MSc in Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences
Groningen, Netherlands
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 May 2025*
EARLIEST START DATE
01 Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 24,200 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Dutch I EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA students
** for Non-EU|for EU/EEA EUR 2,530
Introduction
How to design more effective and needle-free corona vaccines? How can we use nanoscience to better predict drug toxicity for humans? How can we personalize drug treatment and make it more sustainable?
How can we use Big Data to improve preventive drug programs? How can we optimize chronic drug use in aging populations? How can we develop a business case for a new drug and determine the cost-efficiency of pharmaceutical programs?
If you have a pharmaceutical bachelor's degree or a bachelor's degree in pharmacy, chemistry or a related field such as biomedical sciences or biology with pharmaceutical elements, this two-year Master's degree program will enhance your career in the exciting world of drug development life cycle! We cover all drug-related elements, from basic target discovery to molecular drug design, from analysis of drugs and biomarkers to pharmacological design of applications, from toxicology and bio pharmacy to clinical pharmacoepidemiology, post-marketing surveillance, policy, and business.
A unique asset of the master of Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences is that the lectures and research take place in an interdisciplinary Life Sciences environment from chemistry to statistics, from biology to medicine, from epidemiology to economics, management, and business, with all activities situated within walking distance. Learning research by actually doing it is a second unique asset, and students will have the opportunity to design two large research projects according to their needs and talent. Teaching professors from the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy as well as from the University Medical Center Groningen all work closely together, which is considered unique worldwide.
Lecturers will supervise you while you are independently performing experiments and go through the whole process of conducting a scientific drug-related study. The program, therefore, is excellent preparation for a succeeding Ph.D. program in the biological, medical, or pharmaceutical sciences or for a career in industry, as a consultant or policymaker. You will be in the lead to design your own research program or may choose a clear track that will prepare you for specialist positions.
The program also has an active student association called Pharmaciae Sacrum, where you will quickly feel at home and join social activities as well.
Why study this program in Groningen?
- Our Pharmacy education has been ranked number 1 among students in the Netherlands since 2015
- Awarded 'Top Rated program' label (Keuzegids Masters 2017)
- Groningen drug research and education is among the best in the world
- Unique interdisciplinary cooperation between preclinical, pharmaceutical, medical, and economical research fields, with teaching professors within walking distance
- Research and education cover all drug/vaccine-related aspects that are relevant to the drug development life cycle
Research
Groningen Drug Research is among the best in the world.
Research focuses in the Master's degree program in Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences:
Research mainly concentrates on drug design, synthesis, production and analysis, drug targeting and delivery, pharmacology, engineering of drug applications, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, bio pharmacy, pharmaco-economics and –epidemiology, and clinical pharmacy.
Curriculum
2-year program. Credits per year: 60 ECTS, most courses are 5 ECTS.
You will be in the lead to design your own research program or may choose a clear track that prepares you for specialist positions. Most students choose a specialized research track. We offer three unique research tracks:
- Pharmaco-epidemiology and -economics: The science that focuses on issues of drug/vaccine use in patients and the beneficial and side effects in populations, applying clinical trials and observational Big Database studies.
- Drug Toxicology and Translational Technology: Focuses on adverse drug reactions and pharmaco- and toxicokinetics of drugs using innovative techniques.
- Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering: Focuses on novel strategies for drug target identification, drug development, and formulation.
Courses
- Academic Skills
- Colloquium
- Drug Development (5 EC)
- Electives/Optional modules (10 EC, optional)
- Essay (drug-related) (5 EC)
- Master modules / Track-specific modules (15 EC)
- Research Project 1
- Research Project 2
Program options
- General research program (track)
- Drug Toxicology and Translational Technology (Research track) (track)
- Pharmaco-epidemiology and Pharmaco-economics (Research track) (track)
- Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering (Research track) (track)
- Science, Business and Policy (track)
Study abroad
- Study abroad is recommended
- For an average of 20 weeks
- Maximum of 60 EC
Exchange: All our science and engineering programs offer study abroad possibilities at a number of partner institutions, often as a second research project. Our partners include top-100 universities in Europe (for example in Germany, UK, and Sweden) and in the USA, China, South-East Asia, and South America.
Admissions
Career Opportunities
Job prospects
During the degree program, you will learn and practice academic skills such as retrieving and systematically reviewing relevant literature on your topic, formulating hypotheses, design and perform experiments and interpret, present and scientifically report your results.
The program, therefore, is excellent preparation for a succeeding Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical, biological, or medical science (approx. 60%) or for a career in industry (approx. 30%), as a consultant (5%) or policy maker (5%). More than 80% of the students find a job within 6 months after their studies and we have a strong link in the alumni network of more than 100 ex-MPS students that can help you to find a job. What is more important, in the Groningen area the “Life Cooperative” combines efforts of tens of small and larger businesses with more than 2,100 ft personnel working in the area of medical-pharmaceutical research and business and is growing fast.
We also offer students who want to seek a career abroad a global atmosphere, with small international academic student communities, which will prepare them for challenging global job positions.
When you have finished the Master's program in Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences, you will have multiple career options. You are optimally prepared to start a research career but you can also choose for a position that links science to business and policy. We have a strong Linked In network of MPS alumni who can help you with preparing your career and finding job positions.
Researcher (usually as a Ph.D.) in a variety of organizations:
- Universities
- Academic and general hospitals
- Pharmaceutical, biomedical and food industries
Positions linking medical pharmaceutical sciences to a business or policy strategy in:
- Governmental and semi-governmental institutions such as the Medicines Evaluation Board, EMA, or the Ministry of Health and Welfare
- Societal and patient organizations, and the Life Cooperative