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MSc Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery

About this course

Gain hands-on lab experience, carry out novel research and enjoy excellent employment prospects on the MSc Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery.

• Explore the process of discovery and development of new drugs and the quality control aspect of the pharmaceutical industry as you train to become a qualified pharmaceutical scientist
• Gain hands-on experience in relevant laboratory techniques with a 12 week research project
• Benefit from LJMU's £12 million investment in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities
• Enjoy excellent graduate employment prospects

This new course has been developed in association with industry leaders and promotes a critical awareness of the most recent advances in the field of Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery.

This programme is aimed at chemists and graduates with a chemistry background who have a passion for drug creation and at industrialists interested in moving newly developed drugs into the mass manufacturing arena. The course offers an integrated, stimulating and challenging programme of study, informed by contemporary research and responsive to the changing nature of the pharmaceutical industry.

Experienced course tutors offer specialist training in preparation for careers in the diverse areas of the pharmaceutical industry.

You will learn to use industry-standard apparatuses, including chromatographic equipment and spectrometers, tableting and particle sizing equipment, computing laboratory, molecular modelling software and thermal analysis equipment — including dynamic differential scanning calorimetry — plus chromatography, LC-MS and NMR instruments.

Course modules

Discover the building blocks of your programme

This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the University’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.

Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.

Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.

Further guidance on modules

Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.

Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.

Core modules

• Research Methods (20 credits)
  • Gain the necessary core skills to effectively design, plan, perform and report scientific research.
• Preformulation Strategies (20 credits)
  • This module will equip you with the core skills to examine the physical and chemical properties of pharmaceutical ingredients and predict their influence on in vitro and in vivo behaviour.
• Product Development and Control (20 credits)
  • The aim of this module is to equip you with the core knowledge and skills to understand and apply the principles of good manufacturing practice to the production and quality control of pharmaceutical products.
• Analysis, Structure and Function of Therapeutic Agents (20 credits)
  • This module will provide you with the knowledge and skills to apply analytical chemistry to the characterisation of pharmaceutical ingredients and predict their behaviour from their chemical structure.
• Formulation and Drug Delivery (20 credits)
  • This module will provide you with knowledge and skills to master the principles of pharmaceutical formulation and advanced drug delivery methods.
• Approaches to Drug Design (20 credits)
  • This module aims to enable you to develop an integrated understanding of the principles underpinning drug discovery process and the approaches and rationale of drug optimisation.

Optional modules

• Research Project (60 credits)
  • This module will provide you with the opportunity to conduct an independent, in-depth study of an agreed topic of research, carried out in an appropriate manner.
• Placement Project (60 credits)
  • This module will provide you with the opportunity to conduct an independent, in-depth study of an agreed topic of research, carried out in an appropriate manner at an external placement provider.

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Assessment

An insight into teaching on your course

• Study hours
  • In semester 1 the majority of teaching will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and in semester 2 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The taught sessions of the Research Methods module only runs weeks 1-6. All 20-credit core modules feature 40-45 hours scheduled activities, which you are expected to attend. For the research project (which runs May to August) you will be expected to attend full time i.e. 9.00am-5.00pm.
• Teaching methods
  • The stimulating and challenging curriculum is delivered through lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars, laboratory work and a four month research project with expert supervision.
• Applied learning
  • This course includes a 12 week, full-time research project. During your independent research project, you will be appointed a LJMU-based Supervisor and an Industrial Supervisor if you are carrying out your project externally.

How learning is monitored on your programme

To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.

Achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed through written examinations, written assignments, oral presentations and formative VLE interactive self-assessments.

Career paths

Further your career prospects

LJMU has an excellent employability record with 94% (HESA 2022) of our postgraduates in work or further study fifteen months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.

The programme offers cutting-edge, research-based training to enable you to become a qualified pharmaceutical scientist ready for employment in the pharmaceutical and related industries. The course is ideal if you want to work in drug discovery, development and manufacturing. You can look forward to excellent employment prospects in roles within drug design, lead compound discovery, formulation science, process development and product manufacture at large pharmaceutical companies, as well as specialist small and medium sized enterprises.

Tuition fees and funding

Home International

Fee:

• £10,705

Fees

The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus wifi.

Financial Support

There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages. The University offers a range of financial support for students. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist financial support pages including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.

Additional Costs

In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:

• Accommodation
• Travel costs and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
• Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire

Full-time per year:

• £18,250

International Scholarships and payment plans

Liverpool John Moores University is committed to supporting international students by providing a range of scholarships and flexible payment plans to help students manage their tuition fees.

Scholarships

LJMU provides a variety of postgraduate scholarships to support international students. Scholarships are available to self-funded students who have accepted their offer and met all the conditions outlined in their offer letter. Students must also demonstrate that they can cover living costs, travel, and other expenses associated to studying at the university. Postgraduate scholarships include tuition fee reductions and are often offered in partnership with external funding organisations such as the British Council and Chevening.

All self-funded international students are eligible for an automatic scholarship worth up to £4,000. For more details and to view our full list of scholarships, visit the international scholarship webpages.

Deposit

All students must pay a £5,000 deposit before they can receive their CAS letter.

For more information view our deposit page.

Tuition Fee Payment Plan

After paying their £5,000 deposit, students have the option to pay their fees in full or in three equal instalments minus any internal scholarships and discounts. There are two payment options available for international students. You can either pay your tuition fees in full before enrolment or opt for a payment plan. With the payment plan, you can pay your fees in three instalments after making your £5,000 deposit. The first instalment is due before enrolment.

All payments should be made through Flywire. Full details can be found in the How to Pay Guide.

Early Bird Tuition Fee discount

We are excited to introduce a £500 Early Payment Discount to all self-funded international students. Eligible self-funded students who pay their fees by the required deadlines will get a discount which will be automatically deducted from the 1st year of tuition fees.

To see the required deadlines please visit the webpage

Entry requirements

You will need:

Home International

Qualification requirements

Undergraduate degree

• a good honours degree in a science-related discipline
• or
• equivalent professional qualifications and experience

International requirements

• IELTS score 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each component)
• International students should check if they require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme or ATAS certificate. Please contact LJMU’s International Admissions Team for further details

How to apply

Securing your place at LJMU

To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.