Biological Sciences at UEA
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Find out moreMSc Global Plant Health
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- September 2025
Other Start Dates
Other Start Dates
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Why you should choose us
17th
UEA is ranked 17th overall for research quality in Biological Science
The Times Higher Education REF 2021 AnalysisCourse Overview
Plant diseases have significantly influenced human history, making their control essential for a sustainable future. Our prestigious MSc in Global Plant Health offers a robust foundation for a career focused on minimising crop losses, contributing to global food security, and protecting the environment.
This MSc is delivered by The Sainsbury Laboratory, a renowned independent plant health research institute known for key breakthroughs in plant immunity. You’ll be immersed in our research culture and learn from the experts who are making today's advancements.
You’ll learn how plants recognise pathogens to defend themselves and how pathogens can evade these defences. You'll gain experience in laboratory-based and computational research at TSL. You’ll also develop key leadership skills that will help you to make a significant impact throughout your career.
TSL is generously supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and others, enabling top scientific ideas to be tested by approximately 100 researchers, including around 20 postgraduate students. You’ll be taught by TSL members together with instructors from across the Norwich Research Park including the John Innes Centre and UEA plus international external speakers. This provides you with a unique opportunity to study on one of the world’s leading campuses in plant and microbial science.
To guide your career, you'll hear from TSL alumni who have pursued diverse paths, including careers in biotech and policy. Our MSc has prepared students for roles in PhDs, start-up companies, and field-trial consultancies, among other destinations.
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Accreditations
This Master’s course is fully accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB).
Study and Modules
Structure
This one-year course is a mixture of taught modules and a five-month research project. These compulsory elements are exclusive to this course. Attendance at weekly research seminars at The Sainsbury Laboratory forms part of modules throughout the year.
You’ll study global plant health. You’ll learn about major crops and their pathogens, the diagnosis of disease, and the underlying plant biology. You’ll also understand the strengths and weaknesses of traditional and modern crop improvement methods in relation to plant pathology.
The molecular plant-microbe interactions and plant health topic covers our current understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenesis in the context of plant science. This ranges how plants recognise pathogens, how plants acquire immunity and how the pathogens develop ways of overcoming immunity. It's this fundamental scientific understanding that is vital in the development of innovative and robust ways to control plant disease.
The experimental approaches to understand and combat disease topic details the practical aspects of how diagnoses and new discoveries are made. This covers experimental design concepts of a wide range of methods and approaches in plant health with hands-on experience in core protocols.
You’ll study data science and informatics for plant disease research details bioinformatic and computational approaches to understand and tackle plant health. You’ll learn how numerous breakthrough discoveries are rooted in the expanding range of genomic resources now available.
You’ll also study leadership, project management and global disease response strategies, explaining how science can be used to make a difference on the ground. This covers the range of disease control strategies to choose from, through to how diverse agencies around the world work together to control outbreaks successfully. This includes models of management and leadership, project lifecycles, communication, teamwork, risk management, and conflict resolution, through to working within legal, policy and resource constraints.
Your taught studies come together in the final interdisciplinary research project. Each plant disease outbreak requires a team of individuals with different skills to work together to come up with solutions to realise their potential. You’ll gain valuable first-hand experience of how research can contribute to a successful response. This includes lab work and/or computational studies, developing hypotheses, and understanding how research fits into a response strategy that achieves the optimal outcome. You’ll also have the opportunity to focus on your chosen plant health research specialism, produce a report and present a seminar summarising your achievements.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Our teaching team is led by world-renowned Group Leaders at The Sainsbury Laboratory, supported by our Associate Group Leaders based in other Norwich Bioscience Institutes, Senior Scientists, Laboratory Managers, postdoctoral scientists, postgraduate research students, TSL alumni, and international guest lecturers from organisations involved in supporting global plant health.
You’ll be taught through a combination of lectures, interactive workshops, online material, and laboratory/computational/project work to support your learning of concepts and practical applications. Contact time will average eight to twelve hours per week with additional research seminars and other optional training activities. Being immersed in The Sainsbury Laboratory research culture will hugely benefit your learning. Almost all this course can be adapted to online learning if necessary. The availability of laboratory-based activities may be subject to government health advice at the time.
The number of students is limited to create a focused group that maximises peer-support. You’ll have a dedicated Study Space within The Sainsbury Laboratory equipped with individual desks, laptops, Wi-Fi, lockers and space for seminars and workshops. You’ll get support before and throughout the course from the TSL Postgraduate Student Committee.
Much of the coursework will require independent study, allowing you to hone your analytical skills and develop time-management skills to maximise your learning.
You can explore the plant and microbial science of the researchers of other institutions of the Norwich Research Park through their seminar series.
A highlight of the course is the interdisciplinary, research project. Projects will involve specialisation reflecting one or more of the taught modules. This experience will be a big step towards becoming an independent thinking scientist.
Assessment
We’ll assess your learning in a combination of ways appropriate to each module and their learning objectives. You’ll be assessed based on coursework that includes laboratory reports, focused literature reviews, essays, short-answer questions, coding, and presentations. For each module, you’ll have the chance to test your skills with up to two practice formative assignments. That assignment might be a coursework essay or data analysis. Your final module, which comprises a third of the overall assessment marks, will be assessed by a project report and a presentation in the period after Easter.
You’ll get feedback on your formative assignments from your tutors. The purpose of the feedback is to help you improve your work before your formal summative assessments and we encourage you to discuss your feedback with your tutors.
Employability
After the Course
You’ll graduate from this prestigious course well prepared for a career in any aspect of global plant health, whether you choose to first continue your studies at PhD level or not. There are opportunities to work with governments, policy makers, agri-tech companies, charities and other non-governmental organisations, to name but a few. You’ll get networking opportunities and advice on applications and interviews while on the course and get support from UEA CareerCentral.
Careers
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
- Academic research and/or teaching
- Registered Plant Health Professional
- Plant health government policy-making
- Government Animal and Plant Health Agency
- Plant health non-governmental organisation (e.g. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation)
- Non-profit agricultural research organisation (e.g. CIMMYT)
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.1.
Degree Subject
Biological Science or equivalent that covers plant and/or microbial sciences.
- Additional Entry Requirements
Entry to this course is on a competitive basis. The Course Directors will assess each application based on the level of knowledge and experience of the following: molecular biology, genetics, molecular interactions, data science such as bioinformatics and statistics, laboratory skills, and independent study.
Applicants are required to submit two references with their application - at least one of these must be related to your most recent academic study.
A full, detailed CV should also be included with the application.
To facilitate time for interviews and production of visas where applicable, the application deadlines for September 2025 entry are:
30/05/2025 - International applicants. Applications must be submitted by 30/05/2025 and any outstanding information provided no later than 28/06/2025. Applications that become complete after this date will not be considered for September 2025 entry but will be assessed in the Autumn for September 2026 entry.
29 August 2025- UK applicants and applicants not requiring a visa. Applications must be submitted by 29/08/2025 and any outstanding information provided no later than 06/09/2025. Applications that become complete after this date will not be considered for September 2025 entry but will be assessed in the Autumn for September 2026 entry.
- Interviews
Applicants will be shortlisted for an online interview.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.1 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Biological Science or equivalent that covers plant and/or microbial sciences.
- Additional Entry Requirements
Entry to this course is on a competitive basis. The Course Directors will assess each application based on the level of knowledge and experience of the following: molecular biology, genetics, molecular interactions, data science such as bioinformatics and statistics, laboratory skills, and independent study.
Applicants are required to submit two references with their application - at least one of these must be related to your most recent academic study.
A full, detailed CV should also be included with the application.
To facilitate time for interviews and production of visas where applicable, the application deadlines for September 2025 entry are:
30/05/2025 - International applicants. Applications must be submitted by 30/05/2025 and any outstanding information provided no later than 28/06/2025. Applications that become complete after this date will not be considered for September 2025 entry but will be assessed in the Autumn for September 2026 entry.
29 August 2025- UK applicants and applicants not requiring a visa. Applications must be submitted by 29/08/2025 and any outstanding information provided no later than 06/09/2025. Applications that become complete after this date will not be considered for September 2025 entry but will be assessed in the Autumn for September 2026 entry.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.5 overall with minimum 6.0 in all components
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Interviews
Applicants will be shortlisted for an online interview.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2025/26 are:
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UK Students: £17,975
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International Students: £35,450
We estimate living expenses at £1,136 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see our additional course costs pages for more information.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.