University of Leicester

What you'll study

This MSc combines taught modules with hands-on laboratory training and a substantial research dissertation. Core themes cover cancer cell biology and molecular oncology, signalling pathways and the tumour microenvironment, genomic and epigenetic changes in cancer, and contemporary experimental approaches used in translational cancer research.

• Advanced Cancer Cell Biology and Molecular Oncology — mechanisms of transformation, invasion, metastasis, and tumour heterogeneity.
• Genomics, Epigenetics and Cancer — next-generation sequencing approaches, mutation landscapes, copy-number changes, and epigenetic regulation.
• Cell Signalling and Therapeutic Targets — oncogenic signalling pathways, targeted therapies and mechanisms of drug resistance.
• Laboratory Techniques and Experimental Design — practical training in cell culture, molecular cloning, western blotting, qPCR, and contemporary microscopy approaches.
• Functional and Cellular Assays — assays for proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and 3D culture models such as spheroids and organoids.
• Bioinformatics and Data Analysis — analysis of high-throughput data, basic transcriptomic workflows and statistical interpretation of experimental results.
• Research Project / Dissertation — an extended laboratory-based project supervised by academic staff, which provides experience in hypothesis-driven research, experimental planning, data collection and scientific writing.

Teaching is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical laboratory classes, journal clubs and one-to-one supervision during the research project. Students are encouraged to engage with current literature and present their work in departmental research forums.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold a UK upper second-class honours degree (2:1) or international equivalent in a relevant subject such as biology, biomedical science, biochemistry, molecular biology or a closely related discipline. Applicants with a lower second-class degree plus appropriate laboratory experience or a postgraduate qualification may also be considered.

Relevant practical laboratory experience is advantageous and may be evidenced by undergraduate laboratory coursework, placement experience, or employment in a research setting. Where English is not the applicant's first language, evidence of English language proficiency is required in line with the University's standard requirements for postgraduate programmes.

Career prospects

Graduates of this MSc go on to a range of roles in academic and industry settings. Typical career paths include:

• Research scientist or technician roles in university laboratories, research institutes and industrial R&D.
• Further doctoral study (PhD) in cancer biology, translational oncology or related disciplines.
• Positions in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including drug discovery, preclinical development and assay development.
• Roles in molecular diagnostics, clinical trials support and pathology services.
• Science communication, patent support, and regulatory or laboratory management roles where molecular expertise is required.

The programme is designed to provide the technical skills, experimental design experience and critical appraisal abilities that employers and doctoral supervisors commonly seek.

Why study at University of Leicester

The University of Leicester hosts active research groups in cancer biology and translational science, providing students with access to contemporary laboratory facilities and expertise. Students benefit from interactions with academic staff engaged in mechanistic and translational projects, and can draw on interdisciplinary strengths across molecular biology, genomics and clinical research.

Practical training takes place in well-equipped teaching and research laboratories with access to core platforms such as advanced microscopy, flow cytometry and sequencing data analysis resources. The emphasis on a substantial research project gives students direct experience of laboratory workflows and project management under academic supervision.

Leicester's research environment supports networking with clinicians and industry partners, which helps students develop transferable skills and prepare for careers in research, diagnostics, industry or further postgraduate study.