MSc in Translational Health Sciences

The social science of innovation: taking an interdisciplinary and applied approach to the challenges of implementing innovations and research discoveries in a healthcare setting.

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About the programme

Available to be taken part-time or full-time, this multi-disciplinary programme capitalises on expertise from research-active tutors from the University’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. It is led by Dr Anne Ferrey and  Professor Trish Greenhalgh of the Interdisciplinary Research in Health Sciences research group. It is delivered in partnership with the Department for Continuing Education. 

Turning innovations into practical solutions for healthcare needs is an imperative – and one that can only become more urgent as demands on health systems increase. Our key focus in this Master's programme will be the ‘downstream’ phases of translational health sciences – the human, organisational and societal issues that impact on the adoption, dissemination and mainstreaming of research discoveries. We will address these issues using robust, interdisciplinary and practice-based approaches in this highly applied course.

Who is this course designed for?

This interdisciplinary MSc is ideal for researchers who want to study scientific and technological innovation in a healthcare setting, and healthcare professionals or research managers looking to promote the uptake of research findings. It will also assist entrepreneurs (from an industry or clinical background) who seek to improve patient care through innovation, and policymakers (local and national) wishing to support research and its translation to improve services. For students interested in undertaking doctoral research, the MSc will prepare them to apply for a DPhil in Translational Health Sciences. We expect all our students to have some relevant past experience in a work environment.

Course Outline

To complete the course, you must take one compulsory module and five additional modules chosen from approximately nine options. You must also complete a dissertation of up to 15,000 words on a topic related to Translational Health Science.

Assessment for each module is based on performance in a group presentation and a 4,000-word essay.

Our teaching model aims to make full use of our students’ real-world experience and diversity. Once you have covered key principles and topics, you will be encouraged to immerse yourself in case studies (some of which can be from your own experience) and to contribute actively and critically to group discussions. Your learning will be further enriched with input from visiting lecturers, experts-in-residence and organisations outside academia (potential examples would include biotech and software companies, policy bodies such as NICE and patient charities).

Compulsory Module

Introduction and Research Methods for Translational Science

Option Modules (Five Must Be Chosen)

Behavioural Science and Complex Interventions	Patients, Citizens & the Politics of Evidence
Economics and Regulation in Translational Science	Healthcare Evaluation and Research Impact
Ethics and Justice in Translational Science	Technological Innovation and Digital Health
Health Organisations and Policy	Translational Science and Global Health
Sustainable Health Care

On completion of this programme students will be able to:

Explain the theoretical basis and practical importance of translational health science as an interdisciplinary field of study

Critically analyse the human, organisational, socio-cultural, economic, regulatory/legal, policy and ethical dimensions of translational health sciences

Identify, combine and apply appropriate theoretical models and empirical methods to address practical challenges of translational health science, thereby producing tangible benefits for patients, health services and wider society.

Key facts

Duration: 2-4 years part-time / 12 months full-time

Location: Oxford

Cost: See fee rates

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