Career prospects

For the scientist, the MSc in Reproductive & Developmental Biology provides a valuable qualification and sound training for a further career in scientific research. Some will go on to register for a PhD, or become Research Assistants, in one of the many university departments nationally which carry out research in reproduction and developmental biology. About 30% of past students have followed this route.

Other scientists will gain from this course because it provides an unrivalled background for further training as an embryologist or andrologist in one of the increasing number of assisted reproduction and IVF units world-wide. About 25% of past students have joined IVF units.

Clinicians with an interest in all aspects of Reproduction and Development gain greatly from this course because it provides the background knowledge usually absent in most specialist training programmes and because it uniquely gives training in laboratory-based research, perhaps suitable for the start of an MD project. It must be emphasised that this course does not provide formal training in the clinical and laboratory techniques used in assisted reproduction.  While a proportion of the lecture course is devoted to this area, and there are opportunities to observe work in the IVF clinic and laboratories, the main purpose is to offer a much broader education in human reproduction and development generally.