Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry
  • Undergraduate
  • MSci

Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry

Explore the industrial development, production and quality control of new drugs in this specialist chemistry course.

  • Undergraduate
  • MSci

Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry and a Year in Industry

Explore the industrial development, production and quality control of new drugs in this specialist chemistry course.

Build your appreciation of the chemical sciences and the drug development process

Build laboratory-based skills towards a career in biomedical research or the pharmaceutical industry

Engage with medicinal chemistry concepts in detail on a research project and develop your expertise on an optional year in industry

How would you like to study?

Study option:

Showing course information for 2024 View 2025 course information

Course key facts

  • Qualification

    • MSci

  • Duration

    4 years

  • Start date

    October 2024

  • UCAS course code

    F124

  • Study mode

    Full-time

  • Fees

    • £9,250 Home

    • £41,650 Overseas

  • Delivered by

  • Location

    • South Kensington

    • White City

  • Applications: places

    8 : 1 (2022)

Minimum entry standard

  • AAA (A-level)

  • 38 points (International Baccalaureate)

View full entry requirements
  • Qualification

    • MSci

  • Duration

    5 years

  • Start date

    October 2024

  • UCAS course code

    F125

  • Study mode

    Full-time

  • Fees

    • £9,250 Home

    • £41,650 Overseas

  • Delivered by

  • Location

    • South Kensington

    • White City

  • Applications: places

    8 : 1 (2022)

Minimum entry standard

  • AAA (A-level)

  • 38 points (International Baccalaureate)

View full entry requirements

Study option:

Course overview

Build your appreciation of the chemical sciences and the drug development process in this four-year course.

Designed to prepare you for a career in the pharmaceutical industry or biomedical research, this course will help you develop an interconnected understanding of core chemistry topics.

You'll deepen your knowledge of key topics relating to inorganic, organic, physical, analytical, synthetic and computational chemistry. You'll also focus on the identification, development and production of new drugs.

Extensive laboratory-based work will help develop your practical skills. You'll learn to synthesise chemicals and study chemical systems and build expertise in experimental measurements and computational models.

As the course develops, you'll study strategies for targeting diseases and work with complex portfolios of data. This includes opportunities to specialise across a series of advanced topics in your third and fourth year.

Part of your studies will see you analyse emergent ‘industry 4.0’ approaches and technologies such as rapid prototyping, biohacking and machine learning. 

Your study reaches Master's level in your final year, where your work will culminate with a substantial research project.

Teaching is primarily delivered at our South Kensington campus, as well as the state-of-the-art Molecular Sciences Research Hub in White City.

Build your appreciation of the chemical sciences and the drug development process on this five-year course.

Incorporating a year in industry, this course will prepare you for a career in the pharmaceutical and related industries, or in biomedical research.

You'll develop an interconnected understanding of core chemistry topics, and deepen your knowledge of inorganic, organic, physical, analytical, synthetic and computational chemistry.

You'll also focus on the identification, development and production of new drugs.

Extensive laboratory-based work will help develop your practical skills. You'll learn to synthesise chemicals and study chemical systems and build expertise in experimental measurements and computational models.

As the course develops, you'll study strategies for targeting diseases and work with complex portfolios of data. This includes opportunities to specialise across a series of advanced topics in your third and fourth year.

Part of your studies will see you analyse emergent ‘industry 4.0’ approaches and technologies such as rapid prototyping, biohacking and machine learning. 

Your fourth year is spent in industry. During this period, you'll place chemistry in an industrial context on an extended placement with a leading industrial partner. Previous placement partners have included GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Pfizer.

Your study reaches Master's level in your final year, where your work will culminate with a substantial research project.

Teaching is primarily delivered at our South Kensington campus, as well as the state-of-the-art Molecular Sciences Research Hub in White City.

Study option:

Structure

This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.

Find out more about potential course changes.

Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.

You’ll study the following core modules.

Core modules

You’ll study the following core modules.

Core modules

You’ll study all these core modules.

Core modules

You’ll study all these core modules. 

You’ll also choose two optional modules.

Core modules

Optional modules

You’ll study the following core modules.

Core modules

You’ll study the following core modules.

Core modules

You’ll study all these core modules.

Core modules

You spend this year on an industrial placement, normally for 12 months.

During this time you remain registered as an Imperial student and usually pay reduced tuition fees to the College. You also receive a salary from your host company.

Our strong industry links means we have an extensive list of firms willing to host our students, some of them in Europe. Alternatively, you can arrange your own placement in consultation with the Department.

The work you do during your placement must be predominantly related to chemical research.

You will complete a formal research project report on the work you have carried out. This will be assessed by your academic and industrial supervisors.

You will also complete the MSci Chemistry Research Proposal and Literature Review.

You’ll study these core modules. 

 

You’ll also choose two optional modules.

Core modules

Optional modules

Professional accreditation

This degree leads to a Master’s level qualification and is professionally accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

This accreditation is internationally respected in an increasingly global industry and graduate market. It will allow you to demonstrate that you’ve completed a high-quality degree programme designed to meet the needs of both students and their future employers.

This MSci degree fully satisfies the academic requirements for professional registration as a Chartered Chemist (CChem). Becoming a Chartered Chemist earns you an internationally recognised qualification which can enhance your career prospects and earning potential

Our accreditation agreement with the Royal Society of Chemistry is renewed every five years. The current accreditation agreement was recently extended through 2027.

Associateship

In addition to your degree, you’ll receive the Associateship of the Royal College of Science (ARCS) upon completion of this course. This associateship is awarded by one of our historic constituent Colleges.

Study option:

Teaching and assessment

Balance of teaching and learning

Key

  • Classroom teaching and laboratory work
  • Independent study

Years 1 and 2

  • 30% Classroom teaching and laboratory work
  • 70% Independent study

Year 3

  • 20% Classroom teaching and laboratory work
  • 80% Independent study

Year 4

  • 10% Classroom teaching and laboratory work
  • 90% Independent study

Teaching and learning methods

  • Person at lectern giving speech
    Lectures
  • Four students sitting in a tutorial
    Tutorials
  • People collaborating and completing practical work.
    Practical workshops
  • Guided laboratory work
  • A group of people interacting
    Group work
  • Literature reports
  • Individual research project
    Research projects

Balance of assessment

Key

  • Examination
  • Coursework and practical work

Year 1

  • 75% Examination
  • 25% Coursework and practical work

Year 2

  • 65% Examination
  • 35% Coursework and practical work

Year 3

  • 40% Examination
  • 60% Coursework and practical work

Year 4

  • 25% Examination
  • 75% Coursework and practical work

Assessment methods

  • A person completing a written exam
    Written examinations
  • Oral presentation
  • Papers from a written report
    Written reports
  • Person completing coursework
    Coursework
  • Poster project
    Academic posters

Balance of teaching and learning

Key

  • Classroom teaching and laboratory work
  • Independent study

Years 1 and 2

  • 30% Classroom teaching and laboratory work
  • 70% Independent study

Year 3

  • 20% Classroom teaching and laboratory work
  • 80% Independent study

Year 5

  • 10% Classroom teaching and laboratory work
  • 90% Independent study

Teaching and learning methods

  • Person at lectern giving speech
    Lectures
  • Four students sitting in a tutorial
    Tutorials
  • People collaborating and completing practical work.
    Practical workshops
  • Guided laboratory work
  • A group of people interacting
    Group work
  • Literature reports
  • Individual research project
    Research projects

Balance of assessment

Key

  • Examination
  • Coursework and practical work

Year 1

  • 75% Examination
  • 25% Coursework and practical work

Year 2

  • 65% Examination
  • 35% Coursework and practical work

Year 3

  • 40% Examination
  • 60% Coursework and practical work

Year 4

  • 0% Examination
  • 100% Coursework and practical work

Year 5

  • 50% Examination
  • 50% Coursework and practical work

Assessment methods

  • A person completing a written exam
    Written examinations
  • Oral presentation
  • Papers from a written report
    Written reports
  • Person completing coursework
    Coursework
  • Poster project
    Academic posters

Study option:

Entry requirements

We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.

Study option:

How to apply

Applications are closed for 2024 entry.

Applications are closed for 2024 entry.

Applications are closed for 2024 entry.

Tuition fees

Home fee

2024 entry

£9,250 per year

Year in industry

2024 entry

£1,850 for that year

Overseas fee

2024 entry

£41,650 per year

Year in industry

20% of the fee for that year

Your future career

Prescription symbol

Gain transferable skills relevant to a career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, or biomedical and chemical biology research.

Lightbulb above a book

With specialised knowledge, you'll be highly sought after in a range of sectors.

Graduate Cap above rolled Degree

Alternatively, you may wish to consider continuing your studies at PhD level.

Man standing under a sign pointing different directions

Potential career routes could include industrial development, production and quality control, marketing, finance and teaching.

Person with magnifying glass over head

Other potential career paths include data scientists, audit trainees, and research scientists for government.

Course data

Compare this course – Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry MSci

Compare this course – Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry and a Year in Industry MSci

Terms and conditions

There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.

Read our terms and conditions

You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.

Programme specifications