نظرة عامة على البرنامج

Medicinal Chemistry with a Year Abroad (BSc)

Overview

Medicinal chemists are at the forefront of modern medicine, developing new therapies and vaccines to prevent and treat infections and disease. This programme focuses on the biological aspects of chemistry, giving students the skills to join this exciting field.

Why Study This Course

• Medicinal chemists develop new therapies and vaccines to prevent and treat infections and disease, supporting people's health worldwide.
• Acclaimed researchers are involved in course design and teaching.
• 99% of the university's research is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021), and it is 12th in the UK for research impact.
• The course includes a year abroad, broadening students' horizons with a placement overseas.
• Excellent career prospects are available, making this course ideal grounding for a career in the pharmaceutical industry.

Subject Area

• Subject area: Chemistry
• UCAS code: F151
• Next intake: September 2026
• Duration: 4 years
• Mode: Full time with year abroad

Entry Requirements

• A level: AAB-BBB. Must include grade B in Chemistry.
• International Baccalaureate: 34-31 overall or 666-665 in 3 HL subjects. Must include grade 5 in HL Chemistry.
• Baccalaureate Wales: From September 2023, there will be a new qualification called the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3).
• GCSE and other essential requirements: English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent, and GCSE Maths grade C/4 or equivalent qualification.
• English language requirements: Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language, or IELTS (academic) at least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill, among other accepted qualifications.

Tuition Fees for 2026 Entry

• Fees for home status:
  • Year one: ｣9,535
  • Year two: ｣9,535
  • Year three (sandwich year): ｣1,430
  • Year four: ｣9,535
• Fees for overseas status:
  • Year one: ｣30,700
  • Year two: ｣30,700
  • Year three (sandwich year): ｣4,605
  • Year four: ｣30,700

Course Structure

This is a four-year programme, with each year made up of two semesters comprising modules totalling 120 credits.

Year One

• Core theory chemistry modules are supplemented with practical work and mathematical workshops.
• Modules include:
  • Foundations of Physical Chemistry
  • Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry
  • Foundations of Organic Chemistry
  • Introduction to University Chemistry
  • Year 1 Chemistry Foundation Practical
  • Mathematical Methods for Chemistry
  • Introduction to Drug Development

Year Two

• Modules in the areas of chemistry that are of most importance to medicinal chemists.
• Laboratory module to give experience in organic, biological, and computational chemistry techniques.
• Transferable skills modules provide skills in teamworking, leadership, and project management.
• Modules include:
  • Enterprising Chemistry
  • Project Management (CHEMY)
  • Further Organic and Biological Chemistry
  • Introduction to the chemistry of life
  • Applications of Molecular Spectroscopy
  • Communicating Chemistry: Key Skills for Medicinal Chemists
  • Practical Skills in Medicinal Chemistry
  • Physical Chemistry in Drug Design
  • Macromolecules as Drug Targets

Year Three: Sandwich Year

• Spend year three on a placement overseas, undertaking a project under the supervision of an English-speaking member of staff.
• Our students have undertaken placements all over the world, from the USA to China.

Year Four

• Theory modules in synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry, statistics, and data science.
• Laboratory practical module and a substantial, original project.
• Modules include:
  • Advanced Practical Training for Medicinal Chemists
  • New Modalities in Drug Discovery
  • Project
  • Foundations of Statistics and Data Science
  • Strategies in Organic and Biological Chemistry
  • Data Science Foundations

Learning and Assessment

• Teaching is undertaken through a series of lectures, tutorials, workshops, and practical classes.
• Assessment involves a blend of methods, including formal examinations, reports, and outputs from laboratory and computational work.
• The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will achieve by the end of your programme at Cardiff University and identify the knowledge and skills that you will develop.

Careers and Placements

• This programme will equip you with the theoretical and laboratory skills in synthetic and analytical chemistry for careers and postgraduate study in drug development and biomedical research.
• Possible career destinations include medicinal chemist, formulation chemist, analytical chemist, regulatory affairs, intellectual property, as well as postgraduate study leading to academic research or graduate-entry medicine.
• All students on this course will undertake a one-semester research project within a Cardiff Chemistry research laboratory.