University of Bradford
MSc Drug Toxicology and Safety Pharmacology

Bradford, United Kingdom

DEGREE TYPE

MSc

DURATION

1 year

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

EARLIEST START DATE

Jan 2026

STUDY FORMAT

On-Campus

Key Summary

About : The MSc Drug Toxicology and Safety Pharmacology is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of drug development, focusing on toxicology and safety assessment. The curriculum covers essential principles, methodologies, and regulatory frameworks related to drug safety, preparing students for a career in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. This program combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications to ensure a well-rounded educational experience.

Career Outcomes : Graduates can pursue various career paths, including roles as toxicologists, safety pharmacologists, and regulatory affairs specialists. Opportunities exist in pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, and government agencies, where the need for expertise in drug safety continues to grow.

This full-time Master's programme provides a comprehensive overview of drug safety practices within the drug development process.

It addresses key aspects of preclinical drug evaluation through the study of:

Drug discovery and development
Safety pharmacology
Mechanisms of drug-induced toxicities
Regulatory affairs
Bioanalytical sciences

It will give you state-of-the-art training in preclinical toxicology, with an emphasis on the molecular in vitro and in vivo aspects of toxicology and safety pharmacology assessments.

As part of the programme, you will undertake an original research project that will be the basis of your dissertation.

Delivered at the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, an internationally renowned research institution, the programme gives you the skills you need for a career in the pharmaceutical industry or regulatory bodies, along with the foundations for PhD study.

Drug toxicology and safety pharmacology lie at the heart of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and the demand for highly skilled practitioners in this field is extremely high.

What you will study

The program has a central core of modules in the first Semester which are designed to train students in widely used laboratory techniques, research methodology, and critical analysis and thinking.

The 20-credit Practical Skills in Research module is designed around common laboratory techniques and skills including ELISA, flow cytometry, Western Blot, statistical analysis, etc. You will have a series of workshops to learn these techniques with a lab session where you carry out the procedure.

In the 20-credit Critical Appraisal module, you are assigned a topic under the supervision of one of our academics and are asked to write a 5000-word critical review. In this module, students will receive a wide range of training and advice on scientific writing, compiling scientific data, data analysis, scientific presentation, etc.

The remaining 20-credit first-semester module entitled Toxicology & Safety Pharmacology provides students with the core academic knowledge required in this field. During the first semester, students gain knowledge of the breadth of cutting-edge research at ICT and either choose or suggest a research project plan.

In Semester 2, students will study the 20-credit Preclinical Models for Drug Evaluation module designed around protocols and techniques used in the in vitro and in vivo evaluation of drug potency and the 20-credit Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity module designed around the recent understanding mechanism that leads to toxicity in drug molecules.

In Semester 3 (60 credits each), students will join research laboratories within the ICT, to undertake their 60-credit Research Project module. During this time, students are trained in specialist laboratory techniques and conduct their chosen research.

All module information is for 2023 entry and is subject to change.

First year

Toxicology and Safety Pharmacology
Practical Skills in Research
Critical Appraisal
Preclinical Models for Drug Evaluation
Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity
Case Studies in Drug Discovery
Cancer Therapeutics Research Project

Learning and Assessment

A wide variety of teaching methods appropriate to the learning outcomes of the individual modules are employed throughout the program and are supported by the virtual learning environment provided by the University.

Students will experience lectures from the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) research/teaching staff and visiting clinicians and industrial researchers, small group workshops, one-to-one tutorials, and practical classes.

Students will also attend the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics Research Seminar program. Self-directed independent learning forms a significant component at the MSc level; students will be supported to develop the attributes and skills needed for life-long learning and continued professional development.

Directed private study will involve students in a variety of activities, which include directed reading of selected textbooks and specified source literature, use of the virtual learning environment (directed web-based materials), report writing, preparing presentations to deliver to peers, and other assignments.