Postgraduate study
Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.

Imaging (Online Learning) MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev

Awards: MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev

Study modes: Part-time Intermittent Study

Online learning

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Imaging (Online Learning)

I loved the flexibility I had; I was able to study when I wanted to, I could pursue my education at the pace I wanted, and I was supported by experts. I felt like I was a valued member of the student community even though I was studying online.

Bernadette Greenwood PG Certificate, 2016/17

To disseminate imaging knowledge, skills and understanding, to enable effective and efficient imaging clinically, in research and in industry.

Aims of our flexible, intermittent, part-time, online learning (OL) programme:

  • to provide an understanding of imaging theory, techniques, analysis and applications
  • to develop research planning and designing skills, incorporating imaging
  • to enable interpretation and analysis of relevant imaging data
  • to relate imaging research to clinical applications

Access world class teaching at the University of Edinburgh, while maintaining your local professional and personal commitments where you live, thereby keeping down costs by not being resident in Edinburgh.

Our online students not only have access to Edinburgh’s excellent resources, but also become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world.

Studying online at Edinburgh

Find out more about the benefits and practicalities of studying for an online degree:

You may choose to study to Certificate, Diploma or Masters level.

You may take up to 30 credits per semester, 60 credits per year.

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD)

Aimed at working professionals who want to advance their knowledge through a postgraduate-level course(s), without the time or financial commitment of a full Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate.

You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses over two years through our PPD scheme. We offer online credit-bearing courses which run for 11 weeks at a time. These lead to a University of Edinburgh postgraduate award of academic credit. Alternatively, after one year of taking courses you can choose to transfer your credits and continue on to studying towards a higher award on a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Although PPD courses have various start dates throughout a year you may only start a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme in the month of September. Any time spent studying PPD will be deducted from the amount of time you will have left to complete a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Please note that individual elective courses will only run if there is a minimum of 3 students taking the course.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScImagingUp to 6 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyProgramme structure 2023/24
PgDip (ICL)ImagingUp to 4 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyProgramme structure 2023/24
PgCert (ICL)ImagingUp to 2 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyProgramme structure 2023/24
  • Describe the full range of imaging theory, techniques, analysis and applications.
  • Discuss how imaging is used to investigate both normal and abnormal processes and functions (clinically and in research).
  • Feel confident to undertake well designed, methodologically sound and practical research using imaging.
  • Create a study design methodology.
  • Analyse results and use statistics as applied to imaging studies.
  • Be aware of health and safety regulations and legislation related to imaging.
  • Translate from basic imaging research to the clinical arena.
  • Be empowered to take a critical view of existing research particularly with an awareness of reproducibility and reliability of techniques, sources of bias in research and clinically.
  • Demonstrate innovation before discussing and presenting their work to their peers.
  • Development of skills in grant and research proposal formulation.
  • Develop the tools to initiate and execute research autonomously and produce publishable research summaries.
  • Develop good practice in communication and collaboration using modern online communication tools.
  • Acquire imaging knowledge to engage with new developments.

Clinical graduates will exit the programme with improved clinical image management skills, and will also be better able to advise companies and businesses which develop tools and techniques for their specialties, where imaging is required. For pre-clinically focused students, an imaging skill set expands academic possibilities and is more likely to assist with translational techniques necessary to bridge the preclinical and clinical sciences.

The degree will also be attractive as a preliminary qualification before undertaking career training in hospital Medical Physics (for physicists and engineers), as well as a preliminary qualification before taking a PhD or research scientist post involving medical physics, medical imaging, biomechanics in academia or industry.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Radiology, Radiography, Radiotherapy, Nursing, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Image Analysis, Image Processing, Computer Science, Informatics, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Psychology, Stroke Medicine, Geriatrics / Medicine of the Elderly or Neurosciences.

We may also consider your application if you have a minimum of 3 years' work experience in a related scientific area, e.g. in hospital or research laboratories. Please contact the programme team to check before you apply.

Students from China

This degree is Band D.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScImagingUp to 6 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyTuition fees
PgDip (ICL)ImagingUp to 4 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyTuition fees
PgCert (ICL)ImagingUp to 2 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyTuition fees
PgProfDevImagingUp to 2 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyTuition fees

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Edinburgh Imaging Academy
  • Chancellor’s Building
  • 49 Little France Crescent
  • Little France
  • Edinburgh
  • EH16 4SB
Programme start dates Application deadlines
9 September 2024 23 August 2024
6 January 2025 23 August 2024

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

You must submit one reference with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • Edinburgh Imaging Academy
  • Chancellor’s Building
  • 49 Little France Crescent
  • Little France
  • Edinburgh
  • EH16 4SB