Immunology

Immunology is the branch of biomedical science concerned with the immune system, the remarkable network of cells, tissues, proteins, and signalling mechanisms that protect the body from infection, cancer, and other threats. Understanding how immune responses are initiated, regulated, and resolved is central to the development of vaccines, the treatment of autoimmune diseases, the management of allergies, and the design of immunotherapies for cancer. Immunology is one of the most rapidly developing areas of biomedical research, and its clinical relevance has never been clearer.

This five-year, full-time MSci programme at Strathclyde is an integrated Masters degree, combining undergraduate and postgraduate-level study in a single qualification. The extended programme allows for greater depth of study, including the year abroad which gives you the opportunity to engage with immunology research in an international setting. You will study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the immune system in health and disease, covering innate and adaptive immunity, the immune responses to infection and cancer, transplantation immunology, and the biology of allergic and autoimmune conditions.

The additional years of the MSci allow you to engage with current research at a more advanced level than an undergraduate degree alone.

Graduates of immunology programmes are well prepared for research careers in academia, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, and government research establishments. Clinical immunology, vaccine development, immunotherapy, and the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases are all areas where specialist immunological knowledge is directly applicable. The MSci qualification provides a particularly strong foundation for doctoral research in immunology or related biomedical sciences, and for senior scientific roles in industry and the NHS.

Further professional development in clinical science, research, or regulatory affairs is available to graduates who wish to develop specialist careers.