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Studies & Degrees in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are, in the words of the World Health Organization (WHO), a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The group includes coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (which causes strokes), peripheral arterial disease, rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease, among others. WHO describes them as the leading cause of death globally: an estimated 19.8 million people died from them in 2022, about 32% of all deaths, and 85% of those deaths were due to heart attack and stroke.

Students of this subject learn how the heart and circulation work, how these diseases develop, and how they are prevented, diagnosed and treated. Prevention is a large part of it. According to WHO, most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and air pollution.

Qualifications and levels

There is rarely a first degree called cardiovascular disease. People reach the field by three main routes.

  • Medicine and specialisation in cardiology. Cardiologists are doctors. In the United Kingdom, NHS Health Careers explains that after medical school a doctor joins the paid two-year foundation programme and then applies for specialty training in cardiology, which takes a minimum of seven years; the same page notes that the minimum was set to rise to eight years. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that physicians typically need a bachelor's degree and a medical degree, which takes an additional 4 years, followed by 3 to 9 years of internship and residency depending on the specialty, and 1 to 3 years of fellowship for a subspecialty.
  • Master's degrees and doctorates in cardiovascular science. These are research degrees for graduates in biomedical sciences or medicine. The Cardiovascular Sciences MSc of King's College London gives a theoretical and practical foundation in cardiovascular research. Students join a research team for approximately six months and report on a 60-credit project.
  • Technical and allied health training. Cardiac sonographers, also called echocardiographers, use ultrasound to examine the chambers, valves and vessels of the heart. BLS states that diagnostic medical sonographers typically need at least an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate.

Nurses, physiotherapists and other health professionals can also specialise in cardiac care after their first qualification, through postgraduate courses.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 7 active schools for cardiovascular diseases. Three are in the United Kingdom: King's College London, University College London and The University of Sheffield. The others are the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, KU Leuven in Belgium, Northland College in the United States and Rostov State Medical University in Russia.

The schools differ in what they offer. King's College London teaches its master's degree for graduates who want a research career. KU Leuven has a Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, divided into 10 research units, whose stated aim is to increase knowledge of cardiovascular biology and diseases and to improve patient care through research and education. Northland College is a community and technical college, the kind of school that trains technical health staff.

The UK programmes are taught in English. Medical degrees and clinical training elsewhere normally require the language of the country, because students work with patients. A master's degree in cardiovascular science does not by itself give the right to practise as a doctor or cardiologist.

Careers

Cardiologists diagnose, assess and treat patients with defects and diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Entry to the specialty is competitive: NHS Health Careers reports 533 applications for 131 specialty training places in the United Kingdom in 2020. In the United States, BLS projects that overall employment of physicians and surgeons will grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, and that employment of diagnostic medical sonographers, the group that includes cardiac sonographers, will grow 14 percent over the same period.

Graduates of research master's degrees work in university and hospital laboratories, in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries, or continue their studies. King's College London states that two-thirds of the graduates of its MSc go on to a PhD, an MD or specialist cardiology training.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a medical degree to study cardiovascular diseases?

Only to become a cardiologist. Research master's degrees also admit graduates in biomedical sciences, and technical roles such as cardiac sonographer have their own shorter training.

How long does it take to become a cardiologist?

In the United Kingdom, a medical degree is followed by a two-year foundation programme and at least seven years of specialty training, according to NHS Health Careers. In the United States, BLS gives 4 years of medical school after a bachelor's degree, then residency and fellowship.

What is the difference between cardiology and cardiovascular science?

Cardiology is the medical specialty that treats patients. Cardiovascular science is the research field that studies how the heart and vessels work and how their diseases arise; it is taught in master's degrees and doctorates.

Why is this field important?

Because cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world: WHO estimates 19.8 million deaths in 2022.