Master of Medical Science

The Master of Medical Science at the University of Tasmania is a two-year research-based degree for people who want to work inside medical research rather than in clinical practice. It suits graduates with a health, science or biomedical background who are weighing up a PhD, a research assistant role, or a career in a hospital or institute lab. If you are looking for a coursework degree that leads to registration as a doctor, this is not that course.

What you actually do

Most of your time goes into a supervised research project. You work under a principal supervisor and usually an associate supervisor, often as part of a research group based at the University or at a partner institution such as a teaching hospital or medical research institute. Early on you learn the practical side of research: how to frame a question, design a study, handle ethics approval, manage data and write in the style journals expect. Later you concentrate on running the project and producing a thesis that reports what you found.

The degree is normally made up of a research component plus some coursework in research methods, biostatistics, scientific communication and research integrity. Exact units and credit points depend on your pathway, so check the course page for the current structure. The thesis is the core piece of work, and it is examined by people outside your supervision team.

How the Australian system works

Australian qualifications sit on the Australian Qualifications Framework. A bachelor degree is normally three years, an honours year adds one, a master's is one to two, and a doctorate takes three or more. This master's sits at the master's level and takes two years full-time. At UTAS, teaching runs across semesters, with research students often working year-round rather than following the undergraduate calendar. Progress is reviewed at set points, and you will typically present your work to your school or institute along the way.

Skills and who it suits

You finish with hands-on experience in a real research project, the ability to read and critique the medical literature, confidence with data and lab or clinical methods, and a thesis you can show to employers or a PhD panel. The degree suits science and health graduates, nurses, allied health professionals and doctors who want research training, and international students who want a research qualification from an Australian university.

If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may let you stay and work in Australia, depending on your circumstances. English proficiency is required for admission, and the Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, and you should confirm fees, entry requirements, research areas and supervisor availability on the official University of Tasmania course page before you apply.

• Research assistant or research officer in medical research institutes, university schools and teaching hospitals
• Laboratory scientist or technical officer in pathology, diagnostics or clinical trials
• Clinical trials coordinator or data manager in hospitals, contract research organisations and pharmaceutical companies
• Research and development roles in the medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
• Health policy, evidence review and program evaluation roles in government health departments and non-government organisations
• Further study towards a PhD and an academic research career