Physiological Science
Physiological science is the study of how living systems function at the organ, tissue and cellular level, examining the mechanisms by which the body maintains homeostasis, responds to physiological challenges and generates integrated responses that allow organisms to survive and thrive. It encompasses the physiology of the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, endocrine, nervous and musculoskeletal systems, and it draws on cell biology, biochemistry and neuroscience to explain how function emerges from molecular and cellular processes. Understanding physiology is fundamental to medicine, pharmacology, exercise science and the development of therapeutic interventions for the full range of diseases that affect human health.
At the University of Bristol, this four-year full-time MSci programme is focused on the development of advanced research skills through an extended research project. The project element gives you in-depth experience of how to plan and perform experimental research in a specialised area, developing the day-to-day skills of a researcher and the capacity to engage with the scientific literature, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, analyse data and communicate findings. This emphasis on research training prepares you for a career in research and for postgraduate study at doctoral level, which many graduates of this programme pursue.
Graduates of physiological science programmes with a research focus move into careers in academic and industrial research, clinical science, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, and scientific publishing and communications. Research roles in universities, medical research institutes and pharmaceutical companies are the most direct destinations for those who wish to pursue the experimental science they developed during the degree. Clinical physiologist roles in NHS settings draw on the deep understanding of body function the degree provides, and many graduates also pursue postgraduate research degrees in physiology, pharmacology, neuroscience or related biomedical sciences.