Cardiff University

BSc Medicinal Chemistry

The programme has three years, where each year is made up of two semesters comprising modules totalling 120 credits.

In year one you take compulsory chemistry modules worth 120 credits, including modules that introduce chemistry at university and the pharmaceutical industry, alongside 30 credits of practical work.

In year two you will take compulsory modules in chemistry, transferable skills, and a 30-credit practical module.

In year three you will undertake practical work in the autumn semester (20 credits) alongside modules in organic chemistry, statistics and data science. This is followed by a specialised original project in the spring semester (40 credits).

Year One

Our year one modules aim to stimulate your interest in the subject, whilst giving a solid knowledge base of chemistry and an overview of the pharmaceutical industry upon which to build in the following years. Core theory chemistry modules are supplemented with practical work and mathematical workshops.

Core Modules for Year One

• Foundations of Physical Chemistry
• Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry
• Foundations of Organic Chemistry
• Introduction to University Chemistry
• Year 1 Chemistry Foundation Practical
• Mathematical Methods for Chemistry
• Introduction to Drug Development

Year Two

Year 2 builds upon the general chemistry skills of year 1 with modules in the areas of chemistry that are of most importance to medicinal chemists. These are complemented by a laboratory module that gives experience in the techniques of organic, biological and computational chemistry. Transferable skills modules will give you the skills in teamwork, leadership and project management that are valuable in an industry career.

Core Modules for Year Two

• Project Management (CHEMY)
• Further Organic and Biological Chemistry
• Introduction to the chemistry of life
• Applications of Molecular Spectroscopy
• Communicating Chemistry: Key Skills for Medicinal Chemists
• Practical Skills in Medicinal Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry in Drug Design
• Enterprising Chemistry
• Macromolecules as Drug Targets

Year Three

You will take theory modules in synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry, statistics and data science. In the autumn semester, there is a laboratory practical module and in spring a substantial original project is undertaken.

Core Modules for Year Three

• Advanced Synthetic Strategies
• Advanced Practical Training for Medicinal Chemists
• New Modalities in Drug Discovery
• Project
• Computational Data Science
• Foundations of Statistics and Data Science

How Will I Be Assessed?

Formative and summative assessments are carried out during each year of study. This gives a measure of performance to inform you, staff, and potential employers about your progress and achievement. It can also help the learning process by highlighting areas of success and areas needing more attention. Assessment involves a blend of methods that are selected to suit the particular outcomes of each module and the course as a whole. These methods include the following:

• Formal examinations and class tests with fixed time limits for theory modules
• Reports and outputs (compounds, data, code) from laboratory and computational work to demonstrate mastery of practical skills and reporting to professional standards
• Planning, conducting and reporting of project work
• Essays for demonstrating searching, synthesis and evaluation of the literature
• Problem-solving as workshop assignments or on-line exercises that allow application of theory to practice
• Oral presentations
• Preparation and display of posters.

What Skills Will I Practise and Develop?

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will achieve by the end of your programme at Cardiff University and identify the knowledge and skills that you will develop. They will also help you to understand what is expected of you.

On successful completion of your Programme, you will be able to

Knowledge & Understanding

• KU 1 Be conversant in chemical terminology, nomenclature, conventions and units
• KU 2 Recognise, explain and apply the major types of reaction in organic and biological chemistry as used in medicinal chemistry
• KU 3 Explain the physical principles and justify the choice of techniques for the analysis of drug candidates and the measurement/prediction of their biological activity
• KU 4 Describe and give examples of the targets and mode of action of major classes of drugs
• KU 5 Explain the role of medicinal chemistry in drug discovery and how it interacts with the wider drug discovery enterprise and society

Intellectual Skills

• IS 1 Recognise, analyse and solve problems by qualitative and quantitative application of subject knowledge and understanding
• IS 2 Interpret data derived from laboratory observations and measurements in terms of the theory underlying them and critically assess their significance
• IS 3 Apply theoretical models and associated computational methods for making predictions of the physical, chemical and biological properties of molecules
• IS 4 Construct synopses from information derived from multiple sources

Professional Practical Skills

• PS 1 Plan and safely carry out standard laboratory procedures for preparation, purification, analysis and biological assays of drugs
• PS 2 Observe, monitor and record, in a systematic and reliable fashion, data relating to the preparation, analysis and assay of drugs in a manner appropriate for a professional chemist working in an academic or industrial situation
• PS 3 Communicate scientific concepts, proposals and data orally and in writing to a range of audiences through media including journals, reports, seminars and colloquia
• PS 4 Perform computations, data-processing and electronic searching of databases relating to drugs and their interactions with biological systems
• PS 5 Act with scientific integrity and in an ethical manner with consideration for the social and environmental implications of the pharmaceutical industry

Transferable/Key Skills

• KS 1 Employ information technology such as word processing, spreadsheets, data-logging and storage, web communication and drawing packages
• KS 2 Apply numeracy and mathematical skills including algebra, statistics and error analysis to data processing, interpretation and presentation
• KS 3 Plan and implement projects on time while working as part of an interdisciplinary team
• KS 4 Reflect upon own learning and independently identify and undertake study needed for continuing professional development

A BSc Medicinal Chemistry degree from Cardiff University will open many doors for you. Firstly, you’ll gain the skills that society needs to solve many key issues, for example; creating vaccines and medicines for current and future diseases, or creating eco-friendly pharmaceuticals that are kind to the planet and affordable for all. You will have experienced scaling up small experiments to the full industrial level and have benefitted from real-world links to industries and companies. Your training will have extended beyond the lab, to project management, business, ​marketing, finance, strategy, sustainability and leadership, so you will be well-prepared to enter a diverse range of careers.