Can we improve survival and outcomes following traumatic injury? Trauma is one of the world’s leading killers and orthopaedic injuries pose a major clinical challenge world-wide. Undertake this two-year online MSc and develop a broad critical understanding of the up-to-date science and practice of trauma care, with a focus on orthopaedic and orthoplastic management.
- Gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide safe and high-quality medical care
- Develop the knowledge, technical skills, decision-making and professionalism to safely deliver a core set of clinical functions in the management of injured patients
- Meet your local, regional and national needs for managing orthopaedic trauma
- Gain research skills through independent study
- Accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England
Study options
- Starting in
- September 2025
- Location
- Distance Learning
- Fees
- Home: £7,800
Overseas: £14,250
EU/EEA/Swiss students
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.
What you'll study
Experience innovative teaching and gain a fresh, dynamic and interactive approach to understanding orthopaedic trauma. You can access the programme wherever you are on this online course, and you will have the option of a two-week residential summer school in London. The MSc is a collaboration between the highly regarded Barts Centre for Trauma Sciences (C4TS) and Queen Mary University of London's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.
You will have access to an international, expert faculty and innovative, technology-enhanced learning. You will take part in interactive discussion forums and one-to-one tutor sessions, helping you to find a worldwide network of contacts with shared interests.
You will also be offered an optional two-week residential summer school at the end of the first year in London. The summer school will give you simulated scenario training to complement your learning. You will gain practical knowledge and experience of decision-making so you can deliver safe, professional core clinical functions in the management of seriously injured patients. In your second year of study, you will write a dissertation on a specific area of knowledge, or you may undertake original research.
Additional costs
You will be responsible for your travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for the summer school.
Structure
- Seven compulsory modules
- One elective module
- Optional two-week summer school
- 3,500-word dissertation
Compulsory/Core modules
This module will introduce you to basic principles of research design and strategy, ranging from the formulation of research problems to the critical assessment of alternative approaches to research. You will gain a thorough grounding of most common research methods in medical science. You will also develop an appreciation for research ethics specific to the discipline of medical science.
This unassessed, non-compulsory module will take place over a two-week period in London. It is the only time during the MSc course that students and faculty are able to meet personally. You will take part in a number of interactive courses and simulations, designed to tie together various aspects of the taught modules.
This module will allow you to undertake a dissertation project on a topic within the science and practice of trauma care. You will be able to choose a pertinent topic within your specialism and career aspirations, and will be supervised and receive guidance. You will discuss the most relevant aspects of your chosen topic and demonstrate your ability to select the most appropriate research methodology to conduct your chosen research. During this module, you (in coordination with a supervisor) will select a topic for advanced study; collect and analyse data to adequately address the chosen topic; and write a 3,500-word dissertation. Through the dissertation, you will synthesise various aspects of the knowledge you will have obtained through the degree and demonstrate your ability to conduct and present high quality original research.
This module will focus on the mechanism and patho-physiology of trauma of the pelvis and torso. You will evaluate the common injury patterns within the chest, abdomen and pelvis, both penetrating and blunt. You will critically appraise treatment algorithms and resuscitation strategies for these life-threatening injuries and develop a clear comprehension of how to recognise the clinical priorities within individual cases and instigate appropriate courses of action.
This module will focus on the patho-physiology of trauma to the head, spinal column, spinal cord and the central and peripheral nervous system. It will provide you with the knowledge to critically evaluate head and neurological injuries. Non-operative and operative treatment will be discussed in order for you to fully understand the options available and help to refine decision making skills in order to instigate the most appropriate treatment. We will also discuss ethical issues surrounding traumatic head and spinal cord injuries.
This module will focus on the basic science of bone and fracture biology as well as specific injuries within the upper and lower limbs. It will provide you with the knowledge to critically evaluate extremity trauma. We will also discuss non-operative and operative treatment in order for you to fully appreciate the strengths, weaknesses and controversies around each option. You will be able to apply your basic science knowledge to individual cases, in a stepwise and methodological approach to fracture treatment.
This module will focus on the multi-specialty management of open fractures, from pre-hospital care to definitive ortho-plastic surgical treatment. It will provide you with a deep knowledge of how open fractures can be treated by a combined, collaborative approach between surgical disciplines, from the emergency room, to first debridement and then definitive fixation and soft tissue cover. We will discuss skeletal stabilisation and soft tissue reconstruction in detail, including decision-making around implants and choice of grafts/flaps for covering skin defects.
This module will focus on the pathophysiology and spectrum of paediatric orthopaedic injuries, along with the assessment and structured approach to limb deformities in both adults and children. It will provide you with a deep knowledge of the evidence and controversy around common paediatric fractures and the fundamental basic science behind growing bones and injuries to them. It will also give you a structured approach to quantifying post-traumatic limb deformity and then analysing how that can be corrected using an array of powerful implant choices. There will also be an opportunity for practical application of all these skills.
The aim of the module is to provide the knowledge to consider and manage trauma as a disease entity. The module starts with an historical overview of trauma and trauma systems and then proceeds to analyze the different aspects on how to deliver a specialist trauma care, from pre hospital care through the entire patient's care pathway.
This module will provide students with the tools to evaluate different clinical situations and broaden the knowledge on diagnosis and management of shock syndrome. Particular attention will be on the deranged physiology underlying the onset of acute traumatic coagulopathy.
Assessment
- 67% Modules
- 33% Dissertation
The form of assessments reflect the nature of material you study, but will normally include:
- critique of research literature
- presentation of audio over slides
- written evaluative assignments
- online multiple choice quizzes (MCQs)
You will also complete a compulsory 3,500-word dissertation.
—This MSc gave me a renewed appreciation of the pre-hospital and surgical patient journey, broadened and gave depth to my Orthopaedic Trauma knowledge and subsequently refreshed my perspective on trauma rehabilitation.
Suzannah Jones, MSc Orthopaedic Trauma Science (2021) – Senior Physiotherapist, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Teaching
The programme will be entirely delivered online through the Queen Mary Virtual Learning Environment (QMplus). This will incorporate lectures, seminars, clinical case discussions and online discussion groups. Students will have access to printable material, video presentations, asynchronous case-based discussions and open-forum sessions.
There is also an optional two-week summer school. The summer session will concentrate on group projects, interactive workshops and training in subspecialty skills and simulation at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Barts Health Academy and The Royal London Hospital Major Trauma Centre.
Blizard Institute distance learning (online) students* gave their experience a score of 99% for overall satisfaction.
*Students who completed the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2024
Where you'll learn
Facilities
- Access to QMplus, our bespoke online learning platform
- Access to online library facilities and reading materials
- Access to video and audio recordings of all lectures and other online resources
- Video tutorials for lab-based work
- Access to our campus facilities if you decide to visit at any point during your course
- Watch our video to discover online study at Queen Mary
About the Institute
Blizard Institute
The Blizard Institute is the largest institute of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Our research and education span broad areas of modern biomedicine, with particular expertise in cell biology, genomics, immunology, neuroscience, primary care, population health and trauma sciences.
Our research puts Queen Mary joint seventh in the UK (REF 2021). We work closely with linked NHS hospital trusts which means that the School’s research and teaching is informed by an exceptionally wide-ranging and stimulating clinical environment.
Barts Health NHS Trust is home to:
- One of the capital's leading trauma and emergency care centres in the UK (approaching 1,000 attendances daily)
- Europe’s largest Trauma Centre
- Europe’s busiest Heart Centre.
Queen Mary University is also part of the prestigious Russell Group - a body of leading UK universities dedicated to research and teaching excellence.
Career paths
The largest growth area for jobs in orthopaedics has been in trauma over recent years. This course is tailored to meet the needs of international graduates from all healthcare and health sciences backgrounds including surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, operating department staff, allied health professionals and those with a specialist interest in orthopaedic trauma education and training.
It is intended to provide high-quality learning, no matter where you are in the world, in order to develop the future leaders in the science and practice of orthopaedic trauma.
- 96% of Blizard postgraduate-taught students are in employment or further study (2020/21)
- 98% of Blizard postgraduate-taught students are in highly skilled work or study (2020/21)
- £47k is the median UK salary of Blizard Institute postgraduate-taught graduates (2020/21). 87% earn above this.
—A well-structured and well-delivered MSc which enabled me to obtain a national training number in Trauma& Orthopaedics. Every tutorial could be an interview question or a real life emergency that an Orthopaedic trainee would be ready to face.
Athanasios Serlis, MSc Orthopaedic Trauma Science, 2021
Fees and funding
Part-time study
September 2025 | 2 years
- Home: £7,800
- Overseas: £14,250
EU/EEA/Swiss students
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.
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Postgraduate loans (UK students)
- Country-specific scholarships for international students
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 a Medical degree (non-UK medical degrees marked on a grading scale must be equivalent to a UK 2:2 degree).
Professional clinical experience in managing patients with traumatic injury is desirable.
Other routes
Applicants with Nursing, Physiotherapy, or Medical degrees below this level will be considered on an individual basis if there is strong evidence of suitable professional experience.
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 Blizard 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.