Drug Discovery and Development, MSc at University of Aberdeen

The University of Aberdeen has developed an enviable reputation in pharmacology and drug metabolism since the discipline was founded over 50 years ago.

The main areas covered in the MSc are:

• drug metabolism and toxicology
• small molecule drug discovery
• biologic drug discovery

In addition to these topics you will also learn about research methods which are key to understanding modern drug discovery and development. Uniquely, this programme will also teach you about Bio-Business which describes the commercialisation of scientific ideas, demystifies the language of business and explains the business models used by the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

This MSc is suitable for graduates in biomedical science, pharmacy and medicine who want to improve their career prospects, widen their knowledge base and are interested in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

How You'll Study

The teaching of our MSc Drug Development and Discovery programme is lecture based with self-directed learning, practical classes (where appropriate) and tutorials to support the lecture material. External experts are also regularly invited to provide specialist expertise. Many lectures are recorded via Camtasia and can be viewed again when required.

The MSc makes the most of hands-on learning to enable repeated exposure to evidence-based practice using real life examples. Some of the teaching methods employed in the programme include:

• Inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary learning
• Exposure to leading academic and industry experts
• Research-led teaching taught by key opinion leaders
• Insight into real-life situations and examples
• Real-life learning in a clinical environment

On-going support is provided by the University’s dedicated, interdisciplinary team of experienced researchers, who will be tutoring you. Peer support will develop throughout the course(s) as engagement with students from other countries and disciplines is actively encouraged.

Much of the teaching on this course is participatory and students are expected to consolidate all taught content by completing related tasks and activities and engaging in independent study in their own time.

Learning Methods

• INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS
• LAB WORK
• LECTURES
• RESEARCH
• TUTORIALS

Why Study Drug Discovery and Development?

• The University of Aberdeen is regarded as a “centre of excellence” for drug discovery and commercialisation.
• You will be taught by world-leading researchers and bio-business entrepreneurs on-site, many of whom are involved with successful spin-out companies.
• You will experience studying within the one of the top 10 medical schools in the UK.
• We have a huge range of online learning materials so you can re-listen to lectures and access revision materials whenever you need to. We aim to make your learning as interactive as possible to improve your understanding of clinical scenarios.
• You will learn best practices, increasing the relevancy of your degree. There will also be opportunities to build a network of contacts within the drug discovery and development field which will help with your future employability and career development.
• We strongly believe in inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary learning, which is reflected in the collaborations we organise with other universities, research institutions and governments within the UK, Europe, America and more than 12 developing countries.
• You will have access to a University and a hospital – all on one campus. The Foresterhill Health Campus at the University is one of the largest clinical complexes in Europe which includes a Medical School, large teaching hospital and the Institute of Medical Sciences.
• Close links with the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) and the British Toxicological Society (BTS) mean the content of the programme is maintained in line with UK standards and there are significant opportunities for membership, interaction and networking across these learned societies.
• The British Pharmacological Society has recognised the University of Aberdeen as a site of special scientific interest based on its achievements in pharmacology.

Careers

Completing the MSc in Drug Discovery and Development at the University of Aberdeen will give you a wide range of career opportunities within academia and industry.

The University of Aberdeen strongly believes in inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary working, meaning our programme will help you build an essential network of contacts that will prove useful in establishing your career in drug discovery and development.

On graduating from the programme, there are several career options you can choose from, some of which include:

• Research in academia or the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry
• Further study (PhD, MPhil)
• Regulation of medicines/drugs worldwide
• Business development in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry