Healthcare Economics and Innovation in Personalised Medicine
About
This module will provide an overview of the vital importance of economics in healthcare provision, before considering the potential large scale economic benefits promised by personalised approaches to treatment. The effect that the emergence of personalised medicine is having on the economic and business models of big pharma, as well as regulatory agencies will also be addressed, as well the importance of entrepreneurship and small medium enterprises in driving forward healthcare innovation, especially within the personalised medicine space.
Term dates
Attendance
Course is taught fully online.
- Lectures - 25 hours
- Tutorials - 6 hours
- Independent study - 119 hours
- Total Hours - 150 hours
Location
This course is taught full online.
Teaching and Assessment
All course content for this module will be delivered online. This module will be taught using a combination of lectures, tutorials and independent reading. Tutorials will provide students with an opportunity to discuss and debate lecture topics. Problem areas identified by students will be further explained during tutorials, and lecture material will be supplemented with sources of reading material to encourage independent learning.
ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK
Class Test [33%]
A 1-hour online class test with a selection of MCQs and short response questions will take place in week 8 (covering week 1-7); all parts of the class test will have equal marks. The main purpose of the class test is to examine students' factual learning from the lectures and recommended text.
Report [67%]
A competitive market analysis report (2000 words) on a healthcare diagnostic of choice will be submitted via Turnitin. The assessment will provide students with a deeper understanding of the processes involved in evaluating a business idea.
This report will cover the following broad headings:
1. What is the product and what need does it fulfil (e.g., diagnostic for drug monitoring)?
2. What is the size of the current market terrain and future projections?
3. How many competitors are in the market and how do their products differ (strengths, weaknesses)?
4. What are the total sales volumes and shares of the market?
This module is assessed by 100% coursework. The pass mark for the module is 50%. Students are advised to look at the Ulster University assessment criteria for Level 7 work to provide context for the level required to achieve a pass mark. The module handbook contains further detail regarding the nature of each assignment and marking schemes or rubrics.
Feedback will be provided within 20 working days via Blackboard Learn Ultra.
Career Options
Completing this module will differentiate you from other staff and applicants working in or seeking work in many fields related to healthcare including: Health and social care, Health policy & economics, Pharmaceuticals & biotechnology, Healthcare entrepreneurship / start-ups and Clinical research.
Academic Profile
The Personalised Medicine course team was awarded Advance HE's Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) in 2024 and was awarded Ulster University's Distinguished Education Excellence Award under Collaborative Education Excellence Fellowship category in 2023.
All of the Personalised Medicine course team were returned in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise. In our unit of assessment, 3a (Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy), we ranked 5th in the UK for research Power; 88% of our research was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent; 94.4% of our research was judged to have an outstanding or very considerable impact, and; our research environment was awarded an exceptional 100% 4* rating and was considered one of the best in the UK.
The MSc course in which this module sits is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS).
Further Information
Module
This is a 15 credit module short course.
Entry requirements
The basic entry requirements are outlined below:
Applicants must:
(a) have gained
A second class honours degree or better with significant bioscience (or biostatistics) such as nursing, biomedical sciences, biology, pharmacy from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or an equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma or an approved alternative qualification;
and
(b) Provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent).
In exceptional circumstances, as an alternative to (a) (i) or (a) (ii) and/or (b), where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. Evidence used to demonstrate graduate qualities may not be used for exemption against modules within the programme.
English Language Requirements
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
Eligibility
Places are limited and open to applicants who:
- are 18 or over at the point of enrolment;
- have a right to work and undertake training in the UK at the point of application and for the duration of the course and must not be disqualified from doing either by reason of their immigration status. Proof of this will be required to progress your application. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK
- meet the course specific entry requirements. See course pages for requirements.
- meet the Ulster University general entry requirements including competency in English (as evidenced by GCSE Grade C in English or alternative). For English competency, a degree taught in UK or Ireland covers this requirement. If your degree is from outside the UK or Ireland, please see our list of acceptable qualifications or tests.
- are available to register in person at the campus as required.
Apply now - limited places available
There are a limited number of places for this course. Offers will be extended to those applicants who meet the entry requirements following successful completion of the application process, and have provided evidence of such, on a first come, first served basis. Applications will no longer be accepted or processed once all offers are extended. Applications will no longer be accepted or processed once all places are filled. Applications cannot be considered once a course has started.
Please note you can only be funded by DfE for a maximum of two courses at any one time across all institutions who offer courses as part of SkillUp. You will only be permitted to study one course at Ulster in each academic year or a maximum of two microcredentials up to 45 credits per semester.
When creating your application you will need to have the following documents saved electronically as they need to be uploaded as part of the application process:
- Passport
- Evidence of having right to work and undertake training in the UK*
- Degree Certificate
- English Competency (If you have a degree from UK/ROI, you don't need to provide anything else)
* Holders of UK or Irish passports automatically have this right. if you hold a passport from another nation, please provide evidence of UK immigration permissions to include a ShareCode and/or BRP.
To select the correct course, in the field called Please select the subject area, select Life & Health Sciences from the drop down box. Then select Healthcare Economics and Innovation in Personalised Medicine from the next drop down box.
