Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry
IQS – Universitat Ramon Llull
Key Information
Campus location
Barcelona, Spain
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 semesters
Pace
Part time
Tuition fees
EUR 17,350 / per year
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
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Introduction
Objectives and Skills
The aim of our Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry is to train professionals and researchers with a profile applied to the research and development of products, processes, and services in different industrial areas related to pharmaceutical chemistry.
This master provides the following competencies:
- Advanced knowledge of different disciplines within pharmaceutical chemistry, which allows students to identify and solve problems, develop and implement original ideas and assimilate new knowledge throughout their professional careers.
- Mastery of chemical and management tools for research, development, and production of drugs.
- Knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and the new trends in the use of pharmaceutical chemistry.
- Skills of knowledge management and the ability to lead projects in the pharmaceutical field.
Graduates in the Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry can professionally work in different areas in the industry and in a variety of roles, such as academic or industrial research, and development and production in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries, as well as other related areas.
Dual Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Industrial Business Management:
This program is taught in English and it is a unique program because it covers both the production and the drug research areas. You will do 3 hours of laboratory work every day and you have the possibility to carry out the Master’s Thesis in collaboration with a company.
Quality and Accreditations
IQS maintains a strong commitment to educational quality and has established several processes to ensure constant improvement; the Quality Commission of IQS School of Engineering is one such measure.
In 1995 a Quality Management Department was established at IQS School of Engineering; initially, the focus was on the technical services IQS offers industries, companies, and administrations. Since the year 2000, a large part of its actions has been aimed at implementing a quality system in the teaching field.
The manual of the International Quality Control System (SGIC) from the IQS School of Engineering of Universitat Ramon Llull (URL) was presented to AQU (University Quality Agency) for approval in the 2009 AUDIT meeting and was accepted on 22 April 2010. The Quality Evaluation Commission of AQU Catalonia had a meeting on 11 December 2012 and ratified the extension of the SGIC design to consider affiliation of the IQS School of Engineering for the AUDIT program.
Universitat Ramon Llull (URL) and its partner Universities have a long-standing tradition of establishing policies, strategies, and actions ensuring the quality of the degrees it confers, the teaching activity carried out within its institutions, the management of its centers, and the high level of applied research performed within its many academic areas.
Highlights
- Become a professional and researcher with a profile focused on research and development of products, processes, and services in the different industrial sectors related to pharmaceutical chemistry.
- Get the necessary skills to become a professional and be part of the process of drugs development.
- Work professionally in various industrial sectors, in positions of academic or industrial research, of development and production in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, and in related sectors.
Why study for a Master’s degree in IQS?
- Prestige and recognition are endorsed by the professional performance of the IQS graduates.
- Student support and personalized tutoring.
- Recognition by industry and society, which accelerates the employability of IQS graduates.
- The Final Master's Degree Project.
Admissions
Curriculum
Completion Requirements
Students must have earned all the credits undertaken in order to obtain a master's degree.
During the academic year, students will normally have two opportunities to pass exams: in February and in June – for the first semester subjects – and in June and in September – for the second semester subjects, or for subjects that last two consecutive semesters. Additionally, in the event that a student has not earned a minimum of 36 ECTS credits within the first year, he or she will not be able to submit the master's thesis.
If a student does not pass an exam on the second attempt, two additional opportunities will be allowed. In the event that the student still has not obtained a pass in the subject, they can apply to the Permanent Committee of the Academic Board for a final opportunity to take the exam, justifying their position. The Permanent Committee of the Academic Board will examine the student's case and may complement this information by consulting the master's coordinator. If a student does not obtain a pass after having been granted an extra opportunity to take the exam, they will have to abandon the master's program.
Curriculum
The Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry consists of 90 ECTS credits, structured in two semesters of 30 ECTS plus the third semester of 30 ECTS for the Master's Thesis, which should be presented in a public session in front of aboard. The Faculty is composed of academic and professional specialists in different areas of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, in order to provide an overview, from industrial applications to basic research and research applied to the various areas in which pharmaceutical chemistry is present.
The master's degree consists of the following five modules:
- Transversal Module: gives an overview of the whole R+D process of a drug and knowledge of project management techniques in a company.
- Drug Research Module: develops the tools needed for new drug research in its different phases-design and selection, synthesis of candidate molecules, and spectroscopic techniques of identification and characterization.
- Drug Production Module: provides specific knowledge of the industrial production of drugs.
- Module of Electives: a choice of two elective courses that complement the skills acquired in the previous modules.
- Master's Thesis Module: conducting an individual research project within a research group, under the tutelage of a professor of the Master's Degree
The laboratory practicals and experimental work account for almost 50% of the master's degree credits.
Transversal Module
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Project Management
Drug Research Module
- Molecular Design
- Advanced Organic Synthesis
- Identification and Structural Characterization
- Integrated Laboratory
Drug Production Module
- Process Chemistry Dr. Xavier Berzosa
- Drug Analysis Dr. Gemma Gotor
- Quality Management and Regulatory Affairs in the Pharmaceutical Industry
- Integrated Laboratory II
Module of Electives (Choice of 2 subjects)
- Photochemistry
- Pharmacology for chemists
- Experimental Design
- Advanced Drug Delivery
- Evaluation of Compounds with Biological Activity
Master Thesis Module
- Master Thesis
Internships
The curriculum of the Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry does not include compulsory internships in companies.
However, IQS has a service that specializes in facilitating the search for internships in companies between the second and the third semester.
Exchange Programs
The duration of the Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry is one-and-a-half years (90 ECTS credits); for this reason, student mobility and reception occurs at two levels:
- Mobility program to carry out the master's thesis
- Mobility program to study the second-semester corresponding to the optional subjects of the curriculum (specialization module and optional module)
a) Mobility program to carry out the master's thesis
Given the fact that ERASMUS exchange agreements are usually signed in May the year prior to the start of the mobility program, the preferred method for establishing exchange programs in the Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry is during the semester in which the master's thesis is undertaken. Students of this program who have completed the subjects of the first two semesters and meet the necessary requirements may apply to do their thesis partially or completely at another University, research center, or a domestic or foreign company with which IQS has established a collaboration agreement.
Students from other universities who are also completing a master's degree similar to the Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry may request to write their thesis within one of the research groups at IQS School of Engineering. This participation is also dependent on the existence of a previously established agreement between the IQS School of Engineering's Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the other institution.
In both cases, the Final Master's Project will need to be defended at the student's University of origin so that credits will be granted at the university where the student has been registered. The collaboration agreement between both institutions will need to specify the duration of the Final Master's Project as well as the time allotted for the completion of the thesis for the ECTS credits included in the curriculum to be recognized.
b) Mobility program to study the second-semester corresponding to the optional subjects of the curriculum (specialization module and optional module)
Students of the Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry who meet the necessary requirements may study the second semester corresponding to the optional subjects of the curriculum (specialization module and optional module) at a University with which IQS School of Engineering has an exchange agreement. Selection is limited to programs that correspond closely between both Universities; specifically, they should be highly equivalent with respect to the skills and knowledge the students acquire. After approving the master's degree, negotiations will be initiated with those Universities where agreements with respect to student exchange programs in chemistry have already been established.
Students from other Universities who are enrolled in a program similar to the Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry may also request to do one semester of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry program, provided a collaboration agreement between both institutions has previously been established.
In order to promote and facilitate student mobility and reception, IQS School of Engineering has an International Relations Service.
Ideal Students
Applicant Profile
The Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry is addressed to graduates in chemistry, pharmacy, chemical engineering, biochemistry, biotechnology, or nanotechnology who want to expand or focus their career towards pharmaceutical chemistry. Graduates will be able to become high-level professionals in research, development, and innovation in industry or to develop their academic careers by enrolling in a Ph.D.
Career Opportunities
Career Opportunities
At IQS, your professional expectations are high, as you are in contact with cutting-edge companies from the very first day. The Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry will enable you to:
- Becoming a professional in several industries, in academic or industrial research roles, development, and production in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, and related areas, etc.
- Joining universities and research centers as a professional for academic and industrial research (translational) and technology transfer.
IQS has a Professional Careers Service that helps the students of the Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry with their job search once they have completed the Master's program.