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PET-CT axial scan of the brain, showing multiple images of the brain using nuclear medicine imaging
Brighton & Sussex Medical School

Nuclear medicine

BSMS > Postgraduate > Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine

Key facts

MSc, PGDip, PGCert

Full-time: 1 year

Part-time: 2-3 years but up to a maximum of 5 years*

Eligible applicants: UK, international

Start Date: Every academic year in September/October

Location: University of Sussex, Falmer campus

General enquiries: For enquiries about the course or application process, please email: nuclearmedicine@bsms.ac.uk

Apply for the Nuclear Medicine course here >

Download the course application handbook for further information on this course.

DOWNLOAD THE NUCLEAR MEDICINE HANDBOOK HERE > 

*Please note: If you are applying to the Student Loans Company for funding, you will need to apply for 2 years of funding. This will not affect your ability to complete the part time MSc programme in 3 years, however you will receive the SLC loan split across two years rather than three.

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Course overview

This new course, and the first nuclear medicine postgraduate programme at BSMS, draws on the experience of leading educators in the field of nuclear medicine to deliver unique and flexible study in this exciting, expanding and important specialty.

Nuclear medicine is a specialty that involves all applications of radioactive materials in diagnosis, treatment and medical research, with the exception of the use of sealed radiation sources in radiotherapy (WHO definition).

It is a highly specialised and important area of healthcare, which pertains to many areas of medicine across the whole age spectrum from neonatal to geriatric medicine and underpins the management of many cancer, cardiovascular, infection, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.

The practice of nuclear medicine in the UK is closely regulated, with practitioners having to satisfy IR(ME)R and ARSAC requirements to lead nuclear medicine services. Nuclear medicine specialists therefore have stringent educational requirements to ensure provision of a high-quality service in the UK.

Study at our postgraduate diploma level is designed to address both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine education to satisfy the General Medical Council (GMC) mandated requirements in the training curriculum for nuclear medicine physicians, and the course has GMC approval.

Course structure

How is the course taught?

The modular structure of the course allows the learning experience to be tailored to the needs of many others working with nuclear medicine, including: Radiologists/Radionuclide Radiologists, Nuclear Medicine Technologists and Radiographers, Clinical Scientists, Oncologists and Cardiologists.

You can study full or part-time to fit around clinical commitments, with teaching provided online and on-demand, supplemented with online, live seminars and tutorials to facilitate remote study.

Applicants interested in the Nuclear Medicine course are encouraged to begin with module MDM132: Physics, Radiopharmacy, and Regulations, whether studying full-time or part-time. This module provides essential foundational knowledge of the scientific and regulatory principles underpinning the field and is a compulsory component for those pursuing the PGCert, PGDip, or MSc pathways.

All modules within the programme are also available as standalone options for those seeking Continuing Professional Development (CPD). If you prefer to take individual modules without committing to a full postgraduate qualification, you are welcome to apply for these separately.

To support a structured and cohesive learning journey, we recommend completing MDM132 prior to any clinical nuclear medicine modules. It is also advisable to complete MDM133 (Single Photon Nuclear Medicine) and MDM134 (FDG PET-CT) before undertaking MDM129 (Advanced Multimodality Imaging).

Should you later decide to pursue a postgraduate degree or certificate,  you may be eligible to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for any modules already completed. If you would like to apply for a standalone module, you can do so via the BSMS website using the link below:

Click here to apply for a single module >

Please note: whilst all Nuclear Medicine modules are taught online (both asynchronous and synchronous), they do also include an in person examination element. These are usually held in May at the University of Brighton’s Falmer Campus. Successful completion of these exams is mandatory in order to pass the module(s).

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Modules

Post Graduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits

One compulsory module:

  • Nuclear Medicine Physics, Radiopharmacy and Regulations (20 Credits)

PLUS

Two modules chosen from the following options:

  • Single-photon Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine (20 Credits)
  • F18 FDG PET Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine (20 Credits)
  • Advanced PET and SPECT Diagnostic Multimodality Imaging (20 Credits)
  • Molecular Radiotherapy and Theragnostics (20 Credits)
  • Anatomy and Pathology for Nuclear Medicine Interpretation for Non-Radiologists (20 credits)

OR

One module from the options above PLUS one module from the options below:

  • Leadership and Change Management in Clinical Services (20 credits)
  • Communication, Learning and Teaching in Health and Social Care (20 credits)

Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) 120 credits

PGCert in Nuclear Medicine 

PLUS

Three modules chosen from the following options*:

  • Single-photon Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine (20 Credits)
  • F18 FDG PET Oncology Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine (20 Credits)
  • Advanced PET and SPECT Diagnostic Multimodality Imaging (20 Credits)
  • Molecular Radiotherapy and Theragnostics (20 Credits)
  • Anatomy and Pathology for Nuclear Medicine Interpretation for non-Radiologists (20 credits)
  • Research Methods and Critical Appraisal (20 Credits) or
  • Leadership and Change Management in Clinical Services (20 Credits)**
  • Communication, Learning and Teaching in Health and Social Care (20 Credits)**

*For UK nuclear medicine physician trainees, the PGDip must meet the requirements of the GMC curriculum and include basic nuclear medicine science module and all of the four (of the first listed) nuclear medicine clinical modules. The sixth module can be either Research Methods, Leadership and Change Management, or Communication, Learning and Teaching. The Research Methods module would be the preferable choice, and is mandatory for the MSc.
**One of these two modules can be undertaken towards the PGDip.

Master of Science (MSc) 180 credits

PGDip in Nuclear Medicine, including Research Methods and Critical Appraisal module

PLUS

  • Dissertation Module (60 credits)
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Who is it for?

This nationally unique course will constitute the GMC mandated Knowledge Based Assessment (PGDip) for Nuclear Medicine Physicians Higher Specialty Training. It has been endorsed by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board and incorporated into the GMC approved curriculum.

Its flexible and redesigned structure will also suit the educational requirements of other healthcare professionals working in the UK including:

  • Radiologists/Radionuclide Radiology Consultants and/or Trainees
  • Nuclear Radiographers
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologists
  • Nuclear Medicine Nurses

Individual components of the course are likely to be attractive to the following clinical groups wanting to extend their practice to include clinical nuclear medicine:

  • Oncologists – Consultants and/or Trainees
  • Endocrinologists – Consultants and/or Trainees
  • Cardiologists – Consultants and/or Trainees
  • Neurologists and/or Neuroradiologists
  • Oncological Radiologists leading Multidisciplinary Team meetings (MDTs)
  • Internal Medicine trainees
  • Clinical Scientists
PET CT Scan image of whole body and CT scan Comparison in Sagittal plane of patient cancer disease

Why BSMS?

Drawing on the experience of Professor Sabina Dizdarevic, BSMS Research Lead and Chair of Intercollegiate Standing Committee on Nuclear Medicine, RCR/RCP, previous Education Scientific Chair for the British Nuclear Medicine Society and Honorary Clinical Professor and Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre (CISC) PET Clinical Lead at BSMS, alongside a team of highly renowned nuclear medicine physicians, radionuclide radiology consultants, nuclear medicine scientists and advanced practitioners based at the University Hospitals Sussex and working nationally across the UK – our programme offers a flexible and newly designed structure to fit with your work and life commitments.

Individual module certification (continuous professional development)

Each taught module or subcomponent course from the postgraduate programmes (PGCert, PGDip and MSc) can be taken individually and flexibly to suit those with busy work and life commitments.

These can be accredited individually or used to build modules or programmes.

The PGCert and PGDip can be accredited and build towards an MSc.

The time limit for course involvement will be five years.

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Entry requirements

The programme is open to post-registration doctors involved in nuclear medicine and any healthcare graduates allied to or seeking to further extend their scope of practice in nuclear medicine, including but not limited to: nuclear medicine technologists, radiographers, nurses, clinical scientists, and imaging and non-imaging specialty doctors.

Trainees entering the Nuclear Medicine Specialty Training Programme are expected to apply in line with the GMC approved curriculum.

Applicants may be interviewed depending on the strength of their applications. They will be expected to be aware of the latest trends and developments in nuclear medicine.

Claims for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be considered with a maximum of 50% of the total credits permitted.

Applications are welcomed from International students with appropriate qualifications and experience. Students for whom English is not a first language must demonstrate an acceptable standard of comprehension and communication in the English Language (IELTS; minimum overall score of 7.0 and 7.0 in the writing element).

Please note that the course is taught 100% online. Due to visa restrictions, it is not possible for international students to obtain a CAS/visa for this course. Any international students (including EU/EEA) can apply to study this course online from their home country. Only those international students with an alternative visa/immigration permission to stay in the UK (such as settled/pre-settled status, Tier 2/work visa, indefinite leave to remain etc) may study in the UK.

However, international students who wish to spend a short period of time in the UK while undertaking the Nuclear Medicine course may apply for a visitor visa, which will be valid for a maximum of six months. This visa route would enable students on the course to:

  • Sit exams in person for some modules;
  • Undertake data collection and analysis for MSc research projects.

You can find further information about the requirements and permitted activities of visitor permission here. If you wish to come to the UK as a visitor as part of your course you should contact the International Student Advice & Support team for further advice using our visa enquiry form.

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Fees and funding 

The fees listed are the overall costs for full-time courses taken in the academic year 2025/26. Where courses are taken part-time over more than one academic year, fees are usually charged pro-rata for the modules taken during each academic year.  

With effect from 2021/22 onwards, EU nationals starting new postgraduate courses will pay international fees and will not be eligible for student funding from the UK government. However, there are exceptions to this for Irish nationals and EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. For the latest information, please see gov.uk/student-finance. If you do not have settled status in the UK and require a work visa, then you will be fee assessed as Overseas and will therefore be subject to the International fee rate.

Find out more about fees and funding >

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Apply here

Applications are made through the University of Brighton online portal and are now open for new applications.

Apply for the Nuclear Medicine course here >

If you are interested in studying a single Nuclear Medicine module, please complete the Single module application form entering the name of the module of study when prompted. 

Complete the form here >