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Pharmaceutical Science BSc (Hons)

Pharmaceutical Science at De Montfort University (DMU) is a BSc (Hons) degree specifically designed for suitably qualified overseas students. This is a final year top-up degree and is achieved in one year of study. Entry onto the course is decided on a case by case basis, dependant on prior study and completion of Level 5. 

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Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Read more about block teaching

Overview

Developed by a pharmacy team, this degree provides an understanding of the chemistry and engineering components of pharmaceutical product design and manufacture.

Our research-active academics have experience in the fields of pharmacy, engineering, chemistry, pharmacology and microbiology. Their strong collaborations with the pharmaceutical industries mean that this curriculum is continuously reviewed to ensure we’re equipping our students with the advanced skills sought by graduate employers.

Key features

  • Renowned for our academic expertise, development training and world-leading research, we offer more than 100 years of teaching experience in the Leicester School of Pharmacy.
  • Our investment in dedicated pharmaceutical laboratories and industry-standard equipment offers you invaluable opportunities to develop your practical and professional skills.
  • Our graduates are employed in internationally recognised companies
  • Designed specifically for the international market 

 

  • UK
  • eu/International

This course is not available to UK students.

Institution code: D26

Duration: One year full-time

Location: De Montfort University Leicester UK.

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £16,250

Find out more about available funding for international students.

 

Additional costs: You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

This is a final year top-up degree only available to international students. Admittance to the programme is at the discretion of the admissions tutor/programme leader and will require recognition of prior learning on the student's current program matching our first and second year content. Typical entry grades require an average module mark of 70% and no component being less than 60%, including pass marks for all modules. Typically a grade point average of 2.5 is needed. No interview required at any route into the course.

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications. 

Interview required: No

Personal Statement selection criteria

  • Clear communication skills, including good grammar and spelling

  • Information relevant to the course applied for

  • Interest in the course demonstrated with explanation and evidence

  • If relevant for the course - work and life experience

English language requirements:

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent when you start the course is essential. English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available both before and during the course.

Please visit dmu.ac.uk/international for more information.

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Teaching contact hours

 

 

Throughout the year the modules will provide you with an understanding of the chemistry, material science and engineering components of pharmaceutical products formulation design, products development and manufacture.

  • Quality assurance and quality
  • Pharmaceutical materials science
  • Development and manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products        
  • Pharmaceutical Formulation
  • Project (under staff supervision)
  • Elective Module

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

The diversity of academic and research expertise will provide you with high quality and innovative teaching. Expertise and current projects include:

  • Novel techniques in dry blood spot analysis
  • The development of a skin cancer detection tool
  • Development of an artificial pancreas

Teaching consists of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, with approximately 15 hours of face-to-face contact time each week.

You will also be expected to achieve approximately 17 hours of self-directed study.

Assessment methods include:

  • Unseen exams
  • Computer-based assessments
  • Practical reports

Contact hours in a typical week will depend to some extent on the optional modules you choose to study. However, typically you will have 15 contact hours of teaching and this will break down as:

Personal tutorial/small group teaching: approx. 1 hour of tutorials, or later, project supervision each week

Medium group teaching: approx. 5 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week

Large group teaching: approx. 9 hours of lectures each week

Personal study: approx. 17 hours studying and revising in your own time each week, including some guided study using hand-outs, online activities, etc.

Facilities and features

 
Placements
Placements
Placements
Placements
 

Hawthorn Building

Substantial investment in Health and Life Sciences has developed our teaching and learning facilities to help you develop your practical experience and theoretical knowledge beyond the classroom.

The 19th century Hawthorn Building has facilities designed to replicate current practice in health and life sciences, including contemporary analytical chemistry and formulation laboratories, audiology booths and nursing and midwifery clinical skills suites.

Purpose-built clinical skills areas allow you to apply theory to practice in a safe environment. You will receive guidance and support from staff, to ensure that your practical ability in the clinical skills suites is accurate.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
 
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Graduate careers

The degree gives students the technical skills to formulate, design and create drugs; for employment in pharmaceutical companies around the world.

Throughout the course we will help you to enhance your employment opportunities by embedding transferable skill into the programme and providing opportunities to collaborate with key employers and stakeholders through the Leicester School of Pharmacy’s careers events and mentoring scheme.

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DMU Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Students on this course have recently undertaken DMU Global trips to places such as New York, where they were able to gain more understanding of the healthcare provision provided by pharmacists in America. As well as this, students have previously visited a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in China to observe its processes and also travelled to Berlin to support refugees.

Take your next steps

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