MSci Pharmacology and Drug Discovery

Course Overview

How can we support an ageing population and fight the increasing number of cases of diseases such as cancer? How can we help one in four people suffering from mental health issues? These are just some of the challenges you’ll explore on our pharmacology and drug discovery degree. You’ll be able to apply your passion for chemistry and biology and put it to use for the good of human health, developing the life-changing medicines of the future.

You’ll study in the internationally renowned School of Chemistry, Pharmacy, and Pharmacology, which conducts world-class research in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, antibiotic resistance and tissue engineering. Our research-rich environment is pivotal to the Pharmacology and Drug Discovery course, which has been designed to prepare you for a career at the forefront of pharmaceutical research.

Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on living organisms. You’ll examine the way drugs work to combat disease and, combined with drug discovery, you will learn how new drugs are designed, synthesised and manufactured. The Pharmacology Drug Discovery programme is the only MSci of its type in the UK and is innovative in its multidisciplinary approach.

The course brings together scientific disciplines – biology, chemistry and physical sciences – around the context of disease and medicines. Within integrated modules, you’ll learn about the major diseases and the science behind the drugs used to treat them. We also include business studies to provide you with an understanding of management practice focused on the pharmaceutical industry – vital tools for working in today’s corporate world.

You’ll be taught by academic researchers including pharmacologists, cell biologists, and medicinal and pharmaceutical chemists, whose own research is in pharmacology and drug discovery. The course is designed to inform and inspire your journey to becoming a researcher in the pharmaceutical sciences. For example, in practical classes you’ll gain experience of synthetic medicinal chemistry as well as techniques in current molecular pharmacology – the techniques used in the discovery of new medicines. You’ll learn about designing experiments and how to write reports in the form of scientific papers. A highlight of the course will be performing your own original research in an individual project carried out within an active research laboratory.

Entry Requirements

If you have not studied all of the listed modules, A Level Chemistry grade B will be required to meet the subject specific requirement.

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as BSc Pharmacology and Drug Discovery with a Foundation Year .

UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.

We welcome and value a wide range of alternative qualifications. If you have a qualification which is not listed here, or are taking a combination of qualifications, please contact us via Admissions Enquiries.

International Requirements

We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. View our International Students pages for specific information about your country.

INTO University of East Anglia

If you do not meet the academic and/or English language requirements for direct entry our partner, INTO UEA offers progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree:

International Foundation in Pharmacy Health and Life Science

International Foundation in Physical Sciences and Engineering

Admissions Policy

Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.

Employability

You’ll graduate ready to pursue a career in drug design or development within academia, the health sector or industry.

You could also choose a broader life science career, for example with a grant-funding body, charity, learned society or in academia, regulatory affairs or publishing.

We embed employability skills throughout the course, with sessions on developing CVs, interview techniques, presentation skills, team-working, research and business skills.

For entrepreneurial students who, in the future, want to turn their work into a business, there are dedicated facilities on the Norwich Research Park, with state-of-the-art lab and office spaces right on our doorstep.

A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.

Examples of careers that you could enter include:

• Research scientist in industry, research institute or university

• Healthcare scientist

• Analytical chemist

• Biomedical scientist

• Medical sales representative

• Toxicologist

Discover more on our Careers webpages.