Human Anatomy MSc

This 12-month program offers a rare opportunity to learn anatomy from dissection and experience in teaching human anatomy. This is an ideal stepping-stone to a career in anatomy teaching and research.

With this highly regarded qualification, you will gain major transferable skills through an intensive on-campus dissection course and develop teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

What will you study?

This program has two main strands.

Develop your in-depth knowledge of human anatomy through dissection

Anatomical knowledge will be learned to a level to teach undergraduate and postgraduate students and professions allied to medicine. This strand will involve the dissection of a body in groups of three to five students over two semesters.

A major component of this course involves self-directed learning. When there are no scheduled lectures or tutorials, students are required to spend their time in the lab, fully engaged in the process of dissecting and learning anatomy from their assigned dissected body.

Additionally, there will be regular "surgeries" where teaching staff will be present to offer guidance and support during the dissections.

Learn to teach anatomy

The second strand is anatomy teaching, covering the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching anatomy to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Alongside theoretical lectures and workshops in the first semester, you will focus on observing the teaching of anatomy to medical undergraduate students.

In the second semester, you will be involved in preparing and carrying out teaching sessions for both small and large groups of students. You will compile an end-of-year teaching portfolio based on:

• The theoretical material you learn
• The observations you make
• The practical experience you have gained
• The experience that you will gain can be used towards an application as an associate fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Embryology course

Complementing these strands will be a lecture-based embryology course. This will provide you with an understanding of normal human development and how normal development can go wrong, manifested in commonly observed congenital abnormalities.

You will also study:

• Neuroanatomy
• Embryology
• Anatomy law and ethics
• Medical imaging
• The health and safety of embalming procedures and handling bodies
• The legal and historical aspects of anatomy in Scotland and the UK
• An introduction to the ethics of using bodies in medical education

Why choose Edinburgh?

Anatomy expertise with a rich history

There is a long and distinguished tradition of anatomy teaching in Edinburgh, reaching back to 1505 and the first recorded use of a body for dissection. Today our courses are taught by leading academics who are passionate about teaching and research, and who are making an impact on an international level.

Outstanding facilities

The department has undergone extensive refurbishment and is well-equipped with facilities to preserve, maintain, and use fixed and frozen human material for both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. We have a recently established Research and Development Area, which is used by external clinical companies and surgeons for training and research purposes.

World Leading Research

The University of Edinburgh is fourth in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research with its qualifications valued internationally. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework exercise results reveal that nearly 90 per cent of the University’s research activity is in the highest categories, which are classified respectively as ‘world-leading and ‘internationally excellent.’ Edinburgh is home to numerous highly respected research centres, of which many of our academics are active members. These include the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research.

We are globally recognised for our research, development and innovation and we’ve provided our students with world-class teaching for more than 425 years.

An Edinburgh degree works for you

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50 and placed 22nd in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.

Our graduates are ranked 26th in the world by employers1.

Excellence in research

The University of Edinburgh has an international reputation for innovative research across a wide range of disciplines.

According to the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), the University is ranked fourth in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research - known as research power - and is Scotland’s top-ranked institution.

The REF2021 results reveal that nearly 90 per cent of the University’s research activity is in the highest categories – 4 star and 3 star – which are classified respectively as ‘ world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’, a growth of 10 percentage points since the previous REF in 2014.

Innovation in teaching

The latest report from the Quality Assurance Agency awarded us the highest rating possible for the quality of the student learning experience. We are always working to develop innovative approaches to teaching in order to discover the methods that work best for students, including e-learning techniques and peer-assisted learning.

Experts in online learning

We offer the largest portfolio of postgraduate online degrees in the UK2, welcoming more than 8,000 online students since 2005. Our flexible and supportive programmes are well-established and an increasingly popular choice for students looking to balance further study with professional or family commitments.

Beautiful capital city

Ranked in the world’s top 10 student cities3, Edinburgh is a compact city with excellent transport links, which makes it easy to get around and to travel to other parts of Scotland.

Large enough to offer something for everyone, but small enough to feel like home, Edinburgh is a modern, sophisticated and beautiful European city with a diverse, multicultural community.​

Facilities and support to help you succeed

You will have access to one of the largest and most important academic libraries in the world, housing over 1.8 million printed volumes. You’ll also benefit from 30 open-access computer labs with 24-hour access across key locations, as well as free laptop loans.

We offer a free Student Counselling Service and a University Health Centre, and our Student Disability Service provides a range of support for students with disabilities. We also offer excellent childcare services, making it easier to juggle parenthood and study.

Impressive global community

Our ambitious internationalisation strategy ensures the teaching and research we deliver offers global benefits. We’re ranked in the world's top 20 most international universities4. Students from two-thirds of the world’s countries study here.

We collaborate with a host of world-leading institutions in fields as diverse as e-science, engineering, life and medical sciences, and arts and culture. We’re also a member of the global research network Universitas 21 and the European networks Coimbra Group and LERU.

Leading on social responsibility and sustainability

We are committed to being a world leader in addressing global challenges including poverty, climate change and the growing demand for energy, food and water.

As Scotland’s first Fairtrade University, we have been promoting better conditions for farmers and communities in developing countries since 2004.

We have championed environmental sustainability since the early 1990s and were a founder signatory to the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment 2009 and to the 10:10 campaign.

The University is host to several Global Academies committed to tackling issues related to health, justice, environment, and agriculture and food security. The Academies cross boundaries in research and teaching, adopting a multi-disciplinary response to challenging global issues.

1QS World University Rankings 2024 2Higher Education Statistics Agency 2017/18 3QS Student Cities 2023 4Times Higher Education, World’s Most International Universities 2022