Pharmaceutical Science (with Foundation Year) BSc (Hons)

What is big data? How is it made and how do we make sense of it? Discover how data is created, consider the ethical implications of using it and begin your journey accessing it. You explore its use in society and the role it plays in community relationships, from uncovering criminal networks and tracking disease outbreaks to developing a deeper understanding of our ecology. You understand how search engines collate and store the data needed to make predictions, enhance decision making, or to better understand society’s needs. You learn the impact big data has and the challenges it presents.

This is a 20-credit module.

Chemistry is the study of the structure, properties and reactivity of elements and compounds and plays a key role in physical, life and applied sciences. You are introduced to the fundamental concepts of the application of chemistry. You examine the structure of the atom, the periodic table, chemical bonding and chemical reactivity. Learn about environmental science, biogeochemistry, pollution, green chemistry and climate change.

This is a 20-credit module.

Explore your academic interests in a practical setting, learning how to work safely and properly document your work. If you’re interested in biology, you investigate the basics of microscopy and the handling of microorganisms. If your preference is food sciences, you begin to look at the safe handling of food. And if you’re interested in chemistry, you begin to use volumetric glassware and investigate acid-base titrations.

This is a 20-credit module.

Team up with your coursemates to find out how science can help address some of the biggest issues facing society today. You explore health and wellbeing, resilient and secure societies, digital and creative economy, sustainable environments, and learning for the 21st century.

This is a 20-credit module.

You explore the diversity of life on earth and the concept of evolution. You discuss Darwin’s theory to demonstrate relationships between species, the principles of taxonomy and speciation, and how they relate to the evolutionary tree.

Physiological processes, cellular organisation, homeostasis, metabolism, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli and adaptation - these are the hallmarks of living organisms and equip diverse species to survive and thrive. You complete an in-depth analysis of a number of organisms to examine and compare the strategies they use to thrive and appreciate how evolution has led to divergent life forms. You normally take part in a field visit to a local site to examine biodiversity and the natural world.

This is a 20-credit module.

You focus on life sciences from a human perspective, while developing an understanding of human biology to explore the role of different but interconnected life science disciplines in modern life. You consider the major human body systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, excretory, endocrine, nervous, digestive, skeletal and reproductive) to appreciate how this knowledge is relevant to issues in health, disease and modern society.

This is a 20-credit module.

Study the key principles of biochemistry, including the structure of the atom, chemical bonding and the forces that operate between molecules, chemical reactions and biological pathways. Investigate the chemistry of carbon and why this element is capable of forming the complex three-dimensional molecules that make life possible. Crucial groups of biological molecules are studied in detail, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.

This is a 20-credit module.

At a cellular level, you develop your understanding of biological processes. You explore the common features and immense diversity of form and function displayed by cells of organisms. You examine eukaryotic cell architecture and function with a molecular and mammalian focus and learn about cell division, the cell cycle, genetic organisation of cells, DNA replication and gene expression.

This is a 20-credit module.

Develop your understanding of kinetics and thermodynamics and learn how they apply to biochemical reactions.? You are introduced to the Michaelis-Menten equation and explore how biomolecule adenosine triphosphate acts as a store and source of energy in living organisms.? You are also introduced to the chemistry behind metal transition, discover their role in proteins and how metal-based drugs are used to treat cancer.? The relevance of reactivity in society’s response to global and sustainability issues is also studied.

This is a 20-credit module.

By examining molecules, including carbon and hydrogen, you are introduced to the world of organic chemistry. You learn about the principles of chemical reactivity and the mechanisms needed to understand how and why simple molecules, as well as macromolecules, react in a certain way. You learn the key concepts in synthetic organic chemistry to develop control over structure and reactivity, with no limit on what molecules you can synthesise. You consider the importance of organic chemistry in global and sustainability issues through case study examples.?

This is a 20-credit module.

Examine key foundation concepts in chemistry including the structure of atoms and molecules, how these can be probed using spectroscopic methods, and how chemical bonding can be described. Topics include atomic structure, quantum mechanics, chemical bonding, spectroscopy (UV, NMR, IR), inorganic chemistry (metals and main group) and an introduction to symmetry. You focus on the importance of chemistry in global and sustainability issues through case study examples.

This is a 20-credit module.

You develop your core skills as a chemical scientist, from basic lab manipulations, separations and purifications to the synthesis and analysis of biomolecules and pharmaceuticals. You also become familiar with a range of lab and data skills that underpin your practical work throughout your degree.

This is a 20-credit module.

You are introduced to the concept of bioreactions and fermentation kinetics. You explore the principles of developing a microbial fermentation process and examine considerations such as choice of feedstock, media preparation and optimisation. You study different types of fermentation processes, discuss bioreactor designs and learn how to apply molecular biology to the fermentation industry.

This is a 20-credit module.

Gain an understanding of the human metabolism, endocrinology and clinical biochemistry. Examine metabolism, the chemical processes that occurs in living organisms, in the context of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, cellular respiration and metabolism of drugs. Discuss endocrinology and review the mechanisms underpinning hormone action, the roles of second messengers and endocrine system disorders. Enzyme kinetics and enzyme regulation is a significant topic. Explore the methods used for collecting, measuring and analysing clinical samples in the biomedical lab. Learn the principles and applications of clinical biochemistry investigations used in screening, diagnosing, treating and monitoring disease.

This is a 20-credit module.

You are introduced to a range of modern molecular biology concepts and techniques. You address general molecular biology, molecular biology of genetic diseases, and using molecular biology for applications such as the production of recombinant proteins, and biomedical science forensics. The new age of molecular biology is underpinned by gene/genome sequencing, sequence analysis and sequence manipulation. You explore the principles of sequence analysis and how these techniques have revolutionised molecular biology. Particular attention is on the technique of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). You learn the bioinformatics concepts around visualising and analysing DNA sequence data, and basic molecular data analysis. You gain insight into the theoretical aspects of molecular biology and bioinformatics, and learn the basic techniques of modern molecular biology such as DNA purification, PCR, restriction digestion, and nucleic acid analysis through agarose gels and sequencing.

This is a 20-credit module.

You build on your prior knowledge of organic chemistry and learn the concept of retrosynthetic analysis, the art of synthesising any molecule however complex it is. You also learn strategies to control regio- and chemoselectivity, and consider more advanced areas of organic chemistry including pericyclic reactions and heterocyclic chemistry. You are introduced to organometallic chemistry that expands the range of chemical transformation beyond classical chemistry.?And you focus on the importance of organic chemistry in global and sustainability issues through case studies.

This is a 20-credit module.

Through a range of case studies, you explore the relationship between macromolecular structure and function. You deepen your knowledge and understanding of protein-protein interactions, allosteric regulation and cell signalling in the context of complex cellular machinery. Important modern motifs such as zinc finger nucleases and CRISPR gene editing, and the diseases of protein misfolding are considered.

This is a 20-credit module.

All research, analytical and industrial labs require a range of techniques that allow you to determine and predict the chemical structure of molecules and biomolecules. You examine the most significant molecular structure determination techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, UV-visible and infrared spectroscopies, elemental analysis and crystallography.

This is a 20-credit module.

You have the option to spend one year in industry learning and developing your skills. We encourage and support you with applying for a placement, job hunting and networking.

You gain experience favoured by graduate recruiters and develop your technical skillset. You also obtain the transferable skills required in any professional environment, including communication, negotiation, teamwork, leadership, organisation, confidence, self-reliance, problem-solving, being able to work under pressure, and commercial awareness.

Many employers view a placement as a year-long interview, therefore placements are increasingly becoming an essential part of an organisation's pre-selection strategy in their graduate recruitment process. Benefits include:

· improved job prospects
· enhanced employment skills and improved career progression opportunities
· a higher starting salary than your full-time counterparts
· a better degree classification
· a richer CV
· a year's salary before completing your degree
· experience of workplace culture
· the opportunity to design and base your final-year project within a working environment.

If you are unable to secure a work placement with an employer, then you simply continue on a course without the work placement.

Expand your knowledge of organic chemistry, focusing on advanced synthetic methodologies involving the chemistry of enoid reagents (carbenes, nitrenes and ylides). You study, in-depth, various organometallic transformations, and the applications of them combined in designing asymmetric syntheses. Contemplate different modern strategies of chemical synthesis such as combinatorial and parallel synthesis.

This is a 20-credit module.

What are the real-world challenges associated with the launch of a healthcare product? Study the process from initial research and development through to developing a product for market. Understand nutrition, medical, biotechnology and healthcare sector ventures. Develop your entrepreneurship skills and learn how to carry out and implement effective market research, and develop a business plan.

This is a 20-credit module.

What is the role of a biologist in upstream and downstream aspects of bioprocessing? Upstream processing focuses on molecular and cell biology techniques including production organisms, recombinant DNA technologies and synthetic biology. You examine fermentation strategies and consider manufacturing, sustainability and cost. Downstream processing focusses on separation and purification strategies. You develop an understanding of the multi-disciplinary nature of the industry including engineering, chemistry, economic and the regulatory aspects of bioprocessing.

This is a 20-credit module.

Advanced chemistry knowledge is combined in the context of biology applications. You develop a strong understanding of the concepts of drug molecules and drug targets, and the process and strategies of drug development. You appreciate the journey to bring a molecule from the lab bench to the pharmaceutical market, exploring clinical trials and approval processes with a focus on certain classes of drugs, including antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.

This is a 20-credit module.

You complete an in-depth, independent investigation into a specialist aspect of your field of study. You bring together a range of practical and academic skills developed in previous study, including analysing and critically evaluating data and a critical reflection on the potential risks, and moral and ethical issues. You are supported by a research supervisor who helps you develop and complete your research project.

This is a 40-credit module.