Why choose the School of Life Sciences
This course has a part-time route to help you fit your studies around existing commitments.
Our Life Sciences Liaison Board features representatives from organisations such as Glaxo Smith Kline, the NHS and the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
We lead the way in research areas such as COVID-19 testing technology; Staphylococcus aureus Spa typing; antibiotic resistance analysis; human microbiome studies; and fungal genetic analysis.
About the course
On this progressive course, you focus on the science of microorganisms and the rapidly developing challenges they bring to public health, exploring areas such as epidemiology, antimicrobial chemotherapy and outbreak investigation. By giving you an in-depth understanding of both microbiology and public health while building your practical and transferable skills, the course opens up a broad range of exciting career directions.
Facilities and specialist equipment
- Modern STEM building with specialist facilities and bespoke study spaces
- State-of-the-art cell culture lab and analytical science suite
- Industry-standard equipment, including high-tech HPLC, FTIR and GC-MS machines and advanced qPCR and protein analysis facilities, to mirror the professional workplace
Industry links
Our Life Sciences Liaison Board draws in industry-wide experts such as Pharmaron, Life Science Group, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NHS. The Board’s close collaboration with real-world organisations ensures our course aligns with UK QAA standards as well as preparing you to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Student experience
Study under a team of international experts at a University with 30-plus years of experience teaching biological sciences.
Our school’s active involvement in cutting-edge research and consultancy feeds directly into course delivery, ensuring you’re up to date with the latest advances in the field.
Benefit from practical laboratory sessions and research-based projects, equipping you with both technical knowledge and skills as well as hands-on experience.
Tackle a prevailing issue in an area of your choosing with a microbiology research project.
Immerse yourself in interactive seminars and masterclasses from guests such as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Ministry of Defence (MOD), Rothamsted Research and GSK.
Take part in our annual STEM Careers Expo, which brings together employers and students through presentations, workshops and networking sessions
Develop your transferable skills, including sought-after competencies such as scientific communication; analysis and evaluation; problem solving; and effective leadership.
Fulfil your potential with guidance from your own personal academic tutor.
Course Leader - Professor Prasad S. Sreenivasaprasad
My research interests in molecular ecology are focused on understanding the functional and environmental adaptation in fungi that play key roles in managed and natural ecosystems.
- Key research areas include adaptive divergence, population biology and speciation
- Integrating phylogenetics, genomics and bioinformatics with microbiology, pathology and ecology applied from laboratory to field scales
Course Leader - Professor Prasad S. Sreenivasaprasad
My research interests in molecular ecology are focused on understanding the functional and environmental adaptation in fungi that play key roles in managed and natural ecosystems.
- Key research areas include adaptive divergence, population biology and speciation
- Integrating phylogenetics, genomics and bioinformatics with microbiology, pathology and ecology applied from laboratory to field scales
Course Leader - Professor Prasad S. Sreenivasaprasad
My research interests in molecular ecology are focused on understanding the functional and environmental adaptation in fungi that play key roles in managed and natural ecosystems.
- Key research areas include adaptive divergence, population biology and speciation
- Integrating phylogenetics, genomics and bioinformatics with microbiology, pathology and ecology applied from laboratory to field scales
Course Leader - Professor Prasad S. Sreenivasaprasad
My research interests in molecular ecology are focused on understanding the functional and environmental adaptation in fungi that play key roles in managed and natural ecosystems.
- Key research areas include adaptive divergence, population biology and speciation
- Integrating phylogenetics, genomics and bioinformatics with microbiology, pathology and ecology applied from laboratory to field scales
Our Microbiology in Public Health MSc course allows you to combine knowledge of microorganisms with public health strategies by providing you with the understanding and skills required in an employment context, including academic research, biomedical science, health care and public health management. The course focuses on disease and its prevention, and in Microorganisms in Health and Disease, you will investigate the role of microorganisms in both promoting health and contributing to disease states. Control of Infectious Disease will enable you to investigate the scientific principles and strategies employed to control infectious diseases by reviewing current research to understand the scientific basis of interrupting transmission.
This closely links to Molecular and Diagnostic Microbiology, where you will investigate traditional, molecular and recent advances of diagnostic laboratory techniques for the identification of pathogens – a key applied area of microbiology in public health. Aside from this, you will be exposed to key Principles, Policies and Issues in Public Health to explore how these shape and address public health issues in the UK and internationally. Moreover, you will consider the role of Public Health Protection in protecting the population from infectious diseases and the effects of environmental hazards by examining current policies and strategies used to prevent and control threats to public health, including how to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases or natural disasters.
Furthermore, you will be introduced to key concepts of Epidemiology in Public Health where you will employ skills to describe, analyse and interpret epidemiological studies. Finally, you will complete a Microbiology Research Project, undertaking a significant piece of research on a relevant area to your study with help from experienced researchers. This is a great opportunity for you to showcase your work professionally while developing specialised knowledge skills that you can take with you as you progress into your career. To help you with this, Microbiology and Public Health and Research Methods will introduce you to a range of research strategies, including quantitative and qualitative methods, thus developing your critical understanding skills to build on your data analysis and research skills.
Assessment is integral in all units to check that you have met the threshold standards expected of all graduates. They are also linked to learning designed to develop key subject specific and transferable skills for future employment. The requirements of each assessment will be detailed in a formal assessment brief document and discussed in teaching sessions. The Microbiology and public health research methods unit (BHS0YY-6) which has a single summative assessment will be supported with an earlier formative submission to enable students to gain feedback on their initial progress as they develop their research proposal. Units that include an end of unit examination shall include a formative exam experience to prepare students. The assessment tasks will include:
- End of unit examination (unseen written examinations)
- Problem-based learning based on case studies with poster presentation of findings
- Formal public health reports and briefing paper
- Laboratory notebook and laboratory reports
- Literature review
- Research proposal
- Oral presentation.
Careers
This course prepares you for a career in pharmaceutical or biotechnological industries; the health sector including the NHS and public health; and academic research. It equips you with the knowledge and skills to take on roles in settings such as diagnostic and reference laboratories as well as within local and national government agencies.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £10,000 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Visit www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £16,900
If you have any questions around fees and funding, please email international@beds.ac.uk
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £10,000 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Visit www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £16,900
If you have any questions around fees and funding, please email international@beds.ac.uk
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £10,000 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Visit www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £16,900
If you have any questions around fees and funding, please email international@beds.ac.uk
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £10,000 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Visit www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £16,900
If you have any questions around fees and funding, please email international@beds.ac.uk
