Sustainable Food Systems MSc

This module will prepare students for their MSc research project. Students will work under the guidance of their research project supervisor to acquire the knowledge and skills they will need for their MSc research project. Students will work in collaboration with their supervisor to identify skills and knowledge essential for their MSc research project and to devise a plan of work to address these. Students are expected to work independently through their plan of work, with guidance provided by their supervisor at regular meetings. Students will create a reflective portfolio of work which will highlight how and where the skills have been developed. Students will perform a literature search and write a literature review based on their project area, as well as write a grant proposal. Upon completion of this module, students will progress on to their MSc research project module.

This module will provide students with an understanding of the processes and methods required for the successful planning and delivery of research projects. It will also Introduce students to the latest, cutting edge technologies that will support their research field of interest. It will develop in students the transferrable communication skills that will enable them to disseminate their findings to both scientific and general audiences.

This module comprises a wide range of activities designed to help postgraduate science students develop skills that make them resourceful, responsible and adaptable graduates who are attractive to employers.

This module prepares students for enhanced communication, teamwork, interpersonal, problem solving, research and analytical, planning and organizing, technology, and lifelong learning skills.

Students will acquire knowledge in academic integrity, information retrieval, referencing tools, grant proposal writing and critical thinking; the tools that help to set up students for the start of their research project.

Students will also develop communication skills to a varied audience by engaging in public activities whilst working in groups to enhance their team-working skills. To make students digitally confident, they will be introduced to different digital platforms and will utilize these to promote their online presence, thus enhancing their employability prospects.

The module will prepare students for their job application process through CV clinics and mock interviews.

This module covers the ways different food systems function with regards to production, supply and utilisation in the context of the challenge of global food security. It highlights the highly interdisciplinary nature of food systems and how they have evolved and now need to be developed to ensure future sustainable nutritious healthy diets. Successful students will have a thorough appreciation of the linkages between terrestrial and aquatic production systems, supply chains and consumer behaviour in defining food systems and how the linkages influence sustainability. The module is delivered, through lectures, small group learning and directed self-learning and assessed by continuous assessment. The module assumes level 6 prior knowledge in one of a biological, psychological, environmental science or business studies discipline. Such knowledge and understanding will be augmented in the context of the interdisciplinary curriculum of the module by guided reading (material made available on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), recognising levels of prior knowledge, and through provision within e-lectures). Each curriculum topic is introduced through a lecture which develops learning and through in-built formative assessments advises supplemental reading as required. Each topic is followed by a staff-led small group learning session in which the topic is discussed.
The module will be assessed by an essay, presentation and literature review with an emphasis on critical reading, synthesis of concepts and scientific communication.

Successful research in the biological sciences inevitably depends on the power that statistical inference provides for hypothesis testing. Understanding which test to use and when is the key to success. This module aims to further this understanding of, and competence in, the use of statistical techniques in the design of experiments in biological research, and in the analysis and interpretation of data.

The module is available to students who are on-campus (LIFE707) or, alternatively, who are studying on a University of Liverpool programme while off-campus (LIFE607), for example in a yearly placement in industry or while studying at an overseas University.

The learning and teaching materials are delivered as an online set of resources (available through Canvas). The module aims to provide a guide to the statistics that students will need to complete an advanced research project (M-level or PhD), and the ability to develop a research-level statistical approach to the analysis of biological data. The module will also introduce students to the powerful open access statistical software package, R.

Successful research in the biological sciences inevitably depends on the power that statistical inference provides for hypothesis testing. Knowing which test to use and when is the key to success.

This module aims to train biology students in statistical techniques for the analysis and interpretation of data. Students will gain research-level, critical understanding of the necessary theory, and will put this into practice by using statistical software and programming to analyse biological data. The module aims to provide a guide to the statistics that students will need to complete their MSc / MRes. research project. Specifically, it is designed for postgraduate students who have not completed an undergraduate statistics module, such as the University of Liverpool’s LIFE223 (QS section). The module is taught via directed reading, lectures, and tutorial workshops, and is assessed via SAQ examination, coursework and an individual poster.

​This module will provide a study of the key principles, systems and techniques used to assure effective supply chain management. The module covers an extensive range of subjects including logistics, information management, inventory management, partnerships and information technology.

Bioinformatics is a key skill needed in many research settings. This module gives students a theoretical and technical grounding in a range of application areas including bioinformatics-related topics such as sequence analysis, phylogenetics, and the modelling of proteins, and others. While lectures are provided on core topics, there is a strong emphasis on practical exercises to demonstrate the application of common tools and data sources in these contexts. Teaching is delivered in the form of a weekly lecture and workshops. Students will be given guided reading and online activities to support their learning. The module will be assessed by three data analysis continuous assessments.

This module uses research-led teaching to explore current thinking in conservation biology;

The module explores patterns of biodiversity and encourages students to critically evaluate the evidence supporting alternative explanations for the extinctions or demise of many animal and plant species;

It also enables students to critically evaluate different approaches to conserving biodiversity;

The module is taught via lectures and student led seminars, in the form of debates. To support independent learning, students will also be guided to sections of specific textbooks and expected to follow upreferences, primary and secondary sources, listed by staff.

This module will prepare students for their MSc research project. Students will work under the guidance of their research project supervisor to acquire the knowledge and skills they will need for their MSc research project. Students will work in collaboration with their supervisor to identify skills and knowledge essential for their MSc research project and to devise a plan of work to address these. Students are expected to work independently through their plan of work, with guidance provided by their supervisor at regular meetings. Students will create a reflective portfolio of work which will highlight how and where the skills have been developed. Students will perform a literature search and write a literature review based on their project area, as well as write a grant proposal. Upon completion of this module, students will progress on to their MSc research project module.

This module will introduce the students to a range of large climate data sets from the whole Earth-atmosphere-ocean climate system these data sets will range from satellite data sets of ocean processes, satellite rain estimation to gridded climate data sets of the ocean and atmosphere, produced from observations, reanalysis and forecasts or projections and the introduction and use of paleorecords of climate change and variation.​

This module addresses contemporary topics in animal behaviour within an evolutionary framework. It combines current experimental and field research and links behaviour to other areas including ecology, neurobiology, comparative cognition and human evolution.

There will be an emphaiss on using the primary and secondary literature (including refereed reviews) to underpin the conceptual basis of the material, and we will take an evaluative approach to the material.

The module is delivered through traditional lectures, tutorials and a combination of guided and self-directed reading. The module is assessed by formal examination and continuous assessment.

This module provides a review of the role of viruses as important pathogens of humans and animals. A broad overview of viral virulence mechanisms, immune evasion and vaccine development will be given followed by detailed consideration of significant groups of viruses. The module is assessed by formal examination and continuous assessment.

1. To develop an in-depth knowledge of the social determinants of health inequalities both historically and in the contemporary world.

2. To provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge and skills needed for public health practitioners to develop and implement policies to reduce health inequalities.

Assessing the evidence behind healthcare interventions, programmes and services is one of the core competences identifiedby the UK Faculty of Public Health. The module has been designed to provide students with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the opportunities and challenges behind creating a credible evidence base for public health decisions. During the module, we will explore the historical development of evidence-based public health, discover who the main players are, and discuss some of the contemporary debates surrounding its relevance to international public health today.

The module will be delivered through lecture delivery, problem-based learning, small group learning, and self-directed learning, while assessment will consist of one group assignment; a 2000 word systematic review (worth 30% of the total module mark) and the a 3500-word assignment (worth the remaining 70%). The module will also highlight how evidence from a wide range of sources can be identified, synthesised, and translated into initiatives aiming to improve health and reduce health inequalities. The module will draw on the work of key public health organisations, namely the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in England, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US and the World Health Organization. The module will also provide an opportunity for students to transfer their learning from other modules such as ‘Epidemiology and Statistics for Public Health 1’ (, and it is expected that students will complete the assigned pre-reading before each teaching session. This reading will be available via VITAL in advance of the module and VITAL will also be used to provide general module information (e.g. module guide and learning outcomes), communicate with students regarding module-specific issues, and provide the platform to submit their two summative assignments.

Liverpool’s air quality, much like many other UK’s cities, is some of the worst in Europe. Whilst we might understand how it is produced, complex urban layouts and meteorological conditions make it almost impossible to understand how it mixes, disperses and stagnates in our cities; the only way in which we can monitor this is to sense our cities. This research-based module focuses on students using statistical tools to interpret data from University of Liverpool outdoor pollution sensors, Liverpool City Council outdoor sensors, and Government sensors, as well your own sensor that students construct as part of this module. The module content will be provided in the first three weeks after which students will work on research-based projects, with intensive supervision. The module’s assessment gives students a taste of both the industry driven and academic world trhough a consultancy style group report and mimicking the process of presenting a paper at an acacemic conference.

In this module students will work on a research project in their chosen area of study under the supervision of a project supervisor. Students are expected to work independently, with guidance provided by their supervisor. Students will create a plan of work at the start of the project, and will present their work orally, as well as write a final project report. Students will also be assessed on their approach and technique during the project. Students will defend their work in a viva at the end of the module. This module will give students experience in conducting their own independent research project, and the presentation of this work through oral and written formats.