# Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry
**Source**: https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/msc-programmes/applied-chemistry/specialization/synthesis-and-medicinal-chemistry
**Parent**: https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/msc-programmes/applied-chemistry
### Coordinator of specialization
[Mads Hartvig Clausen](https://www.dtu.dk/english/person/mads-hartvig-clausen?id=6337&cpid=22484 "Mads Hartvig Clausen")
Professor
Department of Chemistry
[Phone: +45 45252131](tel:45252131 "45252131")
[mhc@kemi.dtu.dk](mailto:mhc@kemi.dtu.dk "mhc@kemi.dtu.dk")
## Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry
It is of paramount importance to have drugs that are efficient, selective and without serious side effects. The specialization in Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry offers competences in medicinal chemistry and organic synthesis, and offers the opportunity to work in drug design and development.
The programme will teach you about the process of producing a pharmaceutical from the initial idea to the final drug used in the treatment of disease.
Designing and executing a short and efficient synthetic route to a desired chemical substance is vital to a drug-development programme. This requires an in-depth knowledge of theoretical and practical organic chemistry, which is a major part of the specialization. You also gain experience in the important field of molecular modelling.
You will have the opportunity to use your knowledge in research and development projects relevant to drug-development and production. Some projects will be carried out in close collaboration with industrial partners from pharmaceutical companies.
To complete the speicialization, the student must fulfil the following requirements:
- Have passed Polytechnical foundation courses adding up to at least 10 ECTS
- Have passed Programme specific courses adding up to at least 50 ECTS
- Have performed a Master Thesis of at least 30 ECTS within Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry
- Have passed a sufficient number of Elective courses to bring the total number of ECTS of the entire study to 120 ECTS
**Mandatory course**
All mandatory courses under the polytechnic foundation and programme specific courses in the curriculum must be completed, in addition, the following must be fulfilled:
The following courses are mandatory to fulfill the requirements of the specialization:
| | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [26416](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26416?menulanguage=en) | Laboratory Course in Organic Synthesis | 5 | point | January |
| [26444](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26444?menulanguage=en) | Organic Chemistry 4 | 10 | point | Spring F4 (Tues 13-17, Fri 8-12) |
| [26446](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26446?menulanguage=en) | Advanced Medicinal Chemistry | 5 | point | Spring F2A (Mon 13-17) |
\
Choose at least 5 points among the following courses:
| | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [22210](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/22210?menulanguage=en) | Immune System in Health and Disease | 5 | point | Autumn E1B (Thurs 13-17) |
| [26241](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26241?menulanguage=en) | Applied Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics | 5 | point | Autumn E1B (Thurs 13-17) |
| [26438](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26438?menulanguage=en) | NMR Spectroscopy | 5 | point | Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12) |
| [26455](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26455?menulanguage=en) | Organic Reaction Mechanisms and Supramolecular Chemistry | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| [27430](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/27430?menulanguage=en) | Eukaryotic cell biology | 5 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) |
\
**Elective Courses**
The following courses are proposals for the specialization:
| | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [02452](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/02452?menulanguage=en) | Machine Learning | 5 | point | Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17) |
| [22235](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/22235?menulanguage=en) | Drug delivery | 5 | point | Spring F5B (Wed 13-17) |
| [22237](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/22237?menulanguage=en) | Preclinical drug development | 5 | point | Autumn E5A (Wed 8-12) |
| [27423](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/27423?menulanguage=en) | Metabolomics and proteomics | 5 | point | Autumn E3A (Tues 8-12) |
| [28316](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28316?menulanguage=en) | Laboratory Course in Colloid and Surface Chemistry | 5 | point | January |
| [63853](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/63853?menulanguage=en) | Sustainable Business in the pharmaceutical industry on emerging markets and developing countries - Access to health care | 5 | point | Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17) |
\
**Autumn start - proposed study plan**
Polytechnical foundation
Programme specific courses
Thesis
Electives
1.Semester
[26422](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26422?menulanguage=en)\
Biomolecular Chemistry
5 point
[26433](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26433?menulanguage=en)\
Organic Chemistry 3
5 point
[26438](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26438?menulanguage=en)\
NMR Spectroscopy
5 point
[22210](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/22210?menulanguage=en)\
Immune System in Health and Disease
5 point
[12106](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/12106?menulanguage=en)\
Quantitative methods to assess... Quantitative methods to assess sustainability (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
[26416](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26416?menulanguage=en)\
Laboratory Course in Organic Synthesis
5 point
2.Semester
[28212](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28212?menulanguage=en)\
Polymer Chemistry
5 point
[26317](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26317?menulanguage=en)\
Instrumental Chemical Analysis
5 point
[26444](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26444?menulanguage=en)\
Organic Chemistry 4
10 point
[26446](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26446?menulanguage=en)\
Advanced Medicinal Chemistry
5 point
[26620](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26620?menulanguage=en)\
Chemistry and Innovation
5 point
3.Semester
Electives \
Elective
5 point
Electives \
Elective
5 point
Electives \
Elective
5 point
Electives \
Elective
5 point
Electives \
Elective
5 point
[42500](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/42500?menulanguage=en)\
Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical... Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
4.Semester
Thesis \
Master's thesis
30 point
\
**Spring start - proposed study plan**
Polytechnical foundation
Programme specific courses
Thesis
Electives
1.Semester
[28212](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/28212?menulanguage=en)\
Polymer Chemistry
5 point
[26317](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26317?menulanguage=en)\
Instrumental Chemical Analysis
5 point
Electives \
Elective
Shared
Electives \
Elective
Shared
Electives \
Elective
Shared
[42501](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/42501?menulanguage=en)\
Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical... Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
2.Semester
[26422](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26422?menulanguage=en)\
Biomolecular Chemistry
5 point
[26433](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26433?menulanguage=en)\
Organic Chemistry 3
5 point
[26438](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26438?menulanguage=en)\
NMR Spectroscopy
5 point
[22210](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/22210?menulanguage=en)\
Immune System in Health and Disease
5 point
[12106](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/12106?menulanguage=en)\
Quantitative methods to assess... Quantitative methods to assess sustainability (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
[26416](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26416?menulanguage=en)\
Laboratory Course in Organic Synthesis
5 point
3.Semester
[26444](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26444?menulanguage=en)\
Organic Chemistry 4
10 point
[26446](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26446?menulanguage=en)\
Advanced Medicinal Chemistry
5 point
Electrives \
Elective
5 point
Electives \
Elective
5 point
[26620](https://kurser.dtu.dk/course/2025-2026/26620?menulanguage=en)\
Chemistry and Innovation
5 point
4.Semester
Thesis \
Master's thesis
30 point
\
*Specializations are merely recommended ways of choosing the courses in the curriculum. Applicants are not admitted to a specialization but to the programme and it is possible to choose among all the courses in the curriculum following the directions given. However, if a specialization has been fulfilled the title of the specialization may be added to the diploma.*