Pharmaceutical Sciences

Pharmaceutical sciences is the branch of the natural sciences concerned with the discovery, development, manufacture, and regulation of medicines. It brings together chemistry, biology, physiology, and pharmacology to understand how drugs work, how they are formulated, how they move through the body, and how their safety and efficacy are established and monitored. The discipline is the intellectual foundation of the pharmaceutical industry, one of the most research-intensive and globally significant sectors in the modern economy, and it also underpins the regulatory and quality systems that ensure medicines are safe for patients.

At Middlesex University, this part-time programme includes a foundation year, a sandwich placement, and a work placement, making it a programme designed to accommodate students who are building towards a degree in pharmaceutical sciences while managing other commitments, and who want to develop professional experience alongside their academic studies. The foundation year provides additional preparation in the sciences before the main degree content begins, making this a route that is accessible to students whose prior qualifications may not meet standard entry requirements for a science degree. The sandwich and work placements are particularly valuable in pharmaceutical sciences, a field where industry exposure during undergraduate study is actively sought by employers.

Across the programme you will study the chemistry of drug molecules, including synthesis and analysis, the biology of how drugs interact with their targets in the body, pharmaceutical formulation and technology, regulatory affairs, and quality assurance. You will develop laboratory skills alongside theoretical understanding, and the placement experience will give you first-hand knowledge of how the industry or regulatory sector operates.

Graduates of pharmaceutical sciences programmes move into roles in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, the NHS, regulatory agencies, clinical trials, and research. Many also continue to postgraduate study in medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, drug development, or regulatory science.