BSc in Pharmaceutical Science with Regulatory Affairs
Kingston University
Key Information
Campus location
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 - 4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 9,250 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* UK students: £9,250 per year | international: £15,800 for the first year
Introduction
Why choose this course?
How do we ensure new drugs are safe for the public, correctly evaluated and their use properly regulated? Regulatory Affairs is an area of the growing opportunity in the pharmaceutical industry.
This course focuses on public health and the introduction of drugs. You'll learn to produce legal applications for new drug licences, deal with different regulatory authorities and ensure drug safety. The course also offers a practical understanding of the pharmaceutical industry. You'll explore different sources of medicine, how they work and how they are made, packaged and administered.
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- This was the first undergraduate Pharmaceutical Science degree accredited by The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs (TOPRA) in the UK. Consequently, graduates with this degree will be highly sought after by employers.
- You'll gain extensive practical experience in new laboratories that have received a £6.8 million investment.
- This course was shortlisted for the Guardian University Award for Course Design, Retention and Student Outcomes and the TOPRA Regulatory Excellence Award in Education in 2020.
Accreditation
This course is accredited by The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs (TOPRA).
The first two years of this programme and all of the final year modules except for CH6400 have been accredited by the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences (APS) for 5 years from 2018.
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Admissions
Curriculum
What you will study
The course seeks to provide all students with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the core areas of pharmaceutical science and the associated legal framework for the use of therapeutic agents in society. These include learning how to design, synthesise and develop drugs through the study of appropriate examples as well as an understanding of how the regulatory framework is intertwined with practical and scientific considerations. Thus the programme emphasises the acquisition of practical scientific skills as well as up-to-date theoretical knowledge in the area of pharmaceutical science and the regulation of the use of medicines.
Alongside this discipline-specific practical and theoretical knowledge, however, students will also be able to develop their independent learning skills using various sources and be given opportunities to enhance their written and oral communication skills. Such generic skills prepare students for graduate employment in many scientific disciplines generally, but especially in the area of regulatory affairs where attention to detail around the legislative framework in which drugs are used and distributed is of paramount importance.
The degree is aimed at preparing students to work in the pharmaceutical industry and public sector. The course covers synthetic chemistry, drug discovery and development, formulation, clinical trials, quality control and analysis, toxicity and safety testing, pharmacovigilance, the mechanism of action of drugs used to treat some of the major diseases (eg cardiovascular diseases, cancer and dementia) and regulatory affairs.
Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.
Year 1
Year 1 introduces biology, chemistry, physiology, and pharmaceutical science itself. The Foundation Chemistry for Pharmaceutical Science module introduces formulation science, pharmacokinetics and molecular modelling, emphasising practical work and instrumental techniques. An academic skills module covers all the fundamental transferable skills that employers value eg. the use of IT, and problem-solving. An academic skills module covers mathematics, statistics, generic study skills and information technology, giving you skills valued by employers.
Core modules
- Introduction to Spectroscopy and Experimental Techniques
- Academic Skills for Molecular Sciences
- Foundation Chemistry
- Bioscience 1
Year 2
Year 2 places emphasis on organic and medicinal chemistry and develops practical skills, especially in pharmaceutical analysis - important in relation to the actions and characterisation of drugs. Building on the pharmaceutical chemistry learned in Year 1, you will study the properties and formulation of pharmaceuticals. You will also study the effect of drugs on living systems and the principles of the immune system. There will be an introduction to micro-organisms in relation to human disease, their control and safe working practices. Year 2 explores organic and medicinal chemistry applied to the design and synthesis of drug molecules. Year 2 also focuses on the experimental aspects of pharmaceutical science, developing skills for conducting independent laboratory investigations. There is also the opportunity to develop other transferable skills, important to your employability and career planning.
Core modules
- Organic and Medicinal Chemistry
- Pharmacology and Pharmaceutics
- Analytical Science
- Practical and Research Skills in Pharmaceutical Science
Optional sandwich year
An optional sandwich year between Years 2 and 3 provides the opportunity to gain experience in how pharmaceutical science is applied in an industrial situation. The industrial placement tutor will help you find a paid placement.
Year 3/4
Year 3 exposes you to specialised areas of pharmaceutical science which includes how drugs are manufactured in industry and how they are introduced onto the shelf. You will learn about new and innovative research linked to pharmaceutical science including new methods of drug delivery. Year 3's Topics in Pharmaceutical Science module enables specialism, in particular, specialist areas of pharmaceutical science. You will also undertake a year-long research project, applying, in an experimental context, the theoretical knowledge you have gained in the previous two years. Year 3 has two option modules: one develops and enhances analytical skills, crucial to all aspects of the production of pharmaceuticals in the UK; the other deepens knowledge of natural product chemistry.
Core modules
- Regulatory Affairs For Pharmaceutical Science
- Project
- Topics in Pharmaceutical Science
Optional modules
- Advanced Analytical Science
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
After you graduate
Graduates are successful in careers such as drug development, quality control, clinical trials and research, drug safety and pharmacovigilance. Many progress to study PhDs.
Examples of graduate destinations
- CRF Health Ltd
- IGMA Ltd
- Nemaura Pharma Ltd
- MHRA
- Ipsen
- Johnson & Johnson
- Aesica Pharmaceuticals
- Eli Lilly
- Novartis
- Parexel
- NHS
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Sandoz
- Henry Schein Medical
- Syngenta
- Procter and Gamble
- LGC
- B. Braun Medical
- Martindale Pharma
- DDD Ltd
- Medtrack