Top jobs with a pharmaceutical sciences masters

Find out how studying for a masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Surrey can open the door to a wide range of exciting careers and industries.

The jobs market

A masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences equips you for roles across many areas, including medical science, research & development, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, clinical trials and quality assurance.

According to the BioIndustry Association (BIA) 2025 report Life Sciences 2035: Developing the Skills for Future Growth, the UK life-sciences sector will need up to 70,000 new jobs, plus the replacement of up to 75,000 employees leaving the workforce, by 2035 - meaning a total need of around 145,000 skilled workers by 2035.

Opportunities exist in many locations where pharmaceutical research & development, manufacturing, biotech and regulatory affairs are active, in particular:

Asia-Pacific - Singapore, Australia
Middle East - UAE
North America - USA, Canada
Western Europe - UK, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands

Recent trends identify a rising demand for pharmaceutical roles requiring cross-disciplinary skills, for example, drug-discovery combined with data analytics or regulatory knowledge. Managerial, leadership and communication skills are also highly prized within the sector - any opportunities which can help you improve these skills will boost your job prospects even further.

Our professors were incredibly supportive throughout the year, and the university offers personalised career guidance, learning and development platforms, and well-being services, all of which were valuable in supporting me during my studies and job search. Imane Zanane, Pharmaceutical Sciences MSc

What Surrey offers

Our programme equips you with the knowledge to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical industry. You'll work with a wide variety of software for driving analytical equipment and formulation instrumentation, data evaluation, statistical analysis, remote access of the instruments, molecular modelling and more.

Students on our Pharmaceutical Sciences MSc will also work with our award-winning £1.7m chemical pilot plant. From start-up to shut down, you'll run real industrial processes and perform a variety of roles within the plant, just as a professional engineer would. This is science as it's meant to be - hands-on, high-tech and career-focused.

You'll also have the opportunity to undertake a postgraduate placement year if you choose our placement pathway. This will enable you to prove yourself in the workplace, develop your people skills and make valuable contacts and connections which could benefit you right throughout your career. We’ll support you in finding a placement with a company most suited to your career goals - our students have secured placements at companies including: