Medical Physics in Cancer Radiation Therapy

Entry requirements

We require an honours degree (minimum Upper Second class) or overseas equivalent in:

• physics
• related subject

Healthcare professionals with an equivalent qualification will also be considered and may be invited to interview. We may consider applicants with a Lower Second class degree via interview.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Our MSc Medical Physics in Cancer Radiation Therapy is ideal if you wish to pursue a career in medical physics or cancer research involving ionising radiation. With around 40% of all cancer cures involving radiotherapy as part of treatment the need for multidisciplinary scientists in this field has never been greater.

The course will cover all aspects of the radiotherapy patient pathway including: the accurate delivery of radiation and the optimisation of bespoke treatment plans for every patient; the delivery of particle therapy; the use of imaging throughout the patient pathway; state-of-the-art adaptive radiotherapy techniques; translation of new interventions or research into clinical pathways and methods to evaluate clinical impact.

We will introduce you to cancer biology and radiobiology to provide context for the effect of radiation on cancer cells and normal tissues. Finally, we will develop your skills in cutting edge data science and machine learning and show their potential application within medical physics.

As well as providing detailed background theory the masters will have a strong application component. We will introduce you to python as the primary scripting language and use these skills throughout the course to demonstrate techniques learnt. Our collaboration with The Christie will allow you to undertake unique research projects in its radiotherapy facilities that cannot be carried out anywhere else in the UK or most of Europe.

This course will enable you to train as a multidisciplinary scientist in this area by covering a variety of subjects and content that is delivered by staff with a range of expertise, including physicists, biologists, engineers, clinical scientists and clinical oncologists.