Program Overview

Overview

The School of Pharmacy's focus is on multidisciplinary translational research, producing work that is relevant to real life. The school has scientists and clinicians working together on all aspects of pharmacy, from the bench to the bedside. Research spans the fundamental understanding and concepts of pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, drug delivery and formulation science, and clinical pharmacy.

Research Areas

The school offers MPhil and PhD supervision in the following research areas:

• Disease-Selective Medicines: The discovery and development of new small molecule therapeutics, considering improved disease selectivity and reduced systemic toxicities.
• Improved Strategies for the Treatment of Chronic Pain: Exploring the molecular mechanisms that generate the symptoms of chronic pain and translating this to strategies for pain control.
• Cellular Physiology: Investigating hormones to control epithelial ion channel activity and physiological action.
• Safety Pharmacology and Discovery Toxicology: Development of new preclinical tools for identification of therapeutics with potential safety liabilities.
• Pharmaceutics and Chemical Principles of Dosage Form Design: Pharmaceutical formulations to deliver active molecules to treat disease.
• Pharmaceutical Public Health: The role of community pharmacies in addressing health inequalities and behavior change.
• Rational Medicines Use: The safe and efficient use of medicines in primary and secondary care.
• Patient Safety and Health Information Technology: Medication errors and the evaluation of specific health information technology prevention strategies.

Qualifications Explained

• MPhil: A master's degree that involves original research leading to the completion of a 40,000 - 50,000 word thesis.
• PhD: A doctorate or doctoral award that involves original research making a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject, resulting in a thesis of 80,000 - 100,000 words.
• MD: A doctor of medicine degree.

How You'll Learn

• Assessment methods include a thesis and viva.
• Postgraduate research student support is available, including tailored wellbeing support, courses, and activities.
• The Faculty of Medical Sciences researcher development programme is designed to help students perform better as researchers, boost their career prospects, and broaden their impact.

Your Development

• The programme is flexible and can be adapted to meet changing needs as students progress through their doctorate.
• Opportunities to undertake a PhD within a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) or Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)/Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) are available.

Facilities

• The school is located in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, part of the city-centre campus.
• Facilities include individual research laboratories, a dedicated medical library, hi-tech computer clusters, and study spaces.
• State-of-the-art laboratory equipment is available, including advanced imaging, chemical synthesis, and particle analysis.

Fees and Funding

• Tuition fees for 2026 entry are not set for home students and range from £31,900 to £46,000 for international students.
• Scholarships are available, including a 25% discount off the international fee for EU students without settled or pre-settled status.
• Funding deadlines and application procedures are available on the university's website.

Entry Requirements

• Academic entry requirements include a 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent in a science or medicine-related subject for MPhil and PhD programs.
• English language requirements include IELTS, Pearson, Duolingo English Test, or TOEFL.
• Admissions policy and credit transfer information are available on the university's website.

How to Apply

• Start dates are available in September, January, and April.
• Closing dates are not specified, but funding deadlines may apply.
• A deposit of £1,500 is required for international students who need a visa to study in the UK.
• Programme codes are available for MPhil, PhD, and MD programs.
• The application portal has instructions to guide students through the application process.