UCL School of Pharmacy

UCL School of Pharmacy

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  • Master of Pharmacy (MPharm)
  • MSc in Clinical Pharmacy, International Practice and Policy
  • MSc in Drug Delivery
  • MSc in Drug Discovery and Development
  • MSc in Drug Discovery and Pharma Management
  • MSc in Pharmacognosy
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Programme structure

Semester 1

Therapeutic Uses of Plants

This module examines herbal medicines in healthcare, and the safety and quality of herbal medicinal products. A section covering natural products as medicines will outline classes of medicinal products and the methods used in their isolation and characterization. The module will include an overview of the pharmacology of natural products.

Pharmaceutical Analysis

This module considers the diverse methods and techniques that are used in drug discovery, development and production. The module is supported by practical classes.

Semester 2 

Methods in Pharmacognosy

This module considers in depth the types of bioassays employed in pharmacognosy, the experiments used in the structure determination of biologically active natural products, the lead discovery process and the application of natural products in cognitive disease.

Therapeutic Natural Products and Ethnopharmacology

This module considers the use of natural products in different societies, exploring ways to preserve traditional medicinal plant use and new methods for improving future use primarily in indigenous communities but also in pharmaceuticals. The module will highlight Ayurveyda, traditional Chinese medicine, ethnobotany and the use of marine natural products as new drug leads.

In addition, students will undertake a literature survey which will help prepare them for their research project which commences in Semester 3.

Semester 3

Four-month research project in a pharmacognosy discipline of the student's choice. The projects will cover a wide range of topics from natural product isolation and characterization, synthesis, analysis and a survey of medicinal products used in the community.