Postgraduate Diploma (flexible) in Genomic Medicine

This course is only open to those who have successfully completed and passed the Postgraduate Certificate in Genomic Medicine with University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE).

The PGDip (Flex) in Genomic Medicine is a continuation of the Postgraduate Certificate [PGCert] in Genomic Medicine and provides a progression route to the one-year Masters [MSt] in Genomic Medicine. It is a 10 month, part-time Master’s-level course resulting in 60 FHEQ Level-7 credits and the University of Cambridge award.

The course is part of the suite of postgraduate courses in Genomic Medicine and designed to further educate suitably qualified NHS healthcare professionals from across the multi-professional team, to prepare for the future adoption of genomic technologies and the increasing use of genomic information as part of the diagnosis and treatment pathways.

The programme has been developed by PACE and Cambridge University Hospitals in partnership with Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) and Wellcome Connecting Science.

Course Dates

Key Features

Educational aims

Provide professionally relevant teaching and learning informed by research in an integrated clinical and research environment.
Develop and create a cohort of doctors and other professionals allied to medicine able to pursue and develop their roles in the rapidly-changing and challenging environment of genomic medicine.
Prepare healthcare professionals for the adoption of genomic technologies and the increasing use of genomic information as part of the diagnostic and treatment pathway.
Develop researchers competent in the use of genomic technologies for biomedical research.
Develop a cohort of health care professionals with the ability and confidence to lead service improvement for safe and high-quality patient care.
Develop a cohort of health care professionals allied to medicine with an understanding of research methodologies and clinical opportunities relevant to genomic medicine.
Encourage a commitment to intellectual challenge and evidence-based clinical practice informed by the latest conceptual and theoretical knowledge of genomic medicine.
Develop students' intellectual, practical and transferable skills related to genomic medicine.
Encourage critical thinking related to genomic medicine.
Prepare students for undertaking research degrees (PhD) in genomic medicine-related research fields.
Provide students from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other industries with an understanding of the relevance of advances in genomics for current and future health care.

Learning Outcomes

The over-arching learning outcomes are:

Knowledge and understanding

to enhance the students’ knowledge and critical understanding of recent developments in genomic medicine relevant to their present and future roles
to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of genomic medicine informed by research in a rapidly-changing integrated clinical and research environment
to enable deployment of new knowledge in their clinical practice, and to have a positive personal impact on the work of others in their clinical team and wider service
to develop an understanding of genomic technologies and to be able to use genomic information as part of the diagnostic and treatment pathway
to develop students’ knowledge so that they have the confidence to lead service improvement for safe and high quality patient care
to update and extend students’ understanding of research methodologies and clinical opportunities
to demonstrate knowledge, abilities and skills to engage in focused, professionally-relevant, independent learning

Skills and other attributes

The skills necessary to locate, read, interpret and analyse primary and secondary sources of material enabling the development of a conceptual and theoretical understanding of recent developments in genomic medicine.
Skills to evaluate current scholarship and research critically and to place this knowledge within the context of their own situation and practice as clinical leaders.

Student support

Depending upon your needs, a variety of support opportunities are available to you including wellbeing support sessions, short-term counselling, and study skills support sessions. Find out more in our student support webpages.

Teaching

The PG Diploma (flexible) is a ten month, part time course in which students must complete an additional four modules (which have not already been studied as part of the PG Certificate year). These are chosen from a range of modules, some of which are core and some of which are optional. There is additional between-module reflection, study and assignment work.

Genomic Medicine Modules

Students choose four modules from the list below:

Dates for the 25/26 Academic Year shown below as planned, but may be subject to change.
Each scheduled day is expected to be a full day of study, e.g. 9am - 5pm.

An introduction to human genetics and genomics (GM1A): 13 - 17 October 2025 (Mandatory first module)
Research and statistical skills in genomic medicine (GMO7): 21, 22, 29 October & 5, 19, 26 November
& 10 December 2025 (part-time students must speak to the course director if interested in this module)
Omics techniques and their application to genomic medicine (GM2): 10 - 14 November 2025
Bioinformatics, interpretation and data quality assurance in genome analysis (GM7): 1 - 5 December 2025
Application of genomics in infectious disease (GM5): 19 - 23 January 2026
Molecular pathology of cancer and application in cancer diagnosis, screening, and treatment (GM4): 2 - 6 February 2026
Pharmacogenetics and stratified healthcare (GM6): 2 - 6 March 2026
Counselling skills for genomics (GMO2): 16 - 20 March 2026
Epigenetics and epigenomics (GMO5): 13 - 17 April 2026
Advanced bioinformatics - from genomes to systems (GMO4): 27 April – 2 May 2026
Genomics of common and rare inherited diseases (GM3): 11 - 15 May 2026
Expanding the content with a genomic medicine focussed, workplace-based module (GMO6): February - June 2026 (students must speak to the course director if interested in this module)

To note: Not all module options will necessarily be offered in any one year. To meet eligibility requirements, some funding providers such as HEE may require the study of specific modules.

Assessment

Students are assessed formatively (work that does not contribute to the degree, but helps students develop) throughout the taught modules of the programme using a variety of techniques and interrelated strategies including evidence of regular reflection, demonstration of active participation in the programme will also be required. There may also a requirement for the students to take part in peer review of other students.

For each of the four taught modules comprising the Postgraduate Diploma (flex), students must complete summative (work that directly contributes to the award) assignments of 2,500 to 3,500 words each.