Leiden, Netherlands
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
EUR 19,600 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* non-EU/EEA students | dutch, EU/EEA, swiss and surinamese students: €2,314 per year | second dutch master’s programme: €15,400 per year
Key Summary
Introduction
In the Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences master's programme you are trained at the edge of drug-design and fundamental research of new drugs, optimization of existing drugs, and personalised medicine.
Despite major advances in drug-research, many common diseases such as cancers, neurological diseases, cardiovascular disease and other auto-immune diseases, lack effective treatment, or are found incurable. You are trained for a scientific career in drug research and development. Depending on your interest, you can choose from seven specialisations to further extend your scientific training and theoretical background. With the master Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences you are trained for a scientific career in drug research and development. Moreover, you have a wide range of other career opportunities within the bio-pharmaceutical industry, science communication, and education.
Admissions
Curriculum
The two-year MSc program spans the entire spectrum of Analytical BioSciences, Biopharmaceutics, Drug Delivery Technology, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology.
Educational methods
- Colloquium
- Individual paper
- Lab work
- Literature study
- Presentations
- Lectures
- Working group
The master’s program offers three major research specializations corresponding to the disciplines of the Research Clusters of the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR):
- BioTherapeutics: You are focusing on the development of new therapeutic approaches to treat immune-based disorders and state-of-the-art therapies using novel biologicals.
- Drug Discovery and Safety: In this specialization, you focus on targeting the hallmarks of cancer. We offer education in advanced systems microscopy technologies and clinically relevant model systems for target and drug screening in combination with cheminformatics for the development of novel and safe drug leads.
- System Biomedicine and Pharmacology: You will combine cutting-edge experimental training in the field of systems biology, and quantitative pharmacology education in the area of computational modeling of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationships.
The remaining four BPS tracks consist of a research component in combination with another specialization:
- Industrial Pharmacy (in Dutch, max. 2 selected participants): This specialization trains you in quality control and safety in the production of medicinal products, and prepares students for a career in Quality Assurance and Quality Control in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industry.
- Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences and Business Studies: Combine training in BPS research with education in business and entrepreneurship.
- Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences and Science Communication and Society: combine research with programs in different aspects of science communication, such as journalism.
- Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences and Education (taught partly in Dutch): prepare yourself for a career in teaching.
Overview Curriculum general part (all specializations)
The research specializations are considered to be the default specializations of the master BPS. Students following the research specializations continue their research training in the second year. Students opting for a non-research specialization are admitted after the successful completion of their first year of the master’s program.
The program of all specializations consists of an introduction course, one research project, at least one BPS lecture series, and the course Advanced Academic Skills and Career Orientation. The general outline of year one of the master BPS is indicated below:
- Introduction Course Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences (6 EC)
prepares you for Research Project 1 - Research Project 1 (47 EC)
a nine-month research project within a division of the LACDR - Lecture series 1 in BPS (4 EC)
select one of the lecture series listed in the e-prospectus of the master BPS - Course Advanced academic skills and career orientation (3 EC)
Overview curriculum research specializations
The program of all three specializations consists of an introduction course, two research projects, at least one BPS lecture series, the course Advanced academic skills and Career Orientation, and optional courses. The general outline of the research-oriented specializations is indicated below:
- Introduction Course Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences (6 EC)
prepares you for Research Project 1 - Research Project 1 (47 EC)
a nine-month research project within a division of the LACDR - Research project 2 (36 EC) -> 35EC
a six-month research project at an academic institute or a pharmaceutical company - Literature study plus thesis (7 EC):
five consecutive weeks at one of the divisions of the LACDR - Lecture series 1 in BPS (4 EC)
select one of the lecture series listed in the e-prospectus of the master BPS - Course Advanced academic skills and career orientation (3 EC)
- Optional courses or traineeships (18 EC)
Program Outcome
The master's programme of Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences aims to train you in the research area of bio-pharmaceutical sciences and drug research in such a way that you have extensive knowledge and hands-on experience to be able to work independently as a scientific researcher. Moreover, you have a wide range of other career opportunities bio-pharmaceutical industry, science communication, and education.
Scholarships and Funding
Leiden University offers a wide range of scholarships for students from specific regions of the world, or for specific programmes. Leiden University also offers the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS), a program specifically designed for non-EU/EEA students enrolling in a master’s program.
Career Opportunities
One finds graduates from Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences in the entire width of the (bio)pharmaceutical field. Their careers generally remain closely related to the field of drug discovery and design, or the development and production of drugs, including drug quality, safety, and clinical trials. Jobs outside research include various functions in the pharmaceutical industry, in biotechnology companies, or with the government.
Many graduates from Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences choose a career in scientific research and pursue a Ph.D. degree. After obtaining your PhD degree you can continue as a postdoctoral fellow and subsequently, via a tenure track position at the university, develop further to assistant-, associate-, or full professor.