Pharmaceutical Chemistry (with a year in Industry)

This four-year degree expands on the Pharmaceutical Chemistry BSc to prepare you for high-level entry into the industry. It’s also a solid base for pursuing PhD research.

The pharmaceutical industry needs scientists with a firm understanding of chemistry together with a knowledge of biochemistry, disease action, and drug behaviour. Our Pharmaceutical Chemistry degrees provide you with an excellent grounding in all these areas. They have been designed to cover all aspects of pharmaceutical drug development, from target selection, through to drug discovery and optimisation to clinical trials and marketing.

If you choose to study for a BSc or MChem degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry you will, on graduation, be equipped with the skills to work in the pharmaceutical industry or in the health and biomedical sectors. Pharmaceutical Chemists are at the forefront of drug development, design, synthesis, trials and marketing and as one of the largest employer sectors in the UK, a diverse range of careers will be open to you.

The School of Chemistry at Leicester is one of the best in the UK for both teaching and research. We have a reputation as a friendly, supportive School that produces highly trained graduates with skills valued by employers. This is because we offer high quality courses that are designed to give you a wide range of employment opportunities, and are carefully structured to ensure you will cover all the relevant topics.

Whichever degree you study, you will always benefit from our excellent teaching, our well-equipped laboratories, our high-quality welfare provision and academic support. You will also reap the benefits of the cutting-edge research being carried out in the School by our academics – the same academics who teach you.

Our specialist research areas include atmospheric chemistry, chemical biology, materials and interfaces, spectroscopy and dynamics, and sustainable synthesis and catalysis. You can be sure of learning about the very latest breakthroughs in each area throughout your course. In your final year, you will carry out your own personal research project, working under one of our academic staff and applying the knowledge and practical skills which you have gained on the course – placing you at the cutting-edge of chemistry research.

What's the difference?
Study for a BSc and you will receive rigorous training in chemistry and related, transferable skills – which will put you in a strong position to apply for a range of different employment sectors. Or you may want to continue your studies by applying for a Masters degree (MSc).

If you specifically want to find work as a chemist, whether in industry or the public sector, you should consider an MChem. The extra depth of experience and knowledge you will gain is valued by prospective employers that use chemical processes, and will keep you competitive in the job market against graduates who may have studied for the longer degrees taught in some European countries. Alternatively, an MChem provides a solid basis for progressing to a PhD.

Each of our three MChem degrees share a common first two years with the respective BSc, during which you can switch between them (transfer from BSc to MChem is subject to satisfactory progress). Both the MChem and BSc degrees are taught and assessed to the same high standards. The difference is one of content, not quality. On an MChem degree you have three options for your third year: a year abroad, an industrial placement, or further study in Leicester.

Also please note that the Year Abroad option is not available on our BSc degrees.