The Medical Genetics iBSc explores the importance and future potential of molecular and medical genetics in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human diseases. The course covers both a range of single gene disorders and complex disease genetics for conditions such as cancer, which have defects in multiple gene functions at their basis.
It is now generally accepted that the health or disease status of an individual has as its basis a particular gene expression profile that can be determined by inherited genetic and acquired epigenetic factors.
The Medical Genetics iBSc course is designed to highlight the impact advances in molecular genetics have made on our understanding of the mechanisms of human disease, and how they have provided novel diagnostic and therapeutic intervention strategies.
You will study basic concepts, new discoveries, and potential or actual clinical applications. You will also learn how to appraise work critically, solve problems, and communicate your findings efficiently, while acquiring a fundamental understanding of research methods and rationales.
This degree is a one-year course that comprises modules totalling 120 credits: taught modules totalling 60 credits take place in Semester 1.
In Semester 2, all students take a transferable skills module where they learn how to compile and give oral presentations with the aid of PowerPoint illustrations, communicating science to the lay public and critically dissecting a scientific paper. In order to make up the remaining 45 credits students select to follow one of two separate pathways. The first of these, a key feature of this course, allows students to gain laboratory experience by completing an experimental research project. The projects on offer include the chance to work in both ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ labs. Projects undertaken in a ‘wet’ lab involve conducting an original piece of research leading to generating novel data. The ‘dry’ lab projects involve the computational (bioinformatics, statistics) analysis of data produced from large population genetics studies in the Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics. The second option, entails students opting to undertake a Library Research Project accompanied by two further 15-credit modules to be chosen from a list of 5 provided.
Teaching
The following table gives an indication of the contact and self-study time allocation you might expect from a typical academic year:
|
Module
|
Lectures
|
Seminars & Tutorials
|
Practicals & Lab Work
|
Private Study
|
Other
|
|
Human Molecular Genetics: the Fundamentals
|
18 hours
|
2 hour
|
-
|
127 hours
|
-
|
|
Medical Genetics
|
21 hours
|
2 hours
|
-
|
127 hours
|
-
|
|
Complex Disease Genetics
|
20 hours
|
7 hours
|
-
|
123 hours
|
-
|
|
Cancer Genetics
|
20 hours
|
2 hour
|
-
|
128 hours
|
-
|
Semester 2: students are required to take a 15 credit module and can opt for one of two different ways in which to make up the remaining 45 credits to make a total of 60 credits.
|
Module
|
Lectures
|
Seminars & Tutorials
|
Practicals & Lab Work
|
Private Study
|
Other
|
|
Research & Clinical Genetics: Transferable Skills
(15 credits)
|
-
|
8 hours
|
14 hours
|
128 hours
|
-
|
Option 1: Can be taken with the following 45 credit module:
|
Module
|
Lectures
|
Seminars & Tutorials
|
Practicals & Lab Work
|
Private Study
|
Other
|
|
Human Experiemental Genetics (45 credits)
|
-
|
-
|
240 hours
|
160 hours
|
50 hours
|
Option 2: Can be taken with the following 15 credit module:
|
Module
|
Lectures
|
Seminars & Tutorials
|
Practicals & Lab Work
|
Private Study
|
Other
|
|
Molecular Genetics Library Project B
|
-
|
15 hours
|
-
|
135 hours
|
-
|
Plus any two of the 15-credit modules listed below:
|
Module
|
Lectures
|
Seminars & Tutorials
|
Practicals & Lab Work
|
Private Study
|
Other
|
|
Immunology & Immunotherapy of Cancer
|
22 hours
|
2 hours
|
30 hours
|
96 hours
|
-
|
|
Forensic Genetics & Toxicology
|
16 hours
|
4 hours
|
16 hours
|
-
|
-
|
|
Principles of Epidemiology
|
20 hours
|
18 hours
|
-
|
112 hours
|
-
|
| Epigenetics |
20 hours |
5 hours |
6 hours |
119 hours |
- |
| Birth Defects |
26 hours |
4 hours |
- |
117 hours |
3 hours |
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work. You will study 120 credits during the academic year, which equates to 1,200 theoretical hours of learning.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include an essay assignment on a given topic. Coursework contributes approximately 30-40% and examinations approximately 60-70% to your final mark.
Regulating body
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.
Location
The majority of learning for this degree takes place at the King’s College Guy’s Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
See our full list of intercalated courses here.