Pharmaceutical Science with Foundation Year

Pharmaceutical science is the study of the science underlying the discovery, development, manufacture, and quality assurance of medicines. It is a broad and versatile discipline, drawing on chemistry, biology, pharmacology, and engineering to understand how drugs work, how they are formulated into stable and effective dosage forms, how they are manufactured at scale, and how their quality and safety are assured throughout their lifecycle. As one of the world's largest and most research-intensive industries, pharmaceuticals offers significant career opportunities for graduates with strong scientific foundations.

At the University of Salford this part-time programme includes a foundation year, providing students who need additional preparation with a thorough grounding in the underlying sciences before progressing to the main pharmaceutical science degree. The foundation year develops your knowledge of chemistry and biology and your study skills, ensuring you are well prepared for the demands of the degree. Across the programme you will engage with the cutting-edge of pharmaceutical research, studying drug discovery, formulation science, analytical chemistry, quality control, and the regulatory frameworks that govern the development and authorisation of new medicines.

Pharmaceutical science graduates are well placed for careers across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, in roles spanning research and development, analytical services, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, clinical trials, and manufacturing. The NHS, veterinary medicine, and cosmetics industries are other sectors that employ graduates with pharmaceutical science training. Many graduates choose to continue to postgraduate study in pharmaceutical science, drug delivery, medicinal chemistry, or related disciplines, deepening their technical expertise and strengthening their research profile in a field where specialist knowledge is in sustained demand globally.