MSc in Drug Discovery Science

Find out how scientists discover chemical candidates for new pharmaceuticals. You’ll learn how to meet the pharmaceutical industry’s increasing demands for drugs that can treat illnesses safely and more effectively, overcome antibiotic resistance, and be produced at a lower financial and environmental cost.

 

Course description

This course covers the drug discovery and design techniques used in the pharmaceutical industry. You’ll study topics such as pharmacology, toxicology and genomics as you learn how target molecules to treat specific diseases are identified, characterised and optimised for potential clinical trials.

Your training will cover the fundamental chemistry and biology of protein interactions, their role in disease and how drugs affect the human body. You’ll learn about computer-aided drug design techniques that are used to predict how well a potential drug might work and screening technologies that are used to test a drug’s effect on its molecular targets.

The course is taught by world-leading scientists from across chemistry, biology, engineering and medicine and gives you access to state-of-the-art screening and analysis facilities.

 

Modules

Core modules:

 

Drug Design, Pharmacology & Medicinal Chemistry

The Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industry

Laboratory Practice and Statistics

Research and Presentation Skills

Drug Discovery Research Project

 

 

 

Optional modules – two or three from:

 

AMR and Current Clinical Practice

Cancer Biology

Gene Networks: Models and Functions

Genomic Approaches to Drug Discovery

Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Synthesis

Modelling Protein Interactions

Neurodevelopment and Behaviour

 

The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it’s up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we’ll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.

 

Duration

1 year full-time

Teaching

• Lectures
• Workshops
• Laboratory practicals
• Individual research projects

Assessment

• Examinations
• Coursework
• Literature review
• Dissertation and viva

Your career

Graduates from this course are well trained for roles working on drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry and graduates from the department regularly find jobs at major pharmaceutical companies such as GSK, Pfizer and AstraZeneca. The course also gives you excellent foundations for a PhD in medicinal science.

Facilities

You’ll have access to expertise and equipment in the state-of-art research facilities and centres, including:

• Sheffield RNAi Screening Facility, where researchers can perform whole-genome screening experiments using Drosophila cells
• Centre for Stem Cell Biology, where scientists are using pluripotent stem cells as a route to new drugs and treatments
• Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, which has a dedicated Drug Discovery Suite and new technologies based on robotics and AI
• Biological Mass Spectrometry Facility, with equipment and expertise in proteomics, metabolomics and isotope ratio analysis
• Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility, which has confocal, widefield, light-sheet fluorescence and super-resolution light microscopy systems

Collaborators

You’ll benefit directly from the expertise of our partners in the drug discovery industry. Computer-aided drug design training is provided by LifeArc, a drug discovery company and charity organisation. Schrodinger, a computer-aided drug design software company, provides introductory teaching and software licenses for our students.

Entry requirements

The minimum entry requirement is a 2:1 honours degree, or equivalent, in chemistry, biology, pharmacy or another relevant subject. Applicants with relevant work experience and good academic potential are also encouraged to apply.

 

Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.

 

Pathway programme for international students

If you’re an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for a pre-masters programme in Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield International College. This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.

 

 

Fees and funding

• Home (2022 annual fee) : £12,250
• Overseas (2022 annual fee) : £26,200

The fee listed is for the advertised mode of study. If you’re studying for an alternative qualification or via a different mode of study (eg full-time, part-time) then the fee could be different. Due to inflation, the fee for Home students could also increase after your first year of study.

 

key dates

September start

 

Monday 29 August 2022	Last date to request a deferral to September 2023 entry. You can request a deferral via your online application. We’re not able to consider deferral requests for applications to courses using our staged admissions process.
Friday 9 September 2022 (17:00 British Summer Time)	Applications close for September 2022 entry
Monday 17 October 2022	Last date to register for most courses