MSc Allergy
Our MSc Allergy course is designed to help health care professionals including GPs, hospital-based doctors, nurses, dieticians and professionals in many health care sectors to gain a greater understanding of allergic diseases and to be able to translate this knowledge into their everyday practice.
This course is available full time and part time and provides flexibility to enable you to study alongside your other commitments. The programme can be tailored to fulfil your career aspirations, with individual planning for each student when they start the course. This programme aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms and management of allergic disease. It is also available as a Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate.
The core module gives a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms and management of allergic diseases, and we offer a widespread range of optional modules.
We offer a high level of support, both for your hospital-based and distance learning. There is also an excellent distance learning library, with access to many online journals and course documentation to ensure you are well supported in your study.
Programme Overview
Duration: 1 year full time, up to 5 years part time
This postgraduate programme is designed to help you treat your patients better; we provide health care professionals with effective education and training in the mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment and management of allergic disease. Our course will enable you to manage both adults and children with allergy more effectively.
Through the knowledge and understanding you will gain with us, you will also be able to develop and improve your health care provision, through your ability to cascade education to your colleagues, and adult and paediatric patients and their families.
The programme provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate scientific understanding, clinical knowledge, practical skills, and critical thinking qualities.
This programme aims to:
- Enhance your educational and professional expertise in all core areas of allergy, having developed appropriate knowledge, understanding and professional skills to improve your practice.
- Develop your ability to integrate research evidence into all aspects of decision making and to apply knowledge, analytical and critical thinking skills to make sound judgements about data applicable to the care of allergic patients.
- Enable you to demonstrate leadership in clinical allergy and allergy-related issues.
- Evaluate the psychological impact of living with allergy so that through empathy, the diagnosis, management and eventual compliance of patients can be improved.
- Develop your approach to solving problems, building on a logical and hierarchical approach that allows you to justify personal and professional decisions through critical evaluation and synthesis of relevant theories, empirical evidence and experience to best optimise professional practice.
- Develop strategies for your continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning in relevant aspects of allergy.
- Apply an evidence-based approach to critically evaluate current literature, and develop the skills needed to successfully complete a research project or professional review.
To Apply
The MSc Allergy course is now taking applications (see below). Applications are considered throughout the year and successful students are offered a place on the course. Places are limited, so we therefore encourage anyone interested in the course to apply as soon as possible.
- If you wish to start your studies with us in the current academic year and are applying after October, you may apply by downloading the Postgraduate Application Pack (see useful downloads at the side of this page). Once completed, please send as per the address on the form.
- If you would like to start your studies with us next academic year, you can apply online by following this link.
Start date: The main start date for the programme is October, but you can start your studies on any module throughout the year.
Course information
Email: pgtapply.fm@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8079 4408
Programme Director: Dr Judith Holloway
Email: j.holloway@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8079 6941
Accreditation
Our programme is recognised by the World Allergy Organisation, accredited by the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and is quotable through the Hong Kong Medical Council.
Programme Structure
The programme can be tailored to best meet your career aspirations, and lets you plan your specific programme route at the start of your studies with us. Our part time course provides flexibility to cater for the needs of a diverse range of students, enabling you to study alongside your other commitments.
We also accommodate students on our "step on, step off" programme allowing you to start the programme and complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Allergy, a Postgraduate Diploma, or the full MSc.
- Postgraduate Certificate in Allergy (PG Cert): Up to 2 years (30 ECTS)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Allergy (PG Dip): Up to 4 years (60 ECTS)
- Master of Science in Allergy (MSc): Up to 5 years (90 ECTS)
Single Modules
All our modules are available as stand alone modules where successful students will be awarded the relevant credits gained. These awards are Postgraduate Credits in Medicine.
CPD Short Courses
Our modules are also available as CPD short courses where participants can benefit from the knowledge without undergoing assessment.
Entry requirements
Typical entry requirements
English language requirement
The course is taught entirely in English. The Faculty of Medicine requires an IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent. Those for whom English is not their first language are asked to indicate what level of English they have attained.
Selection process:
Intake: Approximately 25
Second class honours degree, or ability to study at HE7 in the form of (i) a relevant professional qualification at a suitable level or (ii) relevant post-qualifying professional experience.
As part of the application process, candidates are asked to write a personal statement to explain their motivation for wishing to take the course and to indicate their future career plans.
Academic references will also be taken up.
Admissions Process
Applications for entry are now being accepted. For more details on applying to Southampton and to apply online, please visit the Applications Website. The deadline for application is six weeks prior to the start of the programme. Student's who wish to attend single modules only may apply by downloading the Postgraduate Application Pack (see useful downloads at the side of this page).
The Admissions Office in Medicine will keep in contact with you throughout the admissions process and we will ensure you have all the information you need before you arrive here to make your first few weeks easier for you.
Alison Stanton runs the Admissions Office and her team will track your application through the admissions process.
International students
Medicine's International Student Advisor is available to assist and support students both before arriving in Southampton and during their studies here. Information on medical care, accommodation, English language support, settling in, and postgraduate life in the UK can also be found on our website.
The MSc Allergy is also approved as a quotable qualification by the Hong Kong Medical Council.
Visa information for full time students can be found on this website. For the part time MSc Allergy course our students are only eligible to apply for entry to the UK as a visiting student. Visiting student visas are issued for up to 6 months at a time. For further information about applying for a student visitor visa please contact visas@soton.ac.uk.
Visit our International Office website or the NARIC website for further information on qualifications.
Modules
Typical course content
Our Core module, the Foundations of Allergic Disease, gives a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms and management of allergic diseases. In addition we offer a range of optional modules for students to tailor the course to their needs. All MSc students will also receive training in research skills and statistics in preparation for their dissertation.
Foundations of Allergic Disease provides basic science and clinical knowledge along with study skills, providing you with the underpinning for the rest of your postgraduate studies.
Our optional modules are:
(i) Food Allergy, (ii) Eczema, Urticaria and Anaphylaxis and (iii) Allergic Airways Disease. There are practical sessions both taught in the modules, and available as optional extras.
The Work Based Learning module allows students to design their own learning experience in allergy to benefit their needs. Training is provided in the Research Skills and Statistics module, and the Dissertation is undertaken for the MSc itself and can be the traditional research route or via a Professional Project.
In addition, it is also possible for students to take modules relevant to Health Care from a choice across the University. In this way, students can gain additional experience in subjects such as Leadership in the NHS, Assessment of Nutritional Status and more.
You will receive copies of teaching material as well as links to useful study materials for all of our taught modules. This will allow you to continue your investigation in your own home and/or work environments when producing your course work. We pride ourselves on having helpful and approachable teaching and support staff and encourage students to contact us whenever support or guidance is needed.
Foundations of Allergic Disease
The Foundations of Allergic Disease module is compulsory for all awards, and lays the foundations of knowledge of the immunological mechanisms underlying common allergic manifestations and the most up-to-date diagnostic and therapeutic techniques available to manage allergic disease. There are practical sessions both taught in the modules, and available as optional extras. This module is worth 10 ECTS (20 CATS).
Core modules:
- MEDI 6045
- Foundations of Allergic Disease
Option modules:
- MEDI 6042
- Eczema, Urticaria and Anaphylaxis
- MEDI 6043
- Food Allergy
- MEDI 6039
- Allergic Airways Disease
- MEDI6050
- Work based learning
- MEDI 6048
- Research Skills and Statistics
- MEDI 6014
- Dissertation
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if s/he takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information can be found in the programme handbook (or other appropriate guide or website).
Learning and teaching
Students can step-on and step-off their studies with us, so can start the programme, and complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Allergy, a Postgraduate Diploma, or the full MSc. The course is available full time and part time:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Allergy (PG Cert): Up to 2 years part time (30 ECTS)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Allergy (PG Dip): Up to 4 years part time (60 ECTS)
- Master of Science in Allergy (MSc): Up to 5 years part time (90 ECTS)
Study is assessed by assignments, interdisciplinary group work and translational assessments which allow you to translate your learning into practice. The dissertation has two routes; Traditional Research or Professional Project and is for MSc students only.
Our MSc provides excellent training in basic research skills and statistical analysis, leading to highly successful dissertation research projects. Our students can go on to use their MSc training for subsequent PhD studies, and some of our graduates have had great success in pursuing careers in research.
Our course is designed for all health care professionals, including medical practitioners in primary care, doctors practicing hospital medicine in a wide range of specialties, specialist and practice based nurses, dieticians and scientists. The course is multidisciplinary and the module assignments are therefore structured in a way that can be answered from any discipline, or background. Our inter-professional approaches allow students from different disciplines/professions to interact and learn from each other, an extremely important facet of successful allergy management teams.
In addition, distance learning methods are used and all assessments can be completed at a distance. Our programme therefore has a strong international dimension. The programme attracts applicants from a range of destinations around the globe, and the course content is applicable to all cultures and situations. Dr Sylvia Pender is Medicine's international postgraduate student advisor, and she will assist and support you both before you come to Southampton and during your studies. In addition, the University offers a variety of online and face-to-face language courses to support and suit the individual student needs. Learning activities are available here to help prepare our international students for study in the UK.
All our modules have Continuing Professional Development, CPD approval, from all the Royal Colleges including RCP, RCGP and RCPCH. The MSc Allergy is also approved as a quotable qualification by the Hong Kong Medical Council.
The Scientific Advisory Board for the MSc Allergy is chaired by Professor Stephen Holgate, and gives guidance on current national and international issues in allergy. Using such internationally recognised experts in allergy ensures that the curriculum is constantly developing along with current advances in the discipline.
The Programme Director is Dr Judith Holloway, Senior Lecturer in Allergy. Judith has taught on the MSc Allergy since 2000, and is delighted to the Programme Director. She was awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Award in 2010 for her work on the MSc Allergy programme. Judith's research focuses on dendritic cells in allergy, in particular their interactions with epithelial cells in asthma. She has a number of research grants, and publications in journals including The Lancet, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and Paediatric Allergy and Immunology.
