27 Mar -31 Mar
London

Advanced Audiology: Otology and Skull Base Surgery MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This MSc is structured to provide the theoretical, scientific, clinical, research and vocational skills necessary to practise enhanced otology, audiovestibular medicine and audiology. The programme is designed for ENT surgeons, audiovestibular physicians, paediatricians, GPs, neurologists and other trainees and physicians with an interest in the medical aspects of audiology who wish to develop or enhance their careers or specialise in otology.

Programme Starts: September 2022

Applications By: 31st March 2022


Entry requirements

A UK medical degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard is required. Applicants should also have the relevant postgraduate clinical experience in their parent medical specialty. As there will be clinical placements within the NHS, students will also be expected to satisfy the requirements of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and Occupational Health.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

About this degree

Students will learn about the anatomy and physiology of the vestibulocochlear system and facial nerve, related disorders and pathologies, diagnostic techniques and management strategies in both children and adults. Clinical and surgical placements provide an opportunity to develop specialist skills and competencies in evidence-based medicine, multidisciplinary practice – including facial reanimation, skull base and cochlear implantation clinics – and translational research and ethics.

Who this course is for

The programme is suitable for ENT surgeons, audiovestibular physicians, GPs, neurologists or other medical trainees and physicians wishing to develop their careers including overseas doctors wishing to set up their own specialised practice abroad.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master’s at UCL

What this course will give you

The UCL Ear Institute provides a unique environment for graduate study and is one of the largest and most broad-based academic unit for research into hearing, auditory processing, deafness and vestibular research in the UK.

Students benefit from an interdisciplinary range of clinical and research expertise. Collaboration between disciplines provides integrated research projects utilising a wide range of clinical and laboratory techniques.

The associated University College London Hospitals (UCLH) house the largest clinical audiology and dedicated vestibular service in the country, and the first Cochlear Implant team in the UK. All students benefit from placements in UCLH and UCL Partners hospitals and excellent networking opportunities.

Read about what you’ll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

On successful completion of this MSc, graduates will have acquired wide-ranging skills which will enhance professional practice and future employability. Research skills gained will include data management and analysis, critical literature evaluation and an enhanced understanding of how evidence informs healthcare provision. For ENT surgeons at a foundation/core training level, the programme adds a substantial clinical and research dimension to an application for core/higher training. For those already in higher training, completing this MSc demonstrates a commitment to acquiring advanced research skills and the opportunity to develop an academic clinical career as a practising surgeon. For individuals in specialties allied to otology, the programme offers enhanced clinical and research skills relevant to careers in clinical research and service development.

Employability

This MSc provides a firm foundation in the practice of audiovestibular techniques and their clinical applications for physicians who wish to enhance their careers or develop a research career in this field. This programme at UCL has a highly acclaimed track record in catering for a broad range of training needs of physicians both from the UK and abroad. Alumni include high-profile audiovestibular and ENT physicians, practising within the UK and internationally, with highly successful clinical, research or public health career trajectories after completing the programme. The Postgraduate Certificate option provides key theoretical foundations to inform evidence-based practice and translational research and is recognised for specialty training in the UK by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) for Audiovestibular Medicine. It also represents part of the General Medical Council approved theoretical assessment component.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and observation at accredited clinical placements. Assessment is through a combination of methods including unseen examinations, written assignments (essays and a dissertation), case presentations, clinical portfolios and vivas.

A Postgraduate Diploma, three core modules (45 credits), five optional modules (75 credits), full-time one year, flexible two to five years is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, four modules (60 credits) is offered.

Modules

Full-time

Compulsory modules

Imaging

Audio Vestibular Medicine: Research Project

Anatomy and Physiology of the Audio-Vestibular System

Research Methods and Statistics

Optional modules

Medical and Surgical Treatment of Hearing and Balance Disorders

Lateral Skull Base and Facial Nerve

Diagnostic Audiology

Introduction to Amplification and Aural Rehabilitation

Balance

Paediatric Audiology

Auditory Processing and Related Disorders

Advances in Auditory Implants

Advanced Management of Tinnitus and Hyperacusis

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Advanced Audiology: Otology and Skull Base Surgery. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Advanced Audiology: Otology and Skull Base Surgery. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Advanced Audiology: Otology and Skull Base Surgery.