture often with an external speaker. They are normally held in the main

lecture theatre of the CMFT NHS Trust, Post Graduate Centre (on Oxford Road). The case reports start at 14-00 with

the main lecture at 16-00. All students are encouraged to attend.

Research Projects, Dissertations and Literature Reviews

Choosing the topic for your MSc dissertation (90 credits)In January students will be given a list of dissertation titles that are available. Each dissertation will have a named

supervisor and students are expected to discuss those they are interested in with supervisors prior to coming to an

agreement with the supervisor on a topic. Once agreement has been reached students should notify the programme

administrator of their dissertation title and supervisor. The final dissertation may be presented as a literature review

followed by a report of the experimental work (which may take the form of a paper suitable for publication).

Guidance for the word count of the dissertation is 10,000 to 15,000 words. Please expect to have marks deducted by

your examiner if you do not remain within this range.

Location

Most dissertations are conducted within the confines of the University and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.

Students may, however, embark on work outside these confines (e.g. an optometric practice or other hospital). Thisis contingent on the acceptance of the research proposal and the approval of suitable external and internal

supervisors by the course director.

Timetable

Full-time students normally start their dissertations in January and are expected to have completed their

introduction and gained any required permissions (ethical reviews, Trust approval) prior to starting their practical

work in May. They then work full time on their dissertation through to September. To enable the Departments to

nominate Examiners and to have these nominations approved by the Postgraduate Panel before the date of

submission, a student is required to give notice to the Programme Administrator of his/her intention to submit a

dissertation. Students will be contacted by the Graduate Office to confirm the process for notice of submission

forms.


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Financial Information

Financial Registration

Financial registration must be completed as part of the online registration process before students will be able to

access the online training resources.

Debtors

Students who have outstanding debt at the end of their academic programme will not be permitted to graduate and

will not receive their degree certificate. Students are required to sign a declaration on the Notice of Submissionform stating that they do not owe any money to the university at the time of submitting their dissertation.

Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The programme director and teaching staff will monitor the work and attendance of students on the programme.

This is for your benefit and helps to ensure you are coping with the work. Regular or a pattern of non-attendance

and/or engagement will result in you being contacted by the School to meet with your programme director.

Following this, further action will be taken if there isnt a significant improvement in attendance.

For further information see: Regulation XXMonitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895

The University offers a range of advice and support to students experiencing problems with attendance. Further

information can be found in the Crucial Guide:

www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/personal-life/.You can also speak to your Programme Director

and/or Personal Advisor.

Unauthorised Absence

Students are not permitted to be absent from their course without the knowledge or prior agreement of their

Programme Director. Unauthorised absence will be treated very seriously.

Absence Due to Ill-Health

The guidelines for non-attendance due to ill health must be followed as described in this handbook. You must notifythe Programme Administrator no later than the first day of absence if you are absent due to illness. A self-

certification form should be submitted to the Programme Administrator if you are absent for between 1-7 days.

Please ask your programme administrator for details on how to access the self-certification form.

Thereafter a medical note should be obtained from your GP or a hospital consultant.

All medical certificates or other documentary evidence explaining absence from tutorials, lectures and examinations

must be submitted to your Programme Administrator within one week of the illness or as soon as possible due to

other circumstances. A failure to submit a medical certificate or other appropriate documentation to explain

absence may result in loss of any claim that mitigating circumstances be taken into consideration when academic

performance is assessed.

Mitigating Circumstances

Mitigation describes the process by which a student may be compensated for poor assessment performance, or

when they are not able to complete an exam/assessment, as a consequence of unforeseen or unpreventable

circumstances.

A student must submit a request for mitigation to their programme administrator, in advance of their assessment

submission deadline or exam. Retrospective mitigation requests will only be considered, if presented at least 2

weeks prior to the exam board and there are compelling reasons as to why the circumstances could not be made

known or presented prior to the assessment submission deadline/exam. (Exam board dates will be circulated by

your programme administrator once confirmed).
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/personal-life/http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/personal-life/http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/personal-life/http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895


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Any requests for mitigation will be considered confidentially by a mitigating circumstances panel. The panel will

normally comprise of the Programme Director, a Programme Administrator and a senior member of School staff.

Where a request for mitigation is supported, a recommendation will be made to the exam board for them to decide

on the best course of action for the student.

Students are advised to consult the following guidance, which directs them to seek advice and support before and

whilst submitting a request for mitigation. The University form and guidance for students, is available at:

www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionc-

reachingdecisionsfromassessment/mitigatingcircumstancesguidanceforstudents/

For further information about the process and acceptable grounds for mitigation see: Mitigating Circumstances

Policy & Procedures:http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=4271

A Basic Guide to Mitigating Circumstances can be found here:


Late Submission

Work submitted after the deadline without prior approval shall be subject to the following penalties:

The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by: 10 marks if up to 24 hours late (1 day)

20 marks if up to 48 hours late (2 days)




A zero mark will be awarded if the piece of work is more than 5 days late.

For further information see: Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionb-

thepracticeofassessment/policyonsubmissionofworkforsummativeassessment/

Word Limits Penalty for exceeding word limit

Students must adhere to the specified maximum word limit stated. The Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences

penalties for exceeding word limits are:

0-9.9% No penalty

10-19.9% 10% penalty

20-29.9% 20% penalty

30-39.9% 30% penalty

40-49.9% 40% penalty

50-59.9% 50% penalty

Word limits do not include text in the bibliography/reference list, figure legends and tables and appendices (if

relevant). However, students must ensure that figure legends or text within tables are of an appropriate length and

not used to circumvent the word limit. Students who are found to be doing this will be penalised.

Where these mark reductions result in a fail, the unit will be treated as a failed unit in accordance with the

Universitys Degree Regulations.

Students must state the word length at the top of their assignment and failure to do this will result in the same

penalty as exceeding the word limit being applied.

All coursework should have a word count on the title page.
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Academic Malpractice

Academic malpractice is any activity - intentional or otherwise - that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to

scholarship and research. It includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results, and anything else

that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it.

Academic malpractice can result from a deliberate act of cheating or may be committed unintentionally. Whether

intended or not, all incidents of academic malpractice will be treated seriously by the University.

The procedures and penalties for dealing with academic malpractice are covered by the same regulation as apply to

Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulation XVII):http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6530

You are responsible for ensuring that you understand what academic malpractice is, and how to avoid committing it.

If you are unsure, ask your lecturer or academic adviser.

The Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences training team has developed a module entitled Understanding

Academic Malpractice. This unit should be completed by all postgraduate taught students and will allow you to test

your understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and academic malpractice. The module is part of the PGT

Medical and Human Sciences Graduate School Online Skills Training Resource. You can access the resource via

Blackboard. Log in to My Manchester and click on the Blackboard tab. The online skills training resource will belisted under the My Communities heading (below your course units). The module should be completed as soon as

possible after you begin your programme, but must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic

writing for assessment.

Guidance for students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice can be found at:


Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Cases can be found at:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=639

Interruptions and Extensions to ProgrammeIt is the expectation of the University that postgraduate taught students pursue their studies on a continuous basis for

the stipulated duration of their programme. However, it is recognised that students may encounter personal

difficulties or situations which may seriously disrupt or delay their studies. In some cases, an interruption or extension

to your programme of study may be the most sensible option.

Students who wish to interrupt the programme or extend to write up the dissertation should initially discuss their plans

and reasons with the Programme Director.

Students should also provide documentary evidence when appropriate, for example, doctors letter, sick note etc.

An application must be submitted to the Programme Director who will either support or reject the request. The formwill then be submitted for consideration to the School of Medicine Degrees Panel who will make the final decision.

The forms required for formal application are available from your Programme Administrator.

Special Permissions

Details of forms regarding special permissions can be found online.

http://www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/intranet/admingroups/postgraduate/pgt/pgtforms/

Special permissions forms include:

- Change of mode of attendance application form.

-Change of programme application form.

- Extension to programme application form.
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- Interruption application form.

- Late submission request form (used for dissertations).

Academic Appeals and Complaints

The University policy on academic appeals (Regulation XIX) can be found online.


The Universitys Student Complaints Procedure can be found online.

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1893If you require any advice or guidance on the Student Complaints Procedure, please contact

Mrs Sally Bray, Head of Academic Services, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences.

0161 275 1467 [email protected]

Tier 4 Visa Attendance Monitoring Census

The University operates attendance monitoring census points within the academic year in order to confirm the

attendance of students holding a Tier 4 Student Visa. This is to ensure the University meets the UKVI statutory

requirements as a sponsor of Tier 4 students and its responsibilities in accordance with its Highly Trusted Sponsor

status.

If you are a Tier 4 visa holder, you must attend these attendance monitoring census points, in addition to complyingwith the Schools own programme attendance requirements.

When are the census points?

In the 2015/16 academic year, the attendance monitoring census points will be during the following periods:

28 September9 October 2015

1829 January 2016

19 May8 June 2016

15 July29 July 2016

Please note:

If you are a new student, registration is your first point to confirm your attendance at the University and you will notbe required to attend a further census point in October 2015.

You will receive an e-mail from the School to confirm when and where you should attend to have your attendance

confirmed. You must check your University e-mail account regularly. Failure to check your e-mail account is not a

valid reason to be absent from a census point.

What if a Tier 4 student cannot attend a census point?

If you cannot attend in person due to a valid reason which includes: illness; placement; field studies; on year abroad;

research work; or any other reason connected to your programme of study, you must email your programme

administrator to inform us of your absence and your inability to attend in person. In the case of illness, you must

provide a copy of a medical certificate. If you are in this position you should report in person to the School as soon as

possible after you return to campus.

Students who are recorded as interrupting their studies are not expected to attend during their period of

interruption.

What happens if a student does not attend a census point?

The School must be able to confirm your presence to the UKVI by the end of each census point in the academic year.

If you do not attend a census point when required by your School and you do not provide a valid explanation for

your absence you will be deemed to be not in attendance.

Those students identified as not in attendance will be reported to the UKVI and the University will cease to

sponsor the students Tier 4 visa. The Tier 4 visa will then be curtailed and the student must leave the UK within 60

days
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Further information

For more information on Tier 4 visas:https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa

If you have any concerns about the attendance monitoring census points, or your Tier 4 visa status, please contact

[email protected]

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations For Students (September 2015)

Postgraduate Taught degrees at the University of Manchester are based on theNational Framework for Higher

Education Qualifications(FHEQ). This framework requires students to achieve credit at masters level in order to get

an award. For a standard postgraduate taught Masters programme this will normally mean passing 180 credits. A

standard postgraduate diploma will normally have 120 credits and a postgraduate certificate 60 credits. The way in

which you study these credits will be defined later in the programme handbook and the programme specification.

The University sets standards relating to your performance on every unit but also on your progression through the

programme. The programme and course unit specifications will set out the requirements for passing the credit on

individual units.

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations

Please find below the link to the degree regulations:


The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the regulations policy document.

Criteria for Awards

Award of Masters Degree

The award of Master degree is based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 50%.

Distinction

Exceptional achievements over the course of the Programme according to the taught masters marking scheme

will be rewarded with the degree of MSc with Distinction.

To obtain a Distinction, students must have:

accrued 180 credits;

have passed all units with no compensations or referrals;

have achieved an overall weighted average of 70% or more across the programme.

Students who have compensated or have been referred in any course units are not eligible for the award of

Distinction. In addition, the dissertation must be submitted by the end of the period of programme, unless there

are significant mitigating circumstances, approved in advance for missing the end of programme deadline.

Merit

To obtain a Merit, students must have accrued 180 credits AND have achieved an overall weighted average of60% or more across the programme, including any provision made for compensated or referred units.

Pass

To obtain a pass, students must have accrued 180 credits including any provision made for compensated or referred

units.

Award Postgraduate Diploma

To obtain a Postgraduate Diploma award, students must have accrued 120 credits (as specified by the programme)

including any provision made for compensated or referred units.
https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visahttps://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visahttps://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visamailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/FHEQ08.pdfhttp://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/FHEQ08.pdfhttp://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/FHEQ08.pdfhttp://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/FHEQ08.pdfhttp://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13148http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13148http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13148http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/FHEQ08.pdfhttp://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/FHEQ08.pdfmailto:[email protected]://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa


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Award Postgraduate Certificate

To obtain a Postgraduate Certificate award students must have accrued 60 credits (as specified by the programme)

including any provision made for compensated or referred units.

Unless otherwise specified in the exemptions, the awards of Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate

degree are based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 40% for which there is no classification other than

pass/fail.

Exit Awards

Exit awards are available for students who do not satisfy the criteria for the programme they are registered on orwho needs to exit the programme early due to unforeseen circumstances.

To be considered for a PG Diploma (120 credits; exit point) students must have accrued 120 credits across the

programme.

To be considered for a PG Certificate (60 credits; exit) students must have accrued 60 credits across the programme.

Please note the pass mark for course units making up the Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate exit awards is 40%.

Compensation

MSc Degree

Students may be awarded compensated credit if they receive fail marks in the range 40-49% in no more than 30credits in the taught component.

Postgraduate Diploma

Students may be awarded compensated credit if they receive fail marks in the range 30-39% in no more than 30

credits in the taught component.

Postgraduate Certificate

Students may be awarded compensated credit if they receive fail marks in the range 30-39% in no more than 15

credits in the taught component.

The combined total number of credits compensated and referred cannot exceed half the taught credits.

Compensated credit retains the original failed mark for the course unit and this is used in the weighted average for

the calculation of the final classification/award.

Reassessment

Where the overall unit mark is below the compensation zone (40% for Masters and 30% for Postgraduate

Diploma/Certificate) OR the number of compensatable fails (30 credits for Masters/Diploma and 15 credits for

Postgraduate Certificate) has been exceeded, reassessment may be taken.

Reassessment as a result of a fail is known as a Referral. Reassessment as a result of approved and verified

mitigating circumstances is known as Deferral and may be permitted where students are reassessed as a first

attempt, for which no penalty applies.

Students may be referred in up to half of the total taught credits. The combined total number of credits referred and

compensated cannot exceed half the taught credits. Decisions with regard to which components should be

reassessed are made by the Examination Board. When a student is referred they will normally be permitted to

retake the assessment/exam on one further occasion.

At the recommendation of the Board of Examiners, students will normally be allowed one resubmission of a failed

dissertation or project and this will normally be within four months of the date of the publication of the result. The

Board of Examiners, in agreement with the External Examiner may, exceptionally, decide not to allow resubmission.

The pass mark for a reassessment is the same as the first attempt (i.e. 50% for masters and 40% for Postgraduate

Diploma/Certificate).When a reassessment is passed, the mark is capped at the lowest compensatable fail mark (i.e.

40R for Masters and 30R for Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate), unless the previous mark was within the


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compensation zone, in which case the original mark will stand with a suffix R. This mark is used in the weighted

average/total mark for the final award. The capped mark is applied to the whole unit and not the failed component.

Referrals may also be compensated providing the number of quota of compensations has not been exceeded. When

a students referral mark is in the compensation zone (and the student/unit is eligible for compensation), the

students mark will be capped at the lowest compensatable fail mark (i.e. 40R for Masters and 30R for Postgraduate

Diploma/Certificate).

Programme Exemptions to PGT Degree RegulationsThe programme does not have any exemptions.

Exam Board Meetings and Course Progression

An examination board will be held to consider your Semester 1 results. If you have scored below 50% on any course

units in Semester 1, then you may be required to meet with the programme director to discuss your progress and

whether you require any additional support.

An examination board will be held in Semester 2, to consider all of your taught unit marks. To remain on the Masters

pathway students must have passed all taught units at Masters level (including any units passed by compensation or

referral, within the referral/compensation allowance defined in the Postgraduate taught degree regulations).

Students who are not eligible to continue on the Masters pathway may be transferred to the Postgraduate Diplomapathway and will complete a 30 credit literature review.

An exam board will be held in November to consider the dissertations and to approve the final degree

recommendations.

Assessment

Students will be assessed within the framework of the University regulations according to the requirements and

criteria laid out in this handbook. All coursework must be submitted to the appropriate Unit Co-ordinator in the

format requested.

The University Ordinances and Regulations for postgraduate taught degrees can be found at:http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13148

The following are regulations relating specifically to the assessment and progression of Investigative Ophthalmology

and Vision Science students:

Marking of Examination Scripts

Examination scripts will be marked by two members of staff.

Dissertations/Projects (MSc) and Literature Reviews (PG Dip)

Dissertations/projects (MSc) and Literature reviews (PG Dip) will be examined by two internal examiners, with the

External Examiner acting as moderator.

Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

A copy of the policy on submission of work for summative assessment on Taught Programmes is available online.

This includes guidance on penalties applied for late submission of coursework and the final dissertation.



Policy on feedback to Postgraduate students

A copy of the policy on feedback to postgraduate taught students is available online.

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13148http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13148http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionb-thepracticeofassessment/policyonsubmissionofworkforsummativeassessment/http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionb-thepracticeofassessment/policyonsubmissionofworkforsummativeassessment/http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionb-thepracticeofassessment/policyonsubmissionofworkforsummativeassessment/http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6518http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6518http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6518http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionb-thepracticeofassessment/policyonsubmissionofworkforsummativeassessment/http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionb-thepracticeofassessment/policyonsubmissionofworkforsummativeassessment/http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=13148


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The use of Turnitin

The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic

malpractice and for marking. Such systems include TurnitinUK, the plagiarism detection service used by the

University.

As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of

your work to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University (this requirement may be in addition

to a requirement to submit a paper copy of your work). If you are asked to do this, you must do so within the

required timescales.

The School also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to

TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.

Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a

database to allow appropriate checks to be made

All typed summative assessment, including dissertations, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism

detection software

Extensions for CourseworkRequests for extensions to coursework (except for dissertation), should be submitted to the Programme

Administrator at least one week prior to the coursework deadline. Students will be required to submit a mitigating

circumstances form and appropriate evidence to the Programme Administrator for consideration.

Where approved mitigating circumstances apply, deadlines will be extended as indicated in the Policy on Mitigating

Circumstances. An application for an extension that is submitted after the coursework deadline will not be

considered without a credible and compelling explanation as to why it could not have been submitted beforehand.

Mitigating circumstances will not result in the change of any marks, unless penalties for late submission are waived

for an assignment that has already been marked.

Penalties for Late Submission of courseworkWork submitted after the deadline without prior approval shall be subject to the following penalties:

The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by:

10 marks if up to 24 hours late (1 day)





A zero mark will be awarded if the piece of work is more than 5 days late.

For further information see: Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes



Board of Examiners and External Examiner

A Board of Examiners, which includes the external examiner, course director, and unit organisers, considers the

results of examinations. The external examiner has access to all assessed work submitted by students and will be

involved in all assessment procedures.

The Board of Examiners determines performance in a unit and they may exercise discretion in determining passes or

failures, taking into account any factors that they feel are relevant. When each individual unit has been assessed,students will be told how they have performed on that unit, and their overall performance.
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The role of the External Examiners

External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes

of the University to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination

procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate

deliberation. They also ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable

with those in equivalent higher education institutions.

External Examiners reportsExternal Examiners reports relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives at the

programme committee, where details of any actions carried out by the programme team/School in response to the

External Examiners comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they

require any further information about External Examiners reports or the process for considering them.

External Examiner Details

The External Examiner for this programme is Michel Michaelides who is a Clinical Senior Lecturer and is based at UCL

Institute of Ophthalmology, London.

Please note that this is for information only and it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External

Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a students individual performance in assessments.

Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the Universitys appeals or complaints

procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student doescontact an External Examiner directly,

External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners will then

report the matter to the School who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for

students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact their Programme Administrator.

Ratification of Degrees and Awards

Following examination and receipt of the examiners reports, a students degree or award will be approved by the

Exam Board taking into account moderation by the external examiner where appropriate.

Publication of Results

Candidates will be notified of their results from the School Graduate Office as soon as possible after the final

meeting of the Exam Board. Names of successful candidates and their degree title will be entered into the student

records system. Candidates will then be invited to graduate at the next available opportunity.

Conditions for Publication of Results

Candidates will only receive their official degree result (and therefore be eligible to graduate and receive their

degree certificate) once:

Suitably bound copies of their dissertation have been received.

and Students who owe money to the University have cleared their debt in advance.

Graduation

If you have no corrections to your dissertation, you can normally expect to graduate in December following the final

examination board results. However, it is important to remember that you will need to submit your corrected and

bound dissertations to the School Graduate Office before your result can be published. Occasionally, the

examination process can be delayed for one reason or another. In certain cases, December graduation may not be

possible, in which case students may have to graduate at the next ceremony in July.

Degree ceremonies are held in December and July each year and these are organised by the Student Services Centre.

You will receive information about the graduation ceremony at the time that your degree result is notified to you.


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When students receive written confirmation of their results, this is confirmation that they have been awarded the

degree and that they are eligible to attend the ceremony.

Degree Certificates

Degree certificates are issued at the degree ceremony.

You should inform the Student Services Centre if you choose not to attend the graduation ceremony, in which case

your degree certificate will be posted to you.

Please keep the School Graduate Office informed of any change to the contact details that you provided on your

Notice of Submission form. You can also update your address via Campus Solutions self service function.

Medical and Human Sciences PGT Graduate School Online Skills Training Resource

Skills units and other teaching resources developed for the Faculty Graduate School

The Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences Graduate School has developed a skills training resource to support you

through your postgraduate taught programme. This online material should supplement the assessed learning

material and activities undertaken in your taught programme.

Accessing the online skills resource

You can access Blackboard through the My Manchester portal (http://my.manchester.ac.uk). The skills training

resource is available in an academic community space available to all registered PGT students in the Faculty through

Blackboard.

If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard please contact your Programme Administrator.

A short introduction to Blackboard for new students. The recording is hosted in two places: the VLS and on

YouTube:

https://stream.manchester.ac.uk/Play.aspx?VideoId=30453

https://youtu.be/47pA877MKJg

The recording is just over seven minutes long and covers most of the commonly used tools in Blackboard.

Content

Full details of all these resources can be found in the introduction to each unit. These resources have been designed

to give you formative feedback on your progress through them. If you experience any problems and would like to

talk to someone please contact your Programme Director. If you have questions about referencing and how it

applies to your own work, please contact your Programme Director or dissertation supervisor/module lead.

Academic Writing This is an excellent resource that supports you to write your

assignments and dissertation. It is split into units that focus on

key areas that previous students have found difficult and aims

to enhance your academic writing style.

Understanding AcademicMalpractice Good academic writing is underpinned by evidence, and thismust be correctly referenced. This resource explains good

referencing practice and also enables you to test your

understanding of the Universitys plagiarism policy.

The Academic malpractice driving test should be completed as

soon as possible after you begin your programme, but must be

completed before you submit your first piece of academic

writing for assessment.

Research Methods* This course is spilt into 3 units that cover introductions to study

design, statistics and dissertation skills. It has a number of onlinequizzes where you can test your knowledge.
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Statistics* The course provides a valuable foundation for understanding

and interpreting biostatistics. It aims to provide you with the

fundamentals of quantitative analysis.

Presentation Skills This short interactive unit is designed to help you to enhance

your presentation skills. Regardless of whether you are

presenting in public, preparing for conferences, an oral

examination or more informal settings this unit will give you the

tops tips to improve your delivery.

Qualitative Research Methods* This unit has been designed to give you an introduction toQualitative Research.

SPSS* This is an introduction to statistics, using SPSS, a popular and

comprehensive data analysis software package containing a

multitude of features designed to facilitate the execution of a

wide range of statistical analyses.

Intellectual Property Awareness

Resource

This Intellectual Property (IP) awareness resource has been

created in order to improve your understanding of IP. Topics

include: Types of intellectual property Copyright and IP

clearance University policy on IP IP commercialisation IP in

research or consultancy IP issues to be aware when dealing

with academic materials

* NOTE: the materialin this online resource is for reference and formative learning purposes only. In some of your

taught programme you may be required to undertake assessed course units for Research Methods, Qualitative

Research or Statistics. If your programme involves taught units then you should refer to the Blackboard material

relating to that course unit. Please contact your Programme Administrator if you are unsure which material relates

to your assessed work. You will still be able to refer to the online skills resource in later years.

University Health and Safety Unit MEDN67810

As part of the Universitys responsibility to help keep you safe and well during your studies, you will need complete a

short online health and safety course.

This short course provides you with basic information about how health and safety is managed on campus, and also

includes some simple tests to assess your learning outcomes. It will take you approximately 1 hour to complete.

You will be enrolled automatically on the Health and Safety course unit, which is delivered through Blackboard (the

University e-learning system). You must complete the course and obtain a pass by 31 October 2015.

Student Support, Help And Advice

Student Representation

A postgraduate representative is elected for each cohort to attend the Programme Committee. Student

representation on this panel is extremely important as it helps to inform direction of future developments that will

benefit all the students on the programme/in the School. Feedback on any aspect of your experience as apostgraduate student is also welcome, either as an individual or as a group.

The following provides a guide for sources of help and contact points for advice should you have any academic or

personal concerns during your course of study.

Programme Director:If you have any concerns regarding your course, your Programme Director should be your first

point of contact.

Deputy Senior Tutor: If you wish to raise a confidential or non-academic matter, you should contact the Deputy

Senior Tutor who will act independently to offer advice, in confidence, or direct you to the most appropriate person

for help. Anything that you wish to discuss will always be treated in STRICTEST CONFIDENCE and will NOT be

discussed with any other individuals without your permission.


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Confidential advice can also be obtained via the University Student Support and Services Office

(http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/studentsupportandservices/

Programme Administrators Office:This should be your first port of call for any general information. The Programme

Administrator is based in Room1.485, First Floor, Stopford Building.

University Student Support Services

Listed below are some of the key central support numbers you might need during your time at the University ofManchester:

Accommodation Office 275 2888

Careers Service 275 2828

Student Services Centre 275 5000

International Students Welfare Officer 275 5000

International Office (General Enquiries) 275 2196

The University of Manchester Library 275 3751

Student Health Service 275 2858

Students Union 275 2930

The University Language Centre 275 3426

Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulations XVII)

A copy of the conduct and discipline of students (Regulations XVII) is available online.


Student Charter

A copy of the Student Charter is available online:

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/enhancing-my-experience/charter/

The Graduate Society

The Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences Graduate Society (FMHSGS) was formed in October 2012 by

postgraduates, for postgraduates. Our mission is to act as a resource for postgraduate students within the Faculty by

organising opportunities for social, scientific and professional interactions. We work to provide a structure, through

which an integrated, Faculty-wide network of postgraduate students can be established. We aim to do this by

working towards three overarching goals:

1. To organise high quality, academically orientated events, such as our Lightning Lecture series and the

Postgraduate Research showcase, a one day conference event showcasing research from across the

Faculty and much more.

2. To organise social events that facilitate interactions across Schools and Institutes and work to develop an

ever-greater community atmosphere within the Faculty, e.g. our MHS Pub Quizzes and Welcome Events

for new students.

3. To organise opportunities for postgraduates within the Faculty to engage the public about science,

including the Elevator Pitch event we carry out with the Graduate School to travel to nearby schools and

discuss postgraduates science.

Graduate Society Contacts:

Adam Featherstone, Chair ([email protected])

Amy McCarthy, Treasurer ([email protected])
http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/studentsupportandservices/http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/studentsupportandservices/http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/studentsupportandservices/http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6530http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6530http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/enhancing-my-experience/charter/http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/enhancing-my-experience/charter/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/enhancing-my-experience/charter/http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=6530http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/studentsupportandservices/


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Dissertation And Literature Reviews

Choosing the topic for your Diploma Literature Review

Students following pathway 2 will select a title for their literature review following discussions with their dissertation

supervisor. This review will be supervised by their dissertation supervisor.

Students undertaking a Literature Review as part of a Diploma should consult the Programme Director for a suitable

topic/supervisor.

The literature report will account for 30 credits

Presentation of your Dissertation (MSc) and/or Literature Review (Pathway 2 and PG Diploma)

The final report will be presented as a bound dissertation. Your submitted dissertation/review must comply fully

with University Regulations.

Guidelines for the presentation of your dissertation/review are available from:


You should refer to the guidance on presentation and layout BEFOREbinding your dissertation

Processes for submission of Dissertation or Literature Reviews

Notice of Submission Form

Six weeks before your final dissertation/review is due you are required to give Notice of Submissionby completing

a Notice of Submission form. The School Graduate Office will provide access to the Notice of Submission form for

you to complete. Notice to submit instructs the School to contact your Programme Director in order to nominate

two internal examiners.

Submission and deadline date

You will be expected to submit your dissertation/review by 9thSeptember 2016. The dissertation/review must be

submitted before the end of the programme in order for a student to be considered eligible for the award ofdistinction or merit.

Two paper copies of your dissertation/review must be submitted to your Programme Administrator Room 1.485,

First Floor, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT

You will also need to submit an electronic copy of your dissertation/review. Your programme administrator will

advise you on how to submit your electronic copy.

Examination of the Dissertation (MSc) or Literature Review (PG Diploma)

Research dissertations and literature reviews submitted by taught Masters/PG Diploma students in the Faculty of

Medical and Human Sciences are examined by two independent internal examiners. The first is normally thesupervisor; the second is a member of staff who has no connection with the work. The programme external

examiner moderates all the dissertations/reviews submitted, after they have been independently marked.

After submission dissertations/reviews will be sent to the internal examiners for marking. After marking the

examiners will return the dissertations/reviews and their marking/report forms to the Programme Administrator.

These will then be sent to the External Examiner for his/her moderation in advance of the Examination Board

Meeting which takes place in November. The recommendation of the examiners will be ratified by the Faculty so

that successful students are able to graduate in December.

The External Examiner will ensure that the marking is fair and accurate and will advise at the Final Examiners

Meeting. At this meeting, the progress of each student is discussed with members of staff and supervisors.
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Dissertation/review marks are combined with the marks for the taught elements of the course to provide a final

weighted average percentage score.

Course Unit Descriptions And Methods Of Assessment

The timetable information contained within this handbook is provisional and subject to change. Please also refer

to individual course units in Blackboard for updated timetables throughout the academic year.

Research Methods

(MEDN 69910)

Course Unit Coordinator:Rachel [email protected]

Course Unit Administrator: Christie [email protected]

Introduction to the Course Unit

The Research Methods Course Unit is either a 0 or 15 credit, (please refer to programme summary), interactive

blended learning unit which will give you a comprehensive introduction to key information and skills required

for the design, execution, interpretation and dissemination of medical, scientific and clinically-related research.

The research methods course is an integral part of your research experience whilst undertaking your degree. It

will help you produce a high quality dissertation and provide you with the strongest grounding possible to carry

out successful research, whether in academia, industry or a medically-aligned profession.

The unit is a blended combination of lectures, workshops and on-line material designed to cover topics relating

to critical analysis of scientific/medical research literature, information management, study design, basic

statistical analysis, research integrity, research presentation skills, scientific writing and publishing skills.

Aims of the Course Unit

This unit aims to prepare you for postgraduate research. Specifically it will:

This unit aims to prepare you for postgraduate research. Specifically it will:

Introduce you to the skills and knowledge required to critically design, effectively implement, ethically

conduct and knowledgeably interpret research in medical, scientific and clinically related sciences.

Provide you with life-long critical appraisal skills that you will be able to apply to any research evidence that

comes before you.

Develop your competence in key transferable skills, particularly written and oral communication of research

and time and project management in the research setting.

Organisation and Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) of the Course Unit

The unit will begin with 5 taught introductory sessions run by the Faculty Graduate Training Team covering:

Unit Overview and How to Ensure Research Ethics/Integrity

ILOs:

To be able to use blackboard and maximise your research methods knowledge/learning using the

research methods online resources.

To fully understand how you will be assessed and what it takes to successfully complete the unit.

To understand the importance of research integrity and how to avoid plagiarism, fraud, and misconduct

To raise awareness of the research governance framework that underpins robust, ethical research and

consider case studies when research has gone wrong.
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Introduction to Statistics

ILOs:

To be able to appropriately describe and present quantitative data.

To understand the principles underlying hypothesis testing, sampling, estimation and confidence intervals.

To be able to carry out statistical analyses using statistical software.

Research Study Design

ILOs:

To understand the basic principles of project and time management.

To be able to apply project planning tools to establish and execute a successful research study with

maximum research impact.

Dissertation Skills

ILOs:

To be able to critically analyse a research paper and prepare a well-structured research abstract.

To understand the principles of effective academic writing.

To be able to produce a high quality dissertation.

Research Communication SkillsILOs:

To understand how to effectively communicate your research ideas and findings to a wide audience.

To be able to produce an effective research poster with high visual impact.

To be able to confidently deliver a research presentation and defend/field questions.

Timetable - Taught Introductory Sessions. All sessions will run from 9.30am-1pm

Session Date Delivered by Room allocated

Unit Overview and

Research

Ethics/Integrity

Mon 5th

Oct Judy Williams

Sackville K003

Dissertation Skills Tues 6th

Oct Judy WilliamsSackville K003

Research Study Design Wed 7th

Oct Rachel CowenSackville Entrance Hall

Research

Communication SkillsThurs 8

thOct Rachel Cowen

Sackville Entrance Hall

Introduction to

StatisticsFri 9

thOct Richard Emsley

Sackville Entrance Hall

The unit will then run on-line in Blackboard. All of the face to face material including session slides will be

available through blackboard. There will be a blackboard discussion board to support the summative

assessment aspects of the unit and there may also be some in-programme taught consolidation sessions.

Information will remain available in Blackboard for the whole academic year.

The Research Methods Online blackboard material is structured into 3 sections and includes multiple choice

questions (MCQs) to formatively assess your learning from the face to face training and online research

methods resources:


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Research Methods Online includes:

1. Study Design

Protocol design - th

IOVS Handbook 15

Documents

Transcript of IOVS Handbook 15