Decisions and guidelines

The Master's programme in Molecular Medicine has been established by the Faculty of Medicine, following a decision by the Vice-Chancellor at Uppsala University.

The general objectives stated in the Higher Education Ordinance for advanced level education applies.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. The degree must be in biochemistry/chemistry, biology, biomedicine/medicine, biotechnology, cell/molecular biology, genetics, life science, medical sciences or a similar field of study. Also required is:

• courses in biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, genetics, and molecular biology/-genetics totalling at least 30 credits; and
• knowledge and previous experience of related laboratory work.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Aims

Theme of the programme

• Molecular mechanisms causing diseases
• Genetic, epigenomic and proteomic technologies, their use and applications in medicine
• Development of diagnostics and therapies in research, health care and industry

Overall objectives of the education

The international Master's programme in Molecular medicine embodies interdisciplinary biomedical research at the molecular level and provides in-depth knowledge in molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying human diseases, including genetic and epigenetic factors, as well as methods and approaches for the development of novel molecular diagnostics and therapies with applications in research, health care and Life Science industry. The research-preparatory programme intends to train the students' academic, analytical and problem-solving skills, with a strong focus on development of practical experience. The teaching is given at the frontiers in research areas in which Uppsala University is internationally recognised.

The programme aims to develop the students' abilities to identify and address scientific problems, formulate questions to effectively design experiments towards a solution. It aims to equip the students with abilities to independently analyse and evaluate data and research results, generated from state-of-the-art techniques as well as to stimulate to innovative and creative thinking.

The education is tightly integrated with cutting-edge international research as the teachers are research scientists and experts in their respective fields and practical skills can further be developed during individual research projects.

The programme is designed to provide the students with opportunities to gain strong interdisciplinary theoretical knowledge and methodological skills in cancer biology, genetics, epigenetics, molecular tools, biomarkers, imaging methods and regenerative medicine, which will prepare the students for professional careers in further international academic research/doctoral studies or the global job market in Life science, or other functions of research and development activities.

Learning outcomes

In addition to the general objectives of a Master's Degree stated in the Higher Education Ordinance, the student should have gained a deep and broad theoretical knowledge within the field as well as advanced knowledge and practical experience of a large number of current techniques and methods used at the very forefront of the research field. With this knowledge the student should

• be able to independently formulate and process scientific questions within the field, both theoretically and practically. Through an advanced knowledge of novel techniques and methods the student should be able to apply and execute these on relevant problems.
• be able to follow the development of knowledge and independently and critically analyse as well as evaluate and present research findings relevant to the field, both orally and in writing as reports or scientific articles.
• have acquired skills to individually plan and execute projects, at the same time be able to interact and collaborate in larger groups.
• have achieved an intellectual independence and maturity and to have gained solid knowledge and a significant insight into the current research, new methods and their possible applications as well as an insight into the method development within health care and industry.

Layout of the programme

All courses are at an advanced level and are given entirely in English. The courses aim to provide both broad and in-depth knowledge into the field of molecular medicine as well as offer the student practical experiences of currently used techniques in research, diagnostics and therapies, of interest also for health care and industry. The students are trained to independently approach scientific problems both theoretical and experimentally.

The first semester offers advanced knowledge in molecular and cellular mechanisms causing genetic diseases and cancer. A special emphasis is given to epigenetic mechanisms. Practical experience of methods to analyse genetic and epigenetic variation in clinical genetics and cancer. More in-depth knowledge of molecular medicine will be provided, focusing on relevant research problems approached in shorter laboratory projects, after which results are presented in a written article as well as in seminars. The semester includes compulsory modules providing training in bioinformatic tools as well as knowledge in research ethics and ethical issues in animal research. 

The second semester offers in-depth knowledge of medical applications for new sequencing technologies, with emphasis on genetic and genome analysis, as well as epigenomics and comparative genomics, including practical experience of epigenetic analysis of chromatin after drug treatment or in diseases. Advanced knowledge in proteomics and current methods for protein analysis with practical application of the Human Proteome Project (HPR). Diagnostics by detection of protein through "Proximity Ligation Assay" as well as methods for the identification of new biomarkers.

Year 2 includes education in bioimaging, discussing analysis and diagnostics using imaging methods, spanning detection of single base pair mutations to whole-body analysis. The course "Regenerative medicine" provides in-depth knowledge about the new technologies in stem cell therapies as well as cell- and immune therapies. Generation of biomaterial to repair injured tissues or organs, i.e. tissue engineering, will be discussed and in vitro differentiation of stem cells as well as generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) will be performed experimentally. An elective period offers possibilities to select other relevant courses or to undertake a short independent research project, alternatively start a Master's degree project of 45 credits. Semester 4 comprises an independent Master's degree project of 30 credits, undertaken at an academic research department or in the industry; in Sweden or abroad.

Semester 1

Medical Genetics and Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms 15.0 credits

Advanced Techniques in Molecular Medicine 15.0 credits

Semester 2

Genomic and Epigenomic Medicine 15.0 credits

Molecular Tools for Proteome Analysis and Diagnostics 7.5 credits

Biomarkers, Discovery and Validation 7.5 credits

Semester 3

Bioimaging and Cell Analysis 7.5 credits

Regenerative Medicine 7.5 credits

Elective period, 15 credits (or start of 45 credits Master`s Degree Project)

Semester 4

Master`s Degree Project in Molecular Medicine 30 credits, alternatively 45 credits (including the elective period)

Instruction

The teaching is given in the form of lectures by research scientists and compulsory seminars, experimental and theoretical sessions as well as assignments, project work, site visits and symposia, demonstrations, web-based exercises. The programme is taught entirely in English.

Degree

The programme leads to a Master of Medical Science (120 credits) with Molecular Medicine as the main field of study.