Fellowship vs Masters.
One reads about it. One does it.
A Masters writes a 20,000-word essay about a syringe. A Fellowship picks up the syringe. Here's the curriculum — module for module — so you can stop guessing.
Both pathways have value. Only one of them produces an injector. A Masters is a university degree built on essays and a dissertation. A Fellowship is built on cannulas, needles and consented patients. You don't learn surgery from a textbook — you learn it in theatre.
Exact Curriculum, Module by Module
Published syllabi from Queen Mary, Manchester, UCLan and the HSI Fellowship — laid out so you can see the gap.
MSc — Theory Dominant
- 01Anatomy & Physiology of the Ageing FaceLectures + cadaveric photos. No live injecting.
- 02Skin Science & HistologyLiterature review assessment.
- 03Pharmacology of Toxin & HAEssay. No patient contact.
- 04Psychology & BDD ScreeningCase-study report.
- 05Research Methods & StatisticsCompulsory ~30 credits.
- 06Ethics, Law & RegulationWritten assignment.
- 07Optional ObservershipOften dermatology / plastics — not injectables.
- 08Dissertation12,000–20,000 words. The bulk of the credits.
HSI Fellowship — Procedure Dominant
- 01Foundation Botulinum ToxinGlabella, frontalis, crow's feet — live injecting day one, 1:1 supervision.
- 02Advanced Botulinum ToxinMasseter, Nefertiti, gummy smile, DAO, mentalis, platysmal bands, hyperhidrosis.
- 03Foundation Dermal FillersLip anatomy, cannula vs needle, tear-trough access, vascular safety mapping.
- 04Advanced Fillers & Full-FaceTemples, lateral cheek pillars, chin projection, jawline definition.
- 05Cannula MasterySupra-periosteal cheek, mid-face vectors, jaw entry points.
- 06Tear Trough MasterclassPatient selection, sub-orbicularis placement, complication avoidance.
- 07Vascular ComplicationsLive emergency-flow simulation. Hyaluronidase dosing & repeat protocols.
- 08Skin Health & PolynucleotidesPRP, microneedling, device handling — practical injecting.
- 09Consultation & ConsentingObserved consultations with structured feedback.
- 10Logbook & Sign-OffMinimum supervised procedures across modalities, faculty signed.
Doctor energy, in two panels.
A 20,000-word thesis on the pharmacokinetics of botulinum toxin? Cool.
Actually treating the patient in front of you? Now we're talking.
The Hours That Actually Count
Practical exposure on real patients — not credits, not word counts.
It is the difference between reading a book on how to perform surgery and actually standing in theatre, scrubbed in, operating under the supervision of a surgeon.
Both have value. Only one of them produces a surgeon.
Stop reading about it. Pick up the syringe.
The HSI Fellowship is built around logged, supervised procedures on real patients. You leave practice-ready — not thesis-bound.