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Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine MSc

Part of: Medicine

This programme is for healthcare professionals working to deliver care within the perioperative pathway such as nurses, doctors, and operating department nurses or assistants. It is intended to provide you with comprehensive training in recent advances and key issues in the perioperative care of the surgical patient.

It will provide a theoretical framework for gaining competence and confidence in managing patients in the perioperative period, as well developing relevant skills and competencies such as critical appraisal and research activities.

This programme:

  • Provides comprehensive training in recent advances and key issues in the perioperative care of the surgical patient
  • Develops your skills and competencies, such as critical appraisal and research
  • Is delivered by the Critical Care and Perioperative Medicine Research Group (CCPMG), a world-leading research group in perioperative medicine
  • Aims to train future perioperative practitioners to deliver better healthcare and promote innovation and research in the field
  • Can be studied full-time or part-time as a MSc or Postgraduate Diploma and part-time as a shorter Certificate to fit around your working life. You can also choose to study any of these programmes online.

Study options

Starting in
September 2025
Location
Charterhouse Square
Fees
Home: £12,850
Overseas: £36,250
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Apply nowRegister your interest

What you'll study

Perioperative medicine is a rapidly growing and innovative field with increasing importance for the delivery of healthcare in the surgical setting. Advances in medicine, surgery, and critical care have demonstrated the need to have a holistic overview of multiple areas, and where marginal gains can lead to better outcomes and experiences for patients.

The course will be delivered by the Critical Care and Perioperative Medicine Research Group (CCPMG) at Queen Mary University of London, who are a world leading research group in perioperative medicine, and will aim to train the future perioperative practitioners to deliver better healthcare and promote innovation and research in the field.

Perioperative medicine is a new and exciting specialty designed to improve outcomes and experiences in high-risk patients undergoing surgery. Trainee doctors, specialist nurses and allied health professionals play a key role in the delivery of safe and effective patient care within the specialty which is highly technical, and has a rapidly evolving evidence base.

This programme for clinicians, senior nurses and allied health professionals working in perioperative medicine is intended to provide you with a thorough grounding in the discipline together with the tools to maintain your knowledge base through a course of advanced, specialist instruction. The programme is designed to ensure that you acquire the theoretical understanding and skills to advance and promote knowledge in the specialty, as well as develop your leadership skills.

The clinicians and senior nurses working within the Critical Care and Perioperative Medicine Research Group at Queen Mary have a strong track record of leading, developing and delivering patient care and research within this field. The programme will also draw on the knowledge and expertise of international expert clinicians and academics to create a faculty that is ideally equipped to deliver a comprehensive and exciting course.

This MSc programme provides the opportunity for you to obtain a higher degree whilst in either full-time or part-time employment.

Structure

Eight compulsory taught modules plus dissertation related to perioperative medicine

Master Journey Webinars

Master Journey Webinars

Your Masters Journey Webinars: Join our engaging webinar series designed to guide you through every step of your masters journey.

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Assessment

  • 67% Modules
  • 33% Dissertation

You will receive continuous assessment in your taught modules.

Each module will be assessed on the basis of written work, examinations and presentations.

Dissertation

You will complete a supervised research dissertation of approximately 15,000 words

Teaching

You will learn by means of a variety of academic activities, including lectures, seminars and tutorials. Some of the taught material may be delivered by podcast with, where relevant, linked paper-based reading material.

You will have an Academic Adviser who will guide you in both academic and pastoral matters throughout your studies.

Professor Rupert Pearse

Professor Rupert Pearse

NIHR Professor of Intensive Care Medicine

Rupert Pearse graduated in 1996 from St George’s Hospital Medical School, London, UK. He also completed much of his clinical training in the south-west Thames region. His clinical duties are based on the busy Adult Critical Care Unit at the Royal London Hospital where he oversees the care of patients with critical illnesses of various causes. In 2006, Rupert was appointed Senior Lecturer in Intensive Care Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and was promoted to Professor in 2014. He is an active member of several national and international societies for anaesthesia and intensive care me

Where you'll learn

Facilities

  • The William Harvey Research Institute offers state-of-the art core facilities, including a Genome Centre, a flow cytometry and cell sorting station, and in vivo imaging facilities
  • A Learning Resources Centre, open around the clock, with 200 networked PCs solely for the use of postgraduate students
  • Medical libraries located at the Royal London and St Bart's hospitals and at the main university campus at Mile End
  • Access to the Postgraduate Reading Room
  • Research access to the British Library

About the Institute

William Harvey Research Institute

The William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI) places a high value upon training the next generation of researchers. We are part of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London, which is ranked joint seventh in the UK for the quality of our research (REF 2021).

Our primary research focus and excellence lies in our cardiovascular, inflammation and endocrine research themes. In addition, we achieve international excellence in critical care and perioperative medicine research. We aim to combine talents from different disciplines such as genomics, cell biology, and pharmacology, with translational bench-to-patient studies and large-scale clinical trials.

We are currently the largest pharmacological research institute in the UK University sector, and one of the largest in Europe. The Centre employs 530 clinicians and scientists from 45 countries.

Contact us

William Harvey Research Institute

Career paths

Perioperative medicine is a rapidly growing and innovative field with increasing importance for the delivery of healthcare in the surgical setting. Advances in medicine, surgery, and critical care have demonstrated the need to have a holistic overview of multiple areas, and where marginal gains can lead to better outcomes and experiences for patients.

This programme, aimed at healthcare professionals working to deliver care within the perioperative pathway such as nurses, doctors, and operating department nurses or assistants, aims to train the future perioperative practitioners to deliver better healthcare and promote innovation, research and leadership in the field.

  • 93% of WHRI graduates are in employment or further study (2021/22)
  • 89% of WHRI graduates in employment or study are in highly skilled work or graduate study (2021/22)

Fees and funding

Full-time study

September 2025 | 1 year

Unconditional deposit

Home: Not applicable

Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits

Part-time study

September 2025 | 2 years

The course fee is charged per annum for 2 years. Note that fees may be subject to an increase on an annual basis - see details on our tuition fees page.

Unconditional deposit

Home: Not applicable

Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits

Full-time study

January 2026 | 1 year

Unconditional deposit

Home: Not applicable

Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits

Part-time study

| 2 years

The course fee is charged per annum for 2 years. Note that fees may be subject to an increase on an annual basis - see details on our tuition fees page.

Unconditional deposit

Home: Not applicable

Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits

Queen Mary alumni can get a £1000, 10% or 20% discount on their fees depending on the programme of study. Find out more about the Alumni Loyalty Award

Funding

There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.

Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:

Entry requirements

UK

Degree requirements

A 2:2 or above at undergraduate level in Nursing, Physiotherapy or other related allied health professional degrees, or a Medical or Dental degree (non-UK medical degrees marked on a grading scale must be equivalent to UK 2:2 degree).

Also, at least one year experience working in a hospital as a health professional is essential.

Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.

International

English language requirements

The English language requirements for our programmes are indicated by English bands, and therefore the specific test and score acceptable is based on the band assigned to the academic department within which your chosen course of study is administered. Note that for some academic departments there are programmes with non-standard English language requirements.

The English Language requirements for entry to postgraduate taught and research programmes in the William Harvey Research Institute falls within the following English band:

Band 4: IELTS (Academic) minimum score 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking

Please note, there are some postgraduate programmes with non-standard English language requirements in this Institute.

We accept a range of English tests and qualifications categorised in our English bands for you to demonstrate your level of English Language proficiency. See all accepted English tests that we deem equivalent to these IELTS scores.

Visas and immigration

Find out how to apply for a student visa.

Contact

William Harvey Research Institute

Postgraduate Admissions

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  2. Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine PGCert

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