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Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Medicinal Chemistry

Cardiff University

(4.2)
175 reviews

Entry requirements

Here's what you will need to get a place on the Medicinal Chemistry course at Cardiff University.

Select a qualification to see required grades

A level

A,A,B

Must include grade B in Chemistry. You will need to pass the science practical element of the A-level if this is part of your programme of study.

Most popular A-levels studied

See who's studying at Cardiff University. These students are taking Medicinal Chemistry or another course from the same subject area.

Chemistry
SubjectGrade
ChemistryC
BiologyC
MathematicsC
PhysicsC
PsychologyB
Source: HESA

Course summary

What this course is about

UCAS code: F150

Here's what Cardiff University says about its Medicinal Chemistry course.

Medicinal chemists are at the forefront of modern medicine, developing new therapies and vaccines to prevent and treat infections and disease.

This programme focuses on the biological aspects of chemistry, giving you the skills to join this exciting field.

If you're interested in the drug discovery process and want to work in the pharmaceutical industry, this course is ideal for you.

You’ll gain a solid grounding in core chemistry topics as well as specialising in biochemistry and drug design. In the lab, you'll focus on drug synthesis and testing in our dedicated lab space fitted with industry-standard equipment.

Along with developing your research and computational abilities, you’ll learn to design your own experiments. In your final year, you can specialise in an area you're interested in through a research project, supervised by one of our leading academics.

Distinctive Features of the Programme

Join the forefront of modern medicine. Medicinal chemists develop new therapies and vaccines to prevent and treat infections and disease, supporting people's health worldwide. Life beyond the lab As well as the chemistry relevant to drug discovery, you'll study data science, project planning, leadership skills and more to prepare you for your future career. Flexible courses Transfer to the BSc Chemistry or MChem Chemistry (with Year in Industry or Placement Year Abroad options) during your first year (subject to academic achievement). Excellent career prospects This course is ideal grounding for a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Acclaimed researchers involved in course design and teaching 99% of our research is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021) and we're 12th in the UK for research impact.

Source: Cardiff University

Course details

Qualification

Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Department

School of Chemistry

Location

Main Site - Cardiff | Cardiff

Duration

3 Years

Study mode

Full-time

Subjects

• Medicinal chemistry

Start date

28 September 2026

Application deadline

14 January 2026

Tuition fees

LocationFees
England£9,790 per year
Scotland£9,790 per year
Wales£9,790 per year
Northern Ireland£9,790 per year
Channel Islands£9,790 per year
Republic of Ireland£9,790 per year
EU£30,700 per year
International£30,700 per year

Cardiff University student reviews

(4.2)
Based on 175 reviews from Cardiff University's students and alumni
5 star
51%
4 star
27%
3 star
16%
2 star
5%
1 star
2%
All reviews

Showing 167 reviews

1st year student

2 years ago

Five stars: Excellent

(5)
Student Union

1st year student

2 years ago

Five stars: Excellent

(5)
University life

1st year student

2 years ago

Five stars: Excellent

(5)
Finance

1st year student

2 years ago

World class

(5)
Support

1st year student

2 years ago

Up to date

(5)
Facilities

1st year student

2 years ago

Challenging!

(5)
Course

National Student Survey (NSS) scores at Cardiff University

The NSS is an annual survey where final-year students are asked to rate different aspects of their course and university experience.

Here you can see ratings from Cardiff University students who took the Medicinal Chemistry course - or another course in the same subject area.

Chemistry

Select an option to see a detailed breakdown

How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?

97%

high

How good are teaching staff at explaining things?

96%

med

How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?

84%

med

How often is the course intellectually stimulating?

95%

med

To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?

85%

med

How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?

86%

med

How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?

83%

low

To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?

86%

med

To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?

88%

high

How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?

71%

low

How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?

79%

low

How often does feedback help you to improve your work?

77%

med

How often have you received assessment feedback on time?

86%

high

How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?

73%

med

How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?

95%

med

How well have teaching staff supported your learning?

94%

med

How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?

87%

med

How well organised is your course?

63%

low

How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?

87%

med

How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?

95%

med

How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?

79%

low

How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?

73%

med

To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?

89%

med

To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?

83%

med

How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?

78%

high

Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course.

86%

low

How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?

80%

med

Student information

See who's studying at Cardiff University. These students are taking Medicinal Chemistry or another course from the same subject area.

Chemistry
Mode of study
Full-time94%Part-time6%
Gender ratio
Female53%Male47%
Where students come from
International6%UK94%
Student performance
2:1 or above61%
Number of students500
Source: HESA

Graduate prospects

What graduates do next

We have no information about graduates who took Medicinal Chemistry at Cardiff University.

Earnings after graduation

Earnings from Cardiff University graduates who took Medicinal Chemistry - or another course in the same subject area.

Chemistry

Earnings

£27.7k

First year after graduation

£28.8k

Third year after graduation

£36.9k

Fifth year after graduation

Shown here are the median earnings of graduates at one, three and five years after they completed a course related to Medicinal Chemistry.

Source: LEO

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree

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