MSc in Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences
Groningen, Netherlands
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 May 2027*
EARLIEST START DATE
01 Sep 2027
TUITION FEES
EUR 24,900 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Dutch, EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA students
** non-EU/EEA | EU/EEA: € 2695/year
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
How can we design medicines that are safer, more effective, and sustainable? How do we tackle medicine shortages that threaten healthcare worldwide? And how can we prepare our society for future pandemics and the challenges of an ageing population? If you want to make an impact on these pressing issues, the Master's program Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences (MPS) is for you.
What to expect in this Master’s program in Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences
- A research-oriented training in medical-pharmaceutical sciences
- Flexibility to design your own master program
- Attention for sustainability in the development and use of pharmaceuticals
- Access to unique and modern medical-pharmaceutical courses
This two-year master's program starts with a general training in Drug Development and Academic Skills. Subsequently, you chose four courses from your track in Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering (PDE) or Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology (P&T). Furthermore, you can follow your interests by choosing elective courses from the chemistry, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences master's programs. You can also choose for a track in Science, Business and Policy (SBP) with a dedicated training in Business and Policy aspects in the pharmaceutical sector. Importantly, choosing your own master projects enables you to gain in-depth and hands-on experience in medical-pharmaceutical research. Our program also provides direct exposure to potential employers through guest lectures and our annual career event, ensuring excellent preparation for careers in academia, industry, policy, or business.
Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences is a partner in the International Master's in Sustainable Drug Discovery, which creates an international education environment with a unique profile in sustainability.
Choose your track
- Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering (PDE) – pre-clinical research track
- Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology (P&T) – clinical research track
- Science, Business, and Policy (SBP) – professional track
Research
Groningen Drug Research is among the best in the world
Research focuses in the Master's degree program in Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences:
Research mainly concentrates on drug design, synthesis, production and analysis, drug targeting and delivery, pharmacology, engineering of drug applications, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, bio pharmacy, pharmaco-economics and –epidemiology, and clinical pharmacy.
If you prefer a less research-oriented program, you may choose the 'Science, Business and Policy' profile. This profile prepares you for professions in a commercial, policy-making and/or societal organization.
- An interactive and personal study program by mentoring, courses in small groups and individual or group assignments.
- Extensive hands-on training in research projects and internships.
- Focus on modern themes such as: green chemistry, nanomedicine, vaccines and big data.
- Supported by strong international research groups from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) and the University
- Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG)
- Annual career event with a networking moment to meet potential employers.
- Research and education cover all aspects that are relevant to the development life cycle of modern medicines.
The program is an excellent preparation for a succeeding PhD program in pharmaceutical, biological, or medical sciences (approximately 60%), for a career in industry (approximately 30%), as a consultant (5%) or as a policy maker (5%). More than 80% of the students find a job within 6 months after their studies.
Job prospects
Our master's program enables students to choose their own profile to enter the labour market. Therefore, orientation on the labour market is an important aspect of our program. Towards this aim we have guest lectures from companies, an annual career event and opportunities for research projects and internships in companies.
Our program has a small-scale and friendly atmosphere and harbours students with various educational backgrounds and nationalities.
Finishing the Master's program in Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences provides multiple career options. You are optimally prepared for careers in pharmaceutical research, business and policy.
You can find a position as a researcher in organizations such as:
- Universities
- Academic and general hospitals
- Pharmaceutical, biomedical and food industries
You can also find a position in the pharmaceutical business or policy in organizations such as:
- Governmental and semi-governmental institutions such as the Medicines Evaluation Board, EMA or the Ministry of Health and Welfare
- Societal and patient organizations
- Pharmaceutical companies
Pharmaceutical companies of the local labour market employ about 2,100 fte personnel in the area of medical-pharmaceutical research and business. Examples of such companies are: ICON, Ardena, Symeres, Thermo Fisher Scientific, QPS, etc.
Year 1
The program starts with the compulsory courses 'Drug Development' and 'Academic Skills'. Subsequently, you begin with elective courses that best fit your interests. Each track provides you with a defined set of elective courses from which you choose four courses. This provides you with the flexibility to choose your own path in the exciting world of drug discovery!
In your first year, you choose one of the following tracks, in which you select the themes of your interest to meet your own learning objectives:
1) Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering (PDE-track): This track is focused on the pre-clinical research using experimental procedures and data management in modern pharmaceutical laboratories. You can specialize in themes such as: medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical analysis, pharmaceutical technology, translational technology and toxicology.
2) Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology (P&T-track): This track focuses on clinical scientific research and data management in a modern pharmaceutical research environment. You can specialize in themes such as: toxicology, vaccinology, pharmaco-epidemiology, pharmaco-economics, big data management, clinical trials and postmarketing surveillance.
3) Science, Business, and Policy (SBP-track): This track starts with a one-year training in pharmaceutical research, followed by a specialization in the business and policy aspects of drug discovery and drug use. In the first year, you choose elective courses and a research project in pre-clinical and/or clinical research. In the second year, you will receive specialized and dedicated hands-on training for a career in business and policy. You will also do a work placement.
Courses
- Academic Skills
- Colloquium
- Drug Development
- Non-track Electives
- Research Project 1
- Research Project 2
- SBP Internship
- Track Electives
Year 2
Two-year-long program. Credits per year: 60 EC, most courses are 5 EC.
In your first year, you make a plan for both the first and the second year of the master's. So, the content of year 2 depends on your own planning and choices made in year 1. For the PDE and P&T track, year 2 includes a selection of track electives and/or free electives (20-30 EC), as well as Research Project 2 (30, 35 or 40 EC). For the SBP-track, year 2 includes a specialized and dedicated Science, Business and Policy training. It includes a 10 EC course in Science and Business and a 10 EC course in Science and Policy, as well as a work placement of 40 EC dedicated to the Science, Business and Policy aspects of medical-pharmaceutical research.
Curriculum
Two-year-long program. Credits per year: 60 EC, most courses are 5 EC.
Extracurricular activities
In addition to this master's program, you can apply for the extracurricular FSE High Tech Systems and Materials Honours Master (1.5 years, 20 EC), developed in close collaboration with industry. This program offers multidisciplinary collaboration, hands-on product development for a company, masterclasses and workshops from experts. Upon completion, you will receive a mention of this extracurricular activity on your diploma supplement.
BYOD Policy
Please be advised that students of the Faculty of Science and Engineering are expected to adhere to our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, ensuring seamless integration of personal electronic devices for academic purposes.
Program options
- Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering (PDE-track) (track)
- Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology (P&T-track) (formerly: Pharmaco-epidemiology and -economics) (track)
- Science, Business, and Policy (SBP-track) (track)
Study abroad
- Study abroad is recommended
- For an average of 20 weeks
- Maximum of 60 EC
Exchange: All our science and engineering programs offer study abroad possibilities at a number of partner institutions, often as a second research project. Our partners include top-100 universities in Europe (for example, in Germany, the UK, and Sweden) and in the USA, China, South-East Asia, and South America.