The students' view
Students from our suite of Clinical Pharmacology Masters programmes describe their experiences here at Aberdeen and where their Masters degree will take them.
Develop your knowledge and understanding of how drugs and medicines are made and used safely with this MSc programme delivered by Scotland's leading pharmacology researchers and bio-entrepreneurs.
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:
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.
15 Credit Points
The course will focuson small molecule drug discovery. Receptor theory and cell communication and signalling will be revised tofacilitate understanding of the remainder of the course. The basis of the drugdiscovery process will be described and the phases of drug development discussed. A range of targets for drug discovery will beidentified and how small molecule drug affect these will be described. Issues around drug regulation will be raised.
View detailed information about this course15 Credit Points
This course will describe the basic language of business and give examples of large versus small businesses in the bioscience area. Intellectual property rights will be explained as will how present your business and how to set up a small biotech company. A comparison will be made of the big Pharma business model and that of small biotech businesses.
View detailed information about this coursePlus one of the following electives:
15 Credit Points
This advanced course builds on the basics provided in Introduction to Bio-business and the Commercialisation of Bioscience Research (BT5012). It provides more detail on financing and setting up a Bio-business.
The course deals in depth with finance, corporate governance and business models. The major assessment involves the students working together in teams to set up a virtual bio-business and to pitch this business to a group of experts in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector. The team will adopt the roles of senior management team and present to the experts their part of the business.
View detailed information about this course15 Credit Points
Biologic therapies represent one of the most important and novel areas of drug discovery in the 21st century. The aim of this course is to provide an insight into the success of protein, peptide or antibody based biologic therapies and to examine how this exciting new area will develop over the next decade.
View detailed information about this courseWe will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
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:
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.
Each course has its own continuous assessment criteria based on the progress of practical and course work as well as a written degree examination. Some examples of the course work assessed throughout the component courses are: essays, commercially focused presentations, business planning and bio-entrepreneurship, public communication of science and written examinations.
Progression to a research project is dependent on performance in the individual courses.
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
Applicants will usually require a second class Honours degree (2:2) or equivalent in a biomedical science subject such as biochemistry, biomedical science, pharmacology or a degree in medicine or pharmacy.
Please check the In My Country pages to find out if your degree is equivalent.
Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
Fee category | Cost |
---|---|
EU / International students | £23,500 |
Tuition Fees for 2021/22 Academic Year | |
Home / RUK | £10,200 |
Tuition Fees for 2021/22 Academic Year |
Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen
The following options are available to support your studies. Please click the links for full details and eligibility criteria.
Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships.
On Thursday 4 March, The University of Aberdeen will hold a Postgraduate Virtual Open Day.
It is open to everyone who is interested in Postgraduate Taught and Research study.
Find out moreCompleting 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:
We have strong links with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry including Servier, GSK, Pfizer and AstraZeneca and with small biotechnology companies such as Novabiotics, Antoxis, Cell ProTx and TC Biopharma. These companies provide expert teaching and training opportunities during the degree.
The programme will be delivered by a multidisciplinary team of world renowned and vastly experienced researchers in drug discovery and development with each course having its own specialised co-ordinator(s).
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
Focused on developing future effective therapies, the Institute of Medical Sciences houses nearly 400 researchers and support staff working on cutting-edge biomedical subjects aimed at understanding the human body's response to infection and disease.
A dedicated Medical Library on the Foresterhill Health Campus and the fantastic facilities in the Sir Duncan Rice Library at King’s College, are complemented by online access to the key medical and health sciences journals and textbooks.
The Foresterhill Health Campus is one of the largest clinical complexes in Europe which includes the Medical School, large teaching hospital, the Institute of Medical Sciences and the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health.