MSc Clinical Pharmacology
- Programme director
- Nigel Toseland
- Programme length
- Part-time: Minimum 24 months, maximum 60 months
- Programme start date
- September 2013
Offered as part of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
Enabling you to gain a wider perspective and the critical evaluation skills relating to medicine design and conduct of clinical trials.
Programme overview
Clinical pharmacology is a medical scientific discipline concerned with the study of therapeutic or diagnostic substances to help establish the theoretical and practical basis for their rational clinical application.
A full understanding of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic behaviour optimises evaluation in therapeutic clinical trials and post-registration use in the treatment and/or diagnosis of disease. The awards qualify an individual as having received postgraduate training suitable for senior scientific and clinical posts within clinical pharmacology.
The programme is designed to:
• Give a greater understanding of clinical pharmacology
• Provide evidence of specialisation, which is increasingly required under EU legislation
• Demonstrate proficiency across the whole field of clinical pharmacology through a system of continuous assessment
The programme enables you to gain a wider perspective and the critical evaluation skills relating to medicine design and conduct of clinical trials (nationally and internationally).
The part-time and modular nature of the programme is well suited to busy people with additional work commitments, allowing a flexible rate of attendance (one to four modules per year).
Entry requirements
A degree (medical or non-medical) or professional qualifications and/or practical experience (usually at least three years’ postgraduate work experience) sufficient to pursue the programme of study.
Selection is based upon the candidate’s application and references. An informal interview may be required.
Application to register for the Postgraduate Diploma or MSc can be made following the third module attended. Retrospective application is permitted, provided not more than four modules have been completed.
English language requirements
IELTS minimum overall: 7.0
IELTS minimum by component:
6.5
Fees and funding
All fees are subject to increase or review for subsequent academic years. Please note that not all visa routes permit part-time study and overseas students entering the UK on a Tier 4 visa will not be permitted to study on a part-time basis.
| Programme name | Study mode | Start date | UK/EU fees | Overseas fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Clinical Pharmacology | Part-time | Sept 2013 | £1,385 per module | £1,385 per module |
| MSc Clinical Pharmacology | Distance-learning | Sept 2013 | £1,385 per module | £1,385 per module |
Programme content
Module Overview
Programme Orientation (Molecule to Medicine)
This module is an introductory overview of the drug development process ‘from molecule to medicine’ and the healthcare environment within which the pharmaceutical industry operates.
Pre-clinical Discovery and Development of New Medicines
This module considers the early stages in the drug development process, from research strategy to lead candidate identification, including the methodology used in establishing the toxicological profile of new drug candidates and predicting drug safety in man.
Regulatory Affairs
This module covers the systems adopted by government authorities for regulating safety, efficacy and quality of medicines during the development and marketing of new drugs.
Clinical Pharmacology and Early Human Studies
This module looks at the principles of clinical pharmacology and how they are applied in clinical studies.
Clinical Development and Therapeutics
This module considers the principles of clinical research in clinical trial design, implementation, evaluation and reporting on Phase II–IV studies across many therapeutic areas.
Drug Safety and Pharmacoepidemiology
This module considers all aspects of safety monitoring, signal detection, study design, appraisal of safety issues, crisis management and communication.
Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism
This module covers pharmacokinetic analysis, from sample collection through mathematical data analysis to interpretation of results. Factors affecting absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of a drug and their assessment in animals and man are looked at.
Ethical and Legal Aspects
This module looks at the legal and ethical requirements for conduct of clinical research, with an emphasis on regulatory control.
Translational Medicine and Biomarkers
This module explores the non-invasive methods used in healthy volunteers in decision-making, the design of efficacy and safety studies in patients, and how these findings can be translated into the drug development programme.
Health Economics
This module considers the key concepts underpinning pharmacoeconomic evaluations at different stages in the drug development process.
Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Medicine
The aims of this module are to provide the student with the basic concepts of pharmacogenomics and the importance of these concepts to the drug discovery and development process in relation to adverse drug events, biomarkers of disease susceptibility and the individualisation of medicine in the clinical setting, now and in the future.
Research Methods
This module covers the practical approaches to understanding and conducting research in the pharmaceutical sector, including study design, methodology and evaluation, statistical principles and reporting.
Programme Structure and Modules
| Module | Credits | PGCert | PGDip | MSc |
| Programme Orientation (Molecule to Medicine) | 15 | C | C | C |
| Clinical Pharmacology and Early Human Studies | 15 | C | C | C |
| Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism | 15 | C | C | C |
| Translational Medicine and Biomarkers | 15 | C | C | C |
| Regulatory Affairs | 15 | - | R | R |
| Pre-clinical Discovery and Development of New Medicines | 15 | - | R | R |
| Clinical Development and Therapeutics | 15 | - | R | R |
| Drug Safety and Pharmacoepidemiology | 15 | - | O | O |
| Ethical and Legal Aspects | 15 | - | O | O |
| Health Economics | 15 | - | O | O |
| Other Relevant University Modules** | 15 | - | - | O |
| Research Methods | 15 | - | O | C |
| Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Medicine | 15 | - | O | O |
| Dissertation | 45 | - | - | C |
C – Compulsory modules for specified programme
R – Recommended modules – choose at least two out of the three options
O – Optional modules
** At master’s level and subject to approval by the Programme Director
Assessment
If you are registered on the Postgraduate Certificate, you will be required to complete four 15-credit modules, which are all compulsory.
If you are registered on the Postgraduate Diploma, you will be required to complete eight 15-credit modules. Four of these modules are compulsory, two or three are recommended and the remainder optional.
In addition to this, the MSc award requires the completion of a 15,000–20,000-word dissertation, linked to the Research Methods module. A viva voce examination may be required by the external examiners.
Time commitment
Each of the modules on all of the awards comprises an intensive four-day* taught course.
Each taught course is then followed by distance learning and a written assessment specifically designed to meet the learning outcomes of the module.
Students may register for programmes at any time, subject to attending the Programme Orientation module first, and are advised to undertake no more than four modules per year. The maximum time allowed for completion of the MSc programme is five years. Modules can be taken as stand-alone courses and/or as part of continuing professional development.
* Clinical Pharmacology and Early Human Studies is a five-day taught course
Relevance to industry
Pharmaceutical companies and health-related organisations increasingly demand experienced staff with expert knowledge. Our programmes provide training in pharmaceutical medicine and clinical pharmacology across the drug development process.
We provide academic postgraduate training for senior scientific or clinical positions which demonstrates your proficiency across the fields of pharmaceutical medicine and clinical pharmacology, and enhances your understanding of the underlying scientific disciplines involved.
Economic pressures and work commitments can make it difficult for organisations to release staff for training on a long-term basis. Our part-time, modular programmes are designed to fit in with full-time employment and make it easier to balance work commitments with learning.
We regularly attract professionals from pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations, government departments and health services. Established in 1994, these are now the largest training programmes of their type in Europe, attracting participants from around the world.
Most students undertaking these programmes are already in direct or indirect full-time employment within the pharmaceutical sector and use the programme to increase their skills, knowledge and job satisfaction, and to aid their career progression.
These programmes are designed for individuals developing their career in the field of drug development. They are unsuitable for recently qualified graduates with limited work experience in this field.
Department links
Contact us
For general enquiries
0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 681 681
For admissions enquiries
+44 (0)1483 686 400