Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Medicinal Chemistry

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

including Chemistry. Science A Levels awarded by an English Exam board require a pass in the practical element.

Principal subjects and A-level combinations are considered - please contact us.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

31

including HL5 in Chemistry.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

in Applied Science or Applied Science (Medical Science) or Animal Management if the following three modules have been studied: Applications of Inorganic Chemistry, Applications of Organic Chemistry and Practical Chemical Analysis, or A Level Chemistry grade B is required alongside the BTEC.

Scottish Advanced Higher

C,C,C

including Chemistry.

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B

including grade A in Chemistry.

Obtain an overall Pass including a B in the core of the T Level and a Merit in the Occupational Specialism. Accepted subjects: Health, Healthcare Science and Science.

UCAS Tariff

120-147

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Medicinal chemistry

**Overview**

Medicinal chemistry is a highly interdisciplinary field that applies the knowledge of different aspects of chemistry to develop and modify drug and diagnostic molecules. It has had, and continues to have, a tremendous impact on society, contributing significantly to increased quality of (healthy) life and lifespan. Development of drugs/diagnostics not only requires practical and theoretical skills in, for example, small molecule synthesis of drug molecules, but it also requires an understanding of drug/diagnostic targets, and how drugs/diagnostics interact with their target. Gaining this knowledge will play an important role in the development of next generation therapeutics and diagnostics.

Our cutting-edge research in chemical sciences is at the heart of our teaching. The course will be delivered through lectures, workshops, small group tutorials and practicals – ensuring your learning is at the forefront of scientific thought.

Making a choice between an MChem or BSc course can be difficult. If you’re unsure which course is right for you, don’t worry. You’ll be given advice before you begin studying and while you’re a student here. And, because of the common structure of our courses, you can transfer between the BSc and MChem in your first or second year.

**About This Course**

In our three-year medicinal chemistry degree programme, you will be introduced to all aspects of chemistry that are important for medicine.

The course will equip students with the theoretical and practical skills in chemistry that are important for medicine. This includes: advanced methods for synthesis of small molecules; analytical techniques that are important for characterization of small molecule drugs (organic and inorganic), biomolecular targets, and drug-biomolecular interactions; chemical understanding of how and why the body modifies drug molecules; and engineering biomolecules for future therapeutic and diagnostic applications. In your final year, you’ll tailor your study to specialise in the areas that reflect your interests and career aspirations, and you’ll undertake an independent research project.

If you possess an inherent curiosity about how drugs are synthesized, how they interact with our body and how our body modified drug molecules, this course is an ideal choice. It will give you a real understanding of chemistry’s impact on every aspect of medicine and provides an opportunity to use your imagination for developing future therapeutics and diagnostics.

**Disclaimer**

Course details are subject to change. You should always confirm the details on the provider's website: **www.uea.ac.uk**

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
International
£26,100
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of East Anglia UEA

Department:

School of Chemistry

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

82%
Medicinal chemistry

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemistry

Teaching and learning

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
96%
Staff are good at explaining things
78%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
82%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

80%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
89%
Course specific equipment and facilities
67%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
64%
Male students
36%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemistry

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,384
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
76%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

21%
Natural and social science professionals
21%
Science, engineering and production technicians
9%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

Chemistry graduates are in demand from a wide range of industries, from the food, oil, chemicals and pharmaceuticals to consultancy, technical analysis and teaching. They're also prized by business and finance employers for their research and data handling skills — anywhere there is research and data to be explained, you can find chemistry grads. If you want a career in research, you need a doctorate, so start planning now if you fancy one of these exciting and challenging jobs - but good students can usually get grants to take a doctorate, so don't worry about the financing if you think you have what it takes. The recession wasn’t too kind to chemists, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry (one of the key employers for chemists), but things are getting back to normal for this flexible group and it's one of the few degrees that is bucking the current trend and increasing graduate numbers.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Chemistry

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£25k

£25k

£26k

£26k

£32k

£32k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Lower entry requirements
University of Nottingham | Nottingham
Medicinal and Biological Chemistry
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 104-136
Nearby University
University of Suffolk | Ipswich
Physiotherapy
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 120
Same University
University of East Anglia UEA | Norwich
Medicinal Chemistry
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 136-165

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here