Teaching

Lectures & seminars

Students will meet regularly as a cohort for taught sessions delivered by both academic staff and industry experts. The programme includes up to 300 hours of lectures and seminar-based teaching, offering in-depth exploration of cutting-edge theoretical and experimental approaches that are shaping the field, alongside the development of key research and transferable skills.

In addition, students benefit from access to a wide range of seminars hosted across the University and its associated institutes, and are encouraged to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Workshops 

Learning is further enriched through interactive workshops and student-led literature review sessions (“journal clubs”), where active participation is strongly encouraged. These sessions are designed to build confidence in critical analysis, as well as technical and presentation skills, through discussion of recent discoveries and emerging methodologies. 

Some workshops will include problem-based tasks where students work individually or in groups to solve challenges and develop problem-solving skills, teamwork and communication as well as technical skills and knowledge.

One-to-one supervision

  • Regular meetings with a project supervisor and in some cases lab members. 
  • Termly meetings with the course director or course coordinator.  
  • The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University's expectations regarding supervision.

Field trips

Field trips are incorporated into the course to help students put their theoretical knowledge into practice or see how this knowledge can be adapted depending on the therapeutic area. Trips may last a few hours to a full day. A number of high-profile therapeutics companies close to Cambridge are keen to invite students from this course to their sites to show the practical application of the information they will teach and are also willing to run real-life problem-based and enquiry-based workshops.

Further training

Training is provided in key professional research and transferrable skills, such as data management, laboratory record keeping, research ethics and integrity, scientific communication skills and academic writing, and data analysis skills including statistics. 

Additionally, all students will be members of the University's Postgraduate School of Life Sciences (PSLS) which offers a wide variety of core skills and professional development training. Please visit the Researcher Development page on the PSLS website for more information.

The course places a strong emphasis on independent learning, and students are expected to take responsibility for managing their time effectively alongside the academic timetable and any additional activities they choose to pursue.