The MPhil degree offered by the Department of Paediatrics is exclusively research-based; students are integrated into the research culture of the department and the institute in which they are based. The subject of the research project is determined during the application process and is influenced by the research interests of the student’s principal supervisor, ie students should apply to study with a group leader whose area of research most appeals to them. To broaden their knowledge of their chosen field, students are strongly encouraged to attend relevant seminars, lectures and training courses. At the end of the course, examination for the MPhil degree involves submission of a written dissertation (of 20,000 words or less), followed by an oral examination based on both the dissertation and a broader knowledge of the chosen area of research. The MPhil Medical Science degree is designed to accommodate the needs of those students who have only one year available to them or, who have only managed to obtain funding for one year, ie it is not intended to be a probationary year for a three-year PhD degree. However, it is possible to continue from the MPhil to the PhD in the Paediatrics (Basic Science) course via the following two options: (i) Complete the MPhil then continue to the three-year PhD course and (ii) Transfer from the MPhil to the PhD course. The MPhil course in paediatrics is exclusively research-based.