IPEM accreditation is recognised throughout industry and academia as an endorsement of a programme’s academic rigor. IPEM accredits masters level programmes in clinical engineering or medical physics that meet strict suitability and quality criteria for providing education in this field. The scheme ensures that students undertaking accredited programmes are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for a medical physics career in industry, healthcare, or academia.
Launched in October 2023, The MSc in Medical Physics with Radiobiology at the Department of Oncology is an innovative programme, designed for those looking to kickstart a career in medical physics research, clinical practice, or related industry positions. The course is run in collaboration with the Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The one-year, full time programme covers a broad range of expert-delivered topics, including the fundamental physics of radiation action, ionising and non-ionising radiation technologies used in clinical practice, and research approaches in the field of medical physics. With its additional focus on the principles of radiobiology at a molecular and cellular level, students gain a thorough grounding in the biological effects of radiation.
During their evaluation, IPEM expressed their admiration for the quality of course, commending the ‘facilities for students’, the ‘uniqueness of the programme’, and the ‘dedication of the staff’ delivering the teaching.
Dr Daniel McGowan, FHEA, FIPEM, Course Director and Honorary Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the Department of Oncology, commented on the news:
“Following a rigorous inspection process I’m delighted that our new course has been awarded IPEM accreditation. This is a great accolade for our course, thank you to all staff involved in getting us to this point and students from both current and previous cohorts who were involved in the accreditation process.”
Dr McGowan is passionate about delivering an unrivalled teaching experience to his students and thus designed the course to include aspects he wishes were part of his own MSc, such as unique considerations when conducting pre-clinical or clinical research in the fields of radiobiology or medical physics. In addition, including teaching on artificial intelligence which is due to revolutionise the field, making it a key aspect for the future workforce to understand.
IPEM awards an annual prize for the best student project on their accredited programmes. The 2024 prize was awarded to George Petkov for his research on ’A Machine Learning PyTorch-Based Approach for Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis and Staging Using T1 and T2-Weighted, FLAIR, and Hyperpolarised 13C MRI Images of the Brain’. In a recent interview, George Petkov shares his experience of the MSc Medical Physics with Radiobiology programme and how the wide variety of topics covered helped to clarify his career aspirations.
The department is thrilled to have received IPEM accreditation in recognition of the course’s high educational standard. With a unique interdisciplinary approach that bridges physics, biology, and clinical application, the course equips students with the knowledge, skills, and vision to become leaders in the field of cancer science.
Applications for the 2025/26 academic year are now open. For more information and application details, please visit the Graduate Admissions webpage.
