MSc Pharmaceutical Science

Develop your skills and knowledge in the design, development and production of medicines with our Pharmaceutical Sciences MSc at Aston University, Birmingham and prepare yourself for an exciting industrial or academic career in pharmaceutics or industrial pharmacy.

Course outline and modules

Pharmaceutical science focuses on formulation strategies for current and future drug therapies and medicinal products.

Encompassing a range of scientific disciplines such as chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and physiology, this specialist area of study is crucial for the safe and effective design, development, production and regulation of medicines.

The Pharmaceutical Sciences MSc at Aston University has been designed to prepare you for an academic or industrial career in the pharmaceutics or pharmacology arena; an area in considerable demand in response to the continued increase in development of highly complex and sensitive drug molecules.

By choosing to study this specialist pharmacy masters at Aston University, you’ll be joining a well-established and highly respected School of Pharmacy, that can trace its roots back to the establishment of the Birmingham Pharmaceutical Institution in 1847. We’re also the only Pharmacy School in the UK to hold a prestigious Regius Chair in Pharmacy awarded by HM the Queen, meaning you can be sure that you’re learning experience will of the highest of quality.

This course is part of the Aston Pharmacy School which sits within the College of Health and Life Sciences.

Pharmacy research at Aston

Aston has expansive and highly regarded research community; we are home to several pharmacy research groups including:

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy Research Group
Pharmacology and Translational Neuroscience Research

You’ll be taught by passionate research active academics whose specialist areas of research include the formulation development and optimisation of orally disintegrating tablets, oral liquid nano medicines and particle engineering.

Our research is fed into the teaching on our courses, ensuring that you not only have access to the very latest trends and thinking in this specialist area, but that you also develop a critical appreciation of recent scientific developments and their clinical and industrial application.

Career prospects

On successful completion of this programme, you’ll be well prepared for an academic or industrial career in the pharmaceutics or biotechnology arena. This is an area in considerable demand due to the continued increase in development of highly complex and sensitive drug molecules.

You’ll be provided with not only the specialist training and practical experience the design and development of effective drug delivery systems, but also a wide range of directly applicable transferable skills for career and professional development. This means, you will be well suited for various careers in the pharmaceutical industry such as analytical sciences, formulation development, project management, regulatory affairs and scientific writing.

In addition, for those that wish to peruse a career in academic research or academia, this course is a well-placed stepping stone for PhD study at Aston or another leading institution.

Graduates from our suite of Pharmacy masters programmes have gone onto secure roles with a variety of organisations across the public and private sector.