Special features

• This master combines all aspects of the drug development life cycle
• Sustainability in drug discovery is included in our master’s courses
• Unique interdisciplinary cooperation between preclinical, pharmaceutical, medical and economical research fields, with teaching staff within walking distance

Programme content

How can we design more effective and needle-free vaccines? How can we better measure drug toxicity for humans? How can we fight antibiotic resistance? How can we use big healthcare data to improve preventive drug programmes? How can we optimize chronic drug use in ageing populations? How can we develop a business case for a new drug and determine the costs of pharmaceutical programmes? You will explore these types of questions during your studies in the Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences (MPS) master programme in Groningen.

This two-year master’s degree programme enables you to start a career in the exciting world of the drug development life cycle!

You can choose one of the following tracks:

• Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering for pre-clinical research
• Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology for clinical research
• Science, Business and Policy

Each track contains a research project of 30 ECTS in year one and a research project or a work placement of 30-40 ECTS in year two.

Career opportunities

The programme is an excellent preparation for a PhD programme in pharmaceutical, biological, or medical science (about 60% of students) or for a career in industry (about 30%), as a consultant (5%), or as a policymaker (5%). More than 80% of our students find a job within six months of completing their studies.

Student testimonial by Radu Bulai - Student of the MSc Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences

‘During my Bachelor of Chemistry, I became interested in the application of organic chemistry in drug discovery. I therefore took the opportunity to gain more in-depth knowledge of themes around drug discovery by embarking on the Master of Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences. During that master’s programme, I soon realized how in-depth the programme is and how they try to relate the different parts of the drug design process to each other. It’s not just about focusing on one part of the drug manufacturing and marketing process, but also about trying to keep in mind all the past or future steps that will be involved.

The master’s programme offers you an opportunity to complete different research projects. At the moment I am doing my final research project, which focuses on a protein that promotes cancer. Once I graduate, I would like to continue research in the field of drug design and drug syntheses. I am already applying for a position to continue research as a PhD student. After obtaining a PhD I’ll be open to industrial or commercial career opportunities.’

Entry requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy, or related research fields. Students with a bachelor at the university of applied sciences (HBO) can enter through a pre-master program.

More information

You can find more information at rug.nl//fse/mscmps