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Drug Discovery and Development MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This programme provides a broad overview of the drug discovery and development process and is designed for graduates in science-based subjects as preparation for either PhD-level research or a career in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and CRO industries or with a government regulatory body.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£18,000
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£35,000
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

Applications closed

Find similar courses still open

Entry requirements

A second-class UK Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related subject such as pharmacy, pharmaceutical science, pharmacology, physiology, physical science, biochemistry, biotechnology, chemistry, chemical engineering, genetics, material sciences, or a medical degree (MBBS), or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

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

You will gain extensive knowledge about the process of drug discovery and development from the initial drug target validation stage through to regulatory approval of a new drug. You will gain hands-on experience of molecular modelling and computer-based drug design, and analytical and synthetic techniques and be exposed to modern platforms for drug discovery.

Who this course is for

This programme is designed for graduates who have completed first degrees in a wide range of science subjects.

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

What this course will give you

Many lectures and seminars are from industry, academic and regulatory experts with potential for on-site visits and attendance at a one day conference.

There is a choice of specialist modules and students can choose to carry out a research project within UCL or industry.

Career opportunities after this degree are vast and there are organised career days and Alumni networking events to help students become more aware of possible careers.

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

The foundation of your career

Employability

Graduates from the MSc Drug Delivery and Development have progressed to careers in academia or in the various aspects of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO and consulting industries.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars supported by the Blackboard e-learning system and practical classes. Assessment is through a combination of written examination and coursework. The research project is assessed by written report and oral presentation.

Modules

You will take compulsory modules in the Process of Drug Discovery, the Process of Drug Development and Modern Aspects of Drug Discovery. You will then choose specialised modules in the second part of the programme such as Anticancer Personalised Medicines; New Drug Targets in the Central Nervous System; Pharmacogenomics, adverse drug reactions and biomarkers; Advanced Structure-Based Drug Design, and follow a laboratory research project chosen in one of the areas of drug discovery.

Compulsory modules






Optional modules




Pharmacogenomics, Adverse Drug Reactions and Biomarkers




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 MSc in Drug Discovery and Development.

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.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £18,000
Tuition fees (2023/24) £35,000

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 programme-specific 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

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.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of Drug Discovery and Development
  • Why you want to study Drug Discovery and Development at graduate level
  • What particularly attracts you to this programme at the UCL School of Pharmacy
  • Where you would like to go professionally with your degree and how this programme meets these needs

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.

Got questions? Get in touch

School of Pharmacy
School of Pharmacy

sop.pgt@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.