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Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Top-up) BSc(Hons)

2024-25 (also available for 2025-26)

Start date

16 September 2024

Duration

1 year full-time

Places available (subject to change)

10

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. The taught modules bring together some of the aspects of advance pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry to enable you to understand present day drug design, activity and delivery.
  2. Completing your Pharmaceutical Chemistry BSc(Hons) degree gives you the opportunity to develop a specialism in pharmaceutics.
  3. Your learning will take place in new £18.2 million facilities such as our state of the art chemistry and pharmaceutical formulation labs.

Completing your Pharmaceutical Chemistry BSc(Hons) degree with us gives you the to develop a specialism in pharmaceutics. Throughout this final year you’ll be building up your knowledge and getting to practise the skills that are sought after by a wide range of industries.

  • You’ll get to grips with the subject areas through lectures, tutorials, focused seminars and hands-on practicals in modern science labs. Guided by teaching staff who are all educated to doctoral level in their respective areas of expertise.
  • You’ll be able to develop your logical reasoning skills and establish an imaginative approach to solving problems..
  • In your final year, you’ll delve deeper into the complexities of drug action and drug design. You’ll also complete a research project, giving you the chance to make an impact in your area of particular interest or perhaps focus on topics you might wish to pursue in your future career in industry or academia. Wherever you’d like your career path to take you, taking your first steps with us could give you a great start.

Course detail

Analytical Science 3

In this module the basic description of separation science provided earlier in the course will be expanded and extended. Recent developments in the subject will be discussed in terms of basic chromatographic theory. The application of separation methods to the identification and quantification of drugs and their metabolites in toxicological samples will be discussed. The metabolism of drugs, in so far as this process impinges upon the analytical methodology employed in toxicological analysis, together with the effects of sample type and their storage will be highlighted.

Research Project

A chemically-based independent research programme. Supervisors will outline the aims of the project and direct you to the most recent literature. Before undertaking experimentation, you'll be expected to undertake a comprehensive review of the literature related to your project. You'll have the opportunity to plan your project in light of the current state of the field of research. You'll be given advice from your supervisor on research methods. Your projects will involve advanced laboratory and instrumental techniques. It will be open ended and you'll be expected to review progress regularly and modify research plans accordingly. You'll then be required to present your results in a thesis and in a talk at the end of your project

Pharmaceutical Formulation and Drug Analysis

This module extends your understanding of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics, and relevance to an extended range of dosage forms. Different delivery methods, routes of delivery and formulation type will be individually reviewed including oral and aerosol formulations. Formulation approaches to targeting the different routes of delivery (buccal, colon, rectal, nasal ophthalmic, pulmonary and transdermal) will also be covered. The structure and the nature of the barrier properties of the tissue will be discussed in terms of the advantages afforded by delivery to the site and strategies for maximising absorption. The design, manufacture and performance of modified release drug dosage forms and factors governing release kinetics from reservoir, osmotic and monolithic systems and mathematical calculations will be covered. Aspects of formulation and the importance of pharmaceutical analysis to maintain the quality, safety and efficacy of the product will be consolidated in the practicals and case-study. Pharmaceutical analysis including thermal, and rheological analyses are covered along with release testing, UV analysis, aerosol testing and particle sizing.

The taught modules bring together some of the aspects of advance pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry to enable you to understand present day drug design, activity and delivery. Option modules allow you to gain deeper knowledge of organic chemistry or to undertake a major research project.

Entry requirements

The admissions process will be in conjunction with other courses of the Chemical Sciences suite.

Applications for this course are considered on a case-by-case basis but typical entry requirements for the Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Top-up) BSc(Hons) are:

  • You hold an HND or Diploma of Higher Education in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Science or a related subject with an overall average of at least 60%.
  • You have passed at 240 credit, including at least 120 credits at level 5 or equivalent, in a Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Science or similar degree. All modules should be passed as at least 40% and the overall average should be at least 60%.

International entry will normally proceed through formal progression agreements with overseas partner institutions.

Information for the partner institutions: For entry, the student should have been performing at a 1st class level (exact qualifying grades to be determined through liaison with departmental admissions tutors, International Office and partner institution) in their prior undergraduate studies where credit equivalent to Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) or Higher National Diploma (HND) (equivalent of 120 F-level and 120 I-level credits) and they will be at least 18 years of age by 31st December of the year of entry.

Transfers from other institutions will be considered on an individual basis.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, iGCSE English at grade B, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our Where are you from information pages.

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

Changes to a course you have applied for

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Cancellation of a course you have applied for

Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

Changes to option modules

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

Termination of course

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.