Pharmaceutical sciences in UK
The pharmaceutical sciences are a group of interdisciplinary areas of study involved with the design, action, delivery, disposition, and use of drugs. This field draws on many areas of the basic and applied sciences, such as chemistry (organic, inorganic, physical, biochemical and analytical), biology (anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, cell biology, and molecular biology), epidemiology, statistics, chemometrics, mathematics, physics, and chemical engineering, and applies their principles to the study of drugs.
The MSc in Pharmaceutical Science in UK Universities is designed to offer opportunities for advanced study in drug discovery technology, therapeutics and process development, pharmaceutical analysis and quality assurance. The MSc is suitable for people working in industrial and research laboratories wishing to develop their knowledge in the design and synthesis of drugs and address the pharmacological issues that arise. The course is also suitable for professionals working in hospitals, pharmacies and clinics as the course will also focus on drug analysis and quality assurance, providing the theoretical and laboratory instruction for evaluating analytical data and validating analytical methods, and strategies employed in analytical research and development.
The course aims to:
- provide you with a programme of advanced study to equip you for a future career in pharmaceutical science
- foster a comprehensive and critical understanding of the existing state of knowledge in pharmaceutical science
- enhance intellectual and practical skills necessary for the collection, analysis, interpretation and understanding of scientific data
- provide practical opportunities in a multidisciplinary environment
Course structure
The MSc is a one year, full-time course for international students involving 30 weeks of taught modules divided into two 15-week semesters. Students take 4 core modules, two optional modules plus a research project.
Assessment
Assessment is a combination of coursework, which includes poster and seminar presentations, essays, the research project and its oral defence and examination.
Career opportunities
Postgraduates in pharmaceutical science are equipped to take up employment in pharmaceutical research, development, analysis or formulation. They can also pursue careers in medical research, in hospital and public health laboratories and in the food, water and agricultural industries. Graduates will have the necessary knowledge related to the development, analysis, and production of medicines and have a specialised knowledge of modern analytical techniques used to detect, identify and quantitatively determine drugs and related substances. The course is therefore ideal for those wishing to enter areas such as marketing, sales, production, regulatory affairs and process development.
UK Universities offering courses in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences:
- Queen Mary University of London
- University of Greenwich, London
- Kingston University, London
- University of Strathclyde
- University of Glasgow
- University of Leeds
- Aston University
- University of Hertfordshire
- Robert Gordon University
- University of Manchester
- Sheffield Hallam University