Pharmaceutical Science

Our vocationally oriented degree course combines biology and chemistry to examine drug design, targets and delivery. You’ll learn how drugs affect the human body through theoretical teaching, lab work and optional work placements, and will be taught by a number of research-active staff who have close links with the industry.

More about this course

If you’ve ever wondered how new medicines are invented, this could be the course for you. You’ll follow the entire process of rational drug design, from identifying biological targets that link to diseases to optimising lead compounds that recognise these targets.

You’ll also learn about the parameters that affect the delivery of drugs to specific sites in the body, in order to gain a better understanding of how drugs can be administered to deliver maximum results with minimum side effects.

In your first year, you’ll gain a solid grounding in the fundamentals of chemistry and related biological subjects. As the course progresses, you’ll cover these topics at a greater depth, as well as having the opportunity to specialise in subjects that interest you.

The practical elements of this course will be undertaken in our £30 million Science Centre, which is equipped with over 280 workstations and state-of-the-art specialist laboratories. You’ll also get the chance to undertake a work placement in your third year, where you’ll gain valuable, real-world experience.

What our students say

"The Pharmaceutical Science course was the perfect choice for me. I am passionate about chemistry and can’t wait to start formulating, but need to understand the biological implications. This course gives me the opportunity to do all of these things. I have found the course challenging and thoroughly interesting. After only a year I feel I have learned so much – I’m looking forward to Year 2!" Mignon Cristofoli, Year 1 student

"I find the Pharmaceutical Science degree very informative and enjoyable, especially in the second year as we actually get to learn about the pharmaceutical industry. Working in the biggest laboratory in the UK is a great experience and many skills can be obtained. The lectures are always interesting and the lecturers are always helpful." Nelushna Manmatharajah, Year 2 student

"I started my time at London Met in 2012 with a foundation year. I was not really sure which path I would take, but four years on I'm happy to call myself a pharmaceutical scientist! I am extremely grateful for the chance to have met and worked with some incredibly talented and passionate teachers!" Elina Zalite, Year 3 student