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Drug Design MRes

London, Bloomsbury

This programme is offered by the internationally renowned UCL Division of Medicine, supported by the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, and is designed for the more research-oriented student, complementing the Drug Design MSc. Conducting cutting-edge research within the drug industries and UCL's academic group, it offers opportunities for networking and future career development.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2022/23)
£14,700
Overseas tuition fees (2022/23)
£27,990
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2022
Applications accepted
All applicants: 18 Oct 2021 – 31 Mar 2022

Applications closed

Notification

Application closes at 17:00 GMT.

Entry requirements

An upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject (for example, life sciences, medicine, chemistry) or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, or an appropriate professional qualification, or a minimum of three years’ relevant work experience.

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Standard

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

This programme teaches students the latest methodologies and approaches and covers all aspects of drug design: drug discovery, computational and structural biology, screening, assay development, medicinal chemistry, and most importantly the industrial practices involved in modern drug design technology.

Find out more about this degree: WIBR Teaching

Who this course is for

This MRes is ideal for suitably qualified graduates who wish to obtain a broad understanding of the drug design process, either to establish a career in drug discovery, or to undertake further research in this field. It is also suitable for industry professionals wishing to refresh their existing knowledge and skills and become familiar with cutting-edge research and developments.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The UCL Division of Medicine hosts research groups in the areas of medicine, pharmaceutical research, cell cycle, neurobiology, mitochondrial function, stem cells and cancer. Underpinning the translational aspects of the biomedical research, we have a medicinal chemistry group which conducts research where chemistry and biology intersect, using the latest techniques and developing new ones for the study of biological systems.

The division collaborates extensively within industry and academia to develop biological tools and therapeutic agents. There are plenty of opportunities to conduct translational research that has an impact on drug discovery.

Pharmaceutical and biotech companies, well established in the West, have been transferring their research and development to the East. Given these substantial developments, particularly in China and India, the programme will have a broad international appeal.

Find out more about this degree: WIBR Teaching

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The advanced knowledge and skill set acquired by taking this programme will enable students to find employment in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries in a global market.

Employability

We expect students graduating from this programme to take leading roles in drug discovery and development worldwide or to undertake further PhD-level research. Drug Design MRes graduates have found jobs in the pharmaceutical industry as well as PhD studentships in leading universities

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and problem classes, critical journal clubs and a research project. Assessment is through coursework, practicals, laboratory work, examination, dissertation and oral presentation.

Modules

The programme consists of five taught modules and a dissertation/report. In this one year programme, during the first two terms, you will take three elective modules from the eight compulsory taught modules from MSc Drug Design, and two translational research modules from UCL Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching. The research module will run in terms one to three alongside the taught elements. This will allow you to learn the essential concepts, theory and practices of drug design and discovery. The research project can be wet laboratory based or computer/informatics based. During this period, transferrable skills will also be learned through many different individual and group activities, such as oral and poster presentation, literature review, essay writing, attending conferences and scientific talks.

Compulsory modules



Optional modules











Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MRes in Drug Design.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Virtual Event for MSc Advanced Biomedical Imaging, MSc/MRes Clinical Drug Development, MSc/MRes Drug Design and MSc Precision Medicine

The UCL Division of Medicine Team hosts a virtual event where they give a short presentation about the programmes, details on different modules, and what teaching will look like in 2020.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Virtual Open Event in the Division of Medicine

Watch a replay of our previous virtual open event for the following programmes in the Division of Medicine: MSc Advanced Biomedical Imaging, MSc/MRes Clinical Drug Development, MSc/MRes Drug Design, MSc Precision Medicine. Find out more about the programmes, why you should come to UCL, and the ground-breaking research in this department.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2022/23) £14,700
Tuition fees (2022/23) £27,990

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

Bursaries are not applicable to the MSc Clinical and Public Health Nutrition, MSc Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition or MSc/MRes Drug Design. Students should check UCL's website for information on broader schemes.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Drug Design at graduate level
  • why you want to study Drug Design at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

Division of Medicine
Division of Medicine

edith.chan@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.