Program Overview

Medical Affairs MSc

Key Information

Delivery mode: In person Study mode: Full time, Part time Duration: One year full-time, two years to six years part-time Application status: Open Start date: September 2025

Course Essentials

Medical Affairs is concerned with the development and lifecycle management of medicines. The MSc prepares bioscience graduates, physicians, and pharmacists for a role in medical affairs in Pharma, focusing on science and its application, not on sales. This MSc is not suitable preparation for a career in the lab.

Students take 6 compulsory core modules in common with the other pharmaceutical medicine MSc courses, covering the syllabus of PharmaTrain. This gives the foundation knowledge of the research and development activities needed for new medicines. Students then begin their specialisation in Medical Affairs by taking two specialist modules.

Entry Requirements

UK Applicants

• Standard requirements: A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
• Programme-Specific Requirements: A Bachelor’s science degree with 2:1 honours is normally required. Applicants with a 2:2 (or overseas equivalent) will be considered where they offer significant work experience in a related field.

International Applicants

• Equivalent International qualifications: Select a country to view equivalent qualifications
• English language requirements: English language band D. Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test.

Teaching and Structure

Teaching Methods

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Independent Study

Module Structure

• Per 15-credit taught module: 32 hours of contact time, including lectures, teacher-led and student-led group discussions
• Dissertation module: Approximately 200-300 hours researching and writing

Required Modules

• Medicines and the Healthcare Market (15 credits)
• Ethics and Good Practice for Medicines (15 Credits)
• The Regulation of Medicines (15 Credits)
• Non-clinical and Early Clinical Development (15 credits)
• Clinical Trials and Biostatistics (15 Credits)
• The Safety of Medicines and Pharmacoepidemiology (15 Credits)
• Design and Evaluation of Medicines for Human Use (60 credits)
• Strategic Medical Affairs (15 credits)
• Practical Medical Affairs (15 credits)

Optional Modules

• None

Careers

Medical affairs is the fastest growing sector of employment in the pharmaceutical industry. With no other Medical Affairs MSc courses available at any other university in the world, you’ll be joining an exclusive group of graduates trained by some of the top minds in the field.

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

• UK: Full time £16,950 (2025/26), Part time FEES PER MODULE: Per 15 credit module £1,412 (2025/26), Per 60 credit module £5,650 (2025/26)
• International: Full time £47,700 (2025/26), Part time FEES PER MODULE: Per 15 credit module £3,975 (2025/26), Per 60 credit module £15,900 (2025/26)

Deposit

• MSc Full-time: £500 (Home), £2000 (International)
• MSc Part-time: The deposit is the full cost of the module

Additional Costs

• Books
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
• Library fees and fines
• Personal photocopies
• Printing course handouts
• Society membership fees
• Stationery
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses and to the placement
• Graduation costs
• Accommodation fees

Funding

• Bursaries
• Scholarships
• Grants
• Tuition fees
• Living expenses
• Student loans
• Other financial help available at King's

Application Closing Date Guidance

• Full-time MSc: First application deadline is on 9 March 2025 (23:59 UK time). The final application deadlines for this programme are: Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time), Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)
• Part-time MSc: We accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year, but you should submit your application at the latest two months before the module start date.