Course description
The MSc/PGDip in Pharmaceutical Sciences is a one-year post-graduate course that offers academically challenging, coherent, progressive and vocationally relevant education and training underpinned by appropriate research in pharmaceutical sciences, and appropriate professional skills. This course aims to produce high calibre and readily employable pharmaceutical scientists fit for the employments in pharmaceutical and related industries. This course also ensures the provision of an ideal learning environment and support to meet the needs of students for personal, professional and intellectual development.
Duration and Mode of Attendance
Postgraduate Diploma – one academic year (two semesters)
MSc – a further semester (three semesters)
Part-time Postgraduate Diploma – two academic years
MSc – one further academic year
Structure and Content
Semester I will consist of two 30 credit modules, e.g. Research Methodologies (including project planning), and Quality Assurance and Instrumental Methods in Pharmaceutical Sciences. In Semester II, the students will be taught two further 30 credit modules, Drug Discovery, Development & Delivery, and Specialisation Module (a choice from Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Systems, Analysis of Medicines and Medicinal Natural Products, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Drugs). The students will also start their research project module (60 credits) in Semester II and will continue through Semester III.
Assessment
The methods to assess the learning outcomes of the course will be varied, and appropriate to the learning outcomes of each module. In practice, all currently available and validated methods of assessment for taught courses (in the School of Biomedical Sciences), e.g. formal written exams, laboratory reports, open book exams, presentations, oral examinations, and scientific paper and thesis writing (for Project module), will be utilised as appropriate.
Teaching and Learning Methods
The teaching and learning methods will incorporate a combination of formal lectures, practical laboratory works, structured tutorials, student-centred learning approach, research project and distance learning. An appropriate blend of existing, well-accepted and well-tested effective teaching delivery methods will be employed to optimise students’ learning experience, and to achieve the objectives and learning outcomes of this course.
Careers And Postgraduate Opportunities
This post-graduate course is tailored-made to meet the demands of the employers in the pharmaceutical industry sectors. This course is suitable for those who wish to follow careers in pharmaceutical and related industries and also as academics in various universities to enhance and promote education in pharmaceutical sciences area. As the proposed course will have significant amounts of research elements, it is assumed that a number of post-graduates from this course may choose further post-graduate research studies, e.g. PhD.
Students will be encouraged and guided to engage with the Career Service at the University to avail of relevant employability training and support, alongside other students in the School of Biomedical Sciences.
