Program Overview

Medicinal and Biological Chemistry BSc

Course Overview

Chemistry is central to solving the world’s most pressing challenges – from clean energy and climate change to food security and new medicines. At Nottingham, you’ll examine these global issues through the lens of sustainable chemistry, gaining the practical, digital, and professional skills needed to make a real-world impact.

Medicinal and Biological Chemistry explores the interplay between chemistry and biology to develop an understanding of human disease and drug design. A degree in medicinal and biological chemistry will equip you with the knowledge and skills to explore the molecular foundations of health and disease. From drug design and development to understanding how we can engineer biochemical pathways, this course will place you at the forefront of innovation in pharmaceuticals, chemical biology and biotechnology.

Key Information

• UCAS Code: FC17
• Duration: 3 years full-time
• Fees: £9,535 (UK undergraduate students)
• Start Date: September 2026

Entry Requirements

• A Levels: AAB - ABB, including Chemistry at grade A
• IB Score: 32 – 30 overall, with HL 6 in Chemistry
• GCSE: Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or equivalent, English at 4 (C) or above
• Excluded Subjects: General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies, Science and Society, Leisure Studies

Course Structure

• Year 1:
  • Chemistry Study Skills
  • Organic Molecules and Mechanisms
  • Exploring the Periodic Table
  • Energy and Chemical Change
  • Foundation Skills in Practical Chemistry
  • Principles of Sustainable Chemistry and Chemical Innovation
  • Analytical and Mathematical Methods in Chemistry
  • Building Blocks of Life
• Year 2:
  • Structure, Bonding and Reactivity
  • Synthesis and Spectroscopy
  • From Atoms to Solids
  • Applying Skills in Practical Chemistry
  • Sustainable Products and Processes
  • Biological Chemistry
  • Introduction to Python for Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (optional)
  • Medicinal Chemistry and Biomedical Imaging (optional)
• Year 3:
  • Metal Catalysis and Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Selectivity and Control in Synthesis
  • Investigative Project Skills in Practical Chemistry
  • Small Molecule Drug Discovery
  • Protein Characterisation and Bioinformatics
  • Contemporary and Alternative Medicines (optional)
  • Frontiers of Sustainability and Innovation (optional)
  • Medical Diagnostics (optional)
  • Advanced Molecular Techniques and Diagnostics (optional)

Assessment

• Coursework
• Group Project
• Lab Reports
• Research Project
• Written Exam

Careers and Employability

• Graduate Destinations: Boots, Cancer Research, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC, NHS, Unilever
• Average Starting Salary: £26,216
• Career Prospects: Pharmaceutical, chemical, food and drink, and energy sectors; finance, education, and media

Accreditation

• Royal Society of Chemistry: This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry and partially fulfills the academic requirements for Chartered Chem (CChem).