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Overview

The Drug Development Science course is a highly flexible study programme designed for those working in or seeking to work in the field of drug development. The course aims to provide students with expertise and skills in all aspects of medicine development, including preclinical testing, clinical development, drug regulation and drug safety.

Course detail

Forming a medicine from an active molecule is a multidisciplinary process. It is an activity that requires a large budget and takes several years to achieve. Importantly, it requires those who contribute to the activity to have a good working knowledge of whole development process. The Drug Development Science MSc equips individuals with the knowledge ad skills to manage drug development projects and make critical decisions during the development of a medicine. It has been framed in such a manner that it will enhance the skills of those working in the pharmaceutical industry, who wish to take a leadership role in drug development and those who currently work in aligned clinical or scientific disciplines and wish to enter this field. Through a series of taught postgraduate level modules, it will bring participants into contact with world class scientists and clinical experts, who have developed active molecules for human use. Each module lays down a foundation of current practice and allows the participants to put this knowledge into practice, through practical drug development problem based exercises. The MSc requires modules totalling 180 credits to complete the course, including 60 credits from a dissertation of around 15,000-18,000 words. If you are studying the MSc full-time, you will complete the course in one year, from September to September. If you are studying for the MSc qualification part-time, your course will take up to six years to complete.

Teaching and assessment

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. There are 30 hours of lectures, seminars and workshops per module. Each module requires two to four hours of pre- reading and also exam preparation. For the MSc project there are approximately 80 hours of tutorials, plus supervision of dissertation research and ad hoc academic tutor meetings. Students could spend 200 to 300 hours researching and writing a dissertation. Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. ?Forms of assessment may typically include?written essays, presentations and on-line examinations.??Coursework contributes approximately?66%?and examinations approximately?34%?to your final mark.

Career prospects

It is expected that students who complete this course will be able to work in a medicines development field, opening up job opportunities that might have previously been beyond their reach and enhancing their value to their employers. Previous students have gone on to work in regulatory agencies, clinical research companies, leading pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies and pharmaceutical contract research organisations.