Drug Discovery and Development

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 2:1 or equivalent, preferably in a chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, pharmacy or pharmacology subject. Consideration will be given to applicants holding a 2:2 but who have 2:1 level marks in modules relevant to the programme.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Have a positive impact on society by discovering new medicines that will improve lives

The use of pharmaceuticals to treat contemporary global and regional health issues, such as obesity, malaria, tuberculosis or cancer, requires the combined effort of multiple areas of science and medicine alongside the commercial sector. Now, more than ever, we need well-trained cross-functional specialists willing to work towards a positive impact on society by finding and developing new medicines to help treat disease.

This MSc Drug Discovery and Development programme will offer you exposure to a range of fields spanning the pharmaceutical industry, including pharmacology, biochemistry, chemistry, clinical research, and pharmaceutical commercialisation. As a result, upon graduation you’ll already be equipped with skills necessary to work for large pharmaceutical companies, small biotech companies, contract research organisations, government regulatory bodies and many more.

The multidisciplinary aspect of the programme means you will be taught by experts from across the Faculty of Biological Sciences, the School of Chemistry, the Faculty of Medicine and Health, the Business School, as well as industrialists working in the pharma sector. This breadth of topics will provide you with a tailored experience to gain exposure to the aspects you are most interested in, offering you the opportunity to focus on aspects of medicinal chemistry, molecular pharmacology and preclinical/clinical drug development.

Information for international students

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks).

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

Fees and funding

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more at Masters funding overview.