Program Overview

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The overall purpose of the course is to provide an academically challenging and vocationally relevant science education for those wishing to follow careers in research, the pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industry and other areas of biomedical science producing competent graduates to meet local, regional and national needs. The course aims to provide opportunities for students to:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of pharmaceutical science, biomedical science, formulation and manufacture of medicines

Develop core skills necessary to evaluate and to undertake research in pharmaceutical/biomedical sciences or industry

Apply intellectual, practical, enterprise and personal skills (including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, decision making, initiative and creativity) to enable effective life-long learning in pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences.

At Ulster University we recognise the benefits of ‘hands on experience’ and as such we have incorporated a large practical element into each of the modules. In addition, there are two significant research projects/placement opportunities where the student will have the chance to work in a research environment in the award-winning Biomedical Sciences Research Institute (BMSRI) at Ulster as well as a research/industrial placement in the final year of the four year masters degree.

The course is mainly delivered from our own School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences building on the Coleraine campus. Specialised teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, a computer suite and a lecture theatre have all been finished to a high specification. In addition, students will have access to state-of-the-art instrumentation including a 600 MHz NMR, various Mass Spectrometers, RP-HPLC, Uv-Vis spectrometers and an award-winning bio-imaging suite.

Attendance

Attendance is four years full time. Students will study a range of 10 and 20, and 40 credit modules in each of the first three years. Each year students will complete 120 credits. The final year will contain a larger 60 credit placement module together with four advanced distance taught modules worth 15 credits each. Each twenty credit module will typically require 200 hours of study to include lectures, tutorials, practicals and directed independent study.

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Start dates

September 2023

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Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Teaching and Learning Methods

: lectures, case studies, reading, tutorials, seminars, online material; videos; problem based cases and scenarios, workshops, online and face to face discussion groups, practical exercises, demonstrations, literature searching, observation.

Formal lectures

Lectures remain a key feature in teaching and learning within the School. However, lectures are increasingly interactive, and may include discussion elements. A high proportion of lectures are delivered using PowerPoint presentations and teaching material is also provided on BBlearn where students can access lecture and other material. Some lecturers also provide hard copy lecture notes that students can purchase through the Faculty laboratories, or printing out from BBlearn.

Practical classes

Practical classes are fundamental to the study of science and may take the form of laboratory sessions in, for example, chemistry, biochemistry, biochemistry or physical pharmacy. In these sessions students learn practical laboratory skills. Academic staff are supported by postgraduate student demonstrators, who provide practical help, advice on experimental procedures and ensure that correct Health and Safety practices are followed. Practical laboratory classes are also supported by the use of computers where students use Computer Aided Learning (CAL) packages to experiment in the virtual environment.

Case studies

Case studies are used to help students apply and integrate knowledge gained through the various subjects. They are presented with varying problems where they are required to research and apply knowledge from an interdisciplinary approach.

Seminar work/ Tutorials

The seminars and tutorials are designed not only to extend the lecture topics but also equip students with the skills to seek out relevant research material and to present and defend the material within a given time-frame. With the increasing amount of information available on the web, the knowledge and skills to select appropriate, scientifically sound material, is vital in all graduates. Initially, students make presentations in groups so as to give each other support. They will also facilitate support to students who need help with their studies.

BlackBoard Learn (BBLearn)

BBlearn is the online teaching tool for the University. It provides personalised online access to course material, university library systems, academic and student support programs, and electronic communication tools. An increasing number of campus-delivered modules are supplemented with a range of materials presented via the online portal, BBLearn. The modules in final year will be dependent on this medium for delivery. This will enhance the placement experience which will run the whole length of semester one and two.

Placements

It is well recognised that placements are important for experiential learning, and placements will be used to ensure that the student gains first-hand structured experience of research and the pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industries.

Assignments

Assignments are an essential part of teaching and learning as they encourage students to be independent learners. Assignments take a variety of forms and become increasingly demanding as you progress through the programme. They are used to encourage you to read the literature underpinning lectures, integrate and apply knowledge and improve written skills. Assignments include MCQs, structured essays, literature reviews, case studies, word-limited reports, presentations and reports on practical work. Assessments are designed to be progressive, moving from mainly MCQs and short answer type questions in year 1, at Level 4, to more evaluative problem solving, critical reviews in Levels 7. At the end of the programme you will have demonstrated your ability to write a correctly formatted scientific paper, as evidenced by the Research Project reports.

Private study

Students are expected to work confidently and competently in private study in all modules to produce pieces of work that are assessed. You will be introduced to study skills in your first semester, and many practical classes will include instruction in acquiring and integrating information from a variety of resources in order to prepare structured reports and presentations.

Group working

Working in groups, whether in practical classes or on assignments, is an important element of learning in the School. It is used to help you acquire, integrate and apply knowledge from a variety of sources, solve problems, engage with case studies, and prepare for and present seminar work.

Research projects

These are undertaken by all third year undergraduate students. Research projects provide an opportunity for you to work under the supervision of research active staff, carrying out an individual project that may be part of a larger commissioned research project.

Assessment

Assessment is clearly linked to the learning outcomes of each of the modules and may be formative or summative for coursework and examinations. Each module has a variety of assessments associated with it designed to test knowledge and understanding, integrate and apply information, and encourage the development of skills. Assessments may include MCQ’s, practical reports, literature-based reviews, presentations, poster sessions and project reports. Online assessments may be used in some modules. Examinations are usually generally two or three hour papers of unseen short or longer questions. The proportion of module marks derived from coursework or examinations develops over the four years of the course, from a higher weighting for examinations in earlier years to a higher weighting for coursework in later years. This is to reflect the development of skills in reflective, critical examination of topics.

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Academic profile

The staff include 8 professors, 2 readers, 7 senior lecturers, 11 lecturers, 3 teaching fellows, 1 research associate, 1 associate lecturer, 1 academic related and 1 research fellow.

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise.  The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff.  This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures correct for academic year 2021-2022.