Human Anatomy

This 12-month programme offers a rare opportunity to learn anatomy from dissection and experience 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 level.

What will you study?

This programme 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 to 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 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

The programme is made up of five courses alongside a summer dissertation project.

The courses Basic Human Anatomy, Imaging, Embryology 1 and Basic Human Anatomy, Imaging, Embryology 2 make up the majority of the degree with 40 credits each.

The teaching anatomy course is 20 credits, whereas the other courses are 10 credit courses spread out over two semesters as follows (10 credits equal 100 hours of work):

Semester 1

• Basic Human Anatomy, Imaging and Embryology 1 (40 credits): provides students with an in-depth knowledge of the anatomy of the upper/lower limbs and thorax, incorporating:

  • gross anatomy
  • surface anatomy
  • medical imaging
  • embryology

• Anatomy Law and Ethics (10 credits): divided into 3 parts:

  • health and safety of anatomy and body handling
  • the legislation that governs the activities of anatomy departments both in Scotland and throughout the UK
  • the ethics of using human material for the teaching of anatomy

Semester 2

• Basic Human Anatomy, Imaging and Embryology 2 (40 credits): provides students with an in-depth knowledge of the anatomy of the abdomen, pelvis and head and neck, incorporating:

  • gross anatomy
  • surface anatomy
  • medical imaging
  • embryology

• Neuroanatomy (10 credits): gross anatomy of the:

  • central and peripheral nervous systems
  • sensory and motor pathways
  • cranial nerves
  • spinal cord
  • spinal nerves
  • autonomic nervous system

Summer period

• Dissertation Project: 10,000 word dissertation and oral presentation (60 credits)

Teaching and assessment

Teaching is by lectures, seminars and tutorials.

Courses are assessed by either, or a combination of:

• oral examinations
• essays
• multiple choice question exams
• extended matching question exams
• presentations
• practical anatomy exams

Diploma in Human Anatomy

You have the option to finish after the second semester graduating with a Diploma in Human Anatomy, or to gain your Masters by completing a summer dissertation project that can be either library-, practical- or laboratory-based.

More information on anatomy at the University can be found on our website:

• Anatomy at Edinburgh

Should you face delays due to valid reasons, such as visa issues, and therefore be unable to commence the MSc Human Anatomy programme on time, a one-week delay may be permitted with the Programme Director's consent.

Video recording of the lectures pertaining to this programme is prohibited.

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.

Award Title Duration Study mode MSc Human Anatomy 1 Year Full-time Programme structure 2024/25