2025/26 entry
MSc Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery
About this course
Gain hands-on lab experience, carry out novel research and enjoy excellent employment prospects on the MSc Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery.
- Explore the process of discovery and development of new drugs and the quality control aspect of the pharmaceutical industry as you train to become a qualified pharmaceutical scientist
- Gain hands-on experience in relevant laboratory techniques with a 12 week research project
- Benefit from LJMU's £12 million investment in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities
- Enjoy excellent graduate employment prospects
This new course has been developed in association with industry leaders and promotes a critical awareness of the most recent advances in the field of Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery.
This programme is aimed at chemists and graduates with a chemistry background who have a passion for drug creation and at industrialists interested in moving newly developed drugs into the mass manufacturing arena. The course offers an integrated, stimulating and challenging programme of study, informed by contemporary research and responsive to the changing nature of the pharmaceutical industry.
Experienced course tutors offer specialist training in preparation for careers in the diverse areas of the pharmaceutical industry.
You will learn to use industry-standard apparatuses, including chromatographic equipment and spectrometers, tableting and particle sizing equipment, computing laboratory, molecular modelling software and thermal analysis equipment — including dynamic differential scanning calorimetry — plus chromatography, LC-MS and NMR instruments.
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Andreea talks about the benefits of studying MSc Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery.
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Go on a tour of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
The programme offers cutting-edge, research-based training to enable you to become a qualified pharmaceutical scientist ready for employment in the pharmaceutical and related industries. The course is ideal if you want to work in drug discovery, development and manufacturing. You can look forward to excellent employment prospects in roles within drug design, lead compound discovery, formulation science, process development and product manufacture at large pharmaceutical companies, as well as specialist small and medium sized enterprises.
The student experience
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Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the University’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.
Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.
Core modules
Research Methods
20 credits
Gain the necessary core skills to effectively design, plan, perform and report scientific research.
Analysis, Structure and Function of Therapeutic Agents
20 credits
This module will provide you with the knowledge and skills to apply analytical chemistry to the characterisation of pharmaceutical ingredients and predict their behaviour from their chemical structure.
Preformulation Strategies
20 credits
This module will equip you with the core skills to examine the physical and chemical properties of pharmaceutical ingredients and predict their influence on in vitro and in vivo behaviour.
Formulation and Drug Delivery
20 credits
This module will provide you with knowledge and skills to master the principles of pharmaceutical formulation and advanced drug delivery methods.
Approaches to Drug Design
20 credits
This module aims to enable you to develop an integrated understanding of the principles underpinning drug discovery process and the approaches and rationale of drug optimisation.
Product Development and Control
20 credits
The aim of this module is to equip you with the core knowledge and skills to understand and apply the principles of good manufacturing practice to the production and quality control of pharmaceutical products.
Optional Modules
Research Project
60 credits
This module will provide you with the opportunity to conduct an independent, in-depth study of an agreed topic of research, carried out in an appropriate manner.
Placement Project
60 credits
This module will provide you with the opportunity to conduct an independent, in-depth study of an agreed topic of research, carried out in an appropriate manner at an external placement provider.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
In semester 1 the majority of teaching will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and in semester 2 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The taught sessions of the Research Methods module only runs weeks 1-6. All 20-credit core modules feature 40-45 hours scheduled activities, which you are expected to attend. For the research project (which runs May to August) you will be expected to attend full time i.e. 9.00am-5.00pm.
Teaching methods
The stimulating and challenging curriculum is delivered through lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars, laboratory work and a four month research project with expert supervision.
Applied learning
This course includes a 12 week, full-time research project. During your independent research project, you will be appointed a LJMU-based Supervisor and an Industrial Supervisor if you are carrying out your project externally.
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
Achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed through written examinations, written assignments, oral presentations and formative VLE interactive self-assessments.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Dr Alistair Fielding
Programme Leader
Dr Fielding teaches analytical and physical chemistry on various topics, including: NMR, EPR, AAS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, IR, UV-vis, electrochemistry, Group Theory and transition metal spectroscopy. His main area of expertise covers electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. His work allows the creation of exciting research projects for students. A prime focus is using EPR and other spectroscopic techniques to measure drug interactions.
I enjoy helping people and making a difference to people's lives.
School facilities
What you can expect from your School
You will study at the Byrom Street site in the University's City Campus. With an ongoing £12 million investment in laboratory facilities here and state-of-the-art research facilities in the newly developed Life Sciences building, you'll enjoy a first class study environment.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
Undergraduate degree
- a good honours degree in a science-related discipline
or
- equivalent professional qualifications and experience
International requirements
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IELTS
- IELTS score 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each component)
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Other international requirements
- International students should check if they require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme or ATAS certificate. Please contact LJMU’s International Admissions Team for further details
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.