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Drug Design MRes

London, Bloomsbury

This one-year, campus-based MRes Drug Design is offered by the internationally renowned UCL Division of Medicine, with support from the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research. You will learn from a team conducting cutting-edge research within the drug industries and UCL's academic group and have opportunities for networking and future career development.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£18,400
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

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.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

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.

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

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g. Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance. This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place. Please note that ATAS processing times can take up to six months, so we recommend you consider these timelines when submitting your application to UCL.

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

Drug design is an integral part of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology 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, as a graduate of this programme, you will be well placed to explore roles in these areas.

The UCL Division of Medicine and Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research are experts in training the next generation of drug discovery biologists and chemists in the field, especially in drug discovery projects. The programme is particularly suited to research-oriented students who want to understand the drug design process, to establish a career in drug discovery or undertake further research.

You will study the latest methodologies and approaches to all aspects of drug design. These include drug discovery, computational and structural biology, screening, assay development, medicinal chemistry, and most importantly the industrial practices involved in modern drug design technology. Alongside this, you will develop your skills in translational research and apply these to your own research project for six months.

Who this course is for

This MRes is ideal if you are a graduate wanting to gain a broad understanding of the drug design process, either to establish a career in drug discovery or undertake further research. It is also suitable if you are an industry professional looking to refresh your knowledge and skills and become familiar with cutting-edge drug design developments.

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

What this course will give you

This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities.

  • A research-focused programme that will deepen your knowledge of the latest drug design methodologies and industrial practices.
  • Access to research groups in the areas of medicine, pharmaceutical research, cell cycle, neurobiology, mitochondrial function, stem cells and cancer. 
  • The chance to be part of a medicinal chemistry group that conducts research where chemistry and biology intersect, using the latest techniques and developing new ones for studying biological systems.
  • Opportunities to conduct translational research that has a globally-significant  impact on drug discovery.
  • The chance to learn from industry and academic collaborations focused on developing biological tools and therapeutic agents.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

This MRes will give you advanced knowledge of drug design and a research-focused skillset that will enhance your employment prospects in the global pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

According to the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey (2018-2022), 82% of Drug Design MRes graduates progressed onto work (54%) or further study (27%), with a majority of those in work taking highly skilled roles.

Employability

Drug design is integral to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, which are currently spreading their research and development to the East, notably China and India. As a graduate of this programme, you will be well placed to explore roles in these areas and benefit from global opportunities.

According to the HESA survey, MRes Drug Design graduates have gone on to work for clinical trial and laboratory service companies such as hVIVO, clinical research consultants such as the ProPharma Group, intellectual property litigation / patenting LLPs, and AI / computing firms such as Yitu Technology. Their roles include biological scientists, legal professionals, programmers and software development professionals, and quality assurance and regulatory professionals.

Networking

On this programme, there are many opportunities to network through our cross-disciplinary departments and research centres. In addition, you have chances to speak to our many external and expert speakers from industry after lectures. We encourage students to broaden their networks by attending special career workshops. Each year, students are also encouraged to join online seminars / workshops organised by industrial sectors to expand their skills.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a mix of lectures, seminars, tutorials and problem classes, critical journal clubs and a research project.

Each of the taught modules is assessed on a 50/50 split of unseen written examinations and coursework, such as written essays, practicals and laboratory work.

The research project is assessed by dissertation, oral presentation and an interdisciplinary three-minute video project.

Your weekly schedule will be made up of 6-8 contact hours over two days at the university campus and 20 hours of independent learning during terms one and two. The contact hours could be lectures, practicals, or skill-based learning. The lab project (wet or computational) is full time, five days a week, during the research period.

Modules

In this one-year programme, you will complete five taught modules and a dissertation / report.

During terms one and two, you will take five elective modules from the eight compulsory taught modules on UCL's MSc Drug Design.

On your five MSc modules, you will learn the essential concepts, theory and practices of drug design and discovery. You will also develop transferable skills through individual and group activities, such as oral and poster presentation, literature review, essay writing, attending conferences and scientific talks.

Your research project can be wet laboratory or computer/informatics based and lasts for six months.

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 are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

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. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Genetics and Multiomics in Medicine MSc

Join us for the Genetics and Multiomics in Medicine MSc Virtual Graduate Open Day at UCL! This event is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our cutting-edge programme and meet our faculty. Discover how our curriculum can help you advance your career in the field of genetics and multiomics. The event includes a programme overview, followed by a Q&A with the programme lead and alumni.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £18,400
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500

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

There are no additional costs for this programme.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Bursaries are available for several Division of Medicine programmes. Find out if this course is eligible.

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

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Deadline: 12 December 2024
Value: Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Div. of Medicine Biomedical Sciences Programme Bursary

Deadline: 22 August 2025
Value: £5000 towards tuition fee (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Div. of Medicine Lead Departmental Student Representative Bursary

Deadline: 22 August 2025
Value: £5000 towards tuition fee (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Div. of Medicine Nutrition Programmes Bursary

Deadline: 22 August 2025
Value: £5000 towards tuition fee (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

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 (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Division of Medicine
Division of Medicine

edith.chan@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.