Umm Al-Qura University
1) Medical Genetics (MSc)
Consistent with Saudi Vision 2030 and its objective to upgrade health services and provide specialists in rare specialized fields, and owing to the urgent need for such specialty, a Master’s Degree in Genetics has been created. The program aims to graduate specialized students in the field of Medical Genetics who are qualified to diagnose diverse genetic diseases in addition to their ability to participate in medical research in the field of medical genetics and genetic diseases.
The Genetic MA is a two year program with 48 study units. In the first year all courses are covered, while the second year includes training at one of the leading hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in addition to graduation research. The Department of Medical Genetics at the College of Medicine seeks to create an effective environment to provide a high level of education and research for students to provide competent graduates and specialists in this field.
2) Clinical Toxicology (MSc)
To achieve the vision of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the UQU College of Medicine, and in consistent with Saudi Vision 2030 to develop health care services, the department offers the Clinical Toxicology Master's Program. This program was created due to the urgent necessity for emergency physicians specialized in the treatment of poisoning cases coming to emergency departments at health institutions who are in urgent need of medical assistance, only provided by a specialist in the treatment of poisoning; it is therefore necessary to provide specialized medical personnel to cover the needs of hospitals in the field of poisoning treatment due to increasing numbers of poisoning cases.
The program contains a series of theoretical and practical courses to prepare students to become specialists in clinical toxicology. The program is delivered in 53 credit hours divided into four semesters. Students with a Bachelor's Degree of Medicine and Surgery, in addition to pharmacists, are accepted. Further, male and female students are trained to receive, diagnose, and treat critical cases of suspected poisoning.
3) Clinical Biochemistry (MSc)
The program includes 48 two-year modules and is delivered in 34 credit hours, including courses and a thesis. The program is designed to provide specialists in clinical biochemistry and molecular biology with a deep understanding of both basic and advanced biochemistry. The program contains theoretical and practical courses, as well as experiences to provide the best education with regard to all aspects of clinical biochemistry and the skills necessary to conduct daily laboratory activities.
4) Tropical Medicine (Higher Diploma)
Within the region of Makkah, there is a constant risk of being vulnerable to tropical diseases, since an estimated 6 million people visit Mecca for Hajj and Umrah, with most of them coming from tropical and subtropical countries. Furthermore, there are millions of expatriates coming from tropical countries to work. Similarly, many Saudis travel to tropical countries for work, hiking, and tourism. These factors increase everyone's vulnerability to contracting tropical diseases. Henceforth, the importance of qualifying a working group capable of laboratory diagnosis of these diseases is now confirmed.
Through this program, available for the first time in the Kingdom, students are provided with the theoretical and laboratory skills required to diagnose tropical diseases and work in medical laboratories through their knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of a wide range of techniques. These include traditional techniques (routine), serology, and molecular biological techniques and their applications in tropical diseases.
5) Medical Microbiology (MSc)
The strategic location of Umm Al-Qura University is distinguished by its presence in the heart of the Islamic world, in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, which annually hosts more than two million Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, in a gathering that is considered the largest and most crowded in the world. And so, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 that was developed to improve the quality of life and also realizes the vision of Umm Al-Qura University, which aims at improving the experience of Hajj and Umrah, a master's program has been opened in medical microorganisms.
The program aims at graduating male and female students specialized in the field of diagnostic medical microorganisms, The goal is for them to become equipped with knowledge and skills to serve their community and to participate in medical research specialized in medical microorganisms and infectious diseases, in order to contribute to limiting the spread of epidemics and controlling them.
The program consists of a set of theoretical and practical courses that represent 44 credit hours, divided into four semesters, which aim at preparing specialists in medical microorganisms. All academic courses (theoretical and practical) are taught in the first year, after which the male and female students undergo practical training in one of the Saudi Kingdom's leading hospitals or they participate in scientific research work as a requirement for graduation in their second academic year.
